Page 2 - Eric Barz News Today

Some cities and towns that once rolled out the red carpet for new giant distribution centers – and the accompanying growth in tax revenue and jobs – are becoming increasingly hesitant. As towns like Windsor and South Windsor have experienced a warehouse boom, residents are raising increasing alarm over congestion, pollution and noise concerns, prompting some local governments to contemplate stricter land-use controls.

Pet products retailer Chewy is backing away from plans for a $135 million fulfillment center in Windsor. Even so, the developers that lined up to erect the giant e-commerce company’s planned 750,000-square-foot building said they are going to proceed with construction anyway. The logistics market is so hot that representatives from Winstanley Enterprises and NorthPoint Development said they will build a distribution center in the Great Pond Village mixed-use development district on a speculati...

Windsor is contemplating extending its moratorium on retail cannabis establishments for another four months, giving the town time to finalize regulations. This would be the second extension of a moratorium originally adopted in September 2021. The request from the town has landed on the April 12 agenda of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

A Windsor-based development partnership is seeking town approvals for a 192-apartment project in the north of the town. Poquonock Commons LLC already received town approval for a 296-unit mix of houses, condos and apartments at 1857 Poquonock Ave. several years ago, according to Town Planner Eric Barz. The partners behind the limited liability company have already developed 42 townhome condos and 62 single-family houses, Barz said.

Verizon Wireless bought 27.9 acres of undeveloped land in Windsor for $3.4 million earlier in November. The property at 35 Great Pond Drive is close to Interstate 91 and sits in the town’s “Economic Development Zone.” This zone aims to promote development of high-tech offices, research and development and light manufacturing, said Town Planner Eric Barz. Windfield Business Park LLC, of Concord, Mass., sold the property to Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, registered i...