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Planning board denies variances for 525 Broadway split-jurisdiction workforce housing project
Summary
The planning board rejected a package of variances requested for a 44-unit, multi-building workforce housing project that straddles the Middletown/Newport line; the motion to grant variances failed 2-4 after substantial public comment and board concern about density and neighborhood character.
The Town of Middletown Planning Board voted to deny the variances requested for the portion of a proposed 44-unit workforce housing development that lies within Middletown after members said the relief would alter the character of the adjacent single-family neighborhood.
Applicant representatives presented a master-plan-stage proposal for a multi-building project with 44 total units on a 40,830-square-foot parcel that sits partly in Newport and partly in Middletown; the Middletown portion comprises about 6,416 square feet and would contain seven units within the footprint of Building B. The applicant described the units as primarily small one-bedroom workforce units (roughly 440to590 square feet), said the overall site would provide 44 parking spaces plus two ADA spaces, and emphasized multimodal access and proximity to transit.
Planning board members and numerous residents raised concerns about density, neighborhood compatibility, tree removal and the loss of mature trees, drainage and traffic congestion on Broadway and surrounding streets. Several board members said the Middletown portion—s dimensions and proximity to single-family homes made the requested variances inappropriate; one motion to grant the package of variances failed on a hand-counted vote of 2 in favor and 4 opposed, and the board did not take a master-plan approval vote after denying the variances.
Because the project is a split-jurisdiction proposal, applicant counsel urged the board to approve and move forward; board members said they were constrained to decide the Middletown piece under Middletown standards. Without the requested variances, the applicant will need to reconsider design or pursue other approvals that conform to Middletown rules for the property within town limits.
