Middletown Planning and Zoning Commission Special Meeting - April 29, 2026

The Middletown Planning and Zoning Commission held a special meeting on April 29, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers and virtually via WebEx. The meeting addressed a subdivision, a mixed-use conversion, and a zoning text amendment. Key outcomes included unanimous approval of the subdivision and the mixed-use conversion with parking conditions, and continuation of the public hearing on the zoning amendment to May 27, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• None (all items were discussed individually).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the two public comment periods.

Discussion Items

• Item 8.1 – Subdivision at 500 Washington Street (S2026-2): Edward Cassella, representing Middlesex Mobile Home Park, LLC, presented a request to subdivide an 11.56-acre property in the MXC zone into two lots: one approximately 8.5 acres and one just over 3 acres. The frontage totals 170 feet, with 100 feet remaining on the 3-acre lot containing mobile homes. The applicant plans to seek multifamily development on the larger parcel. Staff outlined three pre-filing conditions: finalize access and utility easements, reflect all existing easements on the mylar, and add a signature block per Section 4.02. The applicant accepted these conditions. The subdivision was approved unanimously.

• Item 8.2 – Mixed-Use Conversion at 62 Washington Street (SPR2026-55): Attorney Matthew Willis of Halloran & Sage, along with Steve and Mike Nero, presented a plan to convert upper floors of a commercial building into 22 residential units (18 one-bedroom, 2 two-bedroom, 2 three-bedroom) while maintaining ground-floor retail. The building is 90% vacant above the first floor. The interior work will be cosmetic; the exterior will retain its historic character. Parking was a major discussion point: the zoning code requires 26 spaces, but only 4 on-site garage spaces are available. The applicant later secured 8 additional spaces at the Kid City lot, bringing the total to 12. The commission debated whether to approve with a lower number or require full compliance. After discussion, the commission voted unanimously to approve the site plan with the condition that the applicant provide a total of 26 parking spaces (12 currently identified plus 14 more) before any certificate of occupancy is issued. The project timeline is approximately two years.

• Item 6.1 – Zoning Text Amendment (Z2026-3): Director Marek Kozikowski presented a petition to amend Section 6.1.2 to allow Outdoor Recreational Facilities as a special exception use in the M (Multifamily Residential) zone. The amendment would add a dot to the use table, making the use permissible under existing special exception standards. Commissioner Emery raised concerns about noise impacts, particularly for uses like pickleball or concerts, and suggested adding an explicit noise standard. Commissioner Sinkowitz and others supported this. Director Kozikowski offered to draft a noise standard. The commission voted unanimously to continue the public hearing to the May 27, 2026 meeting to allow for the modification.

Key Outcomes

• Item 8.1 – Subdivision: Approved unanimously (all ayes) with three staff conditions: finalize easements, reflect existing easements, and add a signature block.
• Item 8.2 – Mixed-Use Conversion: Approved unanimously with the condition that the applicant must secure 26 total parking spaces (12 currently identified plus 14 additional) before any certificate of occupancy.
• Item 6.1 – Zoning Text Amendment: Public hearing continued to May 27, 2026 to allow staff to add a noise standard to the special exception criteria.
• Minutes of April 8, 2026: Approved unanimously.
• Commission Affairs: Commissioner Emery requested a parking pass for commissioners to attend meetings; staff will follow up.
• Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 7:58 PM.