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Middletown zoning board OKs three owner‑occupied short‑term rentals
Summary
The Town of Middletown Zoning Board approved three owner‑occupied short‑term rental permits, finding applicants met the updated local rules requiring owner occupancy and off‑street parking. Hearings included neighbor questions about parking and a recusal by one member for a separate conflict.
The Town of Middletown Zoning Board voted to approve three owner‑occupied short‑term rental petitions at its May meeting, granting variances and special‑use permissions to property owners who said they will occupy their homes while renting separate units or accessory spaces.
The board approved a continued petition from Richard FAF at 7 Cedar Avenue to rent two rooms on an owner‑occupied basis after FAF testified he will live in the residence during rentals and that the property provides four driveway spaces plus a garage. The board specified the voting membership for that continued hearing and approved the petition five‑to‑zero.
Christopher Keefe of 1250 East Main Road received approval to convert an attached garage into a small, owner‑occupied short‑term rental. Keefe told the board his plan was for a studio‑style space limited to two–three guests, with parking accessed from his East Main driveway; a neighbor, George Burch of 20 Island Drive, asked whether guests might park on East Main and noted safety concerns at a nearby mailbox. Keefe said he will pave a gravel area and limit maximum occupancy and parking to the driveway. One board member recused from commentary on the Keefe case due to a work relationship; the board approved the petition five‑to‑zero.
Lisa Bonner, who inherited a two‑family property at 278 Chases Lane, also won approval to offer short‑term rentals from the second‑floor unit while living on the first floor. Bonner described the unit as having two bedrooms, a kitchen and separate entrance, and said the property can accommodate at least five off‑street parking spaces; no members of the public objected. The petition passed five‑to‑zero.
Why it matters: Middletown’s updated short‑term rental policy requires owner occupancy when rooms or units are rented, and board members focused on that requirement and on off‑street parking during each hearing. Neighbors’ practical concerns — chiefly parking and traffic flow — shaped public questioning but did not prevent approval in the three cases heard.
What’s next: Each approval carries the conditions and registration obligations described in the town’s short‑term rental policy; the board noted that zoning approvals generally run with the property and would be noticed on a future transfer if a new owner continued to register a rental.
