[0:17] 709, please rise for the pledge if you're able.

[0:21] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands,

[0:27] one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

[0:35] Mr. Axtra, if you wouldn't mind sitting in for secretary today.

[0:39] Yes, most certainly.

[0:43] Sorry, Dr.

[0:48] Kess.

[0:48] We're going to go through the roll call, Chairman Tom Patavina.

[0:54] President Vice Chair, Tyler X.

[0:56] President Secretary Nathaniel Spencer.

[1:00] It's absent.

[1:01] Regular commissioners, Elizabeth Emory.

[1:05] Absent Commissioner Morgan Monarcha.

[1:08] President Commissioner Andrew Regan.

[1:12] Commissioner Vinci Zincowitz.

[1:15] Alternates Commissioner Allen Cunningham.

[1:19] Commissioner Conradliner and Commissioner Emily McAvoy.

[1:25] Commissioner Conradliner, we'll be seated for Commissioner Spencer.

[1:28] Commissioner McAvoy will be seated for Commissioner Emery.

[1:33] Item three, items removed from the agenda.

[1:37] There are no no items that were removed from the agenda.

[1:39] And no items.

[1:43] Number four, public comment on items on the agenda which are not currently scheduled for a public hearing.

[1:48] There's nothing on the agenda that is not scheduled for a public hearing.

[1:52] Number five, confirmation that all hearing signs have been properly posted.

[1:57] Yes, all public hearing signs were amended and posted.

[2:02] That brings us to item six, public hearing.

[2:05] The item six point one, it's continued.

[2:08] Our public hearing for the petition for a zoning map amendment to

[2:12] Reson multiple parcels on Church Street, High Street and William Street from

[2:15] the DVD zone to the ID zone and Rezone William Street,

[2:20] map law 24-0138 from the DVD zone to the MX-C zone.

[2:27] African Agent Richard de Corrella,

[2:29] Esquire, Uptike Kelly and Splacy,

[2:33] Z-2026-5.

[2:36] Please take your name and address for the record.

[2:39] Good evening, Mr. Chair and commissioners.

[2:42] My name is Jesse Langer of Uptike Kelly and Spellacy.

[2:45] On behalf of Wesleyan University, I'm here in the instead of Richard Correllah.

[2:51] With me this evening is Jeff Murphy, who is the Campus Planner and Project Manager, Alan

[2:58] Rubica, the Associate Vice President of the Facilities and Brandy Hood, the Director of Campus

[3:05] Planning.

[3:06] And we're here to discuss further our application regarding Wesleyan University's application

[3:13] for his zoning map change application regarding properties bounded by William, High, and Church Street.

[3:22] I'll now defer to Jeff to respond to comments made by the public. Thank you.

[3:32] Really appreciate your time.

[3:36] Get close to the mic. Sure thing.

[3:40] Mark, can you pull up our slide deck?

[3:42] So, we have today a few slides to sort of recap the presentation from earlier this month,

[3:51] as well as sort of work through some of the feedback we heard during that session,

[3:56] how that has been integrated into our thinking and our general comments thereof.

[4:04] So, from my perspective, sitting at Wesleyan,

[4:07] The role of the Planning and Zoning Commission is really to influence, form and guide the development,

[4:16] redevelopment, and growth of the city of Middletown.

[4:21] At Wesleyan, as the campus planner, my role is similar to that in that we try to guide development that is consistent with the city,

[4:37] that address the needs, concerns, and aspirations of the university.

[4:44] And what we are here today to use to discuss or ask,

[4:49] our ask is active, is a change.

[4:54] It's something different than the default that is outlined today

[4:57] in the Zoning Regulations.

[5:00] So it is on us to provide that vision to outline the opportunity that it presents and to provide

[5:10] a rationale and understanding as to why this is both in the city's benefit and why it is

[5:17] to the benefit of the university to do so. And so with that sort of framework in mind, we

[5:22] can kind of jump right in.

[5:25] So going back to the project origins themselves,

[5:29] I think it's important to recognize that the parcels

[5:33] we're talking about, most notably,

[5:36] high rise and low rise, the sort of central commercial

[5:40] apartment buildings on the block of William,

[5:43] high and church, or what we call the junior village.

[5:46] It's the sort of unique community that's different

[5:49] then most of the other class years at Wesleyan, in that most

[5:54] class years sort of scattered across the campus, whereas

[5:58] junior village is really a critical mass of that junior

[6:01] community that lives together.

[6:03] And that was a really core component as we started thinking

[6:07] about this project.

[6:09] When we look at the inventory of buildings themselves,

[6:13] high-rise and low-rise are notable outliers in terms

[6:18] of condition.

[6:18] these buildings were built in the early 1970s, they are largely unchanged in that time, and

[6:26] really there is a need to either renovate high-rise, potentially replace it, and really

[6:34] our focus is in the near-term replacing low-rise, which is about 144 beds.

[6:41] We as a university recognize the importance of this location for student housing.

[6:49] The block that represents church, high, and William houses over 400 students.

[6:57] That's more than 10% of the student body at Wesleyan University.

[7:02] And so this interface between the city and the community is really important.

[7:08] We see this site given this proximity to the power plant and again that critical mass of the student experience as worth reinvesting in worth maintaining and not seeking alternate sites that retreat up the hill from Main Street.

[7:25] And so that in the context of I've been at the University about 12 years now, having started in 2015,

[7:34] early 2015, we see time and time and time again that the University has engaged with the CML Town on this idea of a William Street corridor.

[7:45] that the city and university both agree that this really intrigued corridor is an unrealized opportunity.

[7:55] For improving connections, improving that flow of student and community to and from downtown to and from the core of our campus.

[8:06] But little to no progress has been made in those opportunities and in those conversations over that 20 year horizon.

[8:14] So, with that sort of underpinning, with that understanding of Wesleyan's needs and historic

[8:21] dialogue with the city, our next step was to really take a look at the plan of conservation

[8:27] development, the guiding document for growth development and change within the city of

[8:34] Midtown.

[8:34] If you go to the next slide, we found a huge number of synergies that really and elements

[8:39] that really resonated with us.

[8:40] We talked about this last time, a thriving, vibrant, connected and sustainable city, really

[8:47] resonates with the work we're trying to do and resonates with the priorities of the university.

[8:54] As we dug into that POCD document further, next slide, please.

[8:59] We noticed that there is a graphic one back, a graphic that actually calls out that William

[9:07] court or as separate and distinct from the balance of the historical districts. Recognizing

[9:16] that the actual zoning map includes this, that's why we have a zoning map amendment before

[9:21] you. But recognizing the POCD itself outlines this block as something separate distinct from,

[9:29] say, the experience of walking down college street or court street. William Street is a different

[9:36] experience. Building on that, we can go back further to a planned document created by the

[9:44] city of Middletown in 2016, sort of a pre-planning document ahead of the return to the river

[9:49] bend, that again specifically calls out this exact same corridor. If you actually toggle

[9:55] back and forth between these two graphics, it's almost an identical out.

[10:00] That this calls for. It spells out targeted properties and parcels for redevelopment. Those parcels are amongst the two largest parcels we're talking about today. The high rise in low rise complex, as well as the property at 44amlin, includes our central power plant and other administrative and commercial buildings associated with the university's operations and educational services.

[10:28] So we then, with that as the backdrop, right, the backdrop of 20 years of dialogue about improvements to William Street.

[10:37] 20 years of talking about the opportunity to build those connections.

[10:43] A POCD that calls out for a vibrant thriving and connected community with sustainability focused development in mind

[10:51] that prioritizes development of existing parcels as opposed to a sprawling outgrowth of the campus

[10:58] we started to hone in on a concept for a project.

[11:04] The first thing we looked at obviously is what can be built in this area.

[11:09] It is important to recognize that by right within this downtown village district,

[11:15] the universe of things that can be built are single family homes,

[11:20] two family homes, daycares, churches, and public libraries.

[11:25] that is the universe of things they can be constructed.

[11:29] What we are seeking to do here is

[11:32] rezone parcels owned by the university

[11:36] into the institutional development zone

[11:38] because the existing inventory of buildings,

[11:43] the existing uses of those buildings

[11:46] and the proposed uses of those buildings

[11:48] are much more consistent with the ID zone

[11:52] than the DVD zone.

[11:53] It also allows us to think holistically about the block and not worry about setbacks and things like that within university owned parcels.

[12:05] We can think about this block collectively as it relates to Wesleyan University properties.

[12:11] We are looking as we define this project to locate up to a 200-bed replacement project.

[12:17] Project, I think that's an important component.

[12:20] These are not new beds.

[12:22] These are not accounting for student population growth.

[12:26] This is a replacement of 200 beds on the William Street

[12:32] corridor.

[12:33] And with that, recognizing the importance of for an active ask,

[12:39] the definition of community benefit.

[12:41] We are thinking very holistically about this project

[12:43] to include street scape improvements.

[12:46] much like we'll see at church street and law and have replacing sidewalks, improving pedestrian

[12:53] safety, improving the pedestrian experience with street trees, increasing the amount of

[12:59] green space, I would encourage you all to visit this section of middle town is in dire need

[13:05] of green space. It would improve connections, physical connections has the opportunity to create

[13:13] improved programmatic connections and physical accessibility opportunities that don't exist

[13:19] today from our junior village back to the core, the academic core of the university and all

[13:27] of this in our view aligns very closely with the goals of the POCD and again those documents

[13:35] we reviewed earlier.

[13:39] So, that is a recap of our thinking. So, what do we hear at the

[13:45] last public hearing? We heard a variety of comments. Among them were statements that this

[13:54] is a land grab that this represents a burden to the city of Middletown that this is a call

[14:01] for spot zoning, that this would eliminate city oversight, that we should just utilize those existing

[14:08] DVD regulations, and I think most importantly that we should preserve the historic fabric

[14:15] of high street in two and two 14 high street. And so I want to walk through each one of

[14:22] those comments, specifically because I think they represent different perspectives, and in

[14:29] many cases a conflation of issues.

[14:33] And so if we go to the next slide, Mark, sorry to Russia.

[14:37] The idea this is a land grab, I think it's important to recognize that we are rezoning,

[14:42] you know, by regulation, we can only as an applicant request to rezone properties that we already

[14:48] own.

[14:49] So we are asking for nothing more than to rezone the things that the university already own

[14:57] and have own for many, many, many, many.

[15:00] Any years at this point? This project, again, doesn't represent an additive burden to city services.

[15:07] These are replacement beds. And I know one of the points of friction and conflict that I've heard in recent years

[15:14] is, specifically, around the fire department, and the role Woodframes play an outsize role that the Woodframe

[15:20] house is play in requiring fire service. By consulting this into apartment building, we can

[15:28] eliminate some of those nuisance calls that the city has talked to us about, especially

[15:35] in the last couple of years. And then it's important to also recognize that this project

[15:40] is not building in any additional student growth. This is to accommodate existing students,

[15:47] and this is to address existing buildings through a kind of renovation through replacement strategy

[15:54] with the low rise complex, specifically.

[15:59] We heard the critique that this is a spot zoning request, and I actually think it's quite the opposite.

[16:06] We are talking broadly about 14, 14, 16, we are talking about 17 different properties.

[16:19] The impacted properties represent a total of four, but we want to look holistically at this plot.

[16:29] we want to be honest about the inventory of buildings, the existing uses and the proposed

[16:35] uses, that are not consistent with the zoning requirements and limitations of the downtown

[16:42] village district. Again, the uses both existing and proposed are as well as the inventory

[16:50] of commercial buildings are more aligned with the ID zone or the MX-C zone than the DVD.

[16:57] It's worth noting here on the William High and Church-bounded block, 14 of the 16 properties

[17:07] on that block that the university owns are non-conforming uses within the DVD.

[17:14] Those include multifamily houses there are three and four families administrative uses

[17:19] like our central power plant.

[17:21] things like the student organizing building, public safety,

[17:26] rooming houses like a eclectic and open house.

[17:29] We have, again, 325 beds across two commercial apartment buildings

[17:37] in this block, as well as large-scale parking lots.

[17:42] None of those are outlined as permitted uses

[17:44] in the existing DVD regulations, and we're just trying to be,

[17:48] As a campus planner, I think it's disingenuous to go through a spot zoning effort so narrowly

[17:55] focused when we're talking about a block comprehensively that is owned by the university that

[18:01] is for institutional use, it's just disingenuous to not recognize that in our application.

[18:10] The next feedback we received, and I thought this was a very insightful critique,

[18:17] was that the city would lose oversight by moving this zone or these properties and parcels

[18:24] excuse me into the institutional development zone. I talked with Mark. I had misunderstood the

[18:31] role of the DRPB. The lore at Wesleyan has always been, if you can see a parcel from church

[18:39] history, high street, or Washington street, you gotta go to DRPB.

[18:45] They will review your application, they will review your elevations and your proposals.

[18:51] Turns out that's actually not the case.

[18:53] The DRPB has a more limited authority, however, as I dug into the existing regulations for

[19:02] the institutional development zone, a site plan review we are not there yet, but a site plan

[19:08] You must consider compliance with the POCD, which we'll talk about here, effects of

[19:15] you on the use and development of the adjacent properties, largely not a thing because

[19:20] it's a Wesleyan owned property, historically ID zones don't have a lot of conflict in that

[19:24] regard.

[19:25] The key here is effect on use and development of adjacent zones by defining the ID zone and these

[19:33] parcels, such that the DVD continues to be in adjacent zone, the planning and zoning

[19:41] commission has the authority by right to request and require DRPB review of any site plan

[19:50] or any proposed development that moves forward, given its location amidst the DVD's own.

[19:57] Lastly in that regard

[20:00] The site plan also requires the planning and zoning commission to consider compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods and uses, which, again, further provides leverage to the city to evaluate our project and our plan in that context within that neighborhood.

[20:18] I think it's worth noting, Wesleyan has acted adverbally and in good faith over the last 26 years.

[20:26] This is a list of virtually every major project that has happened at Wesleyan's campus in the last 26 years.

[20:33] And every single one of them went before the DRPB, whether it was required or not.

[20:39] We have a long history of active engagement with the DRPB, as well as compliance with the request of the DRPB.

[20:46] and adjustments to our plan based on feedback received.

[20:53] We also heard during that public hearing,

[20:57] that the university should utilize the existing regulations

[21:00] to do what we want to do.

[21:05] That is an interesting idea given how limited

[21:11] the universe of new construction opportunities

[21:16] are within the downtown village district.

[21:18] So, let's just look at 44 Hamlin, the former Idela Howell child development center, as an example.

[21:28] They went out of business in 2021.

[21:31] They called us and asked us to purchase their building.

[21:35] So they could consolidate their operations back to the Hartford area.

[21:41] We purchased the building because we are adjacent landowners on either side of them

[21:46] And since we have owned a building, we have worked with the YMCA to run their program out of that building so that they can enable their services to not be interrupted during their capital plan and renovations, which I would note.

[22:07] Increase the size of their infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms beyond what they existed in 2021.

[22:17] Additional changes since 2021 in the child care landscape,

[22:21] include Wesleyan's expansion of infant, toddler, and preschool programming at the neighborhood preschool located along Lane,

[22:29] which is open to faculty, staff, students, and all community members.

[22:35] Additionally, the City of Middle Town public schools have expanded their preschool programming, including

[22:41] at snow school, at Westley School, Bill Field, and other locations.

[22:47] So imagine what the future use of 44 Hamlin is to be.

[22:52] The daycare that was there closed down, they couldn't make ends meet.

[22:56] So, the future uses of a single story, 12,000 square foot slab on grade, masonry block commercial building,

[23:08] the universe of options, is of single family home, a two family home, a church, a daycare, or public library.

[23:18] From the perspective of the POCD, this again was called out in the 2016 planning document as a target property for redevelopment.

[23:28] The future uses of this site are inconsistent with what is permissible by the DVD.

[23:36] And thus, we are requesting a change of zone from DVD to MXC, which is an adjacent zone at the frontage of broad street.

[23:47] So that it can be utilized for art studios and classrooms, which is consistent with similar investments

[23:53] the University of Maine at 56th Hamlin with a renovation of that historic building that was long

[24:01] long overdue.

[24:03] So that's an example in 44th Hamlin.

[24:06] Looking at the buy-right options for existing regulations within that high-rise and low-rise complex,

[24:14] You know, by right, you know, Katherine Johnson at the last hearing noted that we can expand

[24:20] high rise and low rise by 100% up to 75 feet in height.

[24:28] This is a mass example of about 325, the same 325 beds that exist today,

[24:38] renovated in a phase approach because we don't just have 325 beds sitting around to

[24:44] displace these students while building their bill. And as I look at that, the limited

[24:51] building site really pushes this building to be five stories tall over the majority of the

[24:57] building. It is...

[25:00] Toleur than what our proposal suggests, it is more densely populated on the site itself, and it would

[25:10] eliminate the street scape improvements and much of the public benefit that we are trying

[25:16] to enact in those William Street corridors by essentially wiping that portion of the project off

[25:21] map. And I looked at, if you literally Google City of Middle Town, Traverse Square, one of

[25:30] the first pages that comes up outlines the city's goals for Traverse Square, among those

[25:36] goals listed, is a reduction in the neighborhood's density and a call for the university

[25:41] to play an active role in the improvement of this neighborhood. I believe that the plan

[25:46] as we proposed, improves this neighborhood more than the buy-right option that the DVD regulations

[25:55] currently allow for. If you go to the next slide,

[26:02] it's important to note here we also

[26:03] heard some positive feedback and some wouldn't it be nice if statements. The loudest, most

[26:11] consistent and clearing call statements was the preservation of 2-8 and 2-14 high street.

[26:21] Hurt it loud and clear, we have adjusted our plan as such the fabric of the historic

[26:27] high street that tapestry of buildings is unchanged in our proposed project, 2-8 and 2-14

[26:35] high remain.

