MIDDLETOWN -- The town zoning ordinance will soon be available for free from the Web site of a local anti-sprawl group, Middletown First.
The group received a $5,000 grant for the project from the Van Beuren Charitable Foundation late last month, founder Gail Greenwood said Friday.
The town recently added the zoning code to its Web site, and copies are also available from the Building Inspector's office for $25.
Greenwood said that there is still a need. Once the lengthy document is added to the Middletown First site, visitors will be able to download it and print it out on their own computers, she said.
"From word of mouth, we've heard ours is a little more user-friendly," Greenwood said of Middletown First's Web site.
Users will be able to access the code from the first page of the Web site. There will also be pop-up maps to illustrate examples of zoning regulations, such as what a setback looks like, or what are allowed uses of certain zones.
"A layperson can follow it a little easier," Greenwood said.
The work will be carried out by Practical Planners, which is run by former Middletown town planner Michelle Maher, and the full document should be available on the Web site by the end of the summer, Greenwood said.
A town's zoning code is frequently at the heart of both disputes between neighbors and broad development issues. Greenwood said residents will be able to access the code if they want information about building a deck, or if they want to enlist in the group's crusade against more strip malls and gasoline stations.
Greenwood said the addition of the zoning code to their site is a good tool for the "arm-chair sprawl-buster."
Middletown residents now have a plethora of municipal documents available to them on the Web. The town's Web site includes the town charter, as well as Town Council meeting docket information and minutes. Middletown First provides users with easily accessible copies of the Comprehensive Plan and zoning maps, as well as printable application forms for variances, appeals and special use permits.
To contact Jenny Holland, phone 253-1200 or e-mail jholland(at)projo.com.
