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Villebridge proposes revisions to 49 S Main St. plan, including restaurant and 153 parking spaces
Summary
At a Feb. 13 ICDRC meeting, Villebridge Real Estate developer Lars Unhjem presented revisions to special permits for 49 S Main St., proposing a restaurant, 153 parking spaces for the entire parcel, a patio in place of a drive‑thru, and changes to sidewalks and lighting designed to limit impacts on Rowell Lane residents.
Villebridge Real Estate developer Lars Unhjem presented revised plans for 49 S Main St. to the Town of Middleton Industrial Commercial Design Review Committee on Feb. 13, 2025. The revisions update a previously reviewed special‑permit package and include a prospective restaurant and changes to site layout and lighting.
The plan, described in a letter of intent included in the update, calls for "one restaurant company; 153 parking spaces for the entire area (not just for restaurant patrons)," according to the meeting notes. Town Planner Anna Carmer met with Unhjem and committee members to walk through the changes and answer staff questions.
Why it matters: the site sits adjacent to Rowell Lane and Boston Street; the committee flagged pedestrian access, lighting impacts for nearby residents, and vehicular entry locations as the primary concerns staff will track as the design review continues.
Key elements of the revised proposal include deeper rear units than in the prior site plan and a tapered buffer next to Rowell Lane so a sidewalk can be retained. The applicant said the design would add a raised crosswalk intended to "elevate pedestrians and ensure safety from oncoming 114 traffic." The plan also replaces a previously proposed drive‑thru on a secondary commercial building with an outdoor patio and reduces a previously proposed window height from 11 feet to 10 feet.
Access changes would concentrate a single vehicular entry and exit closer to Rowell Lane, and the applicant proposed a new sidewalk running parallel to Boston Street. Lighting would begin at the Boston Street property line and be oriented so that back lighting faces toward 114 rather than directly into Rowell Lane residences, per the materials presented to the committee.
No formal motion or vote was recorded in the meeting notes for Feb. 13. Committee members present — ICDRC Chair Linda Richards and member Kendra Petrone — and Town Planner Anna Carmer reviewed the proposal with Unhjem and will continue to shepherd the application through the design‑review process. The notes do not specify a timeline for next steps or any required permits beyond the special‑permit revisions under review.
Next steps: the committee will consider the revisions as part of its ongoing review; the notes do not list a date for further hearings or a staff recommendation on final approval.