[26:37] The other calls for, at that time, were also to restore cross-block connectivity, the

[26:46] hotch-custry cut-through, which we could enable, that would largely be impeded by an

[26:52] as of right, given how tight the site is and how close the billings would have to be

[26:56] to that corridor.

[26:58] We heard about establishing a protecting viewsheds.

[27:01] Viewsheds are a tricky thing in middle town, between subbonate tower, the existing

[27:05] high rise and other buildings. There aren't many actual viewsheds of the river itself from

[27:11] high street that remain, but we do have an opportunity to create some with this building.

[27:19] And then clearly prioritizing pedestrian safety, bike routes, and the like that's a part we

[27:25] talked about a lot last time, the complete streets concept. It is not within the right of the

[27:29] applicant to suggest changing the curb to curb distribution of parking and directional travel

[27:37] and how wide those are.

[27:38] That's not our job.

[27:39] That's the city of middle town responsibility.

[27:41] But from curb to building, we have a lot of flexibility and have a lot of opportunity

[27:47] to make those streetscape improvements and to create more green space across this site.

[27:56] Additionally, we heard both then and in subsequent conversations with community members that we should look at the central power plant site, big open field, as a site for constructing our building.

[28:11] I would note, as part of the DVD, the universe of things that can be built on the power plant site is a single family home, a two family home, a church, a daycare or public library.

[28:24] So again, if we're trying to replace 144 beds at low rise, that is inconsistent with what zoning

[28:32] requires, and is exactly what we're asking for today, a zone map amendment, to the ID zone,

[28:39] for these parcels, and to the MX-C zone, for 44-handle.

[28:47] If we move on to the last slide, I'm sorry, Commissioner Vinnie, I was not as succinct

[28:54] I think because you would hope to be the one where it answers.

[28:58] But we just want to wrap it up with, you know, what is it that we're asking for?

[29:03] Right?

[29:03] We're not asking for a zone, we're not asking for a site plan review, we are not there yet.

[29:09] We are at the exact first step to find a buildable area.

[29:13] The university has articulated a division, the universities articulated a value statement of the 400 students that live on this block and keeping those 400 students there.

[29:26] We see value in that. Both for the city, their impact on downtown businesses, the connections to the community, the Traverse Square Connection program, creating space for that, both within a building and on in green space.

[29:41] We see a vision, we see an opportunity that is consistent with 20 years of dialogue with the city of Middletown.

[29:49] This first step would create a definable site to build such a project with the oversight and partnership of the city of Middletown.

[30:00] The campus community and other critical stakeholders. It's worth noting these diagrams we've shown. These are not designs. You might notice there aren't windows. There aren't roof lines. There aren't doors. There aren't elevators. There's no dumpsters. There's no none of that. These are massings. This is, if we say, we have like 125 square foot bedroom with a living room and a kitchen and a corridor and four bedroom apartment.

[30:30] With the bathroom, this is about how much space that takes, and you can create Lego blocks that stack together, and that's what we're looking at, we're looking at massings.

[30:39] Once we have a defined, buildable site, we can then take the next step of design, where you all, as well as DRPB, have a chance to inspect, critique, and provide feedback on those designs.

[30:54] And again, that oversight is unchanged, whether this is the downtown village district or the ID zone.

[31:02] And with that, I will finish.

[31:07] Thank you very much.

[31:08] If you have a comment or question, please step up to the microphone, state your name and address

[31:12] for the record.

[31:13] And please limit your comments to five minutes or less.

[31:17] If anybody online wants to participate in the public hearing, please use the raise hand function

[31:22] on the WebEx platform, or if you're dialing in, press start three, no to recognize you

[31:26] as wanting to speak.

[31:30] Hi, my name is Jennifer Alexander, 110 Washington Street.

[31:34] I appreciate the opportunity to speak again on this, and thank you for keeping the public

[31:38] hearing open just a couple of quick factual things that were mentioned in the remarks that

[31:43] were just made. Jeff and Wesleyan have been great about inviting community members to view the

[31:49] plans. I've sat in on two private sessions and I feel like I've learned a lot about what their

[31:53] goals are. But he mentioned some things which I think are not the whole story. You know,

[32:00] he mentioned, oh, you have a lot of fire department calls that would frame houses and

[32:04] this would replace them. But we're not talking about replacing the wood frame houses. We're

[32:07] talking about high rise and low rise. So in that gets raised, I feel like it's a little bit

[32:12] not what that this is about. He talks about design review. You guys know, design review

[32:19] advisory, so saying that design review will be, we'll do a review, is just a review, it's

[32:26] the village district which actually has some teeth from design reviews, so that's not

[32:31] at all the same thing to say that the institutional zone offers a review from design review,

[32:37] because it has no teeth.

[32:40] I think that when you pull up the four points from the plan of

[32:49] can read those things a lot of ways, it talks about preserving our built history, not just

[32:55] the specific buildings, but the fabric, the streetscape, in our historic neighborhoods.

[33:04] So I don't think this supports the goals of the plan of development to put not just

[33:10] the houses on William Street and High Street, but also the houses on Church Street.

[33:15] I don't know how many structures it is, but if you picture everything from everything from

[33:20] Traverse Square to High Street, everything from Church Street to William Street would be

[33:26] in this zone change and that's a lot of property, it's a very blunt tool to use to accomplish

[33:33] one goal, so it puts a lot of those buildings at unnecessary risk and that gives me a lot

[33:40] of worry.

[33:41] I'm hoping that you are remembering the hearing two weeks ago, you heard really loudly and clearly from residents.

[33:48] The village district, it worked.

[33:52] It stopped the slide that that neighborhood was going through, where everything was getting torn down and converted into apartments.

[33:59] It stopped the slide.

[34:01] And it protected the houses that were left.

[34:03] And there has been, you know, if you've ever been in downtown Waterbury, or downtown Meriden,

[34:08] you know that you can have neighborhoods of gorgeous houses that do not work and that it we're

[34:13] very lucky. We're very lucky that that is not what we're living within this neighborhood.

[34:18] I live across the street from it. I live on Washington and Maine right on the corner in an old house.

[34:23] So part of that fabric is the community of historic houses, how they feel next to each other,

[34:30] the memory and just the imagination of the community of what it was like to be there. So I'm thrilled

[34:36] about hearing that houses on high street would be protected. They are significant. I can't imagine

[34:42] why it was ever proposed to tear them down. But there's no, once you change the zone,

[34:47] somebody can come along later and say, oh, we need that land. So you lose that commitment. That's

[34:52] happened many times. But the houses on William Street are also important. They're important

[34:57] specifically because

[35:00] They aren't a beautiful string of historic houses, like you might have on-core college and court. It's because they're threatened.

[35:08] So you don't want to keep going in that direction. And Wesleyan goes back and forth. Sometimes they buy historic houses. Sometimes they sell historic houses.

[35:16] I have lots of friends that live in community and buildings that houses that were owned by the university that they made available for sale to the public because they didn't want to own that anymore.

[35:26] So knocking those down and turning it into the institutional zone.

[35:31] This is what I'm hoping you took away from that hearing campus is on the other side of

[35:36] high street.

[35:37] It's very, very clear, it's just true.

[35:41] This side of high street coming towards downtown doesn't matter who owns the property.

[35:45] It's not campus.

[35:47] And so turning this whole area into an extension of campus is not in the interest of town.

[35:53] I don't think it's what the town wants.

[35:55] So I just had, you know,

[36:01] they do own low-rose low-rise and high-rise, they could build on the parking lot of high-rise and tear down low-rise.

[36:09] And, you know, they could develop that whole area if the goal is simply to replace the beds.

[36:13] They have the opportunity to do something.

[36:15] I'm just hoping as a proud Wesleyan alum and to vote it down town resident, Wesleyan goes back to the drawing board.

[36:22] this is way too blunt and ask, you know, maybe there are tweaks that are needed to what's

[36:28] allowed in the village district, maybe they're coming back to you with a code change that

[36:33] says, I don't know, daycares in schools and student housing, when it's adjacent to other

[36:38] student housing or something that, you know, I mean there's ways to do this that don't take

[36:43] all of this property off the plate for our future.

[36:48] So, thank you for listening.

[36:49] Thank you.

[36:57] Okay, we're going to actually rotate between online and in person. So we have an online person and then you'll be up next

[37:03] Thank you

[37:05] Okay, I'm going to move on to online. We have a Brendan

[37:18] Yes

[37:37] project would actually give the city insight into exactly what.

[37:41] Mary, can we get it louder?

[37:46] Thank you for letting me know.

[37:48] Thank you.

[37:52] If this was an override, it would mean that there could be a

[37:55] committing to construct the project that they're proposing here today.

[37:59] But that simply is not the case.

[38:01] I love it.

[38:02] To understand, for reason, this entire parcel of land would give them extraordinary freedom over what exactly

[38:09] gets built here.

[38:09] It wouldn't mean that they could go anything consistent with the institutional development zoning regulations.

[38:15] Now, if you want to know what that looks like, you can just go into Wesleyan's campus.

[38:18] You can look at buildings like the Exley Science Library, just over a hundred feet tall and eight stores.

[38:24] It would be entirely consistent with the local character of the neighborhood.

[38:27] But that's the kind of zoning that we would be allowed here if the city actually did go ahead and entirely free some of this large parcel of land.

[38:35] It wouldn't necessarily be a 144-bed plus 40 extra-bed development.

[38:40] It could be essentially whatever the university wants to build.

[38:43] That is within the bounds of the institutional development regulations.

[38:48] Additionally, I find it very strange that the Wesleyan Proposes decided to mention the wood frame houses,

[38:54] specifically, and said that 40 beds would be moved from that development over here.

[38:59] Once again, we're not speaking about the wood frame development, and President Roth has repeatedly said that

[39:04] the senior class will maintain its access to these sorts of housing options.

[39:09] So it seems very, it seems strange that the university would make that kind of promise.

[39:13] And I think it also contributes to the underlying thing here where the university is actually

[39:17] not committing to much of anything in terms of the specificities of this project.

[39:22] All they're committing to, all they're really asking is for more power over what they want to build here.

[39:27] And being given a, for your hand by the city. And putting the city in a position where later on down the line,

[39:32] If Wesleyan does want to build something that is, you know, larger than what we would expect for our community needs, the city can't do much of anything.

[39:39] The process of an override gives the city the leeway, and flexibility in the power to consider the pros and cons of an individual project on its individual merits.

[39:49] Those options would be lost here.

[39:52] Additionally, I think there were a few things that the Rosers mentioned that I found strange.

[40:00] There was said that Wesleyan has acted admirably and in good faith over the past 25 years in terms of its construction projects.

[40:07] Well, we don't have to go back 25 years, we can go back just a few years and look at the new science centre, which was constructed without Union Labour.

[40:16] Despite calls from the city and from statewide labour organizations to constructed with unionized construction labourers.

[40:23] Now, the firm that the university did decide to go with the non-union firm was so unsafe

[40:30] that it contributed to a tragic accident last year, or scaffolding collapsed at the site

[40:35] of the construction, and two workers almost died.

[40:38] Now, I'm not sure what definition Wesleyan has of admirable and in good faith, but that's

[40:44] not consistent with mine.

[40:46] Additionally, it was said that rezoning this parcel of land would somehow help Wesleyan

[40:51] our five better day care services.

[40:54] That, especially I think, is in some ways outrageous,

[40:58] considering that just a few years ago,

[41:00] Wesleyan decided to shut down

[41:01] the Green Street Learning and Teaching Center,

[41:03] what was providing these day care services.

[41:06] President Roth said the expenditure was just too great

[41:09] for the university, who's about $1 million every year.

[41:12] It might sound like a lot,

[41:13] but we should consider that the university's overall budget

[41:16] is larger than middle towns, about it.

[41:19] and the endowment is growing meteoricly and is already $1.6 billion.

[41:24] The university has been consistently making more and more money,

[41:27] over the past 25 years, and yet they're consistently rolling back

[41:31] their commitments financially to the local community.

[41:34] And child care is one of the sectors that gets hit the hardest.

[41:37] One minute.

[41:39] Thank you very much.

[41:40] I'll be done soon.

[41:41] They also cut back funding to volunteer groups within the Jewish Center for Community Partnerships

[41:46] that also provided these childcare services

[41:48] in this very community within Traverse Square.

[41:51] The Traverse Square volunteer organization

[41:54] run by students on campus had to reduce

[41:56] the staff by half last year, because of these funding cuts.

[41:59] So for the university to say that somehow

[42:01] their rezoning here, their efforts are

[42:03] to improve the state of childcare

[42:05] and middle-town community is completely inconsistent

[42:08] with their previously demonstrated interests

[42:12] and is not something that they would be obligatoryly held

[42:16] to at any point in the actual design or construction process moving forward.

[42:20] Suddenly, they said that this was consistent with 20 years of dialogue.

[42:24] But we've seen that over these past 20 years,

[42:26] Wesley's commitment to the community has only diminished,

[42:28] and their burden on our city has only increased.

[42:31] I don't know if this is a legacy that we want to be consistent with.

[42:35] I think it's preferable for us to move forward

[42:38] in a middle-town Wesley relationship that doesn't consistently put the needs of the university

[42:42] above all others, and especially above our community.

[42:45] Okay, Mr. Very. Thank you. If you would like to come back on later, you'll be able to do that.

[42:53] Thank you.

[42:54] Thank you for listening to me.

[42:56] Melissa Shokie. Just grab the microphone.

[42:58] Yeah, I can do that.

[43:00] Melissa Shokie, I live at three Hubbard Street at the old firehouse at the corner of Hubbard in Loveland.

[43:07] So I live in the village district, put on the edge of it.

[43:11] And from experience, I saw what happened across the street for me on

[43:16] Lovelin Street. At the beginning of COVID, two houses were torn down.

[43:22] The developers promised that new construction would be there and it would

[43:29] architecturally fit in with the neighborhood. Guess what? COVID hit. Those

[43:36] properties are vacant. My neighbors are gone. There are missing teeth. Two missing

[43:43] teeth across the street and we have to look at vacant land that is often

[43:51] overgrown all the time. People cannot predict what's going to happen in the

[43:56] future. If you want to look at a zoning thing for a specific, happy solution, do

[44:06] I would encourage you to do it for the exact piece of property that they want to do it.

[44:14] I'll go back to my notes.

[44:18] It's now six years later from when that happened across the street for me.

[44:22] And COVID changed everything.

[44:25] Empty lots where neighbors just to live.

[44:27] A zoning change that includes 17 or 19 properties way over the top for me.

[44:33] I worked and lobbied in an effort to retain what was left of an architectural history that reflected the beginnings of Middletown.

[44:43] High Street is a national treasure, and the surrounding streets that support and reflect how special this neighborhood is.

[44:52] is important to me. Please, don't gut the village neighborhood feel. I don't believe.

[45:00] We can see what the future brings for Wesleyan or middle town. Like COVID, it could be well unforeseen.

[45:07] But zoning designations that could allow for a mistake that cannot be undone in the future is a mistake.

[45:15] Thank you.

[45:23] Director Kazakowski, do you have an online participant?

[45:25] Yes, we have a few.

[45:27] One next move on to Diana Martinez.

[45:42] Can you hear me? Sorry.

[45:43] Yes.

[45:46] Hi, good afternoon.

[45:46] Good evening. My name is Diana Martinez. I live at 143 Prospect Street in town and I graduated

[45:53] Wesleyan almost 20 years ago. One thing that I learned there really well is that there's the truth

[45:59] and then there's the narratives people empower spin on so we call it history and we're seeing that

[46:04] here today. So Wesleyan's back today with the same exact plan from last meeting and despite saying

[46:10] that they heard and considered the public response from the last meeting they missed at least one

[46:16] a critical piece of feedback. And it's important because it's a piece of feedback that they've

[46:21] historically overlooked and what I'm quote forgotten to consider and that's the important

[46:26] to need for community input in their decision making. Over and over last meeting community members

[46:32] including their own students expressed disappointment that the vision that they're talking about

[46:36] today that they've worked so hard to turn into this plan, never actually included their feedback

[46:41] their input or their concerns. So to say that they've put this plan together and good faith

[46:46] goes directly against what their own students who they claim they've developed this plan for

[46:52] what those students have reported to this body. So they actually wanted to add green space,

[46:57] per their own language. There's nothing stopping them from doing that. They own the whole parcel.

[47:02] There's nothing in the P&Z rules that are keeping them from doing that. If they wanted to replace

[47:06] existing houses, there's nothing keeping them from doing that. That doesn't require a zoning change.

[47:13] They could have put together an exemption request, perhaps they could have put together a different plan.

[47:19] They could have come with some alternative based on what folks offered last month and they didn't do any of that.

[47:25] They came here today and they told you what your job is and what you have to do for them.

[47:30] And that's a pattern as well as that's a very well documented part of their history.

[47:36] So when the staff and the contract that folks that are here today presenting are gone,

[47:41] we also have to live with their choices.

[47:43] So once they get the rezoning, they'll start,

[47:46] it could be another 20 years of conversations with the city

[47:49] on how they can build bigger and better.

[47:51] And when their self-interest is on the line,

[47:53] they can apparently use Google to Google driver's square

[47:56] and pull up a page that's called for their engagement for over a decade because that page

[48:01] hasn't changed in over a decade, but they can't be bothered to walk down the hill and

[48:06] engage in conversations with the residents about how their plan would impact the lives of their

[48:10] families.

[48:11] And they've historically been unconcerned with the families in that neighborhood.

[48:15] That's not surprising considering their pattern.

[48:18] By the time the broader community realized the RT was shutting down their preschool, Wesley

[48:22] had already purchased the building and they kept the preschool collaborative folks from finding

[48:27] ways to keep the free of reduced preschool seats there and in community and we lost those seats.

