Middletown planning board recommends zoning overlay for West Main–Coddington project, sets conditions

The Middletown Planning Board on a unanimous vote recommended that the Town Council approve a future-land-use map amendment, a zoning-map amendment and a new zoning overlay for the proposed West Main–Coddington mixed‑use project, while attaching multiple conditions for council review.

The recommendation responds to a petition from the applicant (identified in filings as Middletown Commons Town Center LLC / Huddl Town Center LLC) to redesignate the site from institutional to limited business (traffic sensitive), to change the zoning of the leased portion from public to limited business, and to adopt a bespoke Middletown Center overlay district. The board’s recommendation is conditioned on a set of changes the applicant agreed to in the meeting and on additional conditions the board will forward to the council.

Why it matters: The overlay would set the specific permitted uses, design rules, and standards that will govern a roughly 15‑acre development parcel that the town selected through an RFI process. The overlay and map changes are advisory recommendations; the Town Council must hold a public hearing and make final decisions. The planning board also made any recommendation contingent on removal of deed restrictions tied to the town recreation parcel (referred to as Potsey Field) before zoning changes become effective.

Most important outcomes and unresolved items - Recommendation and conditions: The board voted to recommend (1) a change to the comprehensive plan future‑land‑use map (Map L‑4) to redesignate the subject property to limited business (traffic sensitive); (2) a zoning‑map amendment for the development parcel from public (traffic sensitive) to limited (traffic sensitive) with a portion to remain…