East Granby closes the door to new mega-warehouses near Bradley. Why are towns saying no?

In a setback for a developer considering a new mega-warehouse near Bradley International Airport, East Granby planners rejected a move that would have allowed warehouses up to 800,000 square feet in their town.

More than 80 residents signed a petition this summer opposing the New Jersey-based Silverman Group’s request to amend the town’s zoning rules.

The company owns about 130 acres of woodlands along Sheldon’s Brook on the south side of Route 20, about a mile and a half from the airport’s edge.

Silverman previously sought and received a change to zoning rules to allow up to 400,000 square feet for a warehouse in the the town’s commerce park transition zone.

This month it asked the planning and zoning commission to double that limit, authorizing warehouses of up to 800,000 square feet. The proposed rule would have permitted parking for up to 400 trailers and 640 cars, and as many as 480 loading docks.

Silverman did not submit any application for an 800,000-square-foot warehouse, though, because such a project can’t be permitted unless the zoning revision is adopted.

Silverman has previously considered twin 400,000-square-foot warehouses on the site, and also had been looking to propose another version with 148 apartments as well.

Neighbors of several nearby housing developments told the commission that Route 20 and Route 187 in their part of town are already too busy.

“Route 20 is laden with gas stations and ridiculous traffic now,” Betsy Tomolonis wrote in a letter to commissioners.

“We cannot bear any more traffic in this area. People are finding ways around it, filtering into our neighborhoods,” she wrote. “Many are using the Spoonville route and as a result they may not abide by the traffic restrictions that are in place.”

Joe Doering wrote that the Silverman Group knew the rules when it bought the property, and has already been given a large increase in the maximum warehouse size.

“The parcel was purchased with the understanding that there was a 300,000 square foot limit on building. This was increased to 400,000 square feet,” he wrote.

“Now you are being asked to double the size and allow the parking and traffic that would come with a 24/7 warehouse operation of this size right next to neighborhoods, our high school and leading into the village center,” Doering wrote.

Doering warned that if this change went through, more companies beyond Silverman would put forward plans for the largest possible warehouses in the zone.

“What will this area and the town become?,” he asked. “Do we really want this to be Day Hill Road or Route 75 in Windsor Locks?”

After a hearing last week on the proposed zoning revision, Chairman Charlie Allen argued in favor of it. He said planners could address the neighbors’ concerns on a case-by-case basis when reviewing specific plans. Restrictions on nighttime lighting, for instance, would preclude the risk of a disruptive third shift, he said.

Allen cautioned against rejecting the zoning revision, since it could limit economic development and the town’s chance for more tax revenue.

“We have a responsibility to the new families to provide for your kids’ education, we have a responsibility to our seniors to allow them to continue to live in East Granby,” he said. “It would be short-sighted to stop the development process from going through.”

But Commissioner Amanda Thompson said the town should take time to consider the best use for the land. Warehouses have little personal property, for instance, which is usually the basis for substantial tax revenue, she said.

“When we take the largest piece of open land in town, I want to make sure we do it thoughtfully,” she said. “It’s easy to see that shiny thing right now, but we have to follow the course of what’s right for our town and what our community wants.”

The six-member commission split 3-3 on whether to authorize the zoning revision; that vote served as a rejection.