[48:33] On the other hand, Wesleyan's preschool options have never been free and certainly have never been

[48:38] affordable. They note their generosity and allowing space for the why but they definitely didn't

[48:44] say they were allowing that space for free because in fact the university frequently charges

[48:49] our schools, our nonprofits, and our community leaders for use of the space that they take up.

[48:54] They've not changed how they engage. They're not interested in reciprocity.

[48:58] When their self-entices on the line, they'll come to our bodies and ask us for what they need,

[49:02] but they never pony up and offer what they could at no cost to them,

[49:08] at very little cost to them, in ways that would actually support student engagement and

[49:13] and education, they never offer enough. And I think this over and over and overwhelming

[49:20] sense that what they want is what they want on their terms and that we don't get to say.

[49:26] And we do get to say, even if they don't want one from us. They don't want to hear it, but we

[49:32] do get to say. I'm very much not in support of this plan. I would ask you all, so please ask them

[49:37] to go back to the drawing board and pull up a plan that actually considers things that people

[49:41] of ask for. Communication, input, community investment by way of union labor, union jobs and

[49:50] actual development, put something on its table that we can say, yeah, we gave them this

[49:56] ability to resolve this whole district and possibly build it up.

[50:00] In their vision, in 200 years, they could be that the whole downtown could be all of Wesleyan, but at least we got something out of it, a community center, a community space, three spaces for our kids to go to their university, three child care for our kids to have programming in their spaces. Something, put something on the table. Thank you.

[50:21] Thank you.

[50:29] Hello, my name is Aria Dancing Honey and I live at 72B Home Avenue.

[50:35] Growing up in Middletown, closer to the Cromwell area, it was never quite clear to me what the university did for the city.

[50:41] Now, being a student at Wesleyan, I see the intense wealth divide between Wesleyan and Middletown residents even more clearly.

[50:49] Especially in my role as coordinator for the Traverse Square after school program.

[50:52] I'm here today to ask the commission to deny without prejudice,

[50:56] Wesleyan's proposed rezoning of church, high, and William Streets,

[51:00] and or to continue this hearing.

[51:02] Over the last two years, as a student at Wesleyan,

[51:05] I've become a tutor and then subsequently a coordinator

[51:07] for the after school program at Traverse Square.

[51:09] And it worked with dozens of fellow students and community members.

[51:13] It's not just tutoring a couple times a week,

[51:15] but rather has become a central part of my everyday life

[51:18] both during this semester and breaks.

[51:23] me and many other students role in this program is showing up for and supporting local

[51:29] families and young people who will be directly harmed by this decision. I've supported

[51:34] families through some of their worst moments and I've seen firsthand the rightly

[51:37] deserved distrust they have for this institution. Families I've spoken to are

[51:42] worried about their future and being driven out by Wesleyan's rampant

[51:45] encroachment and runaway grade. The local residents of Traverse Square deserve to

[51:50] give their input at this critical juncture in the process.

[51:53] Wesleyan has a chance to make things clear

[51:55] and make things right with a binding community benefits agreement

[51:58] that meets the needs of local traverse residents.

[52:01] Furthermore, the Wesleyan students I know

[52:03] don't want to live in dorms built on ignoring

[52:04] and neglecting the concerns of our neighbors and our city.

[52:08] Wesleyan's argument tonight seems to be

[52:09] that they're not asking for much,

[52:11] that this is simply routine.

[52:13] They seem to feel entitled to whatever they want

[52:15] whenever they want it in a city

[52:17] where they don't pay a penny in taxes.

[52:18] They're trying to uphold an unequal and an equitable status quo that leaves Middlesham residents behind.

[52:25] Thank you.

[52:32] Director Kazakaski.

[52:33] Okay, thank you.

[52:34] We're going to move on to Maya Nelson.

[52:41] Oh, I'm Maya Nelson.

[52:42] And I am a rising senior at Wesleyan who is speaking against this proposal.

[52:47] I've worked at the Traverse Square after school program for the past three years,

[52:52] which provides after school five days a week to students ages four to 17.

[52:56] And this program has existed since the 1990s.

[52:59] It's been structured a number of ways,

[53:01] but one of our core commitments of program

[53:03] is creating a mutual respect and a positive relationship

[53:05] between the university and between Traverse Square.

[53:08] In the past, that's included things like Friday programming,

[53:11] which involve field trips and partnerships with both the

[53:13] groups like Sports Team, Science Club, Student Bands,

[53:16] and even Greek flight.

[53:17] So clearly one of our roles is to try to foster this positive dynamic,

[53:22] but throughout conversations with families of Traverse Square,

[53:25] I feel confident in saying that they've repeatedly felt betrayed and harmed by the university.

[53:30] Some examples of this include destruction of a playground that used to be shared with

[53:35] the Traverse Square families and students of Wesleyan Graduates, and the repeated intervention

[53:40] from Wesleyan Public Safety to Repremand and Threaten Traverse Square Kids.

[53:46] This increased construction noise and debris that could result through sort of construction

[53:50] projects that would be possible with this rezoning are a massive undertaking that would be

[53:54] other step towards harming these sorts of relationships. I believe the local community deserves

[53:59] a meaningful seat at the table, as well as basic protections and guaranteed community benefits

[54:04] for any project that would negatively impact their quality of life for years to come. This

[54:09] rezoning could be an opportunity to reshape the community between Middletown and Wesleyan,

[54:15] but only if Wesleyan comes to the table with a plan for fair, just an equitable development

[54:20] and if the planning and zoning commission forces them to the table.

[54:24] As a Wesleyan student, we don't want to live in dorms that are built on the backs of exploiting our fellow community members.

[54:30] We want to live in community with Middletown without causing them the massive damage that this reason would cause.

[54:36] Thank you for your time.

[54:38] Thank you.

[54:42] Good evening commissioners.

[54:44] I'm Renee Trevare, 10 Coval Hill Road in Portland.

[54:47] You saw me last time.

[54:50] So after that meeting, we did some of us have had that opportunity to speak with Jeff about the plans and discuss our concerns.

[55:00] And the primary, in my mind, at least the primary concern remains the potential change from the DVD and MX zones to ID.

[55:11] The rezoning petition, it's not just about one house or two houses or four houses or buildings.

[55:19] And it's also not about who owns these properties. That's irrelevant to the DVD.

[55:25] It's about losing the community review process that's provided in the DVD through the design review and preservation board.

[55:36] Connecticut's authorizing statute for Village District states that the regulations shall protect the distinctive character, landscape, and historic structures in them.

[55:48] And Middletown's 2002 design guidelines specify that the downtown villages distinct unique zoning designation gives the board special powers of historic preservation with respect to properties in this area.

[56:07] So, all good intentions on the part of Wesleyan aside, if the petition to

[56:14] rezone ID and MX is approved, the DRPB review against district guidelines will no longer

[56:23] be required.

[56:25] My understanding in his gen has said before is that the DVD zoning has worked as

[56:30] intended to protect and retain historic texture of the downtown area, and that there have

[56:35] few losses and demolitions of historic buildings since it was put in place, and I believe that

[56:41] some of those are most of those occurred because of unsafe conditions.

[56:46] Wesleyan has indicated that this is the beginning of a long planning process for upgrades to its

[56:52] student housing at low and high rise, and it's still conceptual. Given the city's mandate to protect

[57:00] the character landscape and structures in this district. I do not believe that it is appropriate

[57:06] to consider a zone change at this juncture. So again, I ask that you deny the request and

[57:14] not dilute the existing downtown village district. Thank you. Thank you.

[57:25] Director Kazakasi.

[57:31] Okay.

[57:37] So my

[58:00] name is Rowan Angela Roudabush. I'm a senior at Westview and I'm sharing this letter to the man at the commission say no to Wesleyan's rezoning request.

[58:14] So I just had to run off there.

[58:17] Throughout my last three years of my studies as an earthen environmental science major at Westview,

[58:25] I've noticed with the stains, the way that Wesleyan treats the lands they occupy and

[58:31] for its resources, it could be made readily available to address environmental and social

[58:37] crises facing a little town.

[58:41] Wesleyan is an institution, Wesleyan has an institution, is not to be trusted with the open

[58:46] guidelines, but a mixed use and institutional development zone allows, nor are they deserving

[58:51] of any more good faith from the town. They do not even pay taxes after all.

[58:58] The committee makes a decision based on POCD standards, and I will focus my comments specifically

[59:03] on the environmental considerations that this committee must make when approaching this decision.

[59:08] This committee has the commitment to protecting natural resources,

[59:12] encouraging sustainable development, and ensuring low-infect development standards.

[59:18] A enabling resume to operate within an institutional development zone across several blogs

[59:24] they have requested in the Sony will neither be sustainable nor low impact.

[59:30] The health impacts alone from the demolition and construction that was in the seeking to

[59:34] do after this rezoning are enough to reject the proposal.

[59:39] The Marlustian low rise was subject to all of Travers Square, a complex full of family and young

[59:44] children to hazardous dust, noise pollution, and put their health in safety at risk.

[59:49] Noise pollution for children is shown to increase psychological stress, blood pressure,

[59:54] sleep to disturbances and heart disease.

[59:57] Low rise was built before 1978, and all the time.

[1:00:00] Students residing there are warned of lead paint that has been painted on their walls. Their exposure is limited, unless the walls are disturbed or broken.

[1:00:09] The motion of exposing entire neighborhood, neighborhood, a lead and other hazardous dust.

[1:00:16] According to Countness studies, and in 2023 literature review, construction dust can lead to respiratory issues, lung impairment, ed, and skin irritation, and long-term complications,

[1:00:28] including silicosis, assessosis, and lung cancer.

[1:00:32] One minute.

[1:00:35] The residents of Travis Gray and Williams Street

[1:00:36] neighborhood have a rate to help the air and neighborhood that this committee has an opportunity to uphold.

[1:00:44] The state-level development does not mean allowing

[1:00:46] nursing to constantly and unnecessarily develop their cancer.

[1:00:49] There can't be this with no consideration, but the middle town community that spends more than, um,

[1:00:55] 44am was once the child development senator offered comprehensive care for children and child care was the

[1:01:03] in bought out this building and we placed it with an underfunded and understaffed

[1:01:08] sodium program. They don't need to build more art studios. They need to build a child care

[1:01:13] for the community that they replaced it with. I'm not going to have to have enough for the rest of my

[1:01:25] as we jack this for. Thank you.

[1:01:34] Good evening commissioners and director. I'm Christian

[1:01:37] Winston. I live at 655 Bow Lane. I'm a retired faculty member from Wesleyan and I'm currently

[1:01:45] on the board of the Historical Society. I appreciate your willingness to keep this hearing open

[1:01:51] and I appreciate the Wesleyan planning teams willingness to talk to some of us offline and

[1:02:00] and listen to our objections.

[1:02:04] I happen to live in one of middle towns 18th century houses

[1:02:09] that has an early owner's name attached to it.

[1:02:14] And I'm intensely aware of the value

[1:02:16] of preserving our stock of older homes.

[1:02:21] I think there's no, there may be no better way

[1:02:25] to be connected with earlier times

[1:02:27] than to experience firsthand the material structure, design, and location of a historic building

[1:02:35] and to imagine how previous generations lived within its walls.

[1:02:41] The downtown village district, as others have said, was created with support from Wesleyan

[1:02:47] at the time to preserve precisely this sense of Middletown's past, which had been endangered

[1:02:56] over many years. The large parcel for which Wesleyan is requesting a zone change includes a considerable

[1:03:04] combination of older buildings that appear on the assessors list of pre-1975 buildings before

[1:03:12] 1975 is now historic, just imagine that. And buildings that are on the list of historic buildings

[1:03:21] updated two years ago by the Historic Historical Society's Preservation Commission Committee

[1:03:28] under contract with the city. Without the protections that the district village, the downtown

[1:03:36] village district provides, it's inevitable that current and former residential structures

[1:03:44] would fall to the wrecking ball if they got in the way of Wesleyan's building or landscaping plans.

[1:03:53] Just recently, we lost several late 19th century or early 20th century houses on the west side of High Street to the New Science Center.

[1:04:03] We have seen no specifics as to what Wesleyan has in mind for the area between William and Church.

[1:04:09] Or the site of the former Idela Howell child care building promises from Wesley and made after

[1:04:17] the last hearing to preserve two of the historic buildings on high street are not enough.

[1:04:24] They're really just a token.

[1:04:26] I urge you to preserve and protect the downtown village district as it is currently constituted.

[1:04:34] Thank you.

[1:04:35] Thank you.

[1:04:41] I'm going to move on to S Stokes.

[1:04:47] Hey, can you hear me?

[1:04:48] Yes.

[1:04:50] All right.

[1:04:51] I'm writing today.

[1:04:52] I'm my name's Soran Stokes.

[1:04:54] I'm a student at Wesleyan.

[1:04:56] I'm a rising senior at Benifer 3 years,

[1:04:58] and I'm speaking from the perspective of...

[1:05:00] Somebody who has lived in the junior village, which is under consideration tonight. I'm writing today

[1:05:07] a really empty speaking. Two opposed Wesleyan's petition to rezone the areas around Church Street,

[1:05:14] High Street and William Street. In this petition, because I think that it's completely the wrong

[1:05:20] precedent to set for middle town with respect to its relationship with Wesleyan. As I said, I'm

[1:05:27] senior and in my time organizing on campus and in my middle town I've been consistently disappointed

[1:05:32] when Wesleyan has flippantly disregarded the wishes of the student body including some examples

[1:05:37] from the past couple years of divestment from genocide and fossil fuel, why it calls to save

[1:05:43] the human rights program and pursuing the prosecution of our peers for political free speech.

[1:05:49] I bring with you the to underscore that Wesleyan is neither a neutral nor an honest negotiator.

[1:05:55] As such, I believe it's worth calling to question

[1:05:57] Wesleyan's claim that it's

[1:05:59] proposalful further served to connect middle-time to Wesleyan.

[1:06:02] This is really what I want to talk about

[1:06:03] because of the point that was so underscored

[1:06:08] in Wesleyan's presentation of aiming to connect

[1:06:11] the community to middle-town, which I think is quite,

[1:06:15] which I think is the first.

[1:06:19] So the DVD district, the downtown village district,

[1:06:23] is precisely what allows, or middle towns intervention in development that would impact everyone.

[1:06:32] As it stands, the DVD designation serves to hold Wesleyan accountable to a body outside of its own institutional logic.

[1:06:41] Not only have experienced Wesleyan's unwillingness to negotiate in good faith, but I also lived in Butterfield's A during the 2023-2024 school year.

[1:06:49] Um, during which I was right next to the newly open science center, um, between church and

[1:06:56] one, uh, um, well, that was under construction.

[1:06:59] I was a Woken Bailey by loud, like, yeah, loud construction.

[1:07:04] Um, and I, you know, it was a common experience.

[1:07:07] I talk with many of my friends who are a Woken in the same way.

[1:07:10] Um, and I just think about what, uh, what Rowan already brought up about, um, talks

[1:07:16] the chemicals that would be diffused into the air.

[1:07:18] I think that that is far larger,

[1:07:22] a concern than even the balance of a historic neighborhood.

[1:07:27] And I also feel it really important to underscore

[1:07:30] that the junior village area is right now

[1:07:35] an isolated district from Middletown.

[1:07:39] Wesleyan's policy in place around junior village

[1:07:41] is that no non-student Middletown resident

[1:07:44] is permitted into the shared common area without a shaperone,

[1:07:47] effectively creating a legally gated community.

[1:07:50] The construction that Wesleyan Posit will benefit the entirety

[1:07:53] of Middletown will be open only to students

[1:07:55] in addition to disrupting the historical character

[1:07:57] of the DVD with its construction

[1:08:00] until the proposed 2031.

[1:08:03] Furthermore, the proposed renovation

[1:08:05] would serve to further enclose the central campus area

[1:08:09] and which is a place already quite functionally isolated

[1:08:12] from the rest of Middletown's ecosystem.

[1:08:14] While Wesleyan proposes to make William Street more accessible, they would also be providing

[1:08:19] less reason for residents to come up to campus in the first place.

[1:08:22] The plans at Wesleyan has put forward at this time, both the connection between student life

[1:08:25] and William's street and high street via a passage to the proposed landscaping.

[1:08:29] But once again, this connection would exist exclusively for students.

[1:08:32] One minute does nothing to thank you.

[1:08:35] It does nothing to promote a more connected Middletown.

[1:08:39] Even if this project did serve to connect middle town, the fact remains that the connection proves

[1:08:43] detrimental and even dangerous to permanent middle town residents, multiple times in my

[1:08:47] tenure at Wesleyan, students in junior village area of campus have called law enforcement

[1:08:51] on children playing in the neighborhood of Tra, in the neighboring travers square area,

[1:08:56] and playing that they felt threatened by residents playing in their own homes.

[1:08:59] I should not have to clarify the incredibly dangerous precedent that this sets for the treatment

[1:09:05] of youth at the hands of Wesleyan students, especially for people of color, fostering greater

[1:09:11] physical connection between the university and the city does not necessarily mean a more

[1:09:14] connected community. It actually has room to be met the opposite in the past. Also, as a student

[1:09:21] who has spent time organizing in the university, I can say, and living in the university, I can

[1:09:26] say that there are other buildings that are in far worse repair, including West College,

[1:09:30] Nicholson, and few residential halls, which were all built in the 50s, far before the 70s,

[1:09:34] have not seen any improvement despite a featuring black mold regularly.

[1:09:40] They are also, I don't know, those buildings also provide ample space for the

[1:09:45] inflated class sizes that was in continuous treatment and that this proposed renovation

[1:09:51] would make space for. So, yes, thank you. Sorry, I'm running up against time.

[1:09:59] Thank you.

[1:10:10] It's up a little here. I'm staying beveled. My voice is a little harsh tonight. Excuse me. You all heard me last time. I think you all looked familiar. I don't know if anyone's here, but I'm glad we were listening to. I'm glad the buildings on high street are remaining with AR. However, I spent the first four years in my life in middle town. And ironically, I lived on Williams Street.

