Commission approves development plan for assisted-living campus and workforce apartments with road-condition requirement

The Middletown Planning Commission voted May 14 to approve a plan development district that will allow a 124-unit assisted-living facility and a multifamily component on a 10.79-acre parcel off Hendrickson Road, subject to a condition that required roadway and public-infrastructure improvements be built to Middletown standards, with phasing coincident with each portion of development.

City planner Miss Benninger described the application from Bill Morton of Leo Brown Group. The applicant proposed a 124-unit assisted-living facility with amenities and, on the remaining acreage, multifamily buildings totaling roughly 144 apartments. Benninger said the site is currently zoned I-1 (Industrial Park District), which prohibits group living and multifamily uses and therefore requires a plan development and map amendment under the Middletown Development Code; the applicant requested waivers accordingly.

Bill Morton, representing the Leo Brown Group, told the commission the assisted-living portion is “really really designed to complement the nursing facility next door,” and said the assisted-living portion would be affordable assisted living developed with Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) financing and a compliance period that typically requires ownership retention for 15 years. Morton said the project team expects substantial payroll impact and staffing (the project narrative estimated approximately $2.2 million in annual payroll and about 50 employees for the assisted-living anchor).

Staff and department reviewers flagged outstanding items needed before final development approval: building elevations, lighting and landscaping plans, a traffic-impact study, stormwater management plans, clarification of building materials and orientation, and details about long-term ownership and maintenance. Benninger noted staff recommended approval of the assisted-living anchor but suggested reconsideration of the multifamily component pending those details.

During public comment Morton and business supporters said the project would provide workforce and affordable housing, complement an adjacent skilled-nursing facility and extend a needed public road. Commissioners focused on the road connection: Hendrickson Road must be extended and meet city standards to provide adequate public access. After discussion the commission voted to approve the plan development district and zoning waivers with the explicit condition that the road be constructed to Middletown standards and that the work may be phased to coincide with the construction of each development portion.