Middletown committee discusses cutting downtown parking minimums to spur Union Street infill

Middletown — At a Legislative Committee meeting, the mayor proposed reducing required parking in the downtown mixed-use (DMU) zone to 1.5 spaces per one- and two-bedroom unit to enable a planned Union Street infill project and to start a broader review of downtown bulk standards.

The change is intended as a short-term step to allow an investor who is “ready to move on the project” to proceed, while the city conducts a longer review of downtown zoning, lot-coverage rules and other requirements, the mayor said. The committee did not adopt a zoning change at the meeting; members discussed next steps including a public hearing and input from the Planning Board.

The mayor told the committee the city’s 2017 strategic investment plan recommended a parking-management study and suggested the Planning Board be allowed to reduce required parking by up to 50 percent when developers document shared parking or demand-management measures within 500 feet. The mayor said the city implemented some recommendations from that plan but left downtown bulk standards — including lot coverage limits and per-bedroom parking ratios — aligned with highway-oriented business areas, which he and others said can block downtown infill.

“We would like to start with a complete review of the downtown, DMU zone and the bulk requirements,” the mayor said, adding that a short-term reduction “down to 1.5 per 1 or 2 bedroom units” would make the Union Street project feasible and likely prompt other downtown projects to move forward.

Committee members pressed for more data and for a clear process. Alderman Tobin and other members suggested examining intermediate ratios such as 1.25 spaces per unit, while several members said the city should not set a floor below one space per unit. Miss Ray said the committee should address the immediate project while taking time to “hash out the rest.”

Committee discussion touched on ancillary standards that affect feasibility: current lot-coverage limits that cap building coverage at roughly 20 percent in the DMU zone, an on-site playground requirement for some residential projects, and the high cost of constructing parking (the mayor cited surface parking costs of about $25,000–$30,000 per space and structured parking costs of roughly $40,000–$55,000 per space). The mayor noted an existing public park across from the Union Street site and questioned requiring developers to provide duplicative on-site playground area.

The mayor said the Planning Board already has authority to waive or reduce parking but has been reluctant because members worry doing so would set precedent. He said he has asked the Planning Board chairman to provide recommendations for a longer-term review, while the council would have authority over the short-term change.

The committee discussed whether a public hearing would be required and when Planning Board input should occur; participants agreed the action would involve a public hearing. The mayor said the Union Street buyer is ready and emphasized urgency in moving the short-term change while scheduling a multi-month, multi-meeting review of the broader DMU rules.

No ordinance, amendment or zoning text change was adopted at the committee meeting. The only formal motion recorded in the transcript was to adjourn the committee; that motion was moved by Miss Ray, seconded, and carried.

Votes at a glance: the committee recorded a motion to adjourn that carried with an affirmative response when called; there was no formal vote on parking or zoning changes during the meeting.

What happens next: the mayor asked for a Planning Board opinion on the total DMU review, committee members expressed support for pursuing a short-term reduction to help the Union Street project, and the group flagged the need for a public hearing before any change in zoning requirements would take effect.

Sources: remarks by the mayor and statements from committee members during the Middletown Legislative Committee meeting (transcript).