Route 35 ‘Village’ Proposal Goes Before Middletown Planning Board

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Meeting scheduled for June 1

By Joseph Sapia
MIDDLETOWN – As the township Planning Board is about to begin hearing the development proposal, those living in the area of the proposed Route 35 “Village” project are expressing traffic concerns.
On Wednesday, June 1, John Orrico/Village 35 LP of Purchase, New York, is to present the Shoppes at Middletown proposal to develop almost 340,000-square feet of commercial space on about 52 acres of an approximately 118-acre tract on Route 35 north between Kings Highway, Carriage Drive and Kanes Lane.
The property, which sits diagonally across the highway from the municipal complex, is known for its “Calico the Clown” sign and contains various businesses, a few residences and open space, including woods.
The Shoppes at Middletown’s 338,455 feet of commercial space breaks down into:
— Retail space of 285,622-square feet, individually ranging from 5,000- to 199,572-square feet.
— Restaurant space of 27,033-square feet, individually ranging from 4,000- to 9,500-square feet.
— Movie theater space of 25,800-square feet.
The Shoppes at Middletown would have 1,786 parking spaces.
Plans show a combination of connected and disconnected buildings, an internal road system, storm water basins and wetlands. The proposed use of the property complies with the Planned Development (PD) zoning, along with the General Development Plan for the area adopted by the Planning Board last year.
Village 35 seeks preliminary and final major subdivision and site plan approval. The subdivision is necessary to divide the 52-acre commercial aspect from the property’s remaining 66 acres.
Attempts to reach Village 35 for comment have been unsuccessful.
The June 1 Planning Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the courtroom of the municipal complex at Route 35 and Kings Highway.
Earlier this month, Toll Brothers of Horsham, Pennsylvania, submitted an application for the Oaks at Middletown residential component on the property’s remaining 66 acres. Toll Brothers wants to build 350 townhouses – 280 at market selling price and 70 government-designated affordable housing units.
Looking from Route 35, the townhouses would sit at the rear of the property, backing up to Carriage Drive.
The Oaks at Middletown also complies with the property’s Planned Development (PD) zone and the General Development Plan for the area.
No planning board date has been set for the Toll Brothers application to seek its major subdivision approval and major site plan approval.
Because the Oaks at Middletown plans were only recently submitted, the application is likely two or more months away from being heard by the board, according to officials. Also, the Toll Brothers proposal is subject to the pending Village 35 commercial component.
The 118 acres is owned by Mountain Hill LLC, a local company.
Chris Campanelli, who lives on nearby Heritage Drive, views the development proposals as “basically, putting a whole, other neighborhood there.”
“That’s a whole lot of traffic I didn’t want,” said Campanelli, 22. “If they wanted to build something smaller, I wouldn’t be so opposed. It seems a bit much.”
Monica Clark, who lives in the same neighborhood as Campanelli, had mixed feelings.
“It would be nice to have a movie theater in the area,” said Clark, 46. “It would be nice to walk to restaurants. I’m just concerned about the additional traffic.”
Clark specifically said she was “concerned about the additional traffic on Kings Highway East.”
“I just think we’re stressing the infrastructure,” Clark said.
Chad Sumor, who lives in the nearby Cambridge Manor development, questioned how well more commercial space would do.
“I don’t think it’ll actually do good,” said Sumor, 43. “We already have movie theaters up and down the road. Stores are closed.
“There’s wildlife, where’s that going to go?” Sumor added.
Open space will be gone and “traffic is going to be a mess getting out of here,” said Dawn Samhammer, 41, who also lives in Cambridge Manor.
“(Route) 35 is going to be like (Interstate) 287,” Samhammer said. “They’re going to have to make our two-lane highway a three-lane highway and all these small businesses are going to go under.”
The 118 acres has been the subject of various building applications over the last two decades, but none of those projects came to fruition.