1.    3:00pm, 105 Chases Lane (Home Depot shopping center) - Application of Newport Pickleball LLC for a minor land development project including installation of outdoor courts and other site work, including request for a special use permit per Zoning Ordinance Sections 902 and 902(g) to allow outdoor commercial recreation. Property located in the general business (GB) zoning district, and located at 105 Chases Lane, Tax Assessors Plat 106, Lots 150, 151, 152.

o   Mr. Croce opened the meeting and stated that the purpose of the meeting is to view the property and to ask questions of the applicant for clarification purposes. There should be no deliberations.

o   Representing the applicant was attorney Girard Galvin and landscape architect Pamela Rodgers.

o   Mr. Galvin explained that the project calls for the addition of 4 outdoor courts, 2 of which will be used for pickleball and 2 will be used for paddle courts.  The only zoning relief requested is for a Special Use Permit for the outdoor courts. A patio of permeable pavers will be built between the courts.  The location of the courts on the eastern side of the building made the most sense to mitigate noise to the residential neighborhoods to the west.

o   Landscape architect, Pamela Rodgers, described the landscape plan which calls for evergreens to be placed along the northern and eastern sections of the property line and on the southern end of the courts.  Areas of existing asphalt would be sawcut for the plantings and this would result in a net decrease in impervious surfaces.

o   There were no major concerns expressed by Board members.

o   Mr. Croce closed the meeting to head to the next site.

2.    3:20pm, 223 Oliphant Lane - Application of 223 Oliphant LLC for combined preliminary and final plan approval of a minor subdivision, and request for a variance from Middletown Zoning Ordinance Section 603 to allow creation of a building lot with no street frontage where frontage of 120 feet is required. Property located at 223 Oliphant Lane, Tax Assessor’s Plat 112, Lot 86.

o   Mr. Croce opened the meeting and stated that the purpose of the meeting is to view the property and to ask questions of the applicant, for clarification purposes. There should be no deliberations.

o   Attorney David Martland and Engineer Mike Russell, represented the applicant, Tucker Homes.  Atty. Martland, stated that the project would subdivide the property resulting in a two-family lot with about 40,000 sf and a rear lot of about 20,000 sf.  The rear lot will be developed with a single-family home but will not have any street frontage, thus requiring zoning relief.

o   A driveway easement will allow vehicle and utility access to the rear lot.  There was discussion with one of the abutters about moving the driveway further to the west from the property line and creating vegetative screening along the proposed driveway.

o   There were no major concerns expressed by Board members.

o   Mr. Croce closed the meeting to head to the next site.

3.    3:40pm, 913 Mitchell’s Lane (Sweet Berry Farm) - Application of SB Farm LLC Master Plan approval for a Major Land Development Project involving a proposed 13,862 square foot structure to house farmstand, café and agricultural uses, and associated site work, including parking, stormwater management and landscaping, and including request for waivers from design requirements of sections 521.1.B.1 and 521.3.D.3 of the Middletown Rules & Regulations Regarding the Subdivision and Development of Land. Property located at 913 Mitchell’s Lane, and further identified as Tax Assessors Plat 125, Lot 1.

o   Mr. Croce opened the meeting and stated that the purpose of the meeting is to view the property and to ask questions of the applicant, for clarification purposes. There should be no deliberations.

o   Atty. Galvin represented the client SB Farm, also present were the prior owners of the property who stated their excitement about the future direction of the farm intended by the applicant.

o   Atty. Galvin explained that the Farm had come under new ownership about a year ago and it was immediately recognized that the farm did not have the infrastructure needed to function properly.  The project calls for the construction of a farmstand market and a two-story barn building with a 28 ft wide driveway extension from the existing driveway off Micthell’s Ln.  The driveway provides access both to the parking lot in front of the proposed building and vehicular access to the loading dock at the barn entrance.

o   The property had previously obtained a Special Use Permit to allow for agricultural use, sale of produce and farm accessories, on site consumption, catering and events.  Because the retail use of the existing farmstand will be transitioned to the proposed building, without any increase in activity, there was no need for alteration of the Special Use Permit.  The existing farmstand will revert to agricultural use.

o   There were no major concerns expressed by Board members.

Meeting adjourned by consensus at approximately 4:00pm.

Respectfully submitted,  

Rudy Botros, Principal Planner