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Zoning Commission approves conversion of 62 Washington Street with parking condition
Summary
The commission approved a site‑plan to convert a downtown commercial building at 62 Washington Street into mixed‑use with 22 residential units, approving the project now with 12 spaces on record and a condition that the applicant secure 14 additional spaces prior to issuing certificates of occupancy.
The Middletown Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve a site‑plan permitting the conversion of a commercial building at 62 Washington Street into a mixed‑use structure with retail and office space on the first floor and 22 residential units above.
Attorney Matthew Willis, representing applicant CY Realty LLC, characterized the work as interior only and asked the commission to permit the conversion under existing regulations. Developers Steve Narrow and a partner described retaining the first‑floor commercial storefronts and adding one‑, two‑ and three‑bedroom apartments on the upper floors. "We wanna put 1 bedrooms, 2 bedrooms, and there's a couple 3 just based on the building layout," one developer said, adding the goal of keeping the building's industrial look and preserving exterior features.
Staff briefed the commission on unit mix and parking demand. Director Mary Kazakowski said the proposal includes 22 residential units (18 one‑bedroom units, two two‑bedroom units and two three‑bedroom units) while maintaining roughly 33,000 and change of existing retail/restaurant space and about 3,500 of office space as stated in the application packet. She said the zoning law's parking demand for that mix is 26 spaces but the developer currently reports 4 on‑site spaces and staff identified 8 additional city‑owned spaces that might be available, for a total of 12 immediately available spaces.
Kazakowski noted the commission may modify parking requirements under the zoning code and outlined options, including conditioning approval on securing off‑site parking prior to occupancy. "The commission does have the authority to modify it," she said, and referenced recent state law changes that affect downtown parking policy.
After discussion, the commission approved the site plan with conditions: allow the project to proceed with 12 recorded spaces now and require the applicant to secure an additional 14 spaces (for a total of 26) before the issuance of any certificates of occupancy or as otherwise enforced by staff within the project's two‑year approval window. Commissioners expressed support for downtown housing and historic preservation while flagging the citywide parking management concerns the decision raises.
Next steps: staff will work with the applicant on the condition language and verify off‑site parking arrangements before occupancy.
