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Planning board approves two‑lot subdivision at 534 Quinick Avenue with frontage variances
Summary
The Planning Board approved a two‑lot minor subdivision for 534 Quinick Avenue, granting variances for reduced street frontage and preliminary plan approval subject to Technical Review Committee (TRC) conditions, with neighbors raising drainage and density concerns.
The Town of Middletown Planning Board voted to approve a two‑lot minor subdivision at 534 Quinick Avenue and granted the zoning variances requested to create the lots, subject to the conditions recommended by the Technical Review Committee. The board closed the public hearing and approved the preliminary plan by voice vote.
Andrew Blaze, attorney for applicant Catherine Thompson, introduced licensed architect Spencer Alexander and engineer Lynn Small, who told the board the parcel will retain the existing access and that stormwater, utility and well connections will be reviewed and approved at the building permit stage. "The access point is already existing, so we're maintaining the existing access," Alexander said during his presentation.
The application sought dimensional relief for lot frontages of 104.44 feet and 104.98 feet. The hearing record and staff memo referenced multiple frontage thresholds in different sections of the code; the board and staff discussed the ordinance rationale for stricter frontage in the traffic‑sensitive district and the code provision that allows reduced frontage where lots share a driveway. The board directed that final stormwater and utility details be reviewed and approved by the town engineer before recording.
Neighbor Tim McGowan spoke during public comment, saying the proposal would bring five houses onto the shared driveway and expressing concerns about drainage, sewer connections, increased traffic and short‑term rentals near the site. "So that would make five houses on that driveway," McGowan said. The applicant and the project engineer responded that the new lot is expected to be a four‑bedroom home, that stormwater mitigation will be provided, and that the shared access is already in use.
The board voted to approve the zoning request and then to grant preliminary plan approval for the subdivision, both actions subject to TRC conditions and the required findings; the board asked the applicant to submit the decision to the planning office for administrative processing. The board also noted that fire‑department review of access will occur at the building permit stage.
The record includes a staff recommendation that outstanding TRC items — including clear mapping of sewer locations and a revised development impact statement at final plan — be completed as conditions of final approval. The board accepted those conditions in its approval. The matter will return only if the applicant seeks final plan recording or if unresolved TRC items remain.
