Council recharges Citizens Advisory Committee to help plan Middletown Center public space

The council voted to receive a communication requesting that the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) be recharged to advise on planning for the town‑controlled portion of the Middletown Center/West Main Road area. The recharged committee will revisit recommendations developed previously for a potential town center and advise on how municipal open space should be designed and used.

Melissa Welch and Karen Barbera, co‑chairs of the original CAC, told the council the group had reached out informally to prior members and expects many to participate again. Welch said the committee recognizes the library will now relocate to 110 Enterprise Center, which changes certain assumptions about an anchor use, but she described the town‑owned parcel (about 4.8 acres, according to council discussion) as a significant opportunity for community green space, recreation and connectivity. She said the CAC will solicit neighborhood input and work with planning, open space and memorial committees and other stakeholders. Karen Barbera highlighted tree preservation and opportunities to retain vegetated corridors and the bike/ped path.

Councilors said they welcomed the CAC’s return and encouraged outreach to adjacent neighborhoods and families with historical ties to the site; council members discussed inviting a representative of the Potts family and an additional memorial‑committee representative to the committee. The council received the communication and recharged the advisory committee; no appointments to expand membership were finalized at the meeting.