Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the golf course in Shrub Oak was awaiting final approval and would soon undergo an expansion. The Town of Yorktown granted final site plan approval in May, legalizing the outdoor seating, fire pits and bar that had already been constructed. No additional approvals are pending. The article has been updated to correct the record. We regret the error.
The Links at Valley Fields golf course received Planning Board approval in May for an amended site plan that legalized outdoor dining, fire pits and a bar that had already been constructed. As a condition of that approval, the operator must complete an acoustic study during the current season to ensure compliance with Yorktown's noise ordinance.
Carmine DeMeglio, the applicant for the project, received a special permit that's valid for one year as of this past February to allow bands to play on the site so an acoustic study can be done. The study is being done to ensure that the music does not disturb nearby residents.
“What we’re trying to do is take it out of the subjective and put some conditions on here that we can all identify and work with and stay within those parameters,” DeMeglio said during the planning board meeting on May 18.
DeMeglio is also the owner and operator of The Links at Valley Fields. He said that he is working to ensure that the bands do not play late, past 9 p.m., or too loud for the residents nearby.
The Links at Valley Fields currently offers a nine-hole, par-3 course with leagues and night golf under the lights and The Tee Bar & Grille for food and drinks after a round. The course’s website, linksyorktown.com, describes The Links at Valley Fields as an Arnold Palmer-designed course that is “nestled in the heart of Shrub Oak where breathtaking views meet a course that challenges and delights golfers of every skill level.”
The amended site plan legalized improvements that had already been constructed at The Tee Bar & Grille, including 16 fire pit seats, 20 picnic bench seats, nine bar seats and 64 covered patio seats. The original site plan was approved in December 2021, and the golf course is currently open and operating.
Under the course’s amended site plan, which the board approved in May and which includes the special permit, the project must also include two parking spaces in the service yard of the property. The amended site plan also requires lighting to be installed so it is directed away from the Taconic State Parkway and neighboring properties and requires compliance with the noise ordinance.
During that meeting, board members discussed whether noise created by the bands would be an issue. Town Board liaison to the Planning Board Sergio Esposito said he has walked through the property when a band was playing and heard the sound “bouncing back” from the back of the property near the treeline, which is also behind where the band plays.
“I didn’t feel vibrations. I heard a muffled noise,” he said.
Planning Board member Luciana Haughwout said that bands may sound louder than they are because of how the sound ricochets near the patio, since the structure is located on top of a nearby waterway and made of concrete.
Other requirements under the special use permit include putting up netting in certain areas to stop golf balls from rolling away from the property; providing details about sound mitigation measures already installed in the golf course building; submitting an acoustic survey and report from an acoustical engineer; and submitting sound attenuation measures for the interior and exterior, including those for outdoor music events. Outdoor live music will be permitted between noon and 10 p.m. Music played by a DJ will be required to use the in-house speaker system.
The amended site plan requires compliance with ADA standards and all necessary permits from outside agencies.
“I would like to work on getting a site plan signed for the site because they’re operating,” Planning Director Robyn Steinberg said.
Steinberg told Yorktown News in a July 13 email that the applicant still needs to hire an acoustical engineer to monitor sound levels. She said she did not have any additional updates on the project.
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