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Commission approves pavilion expansion at Randolph Road with 10:30 p.m. cutoff for events
Summary
The commission approved a special-exception and site-plan for a 3,689 sq ft pavilion addition at 999 Randolph Road, adding a condition that all events must end by 10:30 p.m.; neighbors had raised concerns about noise, hours and apparent square-footage discrepancies.
The commission voted to approve a special-exception and site-plan for a 3,689-square-foot addition to the pavilion at 999 Randolph Road, imposing a condition that events held in the pavilion conclude by 10:30 p.m.
William Shaw, the applicant’s agent, presented revised drawings and square-footage figures and apologized to neighbors for lighting problems, saying, “I wanted to apologize to the neighbors on behalf of the church for the lighting issues.” He told the commission the revised plans reduce on-site storage and show a total proposed floor area of roughly 3,040 square feet with 1,261 square feet of storage and 980 square feet of dining space.
Neighbors and nearby residents urged limits on late-night activity and asked for clarity about how the facility would be used. Ed Piantic, who said he lives adjacent to the property, warned that the space “is an event space that can accommodate 200 persons” and asked whether weddings and parties could occur late into the night. Matthew Powell, a Middletown resident and church facilities board member, said the congregation typically has about 160 attendees and noted, “We have never, never exceeded the parking lot space.”
Commissioners pressed the applicant on frequency and hours of use. Shaw and supporters said regular services are held inside the church and the pavilion is used most often for post-service receptions, occasional baptisms, family picnics and the like. Shaw said typical service hours run from about 6:30 p.m. to 9:30–10 p.m.; weddings associated with church services generally conclude in the afternoon. He also told commissioners any construction would wait for necessary zoning and building-department approvals and might be phased to shorten construction periods.
During debate, Commissioner Nathaniel Spencer moved to approve the application with a condition that all events end by 10:30 p.m.; the motion was seconded and the measure passed unanimously. The commission closed the public hearing before taking the final vote.
Next steps include the administrative processing of zoning and building permits; the approval on the floor was for the special-exception and site-plan only, and Shaw said the project still requires building-department review.
