There will be a public hearing for Application #23-26Z on Thursday, August 3 at 7pm at Shepardson Community Center (1172 Whittemore Rd, Middlebury) during the regular Planning & Zoning meeting.
The Middlebury Small Town Alliance (MSTA) filed this application to amend the Middlebury Zoning Regulations to include a proposed 1-year moratorium of 1) any distribution facility regardless of size or 2) any warehouse use comprising a gross floor area in excess of 100,000 square feet.
A moratorium is a temporary halt or pause to development in order for a Planning and Zoning Commission to fairly assess and revise its regulations concerning a particular kind of development. For example, the Town of Farmington just extended a 6-month moratorium on new multi-family and single-family developments for another 6 months to give the town more time to decide what it can do to make housing more affordable. Farmington’s P&Z Commissioners wanted additional time to do research and to hold more in-depth conversations about their current zoning regulations, so they gave themselves 6 more months to do so.
In our case, a moratorium on distribution facilities and large warehouses would create space for the community to come together and carefully consider our current zoning regulations and our Plan of Conservation and Development to see if such development is appropriate for Middlebury. The Economic Development Commission already unanimously voted in January that this kind of development does not align with Middlebury’s values, and hundreds of residents have vigorously opposed the current plans for redevelopment of the Timex property at 555 Christian Rd, so it appears that there is a real need for a pause and careful consideration of our zoning regulations.
Ask the P&Z Commission to Vote Yes for a moratorium. You can attend the hearing on 8/3 to speak (bring a copy of your written comments to hand in) or email Curt Bosco at cbosco@middlebury-ct.org in advance of the meeting (by 4pm on 8/3). The MSTA has asked for the largest room possible as well as Zoom access for the hearing. Testimony could focus on the following:
- Do you support the development of large warehouses and/or distribution facilities in Middlebury?
- What concerns do you have about this kind of development in Middlebury (traffic congestion, size of building, noise, pollution, proximity to sensitive receptors, etc.)?
- Do you think Middlebury’s zoning code should be changed to allow this kind of large scale development?
- If you support this kind of development in Middlebury, what specific benefits explain your support?
- Are there any kind of restrictions that could be placed on this kind of development to make it acceptable in Middlebury (building size limit, enhanced separation from incompatible uses, etc.)?
- Is it important to know HOW the facility will be used and WHO (which company) will be operating out of such a facility before the application is approved?
- If a moratorium is approved, would you be willing to volunteer to attend public meetings to share ideas, offer suggestions, and participate in a collaborative process to review Middlebury’s zoning regulations?