[1:10:38] And we rented from the Bon Vino family, but my father worked upwards towards East Harford

[1:10:47] and Manchester, and now I've been blessed with a very 18-year-old lane.

[1:10:53] My business is saving old buildings and I saved old buildings from demolition.

[1:10:59] I cannot tolerate demolition, but I think you have a phenomenal little area, so I can

[1:11:08] I came here early today and I walked up and down every street and I took a number of pictures.

[1:11:18] I heard some stories that there might be something happening on William Street.

[1:11:24] So I took a number of pictures of the houses on William Street.

[1:11:28] One person might look at those houses and say, that's a nice far.

[1:11:33] I look at them and say under those altered facades is a household waiting to be restored.

[1:11:42] All the buildings had their chimney stacks.

[1:11:45] Two of them are Greek revivals, the lower buildings.

[1:11:50] One I date in the late 1850s and it has a terrible covering of the first four facade,

[1:11:59] but that could be easily removed.

[1:12:00] The second building is actually a semi-restored and pretty nice street revival, probably 1850s again.

[1:12:12] Then you have an Italian house, that's missing a lot of detail.

[1:12:17] But corbal details under the eve of a roof are not the hard to reproduce.

[1:12:24] And that building also had then you have the last building, the closest one to high street.

[1:12:29] And that is a psychological counseling building.

[1:12:34] I assume that all those buildings are owned by Wesleyan

[1:12:37] or am I incorrect with that all four of those buildings,

[1:12:41] the first four buildings on the right, as you go down Williams.

[1:12:45] But I would ask Wesleyan why don't you restore these buildings?

[1:12:52] They're Emily Restorable.

[1:12:54] I would ask that.

[1:12:56] And they have the money.

[1:12:57] They can find the money to do it.

[1:12:58] And that could actually, you could house probably six students in each building.

[1:13:05] You know, one of them's kind of small. But why are humble buildings considered less?

[1:13:12] They're all part of a village. And I'm going to walk to streets again and look around, find out

[1:13:18] whether it's space. Katherine Johnson wanted to come here tonight. I spoke with her,

[1:13:24] but she's familiar with all sorts of space that's available.

[1:13:29] But I just ask why they're not looking elsewhere

[1:13:32] and why they have to go to the village district to do this.

[1:13:37] I don't have all this recent background that other people do

[1:13:40] as it was to what happened the last few years.

[1:13:43] But I see all four of those buildings that are commonly restoreable.

[1:13:47] A very worthy and a project that would be acknowledged

[1:13:54] by many throughout the state.

[1:13:56] Bravo Wesleyan, you saved four period buildings that have been here before Lincoln was

[1:14:03] president, actually the two others were probably 1870s, but and I also want to comment

[1:14:11] that every remote call and every person that's come up to the podium has been against

[1:14:17] to his plan. I have heard no one come forth to support his plan. This is an area that people

[1:14:25] like. This is still an area with great potential. And I plan to come back and walk the streets

[1:14:31] and put a few shots together, but thank you for listening tonight.

[1:14:36] Thank you.

[1:14:43] Okay, next we're going to move online to Sam Brett Schneider.

[1:14:54] Okay, my name is my name is Sam Brechnerider. I'm a Wesleyan student and I'm happy

[1:15:00] Health in the Commission to vote no, on rezoning. Wesleyan has stated their intentions of tearing down

[1:15:05] low rise and building an up to five-store building for student housing in its place. This towering

[1:15:11] student housing would be out of place with the surrounding architecture and aesthetics and

[1:15:15] undermine the POCD's commitment to preserving the beauty and cultural fabric of middle town.

[1:15:21] Wesleyan students in middle town residents have expressed their unhappiness with the ugliness

[1:15:25] of Wesleyan's New Science Center.

[1:15:28] This new housing initiative would be further evidence of Wesleyan ignoring Middleton residents

[1:15:32] concerns about the University ruining their sense of place, since this tall building would

[1:15:37] stand awkwardly over the surrounding houses of Traverse Square residents, as well as other

[1:15:41] houses on Williams and Broad Street.

[1:15:44] Wesleyan's proposed rezoning does not stop at Wayem Street, and would also erase protections

[1:15:49] for the historic houses on High Street that are a key part of Middleton's beauty.

[1:15:53] Furthermore, there is no reason to include the high-street houses in a zone change in the first place.

[1:15:59] Wesleyan has not even discussed the reason behind including these houses in their rezoning proposal.

[1:16:04] If it is to increase accessibility and make what they consider necessary adjustments for students,

[1:16:09] then that is even more of a reason to keep it within a DVD zone.

[1:16:13] Resoning would allow Wesleyan to both alter and demolish these homes without the necessary oversight that these homes need to preserve their historical integrity.

[1:16:21] Any necessary alterations to these houses that increase accessibility for disabled people can be made under the current DVD status while also preserving the home's beauty and history.

[1:16:33] Resoning to an ID status allows the preservation of these houses histories to be ignored in the decision making process whereas the DVD zone requires the consideration of history and culture.

[1:16:46] Also, the border between Traverse and Lower Eyes is already a site of massive inequality between the university and Traverse Square.

[1:16:54] In the past, a Wesleyan student at Lower Eyes called Public Safety on a Traverse resident, and predominantly people of color live at Traverse.

[1:17:02] Constructing an ugly five-story building that would tower over Traverse with worsening the relationship between Wesleyan and Traverse, a relationship already marked by racism and inequality.

[1:17:13] furthermore, Wesleyan's discussion of a possible green space at low-rise makes me

[1:17:17] worried that the university would not be comfortable with sharing the space with

[1:17:21] non-students and that this could result in discriminatory surveillance of the space

[1:17:26] by peace safe as well as students. I ask that the commission respect mail town

[1:17:30] for residents as well as the city's unique history and beauty by voting no on

[1:17:34] rezoning. Thank you.

[1:17:43] Hi, my name is Lucas Holman. I'm a sophomore at Wesleyan University

[1:17:46] in a member of its student government.

[1:17:48] I'm here to offer a brief but honest opposition to the university's petition for rezoning,

[1:17:53] I did not have without prejudice.

[1:17:54] Though the university offered compelling arguments at first, they ultimately hold the water.

[1:17:58] Updating a junior village has little to know impact on the senior oriented woodframes, and

[1:18:03] similarly, Wesleyan's property ownership does not supersede the city's rules in the zoning

[1:18:08] debate.

[1:18:09] Advocating change merely for change of sake makes no sense.

[1:18:11] these arguments serve as garnishes to an otherwise unappetizing meal.

[1:18:16] The university conveniently circumvents in their arguments the actual issues at play,

[1:18:20] the noise chaos and destruction created by this construction in favor of addressing

[1:18:24] much more palatable concerns. Ultimately, the impacts of this petition will be not

[1:18:28] well felt be felt not in the east burden on the university but instead by corresponding pain on the

[1:18:33] community. This rezoning would be sacrificing any control or autonomy of the city,

[1:18:38] throwing away the ace in our sleeves and handing it instead to a much wealthier

[1:18:41] much less conservative inhabitant. The university argues that this movement bring

[1:18:46] middle town in Western and closer together, confusingly by asking for a new line to be drawn

[1:18:50] in the sand. I merely ask commissioners a simple question. Why make a deal with an institution

[1:18:55] that pays nothing in return? Thank you.

[1:19:06] I'm going to move on to Jack Farrell.

[1:19:11] Can you hear me?

[1:19:12] Okay. Yes. All right, perfect. I'm going to be reading on behalf of a friend, a Connor

[1:19:19] I'm writing this letter to voice my deep opposition to Wesleyan's rezoning petition.

[1:19:23] While Wesleyan claims the proposal aligns with the POCD, especially by arguing that this

[1:19:27] project will increase commercial tax bases by connecting students to the Downtown Cultural

[1:19:31] Center and will support educational institutions, these empty claims prove unrealistic when

[1:19:36] examining the university's current and past failures to the middle-time community.

[1:19:40] Since Wesleyan is tax exempt, its further expansion into the city will not bring any continual

[1:19:44] flow of money or investment into the community.

[1:19:46] Well, Wesley and both support for the community and educational institutions, owning and continuing to increase the amount of non-taxable property in the city directly to tracks from public school funding which is already largely stratified across the city.

[1:20:00] With noticeable differences between the schools in wealthier and more impoverished areas. Over the summer, I attended, I interned with the Middletown Public Schools Food Nutrition and Wellness Department, during which I learned a lot about the food insecurity facing families and students, especially in areas considered food deserts with limited access to affordable grocery stores within walking distance. Since Middletown qualifies for the community eligibility provision, free breakfast and lunches are provided to all students.

[1:20:27] But for many students, this is the majority or only for the they will receive during the week.

[1:20:31] So it's incredibly important that funding can be secured for extra programs like free supper,

[1:20:35] the weekend backpack program, and the Farmers School program.

[1:20:38] Many universities like Wesleyan claim that bringing in students is more than enough of an economic benefit

[1:20:43] to outweigh their lack of financial support for this random community.

[1:20:46] But in reality, well, students can often bring a lot of business to local establishments.

[1:20:50] They are not a consistent economic base for middle-down.

[1:20:52] They are seasonal spenders and businesses who raise prices in order to cash in on their rivals

[1:20:57] often out-priced local residents, contributing further to the desert, the food desert, desert issue.

[1:21:02] Students also almost always make leave middle town. They do not become taxable residents.

[1:21:07] They do not start businesses and they do not lead to long-term growth,

[1:21:11] only short-term gentrification. Further, Wesleyan has shown their disregard for the community

[1:21:16] as they bought out the Traverse Square Child Care Program and replaced it with an underfunded,

[1:21:20] under-resourced and under-staffed student-run program with no child care professionals that

[1:21:24] cannot meet the community's needs thoroughly in the way that the child care before did.

[1:21:29] Going through with this zoning change will enable them to continue to strip the community of

[1:21:32] child care resources and support, making the neighborhood increasingly more unlivable for residents.

[1:21:38] Similarly, Wesleyan has proven themselves as unreliable stewards of community projects through

[1:21:42] the sudden closing in 2018 of the Green Street Teaching and Learning Center in the North End.

[1:21:47] This building was home to an after-school education and arts program for some of our towns

[1:21:51] most underserved youth, underserved youth.

[1:21:54] The center was supposedly closed due to a lack of funding, which feels unfaithful in

[1:21:59] the face of the several hundred million dollars recently spent on the construction of the

[1:22:02] news science building and prize art building.

[1:22:05] This decision was made with little input from student workers and community members as both

[1:22:10] felt blinded, blindsided by the closing of this beloved pillar in the community.

[1:22:14] Both the announcement of the Centers closing and the proposal for this rezoning were made during the summer when most students are gone and unable to push back and voice their opinions, which speaks to the level of respect Wesleyan holds for its relationship with students and the town.

[1:22:27] Time and time again, Wesleyan has proved an unreliable, unkind and unfair member of the middle town community, was falling through their promises of community engagement and support.

[1:22:36] The rezoning of the area from DVD to ID would allow for construction and development without

[1:22:41] the same rigid and necessary protections and oversight, meaning that there is no guarantee

[1:22:45] that Wesleyan would value anyone to be back or implement anyone's contribution to the project,

[1:22:49] especially if the input only concerns non-sudent residents.

[1:22:53] It is for these reasons that I urge you to consider the nature of Wesleyan's relationship

[1:22:56] to the town and deny their rezoning position.

[1:22:59] Thank you.

[1:23:05] Catherine Johnson, 161 College Street. I would just note that 31 people spoke last time and

[1:23:13] nine new ones this time. There has not been a single person in support. Second, everyone

[1:23:19] who's spoken, please email your letters to the land use department to someone called

[1:23:26] Corinne Miller. I'm sorry, Corinne Milardo.

[1:23:32] I'd like to read from the institutional

[1:23:36] development zone. It says the facility should be compatible with its

[1:23:42] setting in scale and design. Constructing a five-story dorm either behind

[1:23:50] those four houses, maybe they'll be removed, or behind the church street houses

[1:23:58] including Shabbat House, that's not compatible with scale. The building should

[1:24:05] sizes that match. They don't propose this. Mega buildings destroy the appeal of living in human

[1:24:13] scale buildings. You know that I'm going to quote the students from last time. Fugly science

[1:24:21] building is proving to teach us a lesson. The way it is imposed right behind that the exquisite

[1:24:30] little greenhouse, which is the, um,

[1:24:35] Argus?

[1:24:36] Is this still the Argus?

[1:24:37] OK.

[1:24:39] The point is, that building has nothing to do with this little thing.

[1:24:44] And oh my god, so many architects would have loved to get their hands on that sight to show what you could do.

[1:24:51] You can put labs in a building that gets along with these sweet little buildings in the front.

[1:24:59] So...

[1:24:59] So much...

[1:25:00] Once missing, they're dropping the ball there. The problem with the ID zone is that they can do whatever they want.

[1:25:10] We were told earlier, our goal is to make non-conforming parcels conforming. You know, this is about use.

[1:25:18] We can change use to accommodate 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, unit apartment houses. That's what we have downtown.

[1:25:27] If Wesleyan wants to do something like we already have, I say yay.

[1:25:35] Number two, you don't have to take down buildings because you think they're nuisance

[1:25:42] calls, houses are the lowest risk.

[1:25:48] When you have people living in a dorm, that's a lot of people together, I mean, this is

[1:25:54] ridiculous. This is like when someone has preemptive surgery to take out a potential future

[1:26:03] cancer that hasn't been predicted yet. We can also add uses that include offices. This

[1:26:13] non-conforming is an abstract idea. And we have in the last 30 years moved away from zoning

[1:26:22] as the way to use in zoning as a way to organize development to the form of building.

[1:26:33] This making a green, someone mentioned it very beautifully put.

[1:26:39] The public is not going to be allowed to go there, putting some grass behind some buildings

[1:26:44] in the middle of a block has nothing to do with William's street.

[1:26:49] One minute.

[1:26:50] Thank you.

[1:26:50] The four houses on William Street are important because they make a welcoming street.

[1:26:57] They contrast with the large academic buildings, and they say, here's downtown.

[1:27:03] You start walking downtown.

[1:27:06] The Planning and Zoning Commission has an obligation to protect the neighborhood.

[1:27:10] How is that done?

[1:27:12] We cannot erase these parcels that is the property lines between the buildings.

[1:27:19] That is how you establish the scale.

[1:27:22] You're going to have a building that's only 40 feet wide.

[1:27:26] That's only a three stories tall that has a defined front yard in a backyard.

[1:27:34] Should I continue later?

[1:27:38] Yes.

[1:27:44] We're going to move on to Yale.

[1:27:47] I see you on Toys, hopefully I click on the correct one.

[1:27:55] My name is Yale.

[1:27:57] I'm a recent graduate of Wesleyan and a former resident of 185 High Street, and I'm asking

[1:28:02] this commissioning board to say no to this petition.

[1:28:07] Hi, can everyone hear me?

[1:28:09] Yes.

[1:28:09] Okay.

[1:28:10] Perfect.

[1:28:10] I would like to address the July meetings plane that this petitions redevelopment will

[1:28:14] aid the 2016 Complete Streets Plan and it was revered or re-added tonight about creating

[1:28:19] other mixed-use infrastructure that will integrate middle-town with Wesleyan.

[1:28:22] I lived at 185 High, which is part of Greek life on campus during the development of a warming

[1:28:27] shelter at 184 high directly across from me this year, which went unaddressed night by

[1:28:32] Wesleyan's attorney. I can say from personal conversations with warming shelter residents

[1:28:36] that this shared sidewalk has not benefited whatsoever from Wesleyan's already present

[1:28:40] redevelopment.

[1:28:42] Warming shelter residents have instead told me that they've been kept up at all hours by

[1:28:46] students partying, Greek life, the presence of campus safety, police, and overcrowded pedestrian

[1:28:51] corridors.

[1:28:52] This area is already much less multi-use and but biker friendly than other DVD's own traits

[1:28:57] of middle town. I have seen firsthand how Wesleyan's tax-exempt development has no incentive to support

[1:29:03] residential and social services. In short, we don't need to see what IDV zoning looks like to know

[1:29:08] their version of integration is not equitable or sustainable and anything else is revisionist history

[1:29:13] on the part of the university. If Wesleyan was actually interested in implementing the complete streets plan

[1:29:19] or developing a sense of place in middle town, they would consider developing the large

[1:29:23] such as of lawn and grass located by the power plant.

[1:29:26] These grass lawns are not only underdeveloped,

[1:29:28] but they take up an endless amounts of water.

[1:29:30] They're not sustainable.

[1:29:31] They cost taxpayer dollars to light.

[1:29:34] Me and the vast majority of the student body agree,

[1:29:36] as you've definitely heard tonight,

[1:29:38] that we support retaining the current GVB status,

[1:29:41] which already allows for alterations

[1:29:43] to make buildings accessible,

[1:29:45] while still guaranteeing historic preservation

[1:29:47] and Wesleyan's accountability

[1:29:48] and transparency to the communities.

[1:29:51] I'm speaking to you all even after I've graduated because I'm so deeply concerned about this petition causing a reprobable damage by enabling Wesleyan decides that middle

[1:30:00] House purview. It's building sinkings and protections of the rights of residents. I would be devastated

[1:30:06] to see this rezoning pass shortly after my graduation and to see this place that I care about

[1:30:10] so much change for the worse after I've left it. Thank you.

[1:30:14] Thank you.

[1:30:26] Thank you.

[1:30:27] I won't reiterate a lot of the things that have been said already and said so well. I live

[1:30:34] in a 19th century house on Pearl Street. Let me tell you about my block.

[1:30:40] There are four or five other 19th century homes.

[1:30:43] There is a cross street.

[1:30:44] There's an 18th century home.

[1:30:45] Found the street.

[1:30:46] There's a 17th century home.

