#MiddleburyCT #B&B
At their May 4 meeting, the Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) accepted an application for a zoning text change to allow town wide bed and breakfast (B&B) operations in residential zones. Dean Yimoyines submitted the May 2 application after withdrawing his earlier application for a zoning change to CA-40 (commercial) from R-40 (residential) for the property at 1321 West Street. Yimoyines acquired the property, the former St. John of the Cross rectory, in December 2022. That application was scheduled for a public hearing May 4, but Michael McVerry, attorney for Yimoyines, notified P&Z on May 2 that it was being withdrawn.
The new application, received in the Middlebury Land Use Office on May 2, requests the following text revisions.
A new definition added to Section 9.1 (Definitions) of the zoning regulations defines bed and breakfast facility and states in part that B&Bs would be in dwellings located on a minimum of two acres.
The revision also adds the text, “except as provided in Section 21.2.15” to zoning regulations Section 8.6 (Renting of Rooms) and Section 21.1.4, (Permitted Uses in the residential district), which currently permits rentals in a dwelling unit of not more than four people.
Finally, it adds to the zoning regulations a new section, 21.2.15, under 21.2 (Special Exception Uses) stating B&B use would be subject to requirements that include:
- No more than 20 guests would be allowed at one time.
- A B&B next to an existing commercial food or banquet facility could be used for outdoor social functions that conclude no later than 11:30 p.m.
- A B&B would be required to have at least one employee available whenever a room has been rented.
- A full bathroom would be required for every two guest rooms.
- One vehicle per guest room parking would be required.
- Guest rooms will not have cooking facilities.
- Breakfast may be served to guests.
The hearing for the B&B application is scheduled for Thursday, July 6, in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center at 1172 Whittemore Road in Middlebury.
