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Middletown Zoning Board approves three variances, adopts 2025 meeting schedule
Summary
At its October meeting the Middletown Zoning Board of Appeals approved variances for front-porch encroachments at 585 Arbutus and 45 Sand Hill and an accessory dwelling above a garage at 136 Lincoln; the board also adopted its 2025 meeting schedule and received a driveway-width application for 184 South Main.
The Middletown Zoning Board of Appeals approved three property variances at its October meeting and adopted its regular 2025 meeting schedule.
Trevor Davis, a wetlands commissioner and applicant for 585 Arbutus, told the board the house is about 200 years old and he could not move it back from the road. "I just built an addition that connected the old farmhouse to the old summer kitchen," Davis said, adding he wants to extend a porch along the side to match the historic farmhouse character. Staff verified the house location and told the board the proposed porch would be consistent with other front-yard setbacks in the Saddleback area. A board member moved to approve the variance; the motion passed.
Paige McMullen described a separate request at 136 Lincoln Street to add a second floor above an existing 17-by-23-foot garage so her parents could move in. "We are looking to just rebuild the garage, add a 2nd floor, for my parents to move in, for intergenerational living," McMullen said. The zoning enforcement officer reported the lot is tight and noted many neighboring properties have structures close to property lines; the board found a hardship consistent with the neighborhood and approved the ADU variance.
At 45 Sand Hill Road, applicant Anthony Garofalo asked for a front-yard variance after as-built measurements showed the southeast porch encroaching "by roughly 3 feet," and the zoning officer corrected a staff report that had misstated the front-yard distance. The officer said the primary encroachment is on the north/northeast corner at about three feet, with a smaller encroachment of roughly one foot on the southeast corner. Board members debated whether the hardship was self-imposed but noted the porch is covered and tied into the main roof, which limits easy modification; the board approved the variance.
The board also received an application for a driveway-width change at 184 South Main Street. The zoning enforcement officer said legal issues involving two parties remain to be worked out and that the board will schedule a public hearing once those matters are clarified.
The board approved the 2025 meeting schedule and reaffirmed a 5:30 p.m. start time, noting January 1, 2026, falls on a holiday and can be adjusted later if needed. For approved variances the zoning officer said certificates will be prepared and filed on the land records so applicants can move forward.
The meeting ended after a motion to adjourn passed.