[1:30:48] And the beautiful thing about the block is that it is completely diverse.

[1:30:53] There's a great streetscape.

[1:30:55] All the buildings are different.

[1:30:56] All the people live in the buildings are different.

[1:30:58] We have trees.

[1:31:00] It's a narrow street.

[1:31:01] Wesleyan is a cross street.

[1:31:02] There is an institutional building.

[1:31:04] There's an old stable across the street.

[1:31:07] It's just a great place to live.

[1:31:09] as Jen said, the Village District works, and I can attest to it because I live there.

[1:31:17] I think she also said that she called the changing the zone as a blunt instrument.

[1:31:22] And I believe Jeff and I do want to thank Jeff for including us into discussions.

[1:31:28] And I do believe he wants to preserve those buildings that we were so concerned about.

[1:31:32] However, I know that since I've been in middle town 25 years ago there have been five mayors.

[1:31:38] There have been a few planners with different ideas.

[1:31:44] There have been planning and zoning boards that have shifted several times.

[1:31:50] So what happens over time, what happens when Jeff leaves and it's an institutional zone.

[1:31:56] And someone says, well, we don't need those buildings.

[1:31:59] And then the blend instrument comes into play.

[1:32:02] So I want to thank all of you for your patience

[1:32:07] in listening to us and listening to our concerns, and having the patience to understand the

[1:32:15] power of the zone to preserve something that is so great in middle towns.

[1:32:20] So thank you so much.

[1:32:22] I also want to say thanks to all the Wesleyan students.

[1:32:24] It's to me it's a great thing to see the students so engaged in an issue in town that they're

[1:32:30] down here before the semester starts even, so thanks so much to the Wesleyan students.

[1:32:36] Thank you.

[1:32:42] We're going to move on to Liam.

[1:32:51] Hi.

[1:32:51] Can you hear me?

[1:32:52] Yes.

[1:32:53] All right.

[1:32:54] Awesome.

[1:32:55] Hi.

[1:32:56] My name is Liam Dorian.

[1:32:58] I'm a rising senior at Weston University.

[1:32:59] I'm going to be living on Cross Street this year.

[1:33:02] And I'm asking the Council to reject Weston's proposal of amending their zoning

[1:33:05] and to place conditions on any future site plan that might come before the commission

[1:33:10] to require community benefits such as consultations,

[1:33:14] delivering pedestrian improvements and green space percentages.

[1:33:16] that Wesleyan claims they're going to provide with this, you know, William Street redevelopment.

[1:33:21] I'm not against redevelopment of site, and I know that pedestrian improvements on William Street

[1:33:25] are sorely needed. I have bike down that street several times and almost pop the tire because of

[1:33:29] how bad the sidewalks are. And the proposed green spaces that would be opened up by any increased density,

[1:33:37] you know, I'm sure those would be great. Services, however, there's no guarantee that those green

[1:33:42] faces would be publicly accessible and these questions aren't really part of the zoning change

[1:33:49] application.

[1:33:50] Their promises that are made as part of this presentation to justify what, you know, show

[1:33:56] what could be done with an ID designation, but they're not any guarantee.

[1:34:01] What the university is essentially asking the commission to do is to give up some of its review

[1:34:06] powers and I don't see why that's necessary.

[1:34:10] at this current stage. If the university were to be making changes that it claims it wants

[1:34:14] to make, it could apply for a special extension of the current zoning, which they've already

[1:34:18] done with previous construction. And I don't think the city should give up its additional

[1:34:22] authority that the DVD zoning gets without any binding commitments. Yeah. And if they decide to do so,

[1:34:30] I would encourage them to place any strong conditions on the approval of any site plan,

[1:34:34] which would require the university to follow through on what they say they're going to do.

[1:34:38] in terms of pedestrian improvements and publicly accessible of green space as well as adding

[1:34:44] requirements for community consultation and encouraging local union hiring, which have been lacking

[1:34:49] in past projects and would go a long way to win the support of middle-time residents, which

[1:34:53] as you see many are not in support of the current project. Since any future construction would be

[1:34:58] as mentioned by W-

[1:35:00] Sents Campus Player. Construction impacts will be extended for any nearby residence, particularly in Travers Square, could be over several years.

[1:35:08] Therefore it's all a more important to get this process right.

[1:35:13] So again I'm encouraging the zoning, commission to reject the proposed change as it is.

[1:35:17] And continue to do so until any binding commitments for community benefits are one essentially.

[1:35:24] And yeah, that's the end of my time, thank you very much for sending through this meeting.

[1:35:28] Thank you.

[1:35:33] Hello, good evening. My name is Saul Fairholt-Con, and I live at 49-Home Avenue in Middletown.

[1:35:40] I'm here today as a rising senior at Wesleyan and as the chair of the Wesleyan Student Government's Community Committee,

[1:35:45] which works to collaborate with the community and to build community on campus as well.

[1:35:50] I'm here today and I want to first start with a lot of appreciation for everyone who has shown up to testify for the commissioners

[1:35:56] for being here and for all your thoughtfulness in this matter and to the Wesleyan staff who have come here to present this proposal and been thoughtful as well.

[1:36:03] But I think this petition falls far short of what is necessary to chart a pathway for equitable development and to repair the town-down relationship that we've heard tonight has

[1:36:12] Frayed pretty significantly

[1:36:14] I live in low rise last year, so I certainly believe that we need new dorms for juniors.

[1:36:18] My opposition is not to building new dorms for juniors, even on this proposed site, but my opposition is to building dorms unjustly.

[1:36:27] And I believe that this rezoning without any binding commitments from the university would put us on a path toward that kind of development

[1:36:33] And so, I'm opposed to a new mega construction project that happens with non-union construction workers who don't have basic safety protections and are not paid prevailing wage for hard and dangerous work.

[1:36:44] I'm opposed to new dorms that come at the expense of our neighbors quality of life and safety and is not made with them in mind.

[1:36:50] I'm opposed to building brand new state-of-the-art dorms for juniors while doing nothing to support the Traverse Families who have lived next door for decades and deserve actual repairs.

[1:37:01] They deserve community services, they deserve community center, they deserve a playground,

[1:37:05] and really to have their needs met as part of this process with Wesleyan's wealth at the table.

[1:37:11] And finally, I'm opposed to Wesleyan missing this moment and this opportunity to reset the relationship,

[1:37:16] particularly with regards to development, with the city and with all of our residents.

[1:37:21] So I'm opposed to this because I believe that the college, I applies you now four years ago, which is crazy.

[1:37:25] I believe that a college that practices practical idealism can show up better, can do better,

[1:37:30] can afford to do better, and really should do better, because we kind of equitable growth,

[1:37:35] but that's not what we have here on the table today, and I hope all the commissioners will take that seriously.

[1:37:40] So I think if Wesleyan were to show up, if this is a hearing that's continued with a rezoning,

[1:37:45] as well as a real and binding commitment, to be a good partner to this city, being a good neighbor,

[1:37:50] to our local community members, this would be a totally different conversation,

[1:37:54] But that means a pre-high or labor agreement that means a community benefits agreement that is finding and substantial and perhaps some voluntary payments to the city of Middletown

[1:38:02] And I agree with what Mr. Murphy said that we should not retreat up the hill

[1:38:05] But when you come down the hill, what you hear is that we can't afford to retreat back to what we've been doing for so many years as an institution as Wesleyan

[1:38:13] Which is not meeting the needs of the surrounding community not caring coming and asking for something from the city and not giving anything substantial in return

[1:38:20] So I encourage the commission to keep this hearing open or to deny it without prejudice and for the university to come back to the table with the rezoning proposal that actually has some binding commitments

[1:38:29] So that we can have local union labor on any project that happens and to give back to the community members right next door. I appreciate your

[1:38:37] Being here tight and having my testimony. Thank you.

[1:38:47] We can move on to Blight 11.

[1:38:54] Hello. Can you hear me all right?

[1:38:56] Yes.

[1:38:57] Hey there, my name is Clyde Lavin. I'm a sophomore at Wesley University. This fall, I'll

[1:39:02] be living at 43 Homeop a new. One of the things that led me here, the reason I was speaking

[1:39:06] to you today, as a student, is the way that Wesley and upholds its history of student engagement

[1:39:11] and involvement. The university is rightly very proud of the leadership and passion in some

[1:39:15] to communicate with each other, and like to champion that. I'll talk about that very publicly.

[1:39:20] But, not yet, we're facing a house in plan that was created without the support or input of

[1:39:24] students as supposed to benefit and without the support or input of the community that it impacts.

[1:39:29] That reality hurts the contrary to the fact that I want to be true, and that I think we all want

[1:39:34] to be true. That wasn't not only encourages its students to invest in their local community,

[1:39:38] but leads by example. As a student, I do not want my presence on campus to be a burden,

[1:39:43] the town I call home for these four years, and so I urge you to vote no today. The university is allowed

[1:39:48] precious little opportunity for those to shape this proposal, and each of those brief opportunities

[1:39:53] has been met with an overwhelming, outpouring of opposition.

[1:39:56] No proposal was such a great and lasting impact should proceed.

[1:40:00] On its support and by no one, community ed effects, except the single institution it serves. This proposal must not continue until it includes a clear and specific commitment, the commitment to union workers, historical and cultural integrity, and to economic investment in the city of Middletown.

[1:40:16] We must demand intentionality from Wesley's full of it. Wesley came to table a few weeks ago and again tonight offering nothing that asking for free reign.

[1:40:25] Beyond the dust, noise, and chaos of the construction pyramid, this decision will impact Milltown for years to come.

[1:40:32] Do not sign a way your oversight on this property and it's then stand with every single voice heard here tonight, and vote no.

[1:40:40] Thank you so much for hearing my comment. Thank you.

[1:40:47] Hello commissioners.

[1:40:49] Thanks for taking the time to hear us all out tonight. My name is Evie Lee. I live at 41 Law and Av and I am a Wesleyan student in the class of 29.

[1:40:57] a member of the United Student Labor Action Coalition and an OPIU local 153 members through the

[1:41:04] Wesleyan Union of Student Employees as a resident advisor or an RA. Today I am asking the

[1:41:11] commission to deny without prejudice petition Z20265. I oppose this proposal, sorry. I oppose

[1:41:18] this proposal because Wesleyan makes no formal commitment to contributing back to middle town.

[1:41:22] As a private institution, Wesleyan takes so much for Middletown and its residents.

[1:41:27] This rezoning could be an opportunity to start improving Wesleyan's relationship with

[1:41:31] Middletown.

[1:41:32] Instead, I believe that this proposal fails to offer a plan for just an equitable development,

[1:41:37] and in order to find a fair manner of rezoning, the Planning and Zoning Commission must force

[1:41:41] the University to the table.

[1:41:44] I urge the Planning and Zoning Commission to only approve rezoning proposals from Wesleyan

[1:41:48] that clearly contain a pre-higher labor agreement and a community benefit agreement with binding commitments.

[1:41:54] I want to focus on Wesleyan's previous claims to have the strong support of students, workers, and community members, but that's false.

[1:42:01] There has been no direct communication from the University about this rezoning proposal, nor the projects they would complete should it be approved.

[1:42:08] We have been on summer break while this proposal has been pushed in a significant portion of the student body still doesn't know that this is happening.

[1:42:14] Still, there are students who agree with our position who are unable to testify due to both the lack of transparency with the student body as well as the fact that most of the student body is not returning to middle town until September.

[1:42:26] We want new residential options and increase accessibility in more green space.

[1:42:30] We simply don't want to live in spaces that were built on the backs of exploited community members and workers and dangerous conditions without union protections.

[1:42:39] Atting on to Brendan's point about the assertivity of terminating a daycare center in 2025,

[1:42:46] not only was the Chavez Square Afterschool's budget cut, the University ruthlessly restricted

[1:42:51] the staff budget of the Jewish Center for Community Partnerships.

[1:42:55] The JCCP is self-described by the University as the home for Community Engagement at Wesleyan.

[1:43:00] From our estimates, the JCCP budget has been restricted to a measly $60,000 this semester.

[1:43:05] That is only 3,541 hours of page, JCCP programming across the entire student body, or a little over an hour of supportive volunteer work for each undergraduate student during the course of the entire semester.

[1:43:19] The university cannot claim to be dedicated to the interests of the middle-town community when our budget for community programming is a mere sliver of our peer institutions.

[1:43:27] It is laughable for the university to ask the middle-town community to trust that they will act in good faith and in the interests of this community if this proposal is approved.

[1:43:35] For these reasons, I strongly urge you to deny without prejudice this petition.

[1:43:39] Thank you for your attention and consideration.

[1:43:41] Thank you.

[1:43:48] Next we move on to Hannah Frank.

[1:43:55] My name is Hannah Frank.

[1:43:56] I am a rising senior at West Indian University, living at 35 fossil drive.

[1:44:01] I will be speaking against the proposed zoning.

[1:44:05] I have worked at Traverse Square since my freshman year.

[1:44:07] It is holy through this program that I first began to know Middle Town,

[1:44:11] because Western University itself does not prioritize encouraging students to explore the community they live in.

[1:44:19] I am here today because I am disturbed by the imbalance relationship between my university

[1:44:24] and the middle-time community we depend on, and it is this that I will focus on in my comments.

[1:44:30] It is a disgrace that a well-resourced institution such as Wesleyan invests so little in the community

[1:44:35] but lies upon. We rely on your public services, thereby reducing the funds available to this.

[1:44:42] Sorry. We rely on your public services while paying new taxes. We rely on your hospitality while buying

[1:44:48] valuable property, thereby reducing the funds available to the city. It is necessary and long overdue for

[1:44:55] to invest in middle town as so many other schools do to do.

[1:45:00] Better in upholding our end of what should be a partnership. Among Wesleyan students, I have found this belief to be widely shared. Unfortunately, what Wesleyan students want does not appear to be something the university leadership cares about. Our values, our priorities, are not something the university considers when deciding what good growth looks like. Trust is earned. Wesleyan has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of consideration or care for the well-being of middle town.

[1:45:28] I am very worried about how this would exacerbate the insisting inequities I have encountered over the last few years.

[1:45:36] The overwhelming opposition expressed in testimony two weeks ago and tonight demonstrates the disconnect between Wesleyan leadership and the community it exists in.

[1:45:46] Wesleyan cannot be relied upon to use discretion responsibly.

[1:45:50] And so I urge you to deny without prejudice petition 2200265.

[1:45:56] Thank you.

[1:45:57] Thank you.

[1:46:02] Hello, my name is Coco Rolly.

[1:46:05] I'm a current resident, was the student a sophomore,

[1:46:08] and I live at 185 High Street here in middle town.

[1:46:12] I was here actually at the last hearing in July,

[1:46:15] and I did not testify before,

[1:46:17] but now I think I've learned a lot more about the ramifications of this proposal

[1:46:21] and also after speaking directly to residents of this surrounding area

[1:46:25] and Traverse Square.

[1:46:26] I'm asking the commission to vote no on the proposed rezoning of Church High and William Street.

[1:46:31] So, we're here today to discuss Wesleyan's proposed rezoning of 11 acres of downtown

[1:46:37] Middletown from the DVD designation to the ID, institutional development designation,

[1:46:43] so it can demolish, high-rise, and low-rise, possibly.

[1:46:46] And get the permanent right to build a huge dorm up to 75 feet tall.

[1:46:51] But let's not forget that this exact proposal was postponed on July 22nd due to the sheer

[1:46:56] amount of people against this change.

[1:46:59] from even from Wesleyan students during a time

[1:47:01] when 90% of the student body is not on campus.

[1:47:05] And middle town residents and members of the historical society.

[1:47:08] And here we are in August and nothing has been changed

[1:47:12] about the original proposal since.

[1:47:15] Okay, so what's the problem?

[1:47:17] The problem is a reclassification of this area

[1:47:20] would allow Wesleyan the freedom to do what they wish

[1:47:22] with the newly designated land

[1:47:24] without having to actually take into account the effect

[1:47:27] of the surrounding area.

[1:47:28] Despite what Wesleyan is saying, this could actually conflict with the state of goal of the

[1:47:34] P.O.C.D. in considering the design relationship and compatibility of the structure's

[1:47:38] planting signs, roadways, hardware, and other objects in plain view.

[1:47:42] Something that they said that they were going directly through.

[1:47:47] And even more importantly, there's a sheer lack of community input in this proposal.

[1:47:51] The local middle town community that this would affect deserves to have a robust, clear,

[1:47:55] and easy to access channel to provide input on this proposal.

[1:48:00] They have to live with this permanent zoning decision and all of its ramifications for the next coming years.

[1:48:06] And specifically, Traverse Square residents would have to live next to noisy, obtrusive construction for years with no protections or benefits.

[1:48:14] These people have a unique stake in the outcome of this proposal and their input should be considered.

[1:48:18] But personally, a lot of residents have told me that they had no idea about the post-resonation.

[1:48:24] And when we're alerted about it, we're rightfully concerned about it as zoning change would permit

[1:48:29] a build which would infringe on their quality of life for many years to come, whether that's light, access to roads,

[1:48:36] or even aesthetics, and as many people have talked about hazardous dust.

[1:48:41] So overall, personally, as a Wesleyan student, I do not see this rezoning as necessary in any way.

[1:48:47] And I think that it's instead a significant overstep on Wesleyan's part.

[1:48:51] Approving this rezoning will only improve, remove, necessary oversight under DVD guidelines

[1:48:56] that serves to bring Wesleyan to the table to receive and implement feedback from the community,

[1:49:02] including especially those most directly harmed by these actions,

[1:49:05] which is a decision I see very serious problems with.

[1:49:09] Therefore, I am asking that the Commission vote no on Wesleyan's rezoning of Church High and Williams Treats.

[1:49:15] Thank you.

[1:49:22] Before we move on to the next online speaker, I just want to remind anybody online if you want to participate in this public hearing. Please use the raised hand function on the WebEx platform or if you're dialing in press star 3 and it will recognize you as wanting to speak. Next we're going to move on to Casey Dunning, Sarah.

