Enfield Town Council To Vote On Revised Tax Abatement For Winstanley

ENFIELD, CT — Nearly a year after rejecting a proposed tax abatement for Winstanley Enterprises on a controversial half-million square-foot warehouse facility on North Maple Street, the Enfield Town Council Monday will consider a revised resolution for a tax assessment agreement with the Massachusetts-based company.

The resolution on Monday's agenda, posted Friday afternoon, calls for a 30 percent assessment reduction over a 7-year period. The full text of the resolution reads:

ENFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. _____
Resolution to Approve Tax Assessment Agreement for
113 North Maple Street
WHEREAS, PPF WE 113 North Maple Street LLC owns the property at 113 North Maple
Street (the property); and
WHEREAS, PPF WE 113 North Maple Street LLC has constructed a 501,500 square foot
building to be used primarily as a warehouse, storage, and distribution facility
by Agri-Mark and Eppendorf; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Enfield will provide a Tax Assessment Agreement in accordance
with Connecticut General Statute §12-65b and pursuant to the Town’s Tax
Abatement Guidelines effective with the October 1, 2023 Grand List.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Manager, Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, is
empowered to enter into a Tax Assessment Agreement for a 30% reduction
over 7 years, subject to review and approval by the Town Attorney, in the
name of and on behalf of the Town of Enfield with PPF WE 113 North Maple
Street LLC to benefit Agri-Mark and Eppendorf.
Date Completed: January 5, 2023
Completed by: Office of the Town Manager

Winstanley had originally applied for a 10-year tax abatement on the 71-acre property, initially appraised at $50 million. Under terms of a resolution on the Feb. 7, 2022 meeting agenda, the appraised value would be adjusted to $39 million, and assessed at $27,300,000, for a seven-year period.

Following public commentary, during which more than 30 residents spoke out against the proposal in the auditorium of the former Enrico Fermi High School building across the street, the council voted 0-7-3 to deny the application.

The construction project on former farmland at 113 North Maple Street met with considerable opposition from neighbors in the adjacent Misty Meadow subdivision when it was proposed in 2020. A grassroots effort to prevent construction was unsuccessful, though the project did not get underway until nearly a year after originally planned.

Construction was completed last summer, and the building currently houses warehouse, storage and distribution facilities for Agri-Mark, the Northeast’s premier dairy cooperative, and Eppendorf, a life science company which develops and sells systems for use in laboratories.

Monday's meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Enfield Town Hall.