Middletown planning board continues development‑plan review after traffic study and receivership delay

At its regular meeting, the Town of Middletown Planning Board voted to continue the public hearing on the combined preliminary and final development plan (item 4a) after the applicant said a prior receivership delayed the review and the board asked for the town consultant’s review of the traffic study.

The application’s attorney, Jay Lynch, said the project’s review “has kind of had a tortured history” and that the applicant retained Bridal Associates to prepare a traffic report after the project paused while the property owner’s business went into receivership and the receiver sought superior court approval to proceed. The applicant asked to proceed with testimony tonight but agreed to a continuance if the board preferred to wait for Crossman Engineering’s review.

The board’s chair recommended a continuance so Crossman could review the traffic report and the applicant’s traffic engineer could address issues raised by the town planner (referred to in the record). Board members supporting the continuance said the parcel is a prominent gateway into town and that cumulative traffic from multiple near‑term developments should be considered. Leon (a planning board member) asked whether the traffic study accounted for nearby and known future developments; the chair replied a town effort is underway to require known future developments be included in traffic studies.

After discussion, the applicant’s attorney requested the continuance and the board voted to continue item 4a. The chair said the item is continued to the board’s next regular meeting, currently scheduled for December 10, assuming Crossman’s review is received; if Crossman’s comments arrive late, the board said it will continue the item again.

The action is procedural: no approvals or denials were made and no binding conditions were adopted at this meeting.