[1:49:39] Thanks,

[1:49:44] y'all hear me? Yes. My name is Casey Dunning's story. I'm a student at Wesleyan going into my junior year and

[1:49:53] Last semester, I was the chair of the undergraduate Residential Life Committee on the Wesleyan Student Assembly as the chair

[1:50:00] Chair of the URLC. I feel that I'm qualified to speak to the weather administrations character and their decision making with these kinds of decisions.

[1:50:10] I will not believe that the eloquent points that others have made tonight, but I'd like to say that being in the room when many of these huge residential life decisions are made.

[1:50:21] I can say that Wesleyan very often does not consider the needs of students' faculty and

[1:50:27] definitely not know time residents when making this big decisions.

[1:50:31] Their commitment is to their bottom line, the growth of their endowment, and an abstract

[1:50:35] populace of future students' 20 years down the line, who they can court through putting just

[1:50:40] enough on their website to attract them.

[1:50:42] Please keep your leverage over Wesleyan.

[1:50:45] Please reject us for proposal and please require Wesleyan to come back with binding community

[1:50:49] community benefits agreements for middle time. Thank you very much.

[1:50:54] Thank

[1:51:01] you. Good evening. My name is Uma Sundaram. I live at 49-Brennan Avenue.

[1:51:06] As a Wesleyan Senior and chair of the Wesleyan Student Assembly is Equity and Inclusion Committee.

[1:51:10] I appreciate everyone's input here today and want to draw our attention to the inequity and

[1:51:14] body in the proposal before the committee today.

[1:51:17] As someone who lived in high rise last year, I don't think it's any secret that

[1:51:19] junior and deputy needs renovation, but I think we should do it the right way.

[1:51:24] When I think about how this rezoning and redevelopment would affect the surrounding community,

[1:51:27] I'm thinking especially of our neighbors in the Traverse Square community, who share

[1:51:30] church and William Street with high rise in low rise.

[1:51:33] Traverse Square residents, most of whom are working class families,

[1:51:36] deserves substantial protections from the disruptions posed by the demolition,

[1:51:41] such as construction, air pollution, noise pollution, and much more.

[1:51:45] Additionally, Traverse Square residents deserve a seat at the table when it comes to

[1:51:48] planning of this redevelopment, and they deserve a binding community benefit agreement.

[1:51:52] not on the line, but now.

[1:51:55] The faculty of the university has not spent

[1:51:57] stepped up with a more significant

[1:51:59] investments in lower income communities as a

[1:52:01] wrong that should be corrected in this

[1:52:02] development process.

[1:52:04] What happens in the case of the case of this

[1:52:07] rezoning, which is rezoning without community

[1:52:08] but a community benefit agreement or

[1:52:10] labor agreements, is unfair treatment a

[1:52:12] disregard for people and a missed opportunity

[1:52:14] to repair the relationship between

[1:52:15] Wesleyan and middle-time residents.

[1:52:17] There's a deep injustice we all see growing

[1:52:19] as college students next to young people who have less of a chance at a fair shot because

[1:52:23] our university has refused to step up in their arts of education, early child education,

[1:52:28] etc. Wesleyan relies on the city of Middletown and as a part of the city, but does not

[1:52:32] do its fair share to support our neighbors who deserve a beautiful and safe place to live

[1:52:36] too. Because of this, I asked that Wesleyan comes back with some sort of binding community

[1:52:40] benefits and labor agreement and that the commission can use this hearing or denies

[1:52:43] with that prejudice until then. Thank you. Thank you.

[1:52:54] One hand still raised Yale. Did you want

[1:52:57] to speak again? Or is that left over?

[1:53:07] Hi, my name is Trevor Brooks and I live at 227 Pine

[1:53:10] Street in Middle Town. I'm an incoming senior at Wesleyan. As a student work I'm also a member

[1:53:17] of OPEIU Local 153. I'm testifying to ask the commission to deny without prejudice.

[1:53:28] Wesleyan's

[1:53:28] This proposal was made in the middle of the summer when students were away, when the

[1:53:33] Wesleyan expected as little scrutiny as possible, and yet look at how many of us are still

[1:53:38] here.

[1:53:38] Students have not yet returned, the majority of them have not, and yet we're still here.

[1:53:44] We're here because, as many of us have said, we do not want to live in dorms that were built

[1:53:48] on the backs of exploited community members and workers and dangerous conditions without

[1:53:53] union protections.

[1:53:55] We're also here because this is being done in our name.

[1:53:58] The presentation does not cite meaningful community benefits.

[1:54:02] There's no payment in lieu of taxes and even the benefits they do cite like the green space.

[1:54:07] Our benefits that would be really going to Wesleyan students and where access of the community would be quite limited.

[1:54:15] And it's true that we would like better dorms, we would like updates and renovations and new construction.

[1:54:22] As Wesleyan students, that would benefit us but we don't want it to be done this way.

[1:54:27] We're also here because we know this institution well.

[1:54:31] We know how Wesleyan operates.

[1:54:33] I'm here in part because I saw how Wesleyan treated

[1:54:36] due at Center for Community Partnerships in the Traverse Square

[1:54:38] after school program.

[1:54:39] That was a decision that was also made in the middle of the summer

[1:54:42] without student input without community input

[1:54:45] to severely restrict funding for that

[1:54:48] as part of a long tradition of Wesleyan restricting funding

[1:54:51] for community partnerships with middle town.

[1:54:55] And the fact that Wesleyan is asking for a zoning change that would as previous speakers have mentioned mean

[1:55:00] The future construction only requires advisory approval is quite worrying, because we know how

[1:55:06] Wesleyan operates when they don't need to listen to other people. They just do whatever they

[1:55:11] want, whatever will grow their endowment, whatever will provide something good to put on their

[1:55:16] website for future students.

[1:55:20] And we believe there is a way that a new construction project

[1:55:24] could benefit the community, but that is if it comes with binding commitments to the community,

[1:55:29] So that we're not just going on advisory approval, that would look like a union labor agreement,

[1:55:36] a community benefits agreement, payments and move taxes, these sorts of proposals.

[1:55:41] And so that's what we're asking for.

[1:55:44] Thank you.

[1:55:54] Good evening everyone.

[1:55:55] My name is Amber Shaw and I'm a rising sophomore at Wesleyan who lives at 43 home Avenue.

[1:56:02] I'm a member of the United Student Labor Action Coalition and a tutor for the Traverse Square after school program.

[1:56:07] As the commission to deny without prejudice, Wilson to propose rezoning of church, high and

[1:56:14] William streets, and or to continue this hearing.

[1:56:17] We all know that the proposal wants to give Wesley and the permanent right to build buildings

[1:56:22] in 11 acres of historic middle town with no accountability and commitment for middle town residents.

[1:56:29] As a tutor with the Traverse after school program, I deeply believe that Wilson must do more to

[1:56:34] into consideration the needs of middle town residents.

[1:56:38] The families in Trevor Square do not deserve to live next to construction for years to

[1:56:43] come with no protections nor benefits.

[1:56:47] During the after school program, we often have activities of the children outdoors, but with

[1:56:52] all this construction right at their doorstep, it will be difficult to do so safely and will be

[1:56:58] disruptive to their day-to-day lives.

[1:57:00] Hence, I believe that we do not need this rezoning and the local community deserves guaranteed benefits and protections to have their needs met throughout this process.

[1:57:11] Furthermore, there must be a pre-hire labor agreement and shirt so that local workers who are unionized are hired and can work in safe working conditions.

[1:57:22] I hope that the planning and zoning commission hears the immense opposition towards this rezoning plan and denies this plan without prejudice.

[1:57:29] Thank you for listening, thank you.

[1:57:37] Anyone online?

[1:57:40] Good day, because of commission.

[1:57:41] I hope you're doing well.

[1:57:42] My name is Luca de Gruma.

[1:57:44] I live on 43 home Avenue, and I'm a Wesleyan student, as you might expect.

[1:57:49] But I'm also a member of the United Student Labor Action Coalition.

[1:57:51] I'm an open up OBIU, look 1, 5, 3.

[1:57:53] Your new member, and I'm a student worker at Wesleyan University's residential life department.

[1:57:58] Where we work with students, we foster community.

[1:58:02] And we help support them when the dorm floods or something.

[1:58:06] So, I'm here to ask you to vote no on this proposed rezoning without prejudice to ensure

[1:58:13] that this development will not only move forward when Wesleyan has made clear commitments

[1:58:17] to keep it in the public interest and aligned in the public interest.

[1:58:22] And I want to take a step back because we're here really late in this meeting and I know

[1:58:26] it's going to go on later, but we have to understand why is this a hard decision right now

[1:58:30] because it really shouldn't be.

[1:58:32] But why?

[1:58:33] Why are you guys being placed in the situation

[1:58:36] where you've got dozens, if not hundreds,

[1:58:38] of community members saying no?

[1:58:40] When you want to find a way to a yes,

[1:58:42] I mean, I've been on that side of the table,

[1:58:44] but they're not really getting you that much.

[1:58:46] So let's go walk us through that question.

[1:58:50] First, I want to clarify the shared stance

[1:58:52] of many of the folks in the through my can't speak for everyone,

[1:58:54] but I want to clarify my stance.

[1:58:56] Are we on principle opposed to a development proposal?

[1:58:59] No, do we think it's impossible for the university co-exist with the city? Of course not.

[1:59:05] Do we think it's impossible for development to be equitable or fair? No.

[1:59:10] So what's going on? Simply put, I think you all have been put in a pretty difficult situation,

[1:59:16] because what they're saying essentially is if they don't get what they want right now, they will walk away.

[1:59:22] or they will implement it, worse, denser in a way that isn't compatible with the city.

[1:59:28] Even though that's actually not possible considering this zoning review that standards that we have right in here,

[1:59:34] this village district, they're basically just giving you all a bunch of threats.

[1:59:39] At the same time last week, or a few weeks ago, they showed you a lot of renderings.

[1:59:44] I don't see now, we did not see it here today, but they gave you a lot of renderings,

[1:59:48] but what this street would look like if you had all this money.

[1:59:51] Imagine four million dollars at the city could just have, right?

[1:59:54] I mean, there's been all these budget deficits,

[1:59:57] there's been all this, you know, these budget cutters

[1:59:59] and staff cuts.

[2:00:00] In the city, you have to scramble for money from the state. Well, what have we all this money? Well, we've got this really great private university coming in. But maybe the question is, the issue is that the city hasn't got enough money to determine what's in the city's best interest, and they're coming in saying, well, what's in our best interest is in your best interest, but clearly that's not the case, because the city doesn't have the money, because Wesleyan's been taking the money and hoarding the money.

[2:00:26] So, as proposed, this rezoning will strip away the city's meaningful ability to influence

[2:00:32] this development, and ensure that it's aligned with our plan for conservation and development.

[2:00:37] Now, right now, they're trying to talk about design review.

[2:00:39] We're going to have design review later on, but fundamentally this is not about design review.

[2:00:42] It's about what this project is going to entail in a comprehensive manner, what's it

[2:00:46] going to do for our tax base, what's it going to do for the residents, what's it going to

[2:00:49] do for the workers, what's it going to do for the students, it's not about a facade, it's

[2:00:53] not. But that's not what we're here to talk about. I don't care about a facade. You know, what we care about is having a seat at the table. And that's what you have right here. You're sitting here.

[2:01:04] They have to come up to you. They're not going to send you a survey like they do to us.

[2:01:09] Or you fill out a survey, you register your opinion. Passively, you don't have a conversation. You don't have a given take.

[2:01:14] But that's what this is supposed to be about. It's supposed to be like given take.

[2:01:18] So, we want a seat at the table, we want the community to have a seat at the table, we want

[2:01:22] the people who's going to work the job to have a seat at the table.

[2:01:25] But right now, that's not going to be the case if we move forward as planned, as proposed.

[2:01:30] One minute.

[2:01:31] Oh, wow.

[2:01:32] So, what we're proposing, what we're asking is a pre-hire labor agreement, that's called

[2:01:36] Project Labor Agreement.

[2:01:37] I know many of you are working with it, so we don't have fly on the road, contractors from

[2:01:44] a state coming in paying people misclassified wages, not having any paystubs, not paying taxes

[2:01:49] to the city or state, and having one of workers who are going to use need social services

[2:01:55] from the city from middle towns taxpayers that are paying to the state to pay for Medicaid

[2:01:59] to pay for their health visits, to their emergency view and visits, emergency room visit

[2:02:03] when they get her on the job on the campus.

[2:02:06] And we're also asking for real benefits from the proper square in the city because people who

[2:02:13] have to suffer through construction should have some meaningful stake in a project if they're

[2:02:18] going to want to support it. So what we're essentially saying is now is not the time.

[2:02:23] We're not ready. They're clearly not ready. They don't even have a plan. But we believe in

[2:02:28] this vision. We believe it's possible to have a vision that is good, that is just as equitable,

[2:02:33] that's fair to the city. And we're saying that's not the plan that we have right now.

[2:02:37] So you can reject this proposal. You can continue it. This is a legislative act. You have a

[2:02:42] on a discretion, you've got a long list of reasons why you can vote no, and we've just

[2:02:47] given you a ton, and you have a ton in the letters you've received in the testimony, and

[2:02:51] I'm sure you've got good lawyers to tell you why you can say no, too. But we just think, listen,

[2:02:58] you can say no, and that doesn't mean that you're not going to have a project that can work

[2:03:03] for us as students, that can work for the university, that can work for the city, and the

[2:03:08] residents in the community that can preserve what's really great about William Street and make it better.

[2:03:14] But right now, it's essentially giving up the cities any say in the meaningful investments that are going to happen.

[2:03:23] And it's going to essentially say that this should just be in the private interest.

[2:03:28] And that Wesleyan should be able to unilaterally move forward.

[2:03:31] Completely change a skill with its plan.

[2:03:33] Maybe it's not 4 million dollars.

[2:03:34] Maybe it's 2.

[2:03:35] Maybe it's 1.5.

[2:03:36] Maybe it's 50.

[2:03:37] We can't say right now because they can't make any commitments to us and they won't sign anything

[2:03:44] They won't even say anything and they're going to say we can't make these decisions right now

[2:03:48] That's not true. You could have met with us. You could have emailed with us

[2:03:51] They could have emailed any of them before they did this before in the science center

[2:03:56] They tried a bunch of local union leaders tried to meet with them. They said no. They won't talk about it

[2:04:01] They said yeah, we're going to make sure people are going to be paid at living wages

[2:04:04] well

[2:04:05] where are those face steps. They don't know. They have no idea because they never even met the people.

[2:04:11] They don't know who the subcontractors were. They don't even know who were up, who was on the job.

[2:04:16] There's so much we don't know yet about this project, so it's too early. That's all my statement.

[2:04:21] I've been rambling. I appreciate your time. I know you guys have seen a lot of proposals.

[2:04:24] A lot of different type of proposals, but right now the weight of this proposal is unique.

[2:04:29] And I think you got to consider that because this is a university that has a lot of power over the city.

[2:04:33] Not just like every ordinary retail show no homeowner or developer, someone who's trying

[2:04:39] to make an adjustment on their home, people don't like it, the neighbors don't like

[2:04:42] it.

[2:04:42] This is something that's really bigger.

[2:04:44] It's about the balance of power between the city of Middletown, the residents, the voters

[2:04:47] of Middletown, and a private university that's completely unaccountable, and is removed from

[2:04:52] the democratic processes that should govern the public interest and public development

[2:04:57] in the city of Middletown.

[2:04:58] So that's why I asked you to vote now. Thank you.

[2:05:00] Thank you.

[2:05:13] Thanks, Johnson. Did you want to come back up?

[2:05:17] Thank you. Catherine Johnson, one six-one college street. Just to conclude, I was talking about how scale between academic buildings and the residential buildings is important. There needs to be a transition.

[2:05:37] And we have that protection now of the DVD and not with the institutional development code.

[2:05:47] There is space in that block to put some compatible housing.

[2:05:53] The ideal is when new buildings fit in seamlessly.

[2:05:58] You know, Wesleyan did one very nice building on Pine Street, the dance studio,

[2:06:03] it's pale blue. It fits in, it looks like it could be someone's house. It could be a little

[2:06:11] taller in fact. If you want to put buildings in the interior of this block, do it, but do it in

[2:06:19] the traditional pattern, make a street. Make buildings that would be found behind the larger buildings

[2:06:27] on the main streets, row houses, carriage houses, three and four unit apartment houses.

[2:06:36] In fact, I'd be thrilled to see a plan for parking lot be that's behind the Bailey house

[2:06:44] on the corner of high and William.

[2:06:48] You could put in a collective house in that space, and it would fit in with the four buildings

[2:06:53] and the buildings on high. I want to see those kinds of plants, not these ghosty,

[2:07:03] five-story spaceships that are landed.

[2:07:10] Let's talk about design review before I go.

[2:07:14] That science building went to design review three times, and design review, they couldn't say anything.

[2:07:23] it was dreadful. They weren't going to ask them back a four time. They were just tired. There's

[2:07:31] no real input. Also, my understanding that was that all buildings on the campus had to be made

[2:07:39] of brown stone, but the quarries closed, so you can use brick. Why that building was it clad with

[2:07:46] You know, limestone-looking panels, you know, that's a question.

[2:07:52] Let's talk about 56 hamlin.

[2:07:55] That one to design review.

[2:07:58] The design review board said, please make that building

[2:08:02] the exhibition hall match the existing one on hamlin.

[2:08:08] They built a garage covered with cookie sheets.

[2:08:11] So, there's a promise, but there's no actual input and there's no refinement.

[2:08:22] And last, I want to talk about making something green, like making a lawn.

[2:08:28] There's a perception that grass or a park is magic.

[2:08:32] It's not beautifully explained in a book called Death and Life of Great American Cities.

