By any measure, 2024 was a big year for #MiddletownRI. Read more about our "Year In Review," with positives across the board for the community where we live, work and play. And here's to an even better, more successful 2025.
SETTING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR GENERATIONS IN 2024
Middletown Had A Big Year With Positive Progress Across The Board
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (DECEMBER 26, 2024) – Middletown, local leaders have said the objective is always to make the community the best place it can be to live, work and play.
Some years, modest strides are made, in others it’s more significant.
Then, there’s 2024.
Decades from now when people look back at the modern-day history of Middletown, there’s a strong chance the past year will stand out more than most.
It was the year the town locked in an agreement for Middletown Center to remake 15 acres at 600-740 West Main Road, a project expected to generate more than $1 million in new revenues for the community annually.
It was the year the town moved quickly to snap up 110 Enterprise Center for a new Middletown Public Library, a project featuring a dynamic central location that won’t cost taxpayers a cent in new taxes.
It was the year the drumbeat for a new middle-high school continued its steady march towards a spring 2025 groundbreaking and opening in time for the start of the 2027 school year.
It was the year when the town bought the Hoogendoorn nursery property on Turner Road, with 55 percent of the $5.4 million purchase covered by the state.
It was the year the Town Council’s work to make the community more affordable for residents and businesses became crystal clear with the town’s Tiered Residential Tax Program (TRTP).
For all intents and purposes, it was a year where essentially every town department and the schools made massive strides forward for the benefit of all.
“From our first day together, I think we all agreed that there was quite a bit we wanted to get done and we delivered on many of those goals,” council President Paul M. Rodrigues said. “When I look back at what we accomplished, it would be hard to argue these projects don’t benefit all of Middletown. Saying that, there’s still a lot we have in the hopper and we’re going to keep moving forward as a community.”
“Being on the council has taught me how much it takes to get anything done,” council Vice President Thomas P. Welch III said. “It’s not nearly as simple as people make it out to be and we can’t thank everyone enough who volunteers their time to make Middletown a better place. If you look across the state at what’s going on, any one of these projects would be it for the whole year and we’ve accomplished a number of them.”
Affordability
Opening 2024, much of the talk was focused on affordability, a theme that continued through the year.
The cost of housing topped the conversation, with some saying it was getting difficult for working people to stay or move to town.
Not a trend unique to Middletown or other oceanfront communities, town officials heard the call and did what they could to help while moving the municipality forward.
Whether it was deploying the TRTP to help residents or holding the line on spending in the Fiscal 2025 budget, local leaders repeatedly said it was critical Middletown be hyper focused on the realities for some people.
The results of Revaluation 2024 reflected this, with property values rising across the board, but the tax rate adjusted in turn to try to normalize local impacts. The town’s tax office also reported about the same number of appeals in Revaluation 2024 as other revaluation years.
Unfortunately, the town got word over the summer its own project to create affordable housing came up short with the state.
At the time, local leaders said there was so much competition for the limited affordable housing support and Middletown’s proposals for 26 Oliphant Lane and 650 Green End Ave. were not funded. The main reason was the plans didn’t provide enough density to make them worthwhile compared to others across the Ocean State.
This news caused area officials to go back to the drawing board and reassess where the town should go next, a dialogue that’s continuing today. The town’s volunteer Affordable Housing Committee continues to factor heavily into this conversation.
Throughout the year, local leaders reminded everyone new housing coming to Middletown, albeit not all of the affordable housing variety. Still, they said the close to 600 units approved and in the pipeline should provide more places to live.
As part of the development process, local leaders said they urge homebuilders to keep in mind the community’s demands for workforce housing wherever possible.
With plans for local growth at Naval Station Newport, the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, they’ve said these requirements were even more pressing.
The Middletown Center project is expected to fill some of those needs. First envisioned in 2007, the town finalized in October a public-private partnership to remake the former Navy Lodge, West Main Road Recreational Complex, Middletown Public Library and former Kennedy School sites.
Under terms of the agreement, local developers Christopher Bicho, James Karam and Rocky Kempenaar are expected to bring 150 new apartments to the area, including 15 classified as affordable. That’s in addition to a new hotel, commercial and office spaces, ballfields and play areas.
Once the project is substantially complete, the town is expected to receive more than $1 million in new taxes and revenues. Town officials have said the properties north of Coddington Highway to the intersection of Valley Road haven’t generated a nickel in taxes since the World War II era.
Around the same time, the council also announced plans to relocate the library to a single story building behind Town Hall instead of new construction at the former Kennedy School site.
