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This rendering shows the 171,600 sq. ft. warehouse Middlebury Land Development is proposing for vacant property at 1535 Straits Turnpike. A public hearing on this project is set for January 2. (SLR rendering)
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), at its December 5 meeting, scheduled three public hearings for its Thursday, January 2, 2025, meeting. Per the legal notice, the first hearing will be for 750 Straits Turnpike. The second and third hearings are for projects on the property between Straits Turnpike and Kelly Road, where Metro Realty had proposed to build luxury apartments. Facing strong opposition from Middlebury residents, Metro withdrew its application.
Attorney Michael J. McVerry will present the application for 750 Straits Turnpike. It asks for a text amendment to add a new section, 31.4.7, to zoning regulation 31.4 (Special Exception Uses) to allow residential apartments above the first floor of commercial buildings. The building at 750 Straits Turnpike sits at the corner of Straits Turnpike and Country Club Road. Its current tenants include Middlebury’s Best Yogurt, International Wine & Spirits, and Subway. Land records show the building is owned by JBD KJD LLC. State LLC records show the LLC’s principals are Bruce and Janice Dessereaux and its status is “dissolved.”
Attorney Ned Fitzpatrick will present the application for 1535 Straits Turnpike. There are three applications: the site plan, a special exception for excavation and grading and a special exception for an extension of use. The site plan is for a 171,600 sq. ft. warehouse and associated access, parking and loading.
The third hearing, for Kelly Road Residential LLC, is for an application for a subdivision creating 14 single-family residential lots at 144 Kelly Road. The drawing of this subdivision shows its entrance/exit directly across from Memorial Drive at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Kelly Road.
The 1535 Straits project and the 144 Kelly Road project are on land where Metro Realty had hoped to develop 200 luxury apartments. The Metro Realty applications were for a zone text change to add a Planned Rental Housing Development Overlay District to the regulations and for a zone map change to add a Planned Rental Housing Development Overlay District, changing the property’s current LI-80/R-40/PRD zoning.
Kyle Richards, an executive vice president at Metro Realty, discussed the 77-acre tract having three different zones, LI-80 (light industrial), R-40 (residential) and PRD (planned residential development). He said Metro Realty determined the best way to develop the 77-acre parcel and protect the mature wetlands forest on it was to leave 57 acres undisturbed and construct 200 luxury apartments on 20 acres.
The current projects propose to put the warehouse on the LI-80 portion and the subdivision on the residential portion. The warehouse will sit on 24.4 acres. We don’t know how much open space this project will leave. The subdivision will be on 52.67 acres with 14.3 acres of open space, so it appears the houses will occupy just over 38 acres.
The luxury apartment project entrance and exit was to be on Straits Turnpike with emergency access only via Kelly Road. The proposed warehouse project entrance and exit will be on Straits Turnpike while the subdivision entrance/exit will be on Kelly Road across from Memorial Drive.
The public may both attend and speak at public hearings. Written comments may be sent and will be read into the record. They should be addressed to the Zoning Office at 1212 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, CT 06762 or sent via email at pandz@middlebury-ct.org. Copies of the applications are on file for public inspection during normal business hours of the Zoning Office.
The January 2 meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at Shepardson Community Center at 1172 Whittemore Road.
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