Middletown homeowners turn up in droves to oppose truck terminal

The Middletown Planning and Zoning Commission continued a public hearing May 24 for a request for a special exception to construct an 8,100-square-foot trucking terminal in a densely populated, residential area near Interstate 91.

MIDDLETOWN — Amid strong opposition from the public, members of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission continued a public hearing regarding a special exception request to construct an 8,100-square-foot trucking terminal with 10 loading docks in a densely populated, residential area near Interstate 91.

The applicant, Manjit Sandhu, who owns HHA Trucking in Wallingford, according to attorney Diane Lord, representing Sandhu, is seeking a code variance for six acres in the Timber Ridge Road interstate transit zone. The building would be 25 feet tall.

Some 30 Middletown residents and those who live near the area, located near the eastern portion of Berlin, either spoke against or expressed concerns about the proposal during the May 24 hearing that lasted more than two-and-a-half hours. Five others emailed their opposition to the Land Use Department. The plan calls for eight small, and two large, overhead bays and a 42-space parking lot to accommodate tractor-trailers and employees, Land Use Director Marek Kozikowski said Thursday. It would be built on wooded land, a portion of which would need to be cleared,

Neither the commission nor Kozikowski know what products the business hauls and ships, he said. However, members don't necessarily need to know or regulate that aspect when it comes to the zoning amendment request. "It would make no difference if it were golf balls or computer monitors," Kozikowski said.

The facility would take in large amounts of freight, according to those involved in the project, then load it onto tractor-trailers for disbursement.

The plan is to move the HHA Trucking Wallingford office and Meriden terminal to the site, Lord, who works for Willinger, Willinger and Bucci of Shelton, said during her presentation.

The company owns 15 trucks and employs 13 drivers, she told commissioners. The plan is to have 13 drivers arrive in the morning, load up their trucks and leave the site, then return in the evening, park their trucks and go home, she said.

The project received approval at the May 3 Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Agency meeting.

Bryan Panico, an engineer and surveyor with Harry E. Cole & Son of Plantsville, presented the site plans, explaining that HHA Trucking would maximize parking spaces so vehicles would not be scattered around the property.

He said the building, parking, trucking and circulation fits within the zoning requirements, and the company would maintain the 60-foot buffer to the residential zone. There are other businesses on Timber Ridge and nearby Middle Street that use tractor-trailers, he added.

Loading and unloading would take place inside the building, Panico added.

Lord said drivers would arrive between 7 and 8 a.m. and load their trucks, leave, and return between 5 and 6 p.m. They would not be permitted to go through the neighborhood, she added.

Panico told commissioners there would be a required 60-foot buffer between the business and homes, and the building would be an additional 60 feet from the buffer zone. The trucks would be standard 53-foot vehicles.

Former mayor Domenique Thornton, who has lived on Timber Ridge for 30 years, read a letter to commissioners strongly opposing the terminal. Her home is a half-mile from the proposed site.

"I do not believe the applicant has made their case," she said Thursday.

Thornton was concerned about safety, particularly for walkers, elderly people, those who work nearby, schoolchildren, buses, cyclists and parents with children. In addition, she said, 15 babies have been born on the street in the last year, and are often carried in strollers.

"Everyone is against it," she said of residents, who have been meeting regularly to discuss the issue.

The site has a stream and woods, Thornton said, and the property abuts power lines. In addition, there is a business on Ken Dooley Drive that uses tractor-trailers to transport items. Already, they have some trouble navigating the sharp turn onto Timber Ridge, she added.

Thornton believes the terminal is a clear violation of Middletown's zoning codes, which recognizes certain uses and features that, "because of the unique characteristics, cannot be distinctly classified or regulated in a particular zone or zones without consideration in each case of the impact of such uses and features will have upon neighboring uses and the surrounding area compared with the public need for them in particular locations," she told commissioners.

"I was always pro-business as mayor," she said Thursday. "You can't be pro-jobs unless you’re pro-business."

Many residents showed up to the PZC meeting to express their opposition to the plan, talking about how the environment, wildlife and air quality may be affected, as well as property values.

There is no information to back up residents' opinions who say values will depreciate, Lord said.

Resident Kevin Smith said he was worried about an increase in noise levels, exhaust fumes, as well as oil and diesel drippings; while Anthony Elder was concerned about light pollution.

There is a day care facility nearby on Bradley Street, Sandra Renkiewicz pointed out, and the surrounding roads are not built for tractor-trailers.

Sarah Meister, who told commissioners that trash already is strewn along the sides of Timber Ridge Road, said she believes the brook would become contaminated.

Joseph Reikowicz said that he believed diesel fuel fumes would contribute to respiratory illnesses in children.

The issue will be taken up during the next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting scheduled for June 21. For information, visit middletownct.gov.