Under the proposal, officials said Middletown gets a better facility in a more suitable location and saves at least $14 million in the process. Best yet, they said the project was not expected to add a cent to the tax rate.
“Our first goal is to make sure Middletown is a safe, family friendly community for everyone,” Rodrigues said. “We also want to focus on affordability while continuing to move Middletown in a positive direction. It’s definitely a balancing act, but we’re focused on our residents and businesses and ensuring their success.”
Educational Improvements
In late April, the School Committee had an exciting announcement, appointing Billy Niemeyer as the new superintendent. Promoting the well respected principal of Gaudet Middle School was applauded across the community for breathing life and positive energy into the district.
In short order, the, benefits of the move were obvious. Teachers spoke about the amazing transformation in their buildings and everyone talked about a new era for Middletown schools.
Over the first week of classes, educators across the district approached Niemeyer and thanked him for his efforts to try to bring the Middletown schools to the next level. In turn, Niemeyer said he was following the marching orders from the School Committee.
Middletown High mathematics teacher Jerry Haas was named the new principal at Gaudet.
On the new middle-high school front, the momentum was no less obvious. Despite concerns from a vocal segment of the community, the project has met — or exceeded — every benchmark along the way.
In May, the Gilbane Building Company of Providence was named as construction manager for the new school on fields at 1225 Aquidneck Ave. just north of Gaudet. At the same time, the Bentley Companies of Warwick were selected as the construction manager to renovate the existing Middletown High and Forest Avenue School buildings.
Both projects have remained completely “on time and on budget” as the volunteer School Building Committee, the architects, planners and other stakeholders work through the design process.
Over the summer, the town learned the middle-high school was eligible to receive the maximum reimbursement from the state of 55 percent of the total cost of the project, a huge savings to local taxpayers.
“One thing I’m particularly proud of is how we might not all agree, we reach our decisions in a respectful way that focuses on what’s best for all of Middletown,” Welch said. “Sometimes, people tend to focus on what’s right in front of them without considering the larger picture here.”
Summer & More
As a beach community, the health of Second and Third beaches are a concern.
After a rough winter where there were far more rocks on Second Beach than any in recent memory, it sparked talk about the future of the Sachuest Point Road hotspot.
Crews with the town’s Department of Public Works did an amazing job preparing the beach for what was an unbelievable summer, removing most of the rocks and helping restore the smooth, fine sand as much as possible.
Beach staff reported a record summer, with Mother Nature definitely doing her part bringing sunny, beautiful days and no swimming closures at either beach.
The town and Police Department also announced plans to more actively manage the coyote population through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They said with daily oversight, problems should be prevented before bubbling to the surface.
Like on the national level, there was quite a bit of buzz about the local elections.
On Election Day, voters overwhelming made their voices heard, reelecting all six council incumbents and showing support for the direction of Middletown. Councilor Barbara A. VonVillas led the list followed by Rodrigues, Welch, Peter Connerton, Dennis Turano, Chris Logan and newcomer Charlie Roberts. Tami Holden and Bill Nash were voted to the School Committee without opposition. A short-time later, Rodrigues and Welch were returned to their leadership seats.
On the personnel front, things were stable, minus the retirement of beloved Police Chief Anthony Pesare in December, capping a 40-year law enforcement. Fire Chief James Peplau also left for a job with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Boston.
The town and schools further cemented their positive working relationship through new shared financial offices, overseen by Finance Director Marc Tanguay. Anthony Voccio handles day-to-day operations as Director Of Shared Financial Services.
Interviews continue for a town-school Facilities Director, a first for the community that will oversee every municipal and educational building. The goal is to make sure each facility is managed actively and the town gets the longest and best use of every site.
Importantly, the town maintained its "Aa1" bond rating with Moody's, a critical announcement in May that helps on a number of fronts and proves the solid management of Middletown through the eyes of an independent ratings house. The rating remains among the strongest in Rhode Island.
The town also launched the Middletown Employee Wellness Committee, another first for the community. The goal of the committee is to help with employee physical, mental and other forms of health.
“I think Paul and Tom said it best, about how proud they are of what we’ve gotten done in 2024,” Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown said. “Without the steady, clear direction of the council and our volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish one tenth of what we do. And it cannot be overstated how critical the belief and support of our residents and businesses is to everything as well. When everyone is pulling in the same direction, things are much, much easier for everyone.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/Year-In-Review-2024
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
Media Contact
Matt Sheley
Public Affairs Officer
401-842-6543
msheley@middletownri.com