Middletown zoning board approves two owner-occupied short-term rentals with parking limits after neighbor concerns

The Town of Middletown Zoning Board on Wednesday approved owner-occupied short-term rental permits for 281 Green End Avenue and 499 Aquitneck Avenue, voting unanimously in favor of both applications after extended public comment about parking and shared-driveway liability.

The board treated each application separately. James Cahill, the applicant for 281 Green End Avenue, said he bought his grandfather’s house and wanted the option to rent rooms to help cover the mortgage. Cahill told the board he had spoken with immediate neighbors and expected to remain on the premises while tenants were present. "I just bought, from my cousin, bought the house that my grandfather built and that my mom grew up in," Cahill said, explaining his reasons for applying. The board asked about on-site presence, parking and proximity to existing short-term rentals; members noted the ordinance requires an owner to be present and limits occupancy and parking. The petition passed 4–0.

At 499 Aquitneck Avenue, Steven and Leslie Spangler described a similarly owner-occupied plan and said they had discussed potential arrangements with neighbors. Neighbors raised concerns about a shared 10‑foot easement driveway that cuts across multiple properties and asked that tenants be restricted from parking in the common driveway because it sits largely on the neighbor’s land. The Spanglers offered to restrict tenant parking to the two front parking spaces, add insurance provisions and include a clause in rental agreements prohibiting parking on the shared driveway. One neighbor, Joan Souza, asked the board to require written assurances about parking and a liability waiver; the board noted those legal arrangements are private matters between neighbors but can be reinforced by permit conditions addressing tenant parking.

Planning staff said the town’s short-term rental ordinance requires the owner to be present during rentals, limits guest counts to match bedroom parking and allows the zoning board to attach conditions. The board approved the Spanglers’ application with an explicit condition that short-term tenants must use only the front parking apron and not park on the common driveway; the restriction will be written into the rental registration and the property’s rental agreement.

Why it matters: The two approvals illustrate the board’s effort to balance homeowner flexibility and neighborhood impacts. Dozens of recent property changes on narrow streets have raised local concerns about parking, emergency access and changes in neighborhood scale; the board used conditions and the owner‑presence requirement to try to reduce those risks.

The board recorded no fines or additional enforcement actions at the meeting. Both short-term rental permits now proceed to the standard registration and building/inspector review stage; the board indicated it will expect the permit holders to comply with parking restrictions and the registration terms.