The Town of Middletown Planning Committee voted to waive the requirement that state permits be submitted with the preliminary-plan application for the proposed new middle/high school on the Gaudi School campus, enabling the town to meet project deadlines and scheduled a special meeting for Feb. 26 to hear the preliminary plan.

Town representative (name recorded as Bridal in the meeting transcript) told the board the project received master-plan approval on Nov. 6 and that wetlands and state-road physical-alteration permits have been applied for but might not be issued by the application-completeness deadline. "We're asking that the board waive the requirement that those permits be submitted prior to Ron certifying the application as complete," the applicant's representative said, noting a 2024 Rhode Island Superior Court decision permits temporary waivers of submission requirements.

The board discussed how to proceed if permits were not issued in time. Planning counsel (Peter Squares, not present at this meeting) had advised the board that the committee could hold the public hearing and grant approval subject to the outstanding permits, the applicant's representative said. Members voted to allow the waiver so staff can accept the application without the state permits and to schedule a special meeting on Feb. 26 for the preliminary-plan hearing.

Why it matters: the waiver keeps the school project on a timeline that town staff and the applicant say is necessary to meet reimbursement and construction start targets. The applicant indicated construction is hoped to begin May 19 if approvals proceed on schedule.

Details recorded in the meeting: the permits of concern are a DEM wetlands/stormwater permit and a physical alteration permit for work adjacent to a state road. The board's waiver permits staff to accept the preliminary-plan filing without those permits while the applicant continues to pursue them.

The committee also formally scheduled a Feb. 26 special meeting to hear the preliminary-plan application.