Norwich Wetlands Commission To Continue Review Of Proposed Occum Distribution Facility

NORWICH, CT — The Norwich Inland Wetlands, Watercourses & Conservation Commission is scheduled to continue public hearings Oct. 1 on a proposed 1.07 million-square-foot fulfillment and distribution facility at the Occum Industrial Center and two related wetland mitigation projects.

The commission could take action on the three applications following the hearings, according to its meeting agenda.

The main application covers Lots 10 and 11 at the Occum Industrial Center, formerly known as 432 Canterbury Turnpike and 180 Lawler Lane.

Bluewater Management Group LLC, through principal Stephen Butte, is seeking approval for construction of an approximately 1,066,832-square-foot fulfillment and distribution facility. Plans include loading docks, employee and trailer parking, internal access drives, utilities and other site work.

According to the agenda, the project would involve approximately 2.96 acres of permanent direct wetland disturbance, 15.70 acres of disturbance within the Upland Review Area and 0.08 acres of temporary direct wetland disturbance.

The property is owned by the Norwich Community Development Corporation. The parcels are in the city's Planned Development District.

Commissioners are also scheduled to continue hearings on two off-site wetland mitigation applications associated with the Occum project.

One application concerns 300 Canterbury Turnpike, where Bluewater proposes converting an existing upland agricultural field into approximately 3.67 acres of wetlands. The applicant proposes to construct, plant, monitor, maintain and permanently protect the new wetland as compensatory mitigation for the Occum Industrial Center project. The property is owned by Three Rivers Retrievers LLC.

Another application concerns 374 Canterbury Turnpike. There, Bluewater proposes converting an existing upland area into approximately 5.59 acres of wetlands that would also be permanently protected as off-site compensatory mitigation. The property is owned by Richard James Tarryk, Shirlee M. Holmes and Mary A. Tague.

Under other business, the commission is scheduled to consider an "As of Right Determination" involving Norwich Public Utilities and PFAS at 242 West Town Street.

The commission is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, in Room 335 at 100 Broadway.