The Milford Board of Adjustment on July 18 denied a variance request that would have cut required off‑street parking for a proposed Dollar General from 54 spaces to 48. The decision came after staff presentation, the applicant’s engineer and supporters described regional parking norms, and nearby residents urged the board to enforce the city’s parking standards.

The variance would have reduced required parking under Milford City Code chapter 230‑21(b), which calculates parking for retail uses at one space per 200 square feet of gross floor area. Planning Director Rob Pierce told the board that the site is a vacant, C‑1 neighborhood commercial parcel of nearly 2 acres at the southeast corner of Windward Boulevard and South Rehoboth Boulevard and that the applicant’s plan calls for a 10,640 square‑foot store with 48 parking spaces (staff packet: application BOA‑152‑2025). Cliff Mumford, the civil engineer representing the applicant, said the 48 spaces were the most the site could physically accommodate without enlarging the footprint into wooded areas or moving the stormwater pond and that Dollar General’s internal data indicates their prototype uses about 50 percent of provided spaces during peak periods.

The variance drew multiple public objections. Resident Julie Morris said cutting parking by 11 percent “goes to the heart of why we have zoning standards” and argued the hardship cited by the applicant was self‑created, noting alternative layouts or moving the pond could meet the code. Richard Warner, a nearby property owner, urged the board to require the applicant to meet Milford’s standards rather than rely on other municipalities’ rules. Trish Marvel, another resident, said a reduction was being made on assumptions about typical lot utilization and argued for preserving full parking to avoid future overflow.

Board members discussed site constraints and off‑street parking availability. Staff noted there is no feasible on‑street parking on Windward Boulevard, and that a nearby, previously approved shopping center could be affected by spillover. The board’s motion to deny the variance was made by Ron Rizzo, seconded by Andrea White. After roll call, the motion to deny carried. (See actions section for vote record.)

The board’s denial leaves the applicant the option to revise the site plan to accommodate 54 spaces or to pursue further design changes. The staff packet and public notice were prepared and mailed to owners within 200 feet (advertised July 18, 2025). The planning commission will review any future revised site plan if the applicant submits one.