[2:08:40] Jane Jacobs says, parks have to be infrequent in order to be popular.

[2:08:49] And when we saw a graphic last time, we see college row, the quadrangle, then they want

[2:08:57] put a green down volumes and to church block, and then there's travel square, and then

[2:09:05] there's the, there's South Green. There's no hierarchy there. It's not special.

[2:09:13] The correct

[2:09:14] treatment of this entire area is to have continuous street trees to keep the backyards

[2:09:23] private and if you really want to build on low rise and then high rise can have a decision

[2:09:34] made about it with the street, nice to see that. But a big, a little patch of grass for some

[2:09:43] driver's square kids, that's not going to work. Someone said it beautifully, you have private

[2:09:49] space and you have to be chaperoned. That's not what a public space is. So, Wesley needs an

[2:09:58] urban design at your kit.

[2:10:01] Medellities to stand up for itself. I'd love to be part of a conversation.

[2:10:09] Will you sending your comments to and land use?

[2:10:12] Carine Malardo. Thank you.

[2:10:14] Thank you.

[2:10:22] There are any other comments or questions from the public?

[2:10:28] Any from the commission?

[2:10:33] Mr. Dr. Kazakasko.

[2:10:35] I just for the record, there's a few letters that were supplied to you on the dias.

[2:10:41] One of which is a letter of support from the middle six chamber of commerce.

[2:10:48] Another one is a letter of support from Levi Shectman of 132 Church Street.

[2:10:57] And there's a letter in opposition by Rowan, who spoke earlier today, I think he read from the letter.

[2:11:05] And nine letters, kind of a form letter in opposition to the proposal.

[2:11:14] So I'll just add those as part of public testimony.

[2:11:16] If you want them read, we can read them, otherwise they're there for your review.

[2:11:20] Thank you.

[2:11:22] And I'm assuming everyone on the day has reviewed them.

[2:11:26] Any other comments from the commissioner?

[2:11:31] Kusher McEnvoy.

[2:11:32] Thank you.

[2:11:33] I'd like to ask a question of some,

[2:11:35] not sure which representative it would apply to, but thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Murphy.

[2:11:44] So it sounds like there was some outreach between July 22nd and today to some members of the community that had commented at the last meeting, is that true?

[2:11:53] Yes, that's been several rounds of outreach in the lead up to the last meeting and since.

[2:11:58] Great. I know that last meeting I asked about the consideration of well-paying jobs as a part of this,

[2:12:06] which was also a concern brought up by the students,

[2:12:08] and it's mentioned in the POCD several times.

[2:12:10] So I was wondering if there was outreach

[2:12:11] to the students that had that particular interest

[2:12:14] from this application as well,

[2:12:16] well-paying jobs, union jobs, et cetera?

[2:12:18] No, that isn't really the purview of planning

[2:12:20] and zoning as a really so zone map amendment.

[2:12:23] That's not an item under the consideration

[2:12:26] for zone map amendments.

[2:12:29] So it's also without a project site defined

[2:12:33] is difficult to define a project.

[2:12:35] And as a representative of the construction division, we are not in a position to make those

[2:12:42] commitments when we don't even have a site to assess.

[2:12:46] I understand the specific commitments my interest was in its applicability to the POCD.

[2:12:51] Was there any, was there any outreach to the students that had spoken to the last meeting?

[2:12:56] No, we did reach out to our student representative that was on the planning committee

[2:13:01] who also is part of the President's student assembly, and he indicated that he'd present

[2:13:06] a lot of the material through that mechanism to students, but no, we've not, we

[2:13:12] have not outreach to students that spoke here within their rights and purview to make those

[2:13:18] comments.

[2:13:19] Thank you.

[2:13:22] Any other questions or comments from commissioners?

[2:13:27] Commissioner Sinkowitz?

[2:13:30] Yes.

[2:13:31] I just want to commend everybody for coming out and offer in their opinion, especially the

[2:13:35] students, fellow residents, appreciate that.

[2:13:39] I know it's not the peruvian right now, as you just stated, in this funding, any federal funds

[2:13:44] use their Wesleyan pace worth themselves for things that are built?

[2:13:49] I depend, my understanding is it's almost exclusively university funds either through debt

[2:13:54] service or other funding sources.

[2:13:58] Thank you.

[2:14:02] Hey, Dr. Kazakowski.

[2:14:05] Just one thing I think we might have lost online if you just want to bear with me once I come.

[2:14:11] I'm going to make sure that we're still online.

[2:14:27] Commissioner Cunningham?

[2:14:32] Before we close that I just want this is also your opportunity if you heard anything that you

[2:14:37] need to be corrected. I was curious if you heard anything that does not fit into what you

[2:14:41] believe is actually true or correct about Wesleyan standing or Wesleyan's influence or whatever

[2:14:47] about this project and anything that you feel like needs to be corrected.

[2:14:50] Yeah, I think there is a lot of elements that were brought up that I think I was a little confused

[2:14:55] by and I think were options that we looked at, we thought would...

[2:15:00] Less successful. So, you know, I think it's important, you know, daycare services brought up many times.

[2:15:06] Wesleyan did not close down a daycare. Wesleyan did not institute a daycare program.

[2:15:12] We were contacted as the program closed, asked to essentially purchase the building on support.

[2:15:20] The community renewal team so they could consolidate their services and stay solvent in that sort of midst of COVID era.

[2:15:26] We then were contacted by the YMCA, looking for space and are happy to provide in-kind donations to them for use of that space.

[2:15:36] We continue to maintain that space and they continue to utilize it.

[2:15:41] So steam is about, you know, under staff, unprofessional.

[2:15:45] You know, the YMCA is a really reputable program.

[2:15:47] My children go to the YMCA program and it's their valued partner with Wesleyan and within the City of Middle Town.

[2:15:55] I think there was some comments about lack of engagement with the community, and specifically

[2:16:00] around Traverse Square, and other community members, we've reached out to the Chamber

[2:16:06] of Commerce, the Lyme CA, Middle Town Housing Authority.

[2:16:10] We spoke at their board session, one as we presented our plan as we did to East Hill, one

[2:16:15] of the members of that board who's resident Traverse Square, their statement was, I'm sure

[2:16:20] happy those awfully smart people on the hill are finally turning their focus to this issue

[2:16:26] because it's well overdue and I couldn't agree more. I think we have an opportunity as we've

[2:16:30] talked about to drastically improve the the streetscape, the field, the neighborhood and

[2:16:37] that community. I cannot speak to broader funding issues around the Green Street Arts Center and

[2:16:45] I'm the campus planner, I'm not the senior administrator, but we it is important to note we reached out to the

[2:16:51] Jewet Center, we spoke with them, we shared the plan, we talked about developing within any new

[2:16:57] construction, dedicated community center spaces, one of the issues within high rise that was

[2:17:03] 100% accurate, the Shaperone issue within the building is because once you're into the building there's

[2:17:09] no security within the building and folks in just use the elevator go up and down and the

[2:17:14] university has an obligation to all students and I think there's a real opportunity here as

[2:17:19] we think about new construction designing specific spaces within that building that are more

[2:17:26] community oriented and have those security barriers so you don't have to have those sort of heavy

[2:17:33] handed shaper and security measures in place. That can be part of the design process.

[2:17:38] You know, impacts to the community to be considered, you know, our proposal, I don't know if you can pull it that slide deck again or if we want to, but, you know, one of the things we're looking at is moving the development further away from Travers Square.

[2:17:53] So that new construction is spaced out. So we do have less conflict between students calling the police on Travers Square community members.

[2:18:01] I would describe Wesleyan's campus as exceptionally porous this idea that nobody's allowed in or around a Wesleyan property that isn't part of Wesleyan is just not what I witnessed day to day.

[2:18:16] And those community benefits that we talked about include street scape improvements we heard tree line streets we heard sidewalks that is what we're trying to do with William Street.

[2:18:26] In addition to accessible, gently-graded interior blocks,

[2:18:33] think like between a fountain and Warren, fountain and pine,

[2:18:38] the sort of communal backyards that these interstitial spaces

[2:18:43] that stitch together, these buildings and the students' residences.

[2:18:52] You know, the other part that really struck me is this, again,

[2:18:56] of control by the city through the ID zone.

[2:19:01] This building would be more than 20,000 square feet.

[2:19:05] That would require a public hearing.

[2:19:08] That would require us and you to address the issues I talked about, whether it's impacts

[2:19:14] to the neighborhood as Katherine Johnson quoted the ID regulations.

[2:19:19] It would give you the right to review to hear the advisory opinion of DRPB regardless of

[2:19:26] So in your end including the downtown village district, DRPB is advisory only that is the way the rules are written and that is how it is structured in the city of Middletown

[2:19:37] We are trying to find the follow the rules as they are defined and exist in the city of Middletown

[2:19:44] We did explore alternate approaches here

[2:19:47] You know one of the comments was this is a heavy handed approach

[2:19:50] That is my fault right. I'm trying to be honest and forthright and say what are the buildings

[2:19:56] What are the uses? What's permitted?

[2:19:59] We...

[2:20:00] Conversely, last time heard that this is a spot zoning approach, which are two opposite statements of the same request.

[2:20:10] So we thought it would be more honest and more forth, right, to say, this is an institutional space.

[2:20:18] I know Jen's count was that the campus stops at high street with more than 400 students living on this block alone.

[2:20:25] I would challenge that notion.

[2:20:28] Conceptually, I think of the campus,

[2:20:30] to include Russell House,

[2:20:32] and the Courage House, the Oregon House,

[2:20:34] that exists, that the Ed reference,

[2:20:37] that include High Rise and Look,

[2:20:39] those are parts of our campus.

[2:20:41] Our goal is to stitch them together more holistically

[2:20:48] with the west side of High Street,

[2:20:51] and also be respectful and thoughtful,

[2:20:54] and intentional, is a great word, as we transition, as that boundary comes up against non-wexalant properties, notably Traverse Square in this block in particular.

[2:21:10] We also explored text amendments, a text amendment approach.

[2:21:16] We are open to exploring that. Again, my perspective is that that's a really hard needle to thread that wouldn't be more disrupted.

[2:21:24] to the fabric of DVD. Just because you can build X, Y, and Z next to a Wesleyan property, I feel

[2:21:32] like that starts to tear at the fabric of the DVD more. This, you know, comments about

[2:21:38] this isn't about property ownership. It's about the downtown village district. It's a thing.

[2:21:43] It's a standalone entity that's important. I agree. It's not about ownership. We are the

[2:21:47] dominant property owner on court street. We own every single house except for one on court street.

[2:21:52] We are not proposing a development like this on court street, because 400 students don't live on court street.

[2:22:00] We're trying to work within the existing patterns of student residential development.

[2:22:07] Alternatively, we did look at an overlay district.

[2:22:11] We looked at a new definition of a district, and it was advised to us that we not pursue a project specific zone approval

[2:22:19] or create a new, you know, DVD institutional zone which we should work in the existing regulations and the existing variety of zones within the city of Minitown.

[2:22:32] And so that's how we got here. That's why this is our proposal.

[2:22:37] And I would just be interested in your feedback and your thoughts.

[2:22:41] You know, I can't speak to labor and commitments and payments and lieu of taxes, right?

[2:22:46] I'm a ditch digger.

[2:22:49] I renovate historic houses.

[2:22:52] You know, 267, William Street.

[2:22:54] I did a full gut historic restoration of that property.

[2:22:59] I restored 250 court street this summer.

[2:23:03] 330 high street, a historic house on high street that's mid-block.

[2:23:07] It's part of that rustle community.

[2:23:08] I renovated and restored as part of the Ubuntu program.

[2:23:12] I renovated 56 found a turn of the 19th century.

[2:23:16] would frame House on fountain have that houses six students. I value reinvestment into our existing

[2:23:23] spaces. I also, as a campus planner, recognize, low rise is beyond its useful life. And

[2:23:32] those 144 beds, the massing doesn't work across four and five and six unit building construction.

[2:23:42] Even if you populate the heck out of that block, you are either divesting a huge volume

[2:23:50] of beds out of that block, or you are overwhelming the site with these sort of peppering

[2:23:59] of new construction houses, you know, expense aside.

[2:24:06] I'm a resident.

[2:24:08] I want to be an earnest partner, and I would love some direction from the Planean Zone

[2:24:13] commission on on what a path forward for a low rise replacement is if you don't want

[2:24:19] us in the neighborhood, I wish we'll hear you and we can find other options that are within

[2:24:26] the existing institutional development zone.

[2:24:28] I value student residents in this location and our hand is very limited if we are our options

[2:24:37] are very limited if we are working within just the existing high rise and low rise parcel.

[2:24:44] We worked with our architects to evaluate that sort of as of right option as best we could

[2:24:52] see it, and you saw 325 beds with modern spacing and mechanical required.

[2:25:00] And fire safety, and egress, and access for fire trucks, those sorts of things on that site are pretty intensive use of that parcel.

[2:25:13] And I think there's a better option, and I am hopeful that we can find a path that keeps this student housing pattern where it is, because there's tremendous value in that interface between students and the city of Middletown.

[2:25:29] And it's something we've talked about for 20 years, I'd like to see that happen because I think it's good for the city of Middletown.

[2:25:35] But yeah, I just love your feedback and your perspective on the proposal and what your thoughts are.

[2:25:48] Can you show a kind of you?

[2:25:52] Happy to let anybody else go first before I keep talking.

[2:25:57] But my biggest concern at this point is the rezoning.

[2:26:01] Obviously that's everything else besides that I think a lot of people have made great points about what's the embroidery and everything like that

[2:26:08] But what we're really talking about here is the limited extent to which what you are asking for clearly

[2:26:13] And the one thing about history particularly that I'm concerned about which I wouldn't mind directing questions towards the chairs for some things that you've already talked about

[2:26:20] For example like you talked about street skipping and street

[2:26:23] Repairs is there anything within the existing DVD that prevents them from doing that right now

[2:26:29] for the past 25 years

[2:26:33] So those are sort of some of the areas where I think the community at large and gets really nervous,

[2:26:39] because as much as I want to see improvements like that, when it's already under your purview

[2:26:45] and under archers, it's out under the zoning as loud right now we haven't seen certain things like that.

[2:26:50] So that's where the community I'm sure, you know, you can understand where that comes from, in general.

[2:26:54] I also feel one of the speakers alluded to this as well.

[2:26:57] You talked about utilizing existing regulations, your slide there, you said basically we have

[2:27:08] this one option, which is the reason, and this is the plan that we have outled, or using existing

[2:27:14] regulations, we are going to double the amount of high-rise buildings in this one small section.

[2:27:20] I think one that they use the word threat, I don't want to use that term, but it does feel

[2:27:24] pressuring the community that either we have to approve this zone change or we're going

[2:27:30] to be forced to do additional blight on the community, which I don't think is a real fair

[2:27:35] representation of what you actually have the ability to do in this zone. I think I would

[2:27:40] appreciate if Wesleyan had additional ideas for what can be done in the zones that they

[2:27:44] are under the code that already exists, so we can have some further options to look at here.

[2:27:49] And if there's need for special exoning or text change more specifically, I think we can

[2:27:54] address that, but I think this or this is not what I do as appropriate for right now.

[2:28:01] That's just my view.

[2:28:02] Okay, I just respond to that briefly.

[2:28:06] So, repaying city sidewalks, we can do.

[2:28:10] The integration of a comprehensive street scape is largely impossal because of the way the William

[2:28:19] Street is set up.

[2:28:20] It is street, curb, sidewalk with telephone poles in it,

[2:28:25] and then front yards, very skinny front yards,

[2:28:28] and then a front stoop, they're from porch.

[2:28:33] That doesn't leave space for landscape,

[2:28:37] but we would be then telling you where your sidewalk goes,

[2:28:40] and we would be repaving the sidewalk

[2:28:41] in a different location, which is not under,

[2:28:44] was not within our rights to do without extensive coordination,

[2:28:48] And the actual physical linear footage from the front step of these houses to the curb doesn't really allow for that.

[2:28:57] However, if we remove those three houses, we can then cite a new building in bound more and then work with the existing complete streets direction that art exists within the CML town as being implemented on church and lawn to realize that buffer.

[2:29:18] There just isn't really the space to do it with the existing building.

[2:29:22] So we could repave sidewalks.

[2:29:24] We could repave city sidewalks.

[2:29:26] We do repave many city sidewalks across our campus.

[2:29:30] This is something different because we'd be changing the layout of where the sidewalk is

[2:29:36] and moving it from public property to private property in today's scenario,

[2:29:43] whereas we could then change under a larger redevelopment plan,

[2:29:45] we could change where that right-of-way line exists and what that sequence of curb buffer

[2:29:52] strip with street trees and telephone poles if they need to be there and sidewalk and

[2:29:58] then front yarding green.

[2:30:00] So that's like the little nuance there. Certainly need me to be a threat, but I think what we showed is 300 at the existing

[2:30:10] 325 beds at five stories on the existing parcel of high rise and low rise in a way that could be

[2:30:22] phased because I can't just demolish low rise and not have a place to house 144 students for two and

[2:30:28] half years,

[2:30:34] right now, high rise eight stories, and so compressing that to five stories, pushes

[2:30:42] that massing out wider, and so it takes up more of the footprint of that parcel.

[2:30:48] And so it does, in my subjective opinion, overbilled the parcel.

[2:30:53] And I think, if we, as Katherine Johnson said, look at that B lot, that parking lot, that's

[2:31:02] and take from there to the end of those three houses,

[2:31:07] we can have more shoulder room, bring the building back a little bit.

[2:31:12] I could imagine a four story building either in a sort of courtyard shape,

[2:31:21] or in a T shape, I think is what they showed there,

[2:31:25] that would only have to account for a subset of those 325 beds,

[2:31:29] Which would then free up that church street parking lot to absorb that if we need it high rise

[2:31:36] Replacement or if you've high rise as is and and run a bit of top to bottom, right?

