Middletown zoning board approves two summary variances, denies Fairview addition; approves Dexter two‑family and Seascape addition

The Town of Middletown Zoning Board voted on five petitions at its meeting. Two summary variances were approved without substantive debate; a continuance petition for 13 Fairview Avenue was denied after multiple neighbors raised concerns about size, shading and short‑term rental use; and the board approved a two‑family dwelling on a substandard lot at 0 Dexter Street and an addition with an attached garage at 66 Seascape Avenue.

The board read and approved the two summary petitions as expedited cases. Petition ZBR25‑24 (Eric Bell) requested a dimensional variance to construct a second‑floor deck with a 19‑foot side yard setback where 30 feet is required; the board voted 5–0 to approve the summary petition. A second summary petition for Jan Asong and Steve Slavin (read as ZBR20Five‑twenty5 in the record) sought relief to add to an existing detached garage; the board likewise approved it 5–0.

A continuance petition (ZBR25‑16) for 13 Fairview Avenue, presented by Brian Schell for owner Ryan Miller, asked for variances to add a second story over an existing garage and a 12‑by‑21‑foot stair/entry addition that would leave a roughly 1.5‑foot rear setback where 30 feet is required. Neighbors raised objections during public comment, citing loss of sky and sunlight, increased parking and traffic, and concerns about conversion to short‑term rental use. A motion to approve the petition was made and seconded, but a majority of voting members opposed the petition; the board denied the request 4–0 (the continuity vote used members who were present for the original hearing).

Later in the meeting the board considered a petition to construct a two‑family dwelling at 0 Dexter Street on a substandard lot (about 6,203 sq ft where the code requires 15,000 sq ft for a two‑family and 62 feet of frontage where 120 feet is required). Attorney Jay Lynch and real‑estate witness James Houle told the board the lot is preexisting and that the proposed building meets height, setback, coverage and parking standards; Houle described the immediate area as a transitional setting with existing multifamily uses nearby. Multiple neighbors opposed the request at public comment, citing potential impacts on drainage, privacy, parking and possible soil contamination arising from the parcel’s prior commercial use. After deliberation — including notes that a comparable single‑family structure could be built on a similar footprint by right — the board approved the variance to allow the two‑family use by a 5–0 vote.

The board also approved a petition for 66 Seascape Avenue (Paul and Kate Glantz, JPS Construction & Design applicant) to add a two‑story, approximately 15'‑4" by 40'‑11" addition with a ground‑floor garage that would result in a 3'‑9" east side yard setback where nine feet is required. Applicants described the addition as intended to accommodate a growing family and to consolidate vehicles and storage inside a garage; the board found the addition compatible in scale with neighboring houses and approved the variance 5–0.

Summary of formal votes recorded in the meeting: Eric Bell (ZBR25‑24) — approved 5–0; Jan Asong & Steve Slavin (summary petition read as ZBR20Five‑twenty5) — approved 5–0; Ryan Miller (13 Fairview, ZBR25‑16) — denied 4–0; 0 Dexter Street (two‑family) — approved 5–0; 66 Seascape Avenue (Glantz, ZBR25‑26) — approved 5–0.

An item raised repeatedly in public comment across multiple petitions was concern about short‑term rentals, parking congestion and, for the Dexter Street parcel, potential soil contamination from past commercial use; the board noted that building‑permit review and other town departments would handle environmental and stormwater controls at the construction stage.

The meeting concluded with adjournment.