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Resident criticizes boarded properties and homelessness; council and staff point to planned downtown projects
Summary
A resident urged action on abandoned, boarded properties and homelessness. City economic-development staff and the DPW said major redevelopment projects and planning-board reviews are underway for some properties cited by the speaker.
During public comment, Ronald Thomas, identifying himself as a longtime Middletown resident, urged the council to address boarded and abandoned buildings and growing homelessness, saying he has seen “abandoned” properties and that tax dollars are not producing visible improvements.
Thomas told the council he had lived in and around New York City and contrasted Middletown’s current condition with other neighborhoods, saying boarded houses and vacant storefronts were “shameful” and asking why the city could not convert large vacant buildings to apartments.
Nut graf: Thomas’s remarks prompted staff responses from economic development and code-enforcement staff who noted that several properties he referenced are in active planning or redevelopment tracks, including a Fulton Street project before the planning board for 95 apartments.
City response and context Maria, the city’s economic development director, told the council that the Fulton Street building Thomas referenced is before the planning board as a mixed-use housing development proposing 95 apartments. She also described the downtown marketing campaign “Discover Downtown” and said the city received a $10,000 grant to support a barbecue and community-resource fair this weekend.
A DPW/code-enforcement representative said several large buildings have been before the planning board for years and noted active projects including a Fort Knox building conversion and a proposed Hilton boutique hotel; staff said some vacant properties are in probate or involve owners who have died and that enforcement and title research take time.
Ending: Council members and staff acknowledged the speaker’s concerns and pointed to ongoing planning-board reviews and redevelopment grants as the current mechanisms through which many boarded properties are being addressed. No new enforcement action was announced on the floor during this meeting.
