To the Editor:

Math has never been my strong suit, but these numbers are so easy to understand and they tell a mega horror story...

The subject: At the Exit 9 Hawleyville/Mt. Pleasant Road intersection there is a proposal from Wharton equity partners (WEP) of New York City to build a mega 345,000 square foot warehouse and truck terminal on 104 green acres.

Questions:

Why the need for 76 loading bays?

Why the need for 51 trailer truck parking spaces?

Why the need for 352 employee parking spaces?

Why 24/7/365 hours of operation?

How much activity does WEP anticipate to ask for a road cut onto Mt Pleasant Road just below the crest of the hill?

What is the number and who are the warehouse lessees?

What kind of goods will be “warehoused”?

Facts:

Road damage impact — 1 fully loaded 18-wheel truck equals the impact of 9,600 passenger cars on road surface.

Four passenger cars equal the length of one 18-wheel truck

Average passenger car is 4,000 lbs.

35,000 lbs is weight of one empty 18-wheel truck

80,000 lbs is weight of one fully loaded 18-wheel truck

Historical:

204 Newtown residents attended April 7th P&Z meeting

104 Newtown residents turn out for April 30 “say no” to Wharton mega warehouse/truck terminal Main Street rally

Probable scenarios: when I 84 is backed up, a very frequent occurrence, here are choices for alternate truck routes:

1 — get off I-84 at Exit 8, travel down Mt Pleasant Road to access warehouse to unload and load.

2 — fully loaded trucks leaving truck terminal can access Exit 10 via Mt Pleasant Road up to Main Street, making a left turn at the flagpole down to I-84.

3 — continuing past C.H. Booth Library down to Route 302, Bridgeport and points beyond, or over to Exit 11 at Wasserman Way.

This type of business and its location do not meet the requirements as stated in the Newtown regulations on page 83. It is not in harmony with our people and neighborhoods, not environmentally harmless to our health and safety, and not user friendly to our infrastructure.

Traffic will worsen to mega proportions. Numbers don’t lie! Please come to the P&Z meeting at the Edmond Town Hall on May 5 at 7 pm. Make your voice heard.

Save Newtown — say no! Let the message be clear, the residents of Newtown do understand and welcome business development that has been conscientiously and cohesively culled.

Newtown best numbers: population 27,560 — 06470 is our Newtown zip code.

Rosemary Rau

Newtown