[2:31:40] That's to be determined

[2:31:43] So the phasing sequence and

[2:31:47] The a little bit more shoulder them I think helps a lot with what I see as a better plan for middle town and a better plan for Wesleyan and a better plan for the student experience

[2:31:58] and

[2:31:59] I really do think our campus is very porous, and I think a lot of middle town, residents, and community members, and even regional state members come through our campus and have those experiences.

[2:32:15] I think there is a broad public benefit, even though it is a private development.

[2:32:19] It is a private property. I think there is a broad public benefit.

[2:32:25] Can Mr. Chair think?

[2:32:25] Yes, this is for staff.

[2:32:30] I'm going to encourage the

[2:32:35] power to do a special exception.

[2:32:37] Specifically here, I'm talking about where the low rise area is.

[2:32:41] Without massive zoning changes, we can make a special exception for...

[2:32:53] Student housing is not a permitted use in the zone,

[2:32:56] so it's so whether it's permitted or a special exception to use, it's not.

[2:33:00] Something that can be done if buildings were to come down,

[2:33:05] then they'd not be able to be replaced.

[2:33:08] So now a special exception wouldn't

[2:33:10] under the current zoning special exception

[2:33:12] is not a mechanism for a need development like this.

[2:33:23] Right now if they were wanted to do anything

[2:33:26] with those low-rise that are outdated

[2:33:28] and even ground or anything.

[2:33:31] The DVD zone, there's a special provision

[2:33:36] where buildings that

[2:33:41] are 75-hundred square feet or existed prior to the adoption of that

[2:33:47] code, I believe in 2003, buildings can be expanded up to a hundred percent of the square

[2:33:57] footage.

[2:33:57] So I think what we saw in the image before was the massing of applying that specific code under

[2:34:07] redevelopment under the existing zoning.

[2:34:10] So if those buildings were to come down, then there's the question of whether they have

[2:34:16] that right to expand on an add more square footage, but under the existing zoning code,

[2:34:23] they can apply to make additions to the buildings that exceed 75 on the square fee and

[2:34:30] existed prior to 2003.

[2:34:36] Yeah, there are any other questions or comments from commissioners.

[2:34:42] Director Kazakowski?

[2:34:44] Okay, thank you.

[2:34:44] I just want to put a couple of things on the record.

[2:34:48] First,

[2:34:51] we have you received a lot of public testimony today,

[2:34:54] and I just want to appreciate everybody that came out

[2:34:57] to speak and be part of this process.

[2:35:00] In your, in the record and for your review was a staff memo written by me, data July 17, 2026, it provides, you know, my staff review behind this report.

[2:35:16] I bring 21 years of planning experience.

[2:35:20] I've been a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners since 2011,

[2:35:27] and I've been a middle town city planner for nearly seven years.

[2:35:32] So that said, as the Commission considers this rezoning application

[2:35:39] and in your deliberations, I want to remind the Commission that the zoning code

[2:35:46] Outlines 11 areas for that the commission can consider under under section 7.3.2 very briefly.

[2:35:58] Those areas cover topics of compliance so that the objectives of the plan of conservation development.

[2:36:07] Alternative methods to rezoning the suitability for various purposes of in the zone.

[2:36:13] errors in existing code to supply of land, various legalities,

[2:36:19] the effect of the rezoning on surrounding areas,

[2:36:23] the geographic areas that are impacted,

[2:36:26] community acceptance versus neighborhood needs,

[2:36:29] the purposes of zoning and changes in development patterns and land uses.

[2:36:34] Those are very broad.

[2:36:37] The commission can also consider public testimony that was provided

[2:36:41] and public testimony, professional testimony that was provided and your interpretation and reading

[2:36:49] of the plan of conservation and the zoning code. In deciding on a zoning map change, the commission is exercising

[2:37:00] It's legislative authority, so you do have a broad depth of what you can consider in the map change.

[2:37:14] We heard a lot of testimony today, and I want to make sure that any comments made,

[2:37:21] or reasons for decision made ties back to those things that I talked about.

[2:37:28] a few things that we heard in the public testimony while it's important and it shouldn't

[2:37:37] be lost on anybody, but should not necessarily be considerations for this planning zone

[2:37:43] and commissioning actions and few of those things include any financial contributions or

[2:37:49] investments of the applicant to the community, the lack or lack of use of union labor and

[2:37:57] construction projects, a lack of paying property taxes. Those types of things would be

[2:38:03] out of the per view of this commission. One last thing I want to add is this decision cannot

[2:38:12] be conditioned decision would be to approve or if it fails to approve it would be effectively

[2:38:20] denied. So if the commission wanted to vote on it tonight, the motion would be in the affirmative

[2:38:27] and a successful application required five votes of approval under the city charter.

[2:38:36] That said, if the commission were to close the public hearing tonight, you are under no

[2:38:41] obligation to the side on the application tonight per state statute so you have 65 days to decide on an application

[2:38:49] So if you're not ready to vote in this vote

[2:38:54] If you need more time to gather your thoughts to you know as you as you consider the application

[2:39:02] You do have

[2:39:04] That ability and that authority to do so. Thank you

[2:39:09] Thank you. I will call for

[2:39:12] A closing of the public hearing, a motion to close the public hearing.

[2:39:15] Mr. Chair, I move to close the public hearing.

[2:39:19] All those in favour, signify by saying aye.

[2:39:23] Any opposed signify by saying aye?

[2:39:26] Public hearing is closed.

[2:39:28] It conduct discussions about this application and at this time whether you are in favour of or not in favour of this.

[2:39:36] Please state your reasons for or against with regard to what the director just told us about.

[2:39:46] I'll start off by thanking everyone here tonight, and during a long, long night, people of the community coming out, representatives from Wesleyan, you know, my fellow commissioners, you know, this is this is all part of

[2:40:01] We can really come together in a lot of ways and have civil discussions like this. This particular application is one that I've put probably a little bit more thought and actually probably out of my four years on the commission I probably put more thought and more independent study time into this than anything that I've dealt with before.

[2:40:25] While I agree that there is a need and there is, and Wesleyan has every right to improve

[2:40:31] itself, looking, when putting aside everything else, okay, where I'm focusing just on

[2:40:37] the zoning text amendment.

[2:40:39] In my humble opinion, based on not only the testimony that's been provided, but my understanding

[2:40:44] of our planning of causality, plan of conservation and development, as well as our duty

[2:40:50] to the citizens of middle town.

[2:40:53] I don't feel that this is it, I don't feel that this application is in line with our plan of conservation and development.

[2:41:01] I think that the reason that the village district is there, it's been there for a reason.

[2:41:07] And as was pointed out earlier, Wesleyan was part of the creation and approval of it.

[2:41:13] What we need to look at is, yes, down the line, what can happen, putting aside things like, you know,

[2:41:20] how the labor is involved, and how what specific projects are made,

[2:41:26] that stuff that, as the director said, is on side of our purview.

[2:41:29] We have to look at what's in front of us now.

[2:41:31] Do we have the justification for a zoning change?

[2:41:34] The answer I arrived at is no.

[2:41:36] I agree about the low rise.

[2:41:38] I think that the low rise does need upgrading,

[2:41:44] and that's something that I'd be happy to revisit.

[2:41:46] I know that we're somewhat limited within the DVD's on right now, but again, I think further

[2:41:53] conversation on this is warranted and should happen.

[2:41:59] But if I'm going to support getting rid of our village district, I have to have a very good

[2:42:07] reason in front of me, thinking that it's going to benefit not only the institution or the

[2:42:15] applicant that's applying for it, but the community is a whole.

[2:42:19] I think there's room to do this.

[2:42:21] I think there's room for other options, and this is stuff that is obviously we're going

[2:42:24] to have to split hairs look at our options and have a discussion.

[2:42:32] But this to me is not the right call.

[2:42:35] So with that, I thank Wesleyan for coming forward with us, and I am looking forward to working

[2:42:41] with you in the future on how we can make your campus less

[2:42:44] porous.

[2:42:46] I'll tell you, you got a beautiful campus.

[2:42:48] And the high street, you know, part of the campus as well

[2:42:52] is just, I'm in awe every single time I drive down it.

[2:42:57] I love the history of it.

[2:42:59] I think that's one of the things that really stands.

[2:43:01] Makes me understand out.

[2:43:02] And I think that's why so many students come to Wesleyan

[2:43:05] because they want that.

[2:43:06] They want that historic experience.

[2:43:09] They want to experience culture.

[2:43:11] The fact that so many of them came out here tonight to express their opinions just proves that even more.

[2:43:19] I'm very, very pleased with just everyone involved tonight.

[2:43:23] Thank you, but I will not be supporting this.

[2:43:26] I appreciate your time.

[2:43:27] Thank you.

[2:43:35] I would like to echo almost exactly what my co-chair said.

[2:43:38] I want to thank all of you for coming.

[2:43:40] Wesleyan, all of the community members, especially the students you showed.

[2:43:44] The great deal of perseverance, and I appreciate that.

[2:43:48] Again, I do not think that this is in line with our P.O.C.D.

[2:43:52] or community connections.

[2:43:53] I do not think that this is what the neighborhood needs.

[2:43:57] This is not a connection to the community.

[2:44:00] I feel like everything that Tyler has said, I agree with.

[2:44:03] I feel like we have a path forward, but this isn't it.

[2:44:07] And I want to work with you guys to make something happen,

[2:44:10] but not in this vein.

[2:44:11] So I will not be supporting this. Thank you.

[2:44:21] Would any other commissioners like to speak out as to why they would or would not be supporting this?

[2:44:26] Commissioner Minarca.

[2:44:28] I'd like to thank Wesley for coming out today to avoid your opinion.

[2:44:35] I'm kind of like, I'm like my cord, Tyler over here.

[2:44:41] I would like to see Wesley do a little bit, you know, improvements

[2:44:45] make their campus look a little bit better.

[2:44:49] I echo Tyler also, that Wesleyan is a really nice campus.

[2:44:54] I just think you should maybe look for another spot or where it's zoned.

[2:45:00] To refurbish some of the buildings, maybe, but I don't think this really benefits the zone, the historic value of that area.

[2:45:12] So I am, with that said, I am going to say no to this project.

[2:45:17] Thank you.

[2:45:22] Mr. Regan.

[2:45:25] Thank you. I would just like to echo a couple of the comments that we've been hearing.

[2:45:28] I believe that protecting our DVD zone is critical, not just to protect the buildings that are there,

[2:45:37] but to protect the powers that are allotted to this commission to protect the fabric of that space itself.

[2:45:45] I think that rezoning to the ID zone would give Wesleyan much greater power to actually decide what massings would come to fruition within the space

[2:45:55] And keeping it as is just to preserve this power to the city for future development.

[2:46:01] So thank you.

[2:46:03] Thank you.

[2:46:11] Commissioner McEvoy.

[2:46:14] Thank you.

[2:46:14] Thank you to everyone for coming out.

[2:46:16] I echo what the fellow commissioners here have said tonight.

[2:46:19] I don't believe this proposal accords with the POCD.

[2:46:23] And the interesting thing is that the connections between students at the university and

[2:46:28] residents of Middletown has been formed against this proposal instead of for it, right?

[2:46:34] So I appreciate the comments that you may last Mr. Murphy about the desire to work with the commission

[2:46:39] to find what the solution is, because if Wesleyan owns the property, right, there's going to be something.

[2:46:44] But this is not it. Thank you.

[2:46:52] Commissioner Cunningham.

[2:46:54] I really wanted to thank the applicant for coming forward. I think I want to thank you again for answering

[2:47:00] questions and for responding to the constituents who have come forward. I think this proposal

[2:47:08] is a real opportunity. I unfortunately do not believe that the applicant reached the level

[2:47:16] of justification for the zone change. However, I do believe that if this university wants to

[2:47:26] revitalizations of existing properties.

[2:47:29] That still is a possibility.

[2:47:30] I would love to what I alluded to earlier.

[2:47:33] See, additional plans that exist within the zoning code

[2:47:35] as is, and with other properties as well.

[2:47:38] I do think this is a great opportunity,

[2:47:41] but they're justification for this own change has not been met.

[2:47:44] So we're going to, I would vote now.

[2:47:45] Thank you.

[2:47:46] Thank you.

[2:47:52] Commissioner Sinklet.

[2:47:55] I concur with my colleagues.

[2:47:57] I don't believe this is the right vehicle

[2:47:59] With regards to the village district and sweeping changes like this, I believe something positive could happen here.

[2:48:07] And I look forward to working toward that, but the sweeping changes I don't think are within the spirit of what was intended years ago when this was set up.

[2:48:19] Thank you.

[2:48:20] Thank you.

[2:48:25] Mr. Cunningham.

[2:48:28] I did forget to say one thing.

[2:48:30] If we are, because I do believe the applicant suggested he wanted to hear more of what we think in order to come to the proper conclusion,

[2:48:39] I think something that is always very meaningful for this commission is that we see that the applicant made every attempt possible to reach out to the community for input.

[2:48:51] I think there needs to be a lot more both with on the campus and the community at large.

[2:48:55] I would like to see evidence of that.

[2:48:57] I would like to see meetings.

[2:48:58] Any anything that we can do to show that you have made every single attempt possible to reach out to the community.

[2:49:05] That and hear them.

[2:49:06] That's always appreciated.

[2:49:07] So I would love to see that next time.

[2:49:08] Thank you.

[2:49:09] Thank you.

[2:49:15] At this point, I'll call for emotion and I am 6.1.

[2:49:19] Mr. Chair.

[2:49:20] I move that we approve petition for a zoning map amendment to

[2:49:28] rezone multiple parcels on church street, high street, and

[2:49:31] William Street from the DVD zone to the ID zone and

[2:49:35] rezone William Street, map lot 24, dash 0138 from the DVD

[2:49:40] zone to the MXC zone, applicant agent Richard de Corrella,

[2:49:45] S. Guyer, Update, Kelly, and Spelacy.

[2:49:49] Z-2026-5.

[2:49:55] Thank you.

[2:49:55] All those in favor signify by saying aye.

[2:50:05] We're voting on the affirmative of the motion, so if we vote aye, that means we approve, if we vote, nay, it means we do not approve.

[2:50:13] Mr. Chair, I suggest a roll call vote.

[2:50:17] We repeat the motion.

[2:50:19] Sure.

[2:50:20] So, I move, we approve item 6.1 petition for a rezoning map amendment to rezoning multiple parcels on church street,

[2:50:32] Maplot 24-0138 from the DVD Zone to the MX C Zone.

[2:50:38] Applicant Agent Richard D. Corrella, Esquire,

[2:50:41] Uptike and Kelly and Spalacy, Z-2026-5.

[2:50:48] Would you please read the role?

[2:50:50] Yes, roll call vote.

[2:50:53] Chairman Tom Pativina.

[2:50:54] Nay.

[2:50:55] Vice Chair Tyler Xtreme, Nay.

[2:50:59] President members, Commissioner Andrew Regan.

[2:51:03] Commissioner Vinnie Sisequitz.

[2:51:04] No.

[2:51:06] Commissioner Morgan Monarcha.

[2:51:08] No.

[2:51:09] Commissioner Allen Cunningham.

[2:51:11] No.

[2:51:12] And Commissioner Emily McAvoy.

[2:51:14] No.

[2:51:15] Motion is denied unanimously.

[2:51:27] Thank you very much.

[2:51:28] Item number seven.

[2:51:29] All right.

[2:51:30] That brings us to item seven old business.

[2:51:32] There is none.

[2:51:33] Item eight new business.

[2:51:35] There is also none.

[2:51:36] Item nine public common on topics.

[2:51:38] Which are not?

[2:51:39] Or have not been said to a public hearing?

[2:51:43] If anybody online wants to participate in this portion of the meeting, please use the raise

[2:51:47] hand function on the WebEx platform or press star three if you're dying in, it'll

[2:51:52] recognize these wanting to speak and as people leave the room, please do so quietly so

[2:51:56] we can finish up our meeting.

[2:51:57] Thank you.

[2:51:57] If there's anyone in the public that would like to speak to anything that was not the subject

[2:52:02] of a public hearing, this is your time to talk.

[2:52:09] Thank you.

[2:52:11] On on to item 10 minutes staff reports and commission affairs that starts us off with the minutes of the August 12th, 2026 regular meeting.

[2:52:22] I'll entertain a motion to approve the meeting minutes.

[2:52:26] Someone.

[2:52:29] All those in favor signify by saying aye.

[2:52:35] Any approve.

[2:52:36] Any.

[2:52:38] Denied.

[2:52:39] Anything.

[2:52:40] Do not approve.

[2:52:41] Say nay.

[2:52:42] Through the chair.

[2:52:44] Yes.

[2:52:44] I wasn't here, so I'd like to-

[2:52:45] One out of tension.

[2:52:46] Thank you.

[2:52:47] Someone left the water bottle.

[2:52:52] Rivercock.

[2:52:52] I'm 10.2 rivercock.

[2:52:54] No.

[2:52:55] She's down here.

[2:52:56] All right.

[2:52:56] Item 10.3 staff report.

[2:52:58] No report.

[2:52:59] All right.

[2:53:00] Lastly, I'd own 10.4 commission affairs.

[2:53:03] Does anyone have anything for the good of the order?

[2:53:07] Commissioner Sinkwitz.

[2:53:09] Yes.

[2:53:09] I would like to thank Commissioner.

[2:53:10] Extrime for being my show for this evening.

[2:53:14] Any time, Commissioner.

[2:53:15] Any time.

[2:53:15] It's that rule about a car I'm going.

[2:53:18] He's like the winner soldier.

[2:53:21] Item 11, adjournment.

[2:53:24] entertain a motion to adjourn?

[2:53:27] Is that good?

[2:53:28] All those in favor signify by saying aye.

[2:53:31] Any opposed signify by saying aye?

[2:53:33] 10-02.

PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION

Agenda

Transcript