Opposing Hawleyville Warehouse Project
To the Editor,
I haven’t written a letter to the Editor in a while.
But here I am, once again writing to oppose the proposed 344,880 sq ft warehouse (yea, that’s right, 344,880 sq ft) with 76 tractor trailer terminals (yea, that’s right, 76).
This is to be built on property adjacent to exit 9. The access would be on Rt 25 across from Covered Bridge Road. That is the neighborhood where I live.
Years ago, my neighbors and I fought to prevent a large church and hundreds of apartments being built in our neighborhood. There is only one way in/out from here. We attended countless meetings, wrote letters, but to no avail. P&Z passed both proposals — so that is what we live with now.
Now, a few years later, here we are again.
This warehouse proposal, in my opinion, is ridiculous, dangerous, and stupid. Last week, Ray Bigelis wrote a Newtown Bee Letter Hive editorial saying what an incredible mistake it would be to allow this project to go through.
If you travel along the I-84 exit 9 corridor or Rt 25 in this area, you know how bad the traffic is now. Just wait until there are 76 tractor trailers exiting onto Rt 25 at exit 9. The air quality will suffer due to the diesel fumes being spewed into the air. There are wetlands where this will be built and I doubt those concerns were seriously looked into. It’s all about build, build, build, and pass everything through.
Doreen Trimarchi has a petition to stop this warehouse. I admire her for trying and truly hope it works. But having seen how Newtown and P&Z works, with project after project getting the green light, I am not hopeful.
Thank you
Janet McKeown
Newtown
Editor’s Note: Newtown Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) voted 6-1 in favor of this development application February 23.
Janet, I hate to ask but what would you approve for use in this location. It is 102 acres. I am not connected to the development at all but with that much land would you approve 40 houses? 30 houses and a gas station? What do you consider acceptable use of the land?
Several candidate projects can be easily approved by the Town & neighbors. Here’s why a 126-Truck servicing hub could be a problem:
• Overwhelming TRAFFIC INCREASES in ALL 4 DIRECTIONS
* Estimates [1] of an average of over THIRTEEN HUNDRED & FIFTY TRUCKs moving in and out in ONE day in addition to the 360 employee vehicles going in and out.
* The above calculation assumes 2 hours for unloading a Tractor Trailer at 38 bays and 1 hour for loading a Tractor Trailer at 38 bays.
* 1350 TRUCKS in 24 hours corresponds to an average of approximately a Truck each minute that could easily peak to over 2-3 Trucks per minute (0.94 Trucks per minute is an average over 24 hours) creating Traffic Jams in both directions on an already burdened 2-lane I-84 around Exit 9
* I-84 Traffic Jams broadly impact homeowners not just in Newtown but also in Bethel, Danbury & Brookfield who commute on I-84 in either direction using Exits 2 to 11
* Traffic Jams on I-84 spill over onto local roads burdening local neighborhoods with all of the consequences of heavy traffic on their streets
* Increases in the number of Trucks on the Interstate DIRECTLY INCREASES THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS since 74% of all fatal passenger vehicle cases include a large truck and 68% of all Truck fatalities are passenger vehicle occupants [2] – impacting the safety of all residents across the Greater Danbury region using I-84
• Non-stop ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION from moving & Idling trucks
* Tailpipe pollution from commercial trucks and buses has a PARTICULARLY OUTSIZED IMPACT on public health
* Heavy duty diesel trucks are the LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO SMOG. Recent Studies have shown that these emissions could be much higher than previously thought [3]
* Non-stop NOXIOUS /NITROUS OXIDES, PARTICULATE MATTER EMISSIONS FROM TRUCKS
* A single line-haul truck emits the NOx equivalent of 100 cars for each mile driven in urban driving [4]
* Trucks operating at idle or speeds less than 25mph result in emissions of Nitrous oxides that are more than FIVE TIMES the certification limit for the average heavy-duty vehicle.
* Contributes to ambient levels of toxins known or suspected as human or animal CARCINOGENs
* Exposures to these toxins can cause NEUROLOGICAL, CARDIOVASCULAR, RESPIRATORY, REPRODUCTIVE & IMMUNE SYSTEM DAMAGE
* Seniors and children ESPECIALLY AT RISK
• Non-stop NOISE POLLUTION from moving & Idling trucks
• Negative ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT of AQUIFER & WILDLIFE with paving over significant ground surface above the Pond Brook aquifer
I would like for you to name one (1) project that you would support for the use of this land? I guess I should expand and say please name one (1) commercial project, not open space, not a park, but true commercial use. As a resident of Newtown, you were likely very happy to take the $230872.80 in property taxes the owners paid per year. Please keep in mind the property is zoned M2-A which allows “significant economic development activities”.
If you look at the law that the committee is bound by you will notice, and I apologize for the cut and paste:
A. Laboratory devoted to research, design, and experimentation.
B. Office building or office buildings, including medical offices.
C. Light industrial use including manufacturing, fabricating, processing, converting, altering, packaging, bottling or assembling of products, the operations of which are conducted solely within an enclosed building or group of buildings.
D. Hotel and conference center having no more than 250 guest rooms.
So, would you approve a hotel with 249 guests, it is allowed by law. I looked through zoning and couldn’t find a reference to NIMby.