Hearing Postponed For Massive Southington Warehouse Project

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A town hearing and, possibly, a decision on a massive warehouse project in Southington has been postponed — albeit by a little more than a week.

The Town of Southington has announced the regularly scheduled Southington Planning and Zoning Commission meeting/hearing slated for Tuesday Aug. 15 has been cancelled.

Instead, the local PZC will meet on Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m. in the John Weichsel Municipal Center Public Assembly Room, 200 N. Main St.

On July 18, the PZC tabled multiple public hearings and agenda items regarding the tax-revenue/job-creating initiative slated for 99 Smoron Drive.

At that time, the commission said the applicants still had to get some application information in to the town and more time was needed.

No reason was given for this eight-day delay, but the town is actively working with the applicant regarding the proposal, which would increase the town's tax base and add jobs to the local economy.

Johnson Development Associates, a national development firm out of Spartanburg, S.C., proposes building a 283,000-square-foot industrial warehouse building on property it owns at 99 Smoron Drive.

It is seeking a special permit, site plan approval and an earth excavation application from the PZC for the 4-acre site, which is zoned industrial.

One hearing is for the earth excavation permit, in which the applicant aims to import/export more than 10,000 plus yards of material for the development.

Another hearing is regarding the special permit for the project.

After the hearing is closed, the PZC could vote on all three applications.

According to the site plan application, the project would include loading docks, trailer and employee parking, stormwater management features, landscaping and lighting.

According to the submitted plans, the development would have 63 loading bays, 76 spaces for tractor trailers and 202 spaces for employee parking.

In addition, it would be serviced by Smoron Road power lines, public water and sewers and be heated via on-site propane tanks.

A specific client for the massive warehouse, whose application was formally submitted to the town's PZC in June, has not yet been disclosed.

From July 18: 'PZC Postpones Massive Southington Warehouse Project To August'