Middletown planning board approves multiple site plans and special-use permits; one application adjourned

The City of Middletown Planning Board approved a series of site-plan amendments and special-use permits at its Aug. 6 meeting, including new eating-and-drinking uses, retail permits and storefront reconfigurations, and granted approvals for several tenant proposals. One application for conversion to a KFC at Dolson Avenue was adjourned after a neighboring property owner objected to proposed parking shown on the applicant's site plan.

The board voted on multiple resolutions by roll call. Items approved included: adding eating-and-drinking to HV Business Link LLC at 28 North Street; retail permit for Kai Ting LLC at 205–207 Mahagan Avenue; a site-plan amendment for Sound of Hope at 47 Academy Avenue; approval of four commercial storefronts at 144–146 Dolson Avenue; a special-use permit for a Caribbean restaurant at one of the 144–146 Dolson storefronts (with an added condition that the space not operate as a nightclub/dance club); approval for a halal meat/Asian grocery at 144–146 Dolson; approval for Holy Burger, 157 Dolson Avenue; and approval to add eating/drinking and a place-of-assembly use at New Middletown, 29–35 North Street.

Board members recorded yes votes in roll calls that routinely named: Mister Madden, Mister McCormick, Miss Witt, Miss Dupree, Mister Higbee and the chair; each of those items passed by affirmative roll call. The Coats of Middletown LLC application to convert the former Dunkin' Donuts site to a KFC was not approved at the meeting; the applicant asked to adjourn the application after a neighboring owner, Middletown Plaza Holdings, said the applicant's site plan showed proposed use of parking on land the neighbor owns and for which the applicant holds only an access easement.

Several approvals included standard follow-up language requiring building-department and fire-department permits and inspections before construction or occupancy. For the Caribbean restaurant at 144–146 Dolson the board amended the resolution to state the approved use would not be a nightclub or dance club; the board removed explicit reliance on lease language so that any future change of tenant or lease would require a return to the planning board for approval if the use changed.

The board left the public hearings open for the adjourned KFC application and elected to adjourn that item for further consideration; the motion to adjourn passed by roll call. Other approvals were granted with the standard condition that final permits and inspections be obtained from building and fire officials.

Votes at a glance: HV Business Link LLC (28 North Street) — approved; Kai Ting LLC (205–207 Mahagan Avenue) — approved; Sound of Hope (47 Academy Avenue) — site-plan amendment approved; Coats of Middletown LLC / KFC (140–142 Dolson Avenue) — application adjourned at applicant's request after neighbor objection; Middletown Plaza Holdings LLC (144–146 Dolson Avenue) — four storefronts approved; Caribbean restaurant (one 1,270-sq-ft storefront at 144–146 Dolson) — approved with amendment prohibiting nightclub/dance-club use; Halal meat / Indian-Pakistani-Asian grocery (144–146 Dolson, 1,660-sq-ft) — approved; Holy Burger (157 Dolson Avenue) — approved; New Middletown (29–35 North Street) — eating/drinking and place-of-assembly approved.

The board closed its agenda after the final vote and called for adjournment.