Planning Commission Meeting 11.11.2026

The City of Middletown Planning Commission met on November 13, 2026 (the meeting title references 11.11.2026). The commission approved, subject to staff conditions, the preliminary development plan and related map amendment for the Manchester plan development district on city-owned downtown parcels. CMC Properties developer Jim Cohen described a proposed 123-apartment building with about 14,000 square feet of retail, including a planned YMCA Express and restaurant space. He said the earlier 108-unit design had an estimated construction cost of nearly $32 million and was not economically viable; that figure was a project estimate, not a city appropriation. The approval included requested development-code waivers and conditions addressing accessory structures, landscaping and sightlines, and compliance with city requirements. Commissioners also discussed the landscaping plan and encouraged the developer to consider more native plantings. No contract award or city purchasing action was identified.

The commission also approved three street-vacation requests associated with the city’s Paperboard brownfield site. City staff said vacating the alleys will support consolidating more than 30 parcels into one contiguous site, simplify environmental closeout documentation, and improve the property’s marketability. The city has received additional brownfield-program funding for gravel-pile removal; no amount was stated. The meeting also included notice of a future session on proposed Middletown Development Code updates. Votes on the Manchester plan and alley vacations were in favor; no spending motion or procurement decision was reported.