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May 19, 2022

Windsor officials adopt tighter controls for new warehouses/logistics centers

Courtesy of JLL Target Corp. will occupy a scaled-down version of this distribution center planned in Windsor.
By Michael Puffer

Windsor officials last week adopted stronger controls over construction of new warehouses and distribution centers, responding to rising resident concerns.

The change approved unanimously by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission makes new warehouses and distribution facilities subject to a special permit approval, rather than “by right” in industrial and warehouse zoning districts.

Town Planner Eric Barz, who crafted the changes, explained to the commission at its May 11 meeting that it could presently only “rubber stamp” applications that met all the required design criteria.

“Does it meet the regulations? Yes – you must approve,” Barz said. “With a special use, you can weigh in on such factors as is it compatible with the neighborhood, does it generate too much traffic, is there sufficient utility capacity. Things of that nature come into play.”

The change also means that large warehouse proposals will be subject to public hearings, and the commission can use resident feedback to require changes to plans to address the concerns of residents and board members.

The regulation change, however, is designed to have no impact on the influx of new manufacturing facilities, with the understanding these will operate on fewer hours and result in less traffic, Barz explained.

Under the regulation, any proposal for a new warehouse or logistics center that is a) 200,000 or more square feet in size, b) has more than one loading dock per 1,500 square feet of floor area, c) has more than one trailer parking space per 7,500 square feet of floor area or d) is within 1,000 feet of a residential zone, would be required to gain a special permit.

Barz said the change doesn’t allow the commission complete discretion, but it does allow the commission to deny a proposal deemed “too intensive.” It additionally allows the commission to mandate conditions meant to lessen impacts to surrounding residents.

The push for tighter controls began with resident complaints about the approval process for the BDL Logistics Center development in 2021. Scannell Properties was approved to add two buildings with a combined 487,200 square feet at 1190 Kennedy and 451 Hayden Station roads.

Barz and commission members agreed they did not want to take the route of South Windsor and place a moratorium on new warehouse development while regulations are drafted. Barz was complimented by commission members on the speed with which he was able to craft zoning changes without the need for a moratorium.

Interest in Windsor development remains heavy and applications for two new projects were submitted ahead of the public hearing, meaning their review will be governed under the previous, more permissive process.

These include a plan by Indus Realty to build a 248,000-square-foot distribution center on 61.7 acres at 105 International Drive, and NorthPoint Development’s proposal to build a 750,000-square-foot distribution center on 93 acres in the Great Pond Village mixed-use development. 

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