Middletown 2030 2020-2030 PLAN OF CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT January 13, 2021 Prepared by: The City of Middletown Planning & Zoning Commission Middletown 2030 | 1 with assistance from MIDDLETOWN 2030: THE VISION We envision a Middletown that is Thriving. We envision a Middletown that is Connected. A thriving Middletown 2030 will be achieved through a A connected Middletown 2030 will be achieved by providing to commitment to economic development that increases all residents transportation and utility infrastructures that opportunities for businesses old and new, creates meaningful, facilitate access to employment, commerce, education, well-paid jobs, promotes housing diversity, and enhances the overall recreation, and housing. The transportation network will accommodate all quality of life in the City. The riverfront will be made accessible and will modes of moving from one place to another. Road improvements will showcase a dynamic balance of conservation, recreation, and follow the Complete Streets Master Plan. The redesign of Route 9 will development. Parking downtown will be available, accessible, and reconnect the City to the riverfront. Parks, trails, and open spaces will be unobtrusive. Daily needs can be fulfilled by neighborhood centers. The integrated into a unified green corridor system. The Sewer Service Area will housing stock will grow, providing more housing options. Anchor not expand beyond the City core. Telecommunication infrastructure will be institutions will function as drivers of sustainable economic growth. available to every home and business and will be hidden from view. We envision a Middletown that is Vibrant. We envision a Middletown that is Sustainable. A vibrant Middletown 2030 will be achieved through a A sustainable Middletown 2030 will be achieved by pursuing commitment to the preservation and integration of place and resilience in the face of climate change, efficiency in the use of community throughout the City. Public spaces will give residents resources, and self-sufficiency in energy production. The City and visitors opportunities to enjoy the City and its amenities. Streetscapes will embrace responsible development practices. Natural resources and will be aesthetically appealing and promote a sense of place. open spaces will be preserved and stewarded. Prime agricultural land will Communication and public engagement will unite the neighborhoods into be protected and used to increase the local food supply. The City will be a single community. The City will provide rich opportunities for personal prepared for climate change and natural disasters. Historic buildings will growth and social and civic interaction. be preserved for adaptive reuse. The City’s energy needs will be provided by renewable sources. Middletown 2030 | 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Middletown 2030: The Vision ........................................................................................................1 Table of Contents ..........................................................................................................................2 A Note from the P&Z Commission Chair ............................................................................................ 4 1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................................5 History of Middletown ........................................................................................................................ 6 Development of This Plan ................................................................................................................... 8 2010 POCD Guiding Principles ............................................................................................................ 9 2. Middletown 2030: A THRIVING Community .............................................................................. 11 Middletown Zoning Map (Unofficial) ............................................................................................... 23 Goals and Action Items for a Thriving Community ........................................................................... 24 Corridor Plans for Neighborhood Centers ........................................................................................ 29 3. Middletown 2030: A VIBRANT Community ............................................................................... 32 Goals and Action Items for A Vibrant Community ........................................................................... 35 4. Middletown 2030: A CONNECTED Community .......................................................................... 40 Middletown Road Network .............................................................................................................. 41 Middletown Complete Streets Master Plan ..................................................................................... 44 Middletown Open Space Map .......................................................................................................... 47 Goals and Action Items for A Connected Community ...................................................................... 48 Middletown Greenway Corridors ..................................................................................................... 55 Middletown Greenway Corridor Map .............................................................................................. 56 Middletown Sewer Service Area ...................................................................................................... 59 Middletown 2030 | 2 5. Middletown 2030: A SUSTAINABLE Community ........................................................................ 60 Middletown Land Cover Map ........................................................................................................... 64 Goals and Actions for A Sustainable Community ............................................................................. 65 6. Implementation ....................................................................................................................... 74 Implementation Table ...................................................................................................................... 75 7. Appendices ............................................................................................................................. 79 Appendix 1: Conformance with the State Plan of Conservation and Development ........................ 80 Appendix 2: Conformance with the State Growth Management Principles .................................... 82 Appendix 3: Notification to the Connecticut Office of Policy and Managment ............................... 83 Appendix 4: References, Documents, and Sources .......................................................................... 84 Middletown 2030 | 3 A NOTE FROM THE P&Z COMMISSION CHAIR To the Middletown Community: The Planning & Zoning Commission once every decade prepares a • The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the loss of lives and livelihoods document that expresses the goals and visions of Middletown and guides in our city, and has impacted virtually everyone. Collaboration land use and other municipal decisions. In this 2020-2030 plan, we between municipal government, the Chamber of Commerce, and recognize that economic development, transportation, housing, and the health-care providers serves as a model for how different groups environment are interconnected, and address each of them in the context of individuals can work together for the good of the community. of achieving a thriving, vibrant, and connected city. • The killing of George Floyd and other black men and women, along with the realization that race is a significant factor in the disparate This plan has been shaped by extensive and thoughtful input from health and economic impacts of COVID-19 and climate change, residents, businesses, and city employees, for which we are grateful. One has galvanized our community. We realize that our city cannot be of the dominant themes of this input was that the plan should emphasize sustainable if there is systemic racial and concomitant income the importance of sustainability, not just in the area of the environment, inequality. In July, the city established a Permanent Task Force on but also in the areas of equity, economic development, housing, food Anti-Racism, with the intention of reducing the corrosive impact access, public health, and more. Accordingly, this plan concludes with a that racism has on all residents. chapter focusing on the issue of sustainability. We hope that this plan provides an honest assessment of our city, and During the writing of this plan, Middletown has been buffeted by outside offers clear guidance on how to make a great city even better. We thank events in the areas of public health (COVID-19), the environment (a the many members of our community who helped shape this plan, and drought and severe storms), public safety (concern over police treatment who will play a role in implementing its recommendations. We look of people of color), and civics (a contentious election). These have all forward to working with City staff, community groups, and the boards and emphasized the importance of sustainability and the importance of commissions of the City to achieve its goals. resilience. They have also made it clear that multiple government and non- governmental entities need to work together to make our city the best it Sincerely, can be. • The global climate