The proposed apartment project at the corner of Middle Rd and Court St/Rt7 requires the careful, detailed and thoughtful scrutiny of the Development Review Board because of the multiple issues it raises in the Development Application Review Checklist. In my 60 years as a Middlebury resident, I cannot recall of a project that requires more careful scrutiny than this one. The Development Application Review Checklist, especially those items that reference: Character of the neighborhood or the Area Affected — will the project have an undue adverse effect? I maintain it will and note the following topics identify some of the issues that must be reviewed in this proposed project.

• Project Design: The industrial-like apartment building is oversized on an undersized lot and is an anomaly for this location as it “overwhelms” the area. No amount of “lipstick” can fix it.
• Traffic Safety: The completion of this project and the Stewart’s project will present challenges to maintain traffic safety in an already very busy area of town. It is essential that the two projects undertake the task of funding a professional traffic study to address safety and congestion concerns.
• Parking: The current space needed to meet demand for parking exceeds the availability. This will cause the need for monitoring and enforcement as people will seek alternative parking space on neighboring properties. How and who will be responsible for this task and will be responsible for enforcement? This issue also requires an independent professional parking study.
• Project Vision: Who will be served by the completion of this project? This is not intended to meet the demand for affordable housing options for Middlebury area residents, rather it is intended for renters who will pay market rates, which will maximize the financial return for the developer.

Please consider learning more about this proposed project and decide if you believe it meets your vision of responsible development for Middlebury.

Mark J Mooney

Middlebury