Middletown zoning board approves several infill-lot variances and a homeowner sunroom

The Middletown Board of Zoning Appeals voted to approve multiple area-and-dimensional variances and one rear-yard setback variance at a meeting where neighbors raised privacy and traffic concerns.

The board approved variances permitting new single-family houses on three undersized infill lots owned or proposed by Zach Farrell and represented by architect Dennis Beatty. The board also approved a variance allowing James and Barbara Prophet to build an insulated sunroom that encroaches on a rear-yard setback.

The approvals came after staff summarized the development-code requirements and neighbors questioned parcel dimensions. Claire Fetters, city planning staff, told the board the R4 zoning rule requires a 70-foot minimum lot width for single-family homes and that the applications sought reductions to allow construction on existing, narrower lots. Fetters said legal notices were sent to contiguous property owners and that public comments were included in the record.

Dennis Beatty, architect, described the proposals as typical infill projects and said the designs reuse existing small parcels to add housing stock. "I've been doing quite a few of these infill lots ... we're trying to build a nice…