South Windsor warehouse moratorium extended by four months

Apr. 1—SOUTH WINDSOR — The one-year moratorium on warehouses, distribution centers, and freight terminals that went into effect in April 2022 has been extended by four months.

The new expiration date for the moratorium is Aug. 22, which will allow the Planning and Zoning Commission to continue updating the zoning regulations.

Resident Kathryn Kerrigan originally proposed the moratorium nearly a year ago to allow PZC members time to fairly revise the regulations regarding warehouses in town.

Items requested for review included size of new buildings, clear definitions on types of facilities, and requiring traffic and noise studies from third parties.

On March 14, the PZC held a public hearing on removing the moratorium and other proposed regulation changes.

After several residents spoke out, the hearing was continued to the commission's meeting on Tuesday.

Some residents spoke in favor of the changes and ending the moratorium, while others still had concerns about the noise from trucks, proximity of new buildings, and the safety of their children.

"Sadly noise, light, and diesel pollution associated with new warehouses remains essentially unaddressed," Kerrigan said. "Each new warehouse generates a new army of trucks."

Resident Edna Shlien said she often bikes around town and tractor-trailers get very close to her.

"I think they need to stop building warehouses for trucks or they need to change the route and have a different exit for them so they're not going all around the town of South Windsor," she said.

Resident Cherish Lisee echoed prior concerns and said "life in South Windsor has changed" regarding noise levels and the amount of space warehouses take up.

Several residents were pleased that there were clear definitions added to the regulations. The regulations now clearly define warehouses, distribution centers, bus and truck storage facilities, freight terminals, and fulfillment centers.

Under the definition for distribution centers, the regulation states that they cannot be within 500 feet from a residential zone. Freight terminals must be 1,000 feet away.

"The changes in setbacks, buffers, and screening are all really welcome and they will help protect residential neighborhoods, but only to a degree," Kerrigan said.

Resident Gerald Bittner said that he didn't think that the 500-foot buffer between distribution centers and a residential zone was enough.

PZC Chairman Bart Pacekonis clarified at the March 14 meeting that these changes, when adopted, would apply to future applications.

If an applicant has a previously valid approval, then the regulations at the time of the approval would prevail, he said.

PZC member Michael LeBlanc said at the meeting on Tuesday that more work needs to be done to the proposed text changes.

The commission voted unanimously to keep the public hearing open until its next meeting on April 11.

Collin covers South Windsor, East Windsor and Windsor for the Journal Inquirer.