Middlebury Morning

Middlebury’s news - without the noise

Good Morning Middlebury! Two things dominated the week in Middlebury. A group trying to preserve 35 acres next to Memorial Middle School is down to its final days to raise enough pledges to stop the land from becoming a 14 home subdivision, and the clock runs out Tuesday. Also the results are in from Monday's Democratic Town Committee primary (and they weren't close).

35 acres Kelly Road land is at a pivotal point for potential residential development.

The group working to turn 35 acres on Kelly Road into a public multi-activity park has four days (at most) to keep the deal alive.

Save Historic Middlebury missed a $1 million payment that was due March 1. The grace period on that missed payment expires Tuesday, March 10. After that, the landowner can walk away from the purchase contract and move forward with his already-approved plan to build 14 homes on the site. The property sits 25 feet from Memorial Middle School.

SHM President Nick Stuller posted a direct plea for help on Friday, March 6. He is asking residents, donors, and supporters to submit pledges before Tuesday. This is not necessarily full payments, but instead commitments. His message: if the pledges are substantial enough, the seller has every reason to give the group more time to pull financing together, because the contract guarantees him a solid return with minimal risk.

Stuller says the organization has been working closely with the Trust for Public Land (tpl.org) and CT Land Conservation Council (ctconservation.org), both of which have provided guidance and expressed support for the project. He believes grants could ultimately cover 90 percent of the total cost, meaning donor loans would be paid back.

Even if Tuesday passes without a deal, Stuller says the effort may not be over. Construction on a subdivision isn't immediate, and the group says it will stay ready to act if pledges accumulate in the coming weeks before any ground is broken.

Callout: To pledge or ask questions, contact Nick Stuller at 917-533-5593, or visit www.shmiddlebury.org.

All 25 current members of the Middlebury Democratic Town Committee won their races; the highest challenger vote count was 60.

The results from Monday's Democratic Town Committee primary were one-sided. Every one of the 25 current MDTC members kept their seats. Not a single challenger came close.

The lowest vote total among incumbents was 250 (Christian Yantorno). The highest vote total for any challenger was 60 (Paul Vance Sr.). Every other challenger topped out in the 38–55 range.

Voter turnout was roughly 15 percent of Middlebury's 1,619 registered Democrats — about 330 total votes cast, based on early and final counts reported by the Bee-Intelligencer. The weather on election day included freezing rain following snow, which likely kept some voters home.

The 15 challengers included seven people who were ousted from the MDTC in 2024, among them Vance Sr. and former members Francis Barton Jr., Thomas Gilbertie, and Linda Herrmann. After filing primary petitions in late January, they were soundly rejected at the ballot box.

Per state election law, the results remain unofficial pending hand-counting of two outstanding ballots and certification by Town Clerk Brigitte Bessette.

The proposed 2026/2027 budget is heading to the Board of Education for review.

Region 15 Superintendent Joshua Smith has presented his proposed 2026-27 budget to the Board of Education: $98,850,254. The presentation was delayed one day due to the February snowstorm that closed schools.

The district serves students in Middlebury and Southbury across seven schools. Residents in both towns will vote on the budget in the annual referendum on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 — the same day as the town budget vote.

Details on specific line items and the increase over the current year budget have not yet been published. The Board of Education will hold reviews and public sessions in the coming weeks before a final budget is adopted.

Middlebury parents should also note that elementary schools have early dismissal days coming up for parent-teacher conferences — check the Region 15 calendar at region15.org for exact dates.

Tuesday, March 10 — Save Historic Middlebury / Kelly Road deadline. Owner can terminate purchase contract after this date.

Wednesday, March 11 — Board of Finance meeting, 7:00 p.m., Town Hall Conference Room. Budget discussion is open to the public.

Thursday, March 12 — Basket Weaving at Middlebury Senior Center, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Monday, March 16 — Board of Selectmen meeting, 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 7 — Public hearing on the town budget, 6:30 p.m., Larkin Room, Middlebury Public Library.

Wednesday, May 6 — Town budget referendum (official annual vote).

Comments? Suggestions? We’ll take ‘em!

Drop us a line at [email protected]