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Board narrowly grants 3→4 bedroom STR expansion at 559 Wolcott Ave amid neighborhood concern
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Summary
The zoning board granted 559 Wolcott LLC a special‑use permit to increase an existing short‑term rental from three to four bedrooms by a 3–2 vote; neighbors warned of rental intensification while the applicant and experts said impacts would be minor.
The Town of Middletown Zoning Board voted 3–2 to grant a special‑use permit allowing 559 Wolcott LLC to increase its registered short‑term rental (STR) from three bedrooms to four.
Attorney Gerard Galvin presented the petition on behalf of Mark Horan, a member of 559 Wolcott LLC. Horan said the existing single‑story ranch is currently licensed as a three‑bedroom STR; his plans call for adding a story and a fourth bedroom or, alternatively, renovating to add usable space and improved on‑site parking.
"We're looking to move from 3 licensed STR bedrooms to add 1 more to 4," Galvin told the board. Horan said the project would add garage space and options for parking and that any structural underpinning would be addressed if needed.
Appraiser Jim Houle testified that increasing the permit from three to four bedrooms — coupled with planned parking improvements — was unlikely to diminish surrounding property values and that the use is already legally established on the site. Caroline Stone testified in support, saying the change from 3 to 4 bedrooms would amount to a modest occupancy difference.
Neighbor Raymond Lewis urged caution and questioned whether the expansion would permit larger parties or higher occupancy in practice, linking incremental increases to a broader neighborhood trend of short‑term rental growth.
Board members debated two themes: whether grandfathered STR rights and special use permits follow the land (the solicitor answered they can, subject to registration and enforcement) and whether granting a 1‑bedroom increase would create a precedent that allows incremental expansion across the neighborhood. Supporters said the town’s ordinance creates a process for expansion and that petitions must be judged on the special‑use criteria; opponents said the community has experienced negative impacts from STR proliferation.
After discussion the motion to grant the special use passed 3–2. The board noted any approval remains subject to building codes, permits and applicable registration conditions; enforcement action would apply if future use exceeded the authorized four bedrooms.
