Date: September 9, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM (called to order at 5:06 PM)
Location: Council Chambers, City Hall
The board considered four new business items: a residential carport/shed, a YMCA addition/renovation, and two commercial developments on Washington Street involving demolition of existing dwellings. Public comments focused on preserving the historic Southmaid House (c. 1739) at 797 Washington Street. All items were approved, with conditions on materials and preservation.
Applicant Jeff Bianco requested approval for a detached combined carport and shed to accommodate aging‑in‑place needs. The structure would be minimally visible behind existing trees (Japanese maple, possibly a large maple). Materials: vertical wood siding (T‑111 or cedar), dark stain, asphalt shingles matching the house. Board members asked for final color selection and material clarity. The applicant agreed to submit a color sample to staff.
Project architect Rock Patito (QA+M) presented a revised design after earlier 2024 submission. Changes included: removal of a roof deck, reduction of glass, and addition of square footage. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) reviewed and approved the design, as the YMCA is deemed historically significant and SHPO contributed $5 million. Materials: metal panel (white), brick samples, EIFS (on less visible elevations), and storefront glazing. Board members noted the EIFS locations and accepted the design given SHPO’s oversight.
Discussed jointly. Attorney Rich Carella (Updike, Kelly & Spellacy) represented owners Evan and Scott O’Brien. The combined 2.55‑acre site would be regraded (20‑foot grade change) to accommodate:
The board voted separately on 4.4 first, then 4.3.
4.1 – Carport/Shed (208 College Street): Approved (motion by Wendy Smith, seconded). Condition: final color selection and material details to be submitted to staff for review.
4.2 – YMCA Exterior (85 Union Street): Approved (motion by Wendy Smith, seconded). Board noted confidence in SHPO review.
4.4 – Credit Union at 809 Washington Street: Approved (motion by Wendy Smith, seconded). Unanimous (all in favor).
4.3 – Restaurant at 797 Washington Street: Approved (motion by Wendy Smith, seconded). Conditions: (1) the Southmaid House must be dismantled and preserved per the Butterley contract, not demolished; (2) documentation of the dismantling process (mapping, numbering) to be provided to the city; (3) a building permit for the new restaurant will not be issued until the house is removed and documented. The board also noted that the final design, materials, and colors for the restaurant building will be subject to future review by the Design Review & Preservation Board.
Minutes of June 10, 2026 regular meeting: Approved unanimously.
Adjournment: 7:00 PM (estimated).
I don't think that's what it's like. Oh, so that's next door to regular. Oh, no, all it's uh part of the uh it's it's usually not as bad as it was like that's what I'm saying. This meeting is being transcribed and summarized. Good evening. I'd like to call this meeting to order at five oh six. Um the agenda is public comments for items on the agenda. Do we have anybody for the agenda or not on the agenda? For items on the agenda. Excuse me, everybody, we're getting started. Good evening. I'm Chrishna Winston. I'm speaking as chair of the Middletown Sustainability Commission, as president of the Jonas Center for Earth and Art Board, and as a member of the board of the Historical Society. And I want to address item um, I think it's four point three, the demolition of the South Maid House on Washington Street. From the sustainability point of view, we should be preserving our historic structures. It was quite a prominent family. And in fact, I will show you Liberty Bank. It just had its 250th anniversary. And they featured quite prominently Samuel Southmate, E.G. Southmaid, because the bank was founded in Mr. Southmate's pharmacy. And his pharmacy eventually became Peltons. And so I know those of you who have been around for a while remember Pelton's drugstore. Dozens and dozens of the Southmaid family members are buried in our old cemeteries as well as some of our newer ones. Well, it originally started out as the Beers Southmaid funeral home and then became the Southmaid Doolittle funeral home, and then eventually the Do Littles completely bought out the Southamates. So that name is really quite prominent in town, as well as I will point out that the Judge Seth Wetmore House up the street, which is certainly one of our most historic houses. His granddaughter married Giles Southmade. And one of their children, Dr. Lucy Waterman Southmade, was a graduate of the New England Female Medical College in 1867, so was a very early female doctor. And her daughter was a suffragist and went on to run for vice president of the United States in the 1930s. So we're talking about a family here that certainly needs to be remembered. I will say in terms of preservation. Middletown got money. And so what happened was from Union to court on the east side of the street, Main to the river, every single historic house was torn down. Several were saved and moved up near the South Green by John Reynolds, but otherwise they were all torn down. Newberry Port didn't get any money. And so they were sitting there for another 10 years, and 10 years later, the idea of preservation took hold across the nation. And so now Newberry Port with all of its historic structures is now a tourist destination, which we certainly could have been if we didn't tear everything down. So I understand I was just speaking with uh attorney Corella who said that they have plans to uh dismantle the uh the Southmaid House and uh move it somewhere else, reconstruct it. And so um if you um do say they can demolish it or take it down, uh could you at least put in a caveat that it does get rebuilt because it this house really needs to be saved. It's architecturally significant and it's historically significant. In fact, when the judge Seth Wetmore House was built up the street, the enslaved Africans who uh built the built the foundation uh walked down the street and they slept in this particular house that's before you tonight. So a lot of history is there. So please please consider that. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. I'm Renee Treber. I live at 10 Coval Hill Drive in Portland, Connecticut, but I am a member of the Middlesex County Historical Society Board, and I'm chairman of that the Society's Historic Preservation Committee, and speaking tonight on with regards to 797 Washington Street. It's uh only one of about a half a dozen center chimney colonials uh that were built within the 10-year period between 1735 and 1745 that remain today in town.