Questions on distribution center plan
Something is rotten in Norwalk. While Planning & Zoning must judiciously consider the special permit application for the Norden Place distribution center, city officials should not be rubber stamping without serious due diligence of any harmful impacts to residents’ quality of life.
Truck tires need to be literally kicked, and “expert” reports paid for by developers viewed with a good dose of skepticism. But that is not what’s happened given the apathetic sign-offs from our city department heads. Officials — including appointed zoning commissioners — are supposed to work in the best interests of their constituents, not boss fealty or outsiders. Even Norwalk’s own hired peer reviewer WSP, arguably themselves conflicted, whitewashed the flawed assumptions and stale data in the applicant’s shaky traffic study.
There is more than an alphabet of serious issues with this project and its handling, but notable scarlet letters go to the Public Works and Health departments for their de facto “little impact” assessments of a giant truck depot in a residential area. It’s laughable that DPW thinks 18-wheelers can easily maneuver wide turns from narrow streets between Strawberry Hill Avenue and East Avenue (the last-minute preferred truck route), or that undo wear from heavy loads will come at minimal cost. Taxpayers do have the expensive option of footing any road re-designs to help the traffic gridlock that’s coming in spades regardless. And can DPW and other department officials really believe in their parental heart of hearts that our new bike lanes along three public schools and a daycare won’t become virtual death traps from wide-berth semis careening to the nearby 19-bay warehouse?
Meanwhile, our health heads are engaged in nothing short of malpractice with their thumbs-up prescription for untoward noise and pollution, and passing concern for the wellness and safety of our children. Apparently to them billowing diesel exhaust from thousands of trucks traversing our neighborhoods weekly, with lengthy idling on already congested roads, is a healthy prognosis. God willing, these city-sanctioned convoys observe the numerous pedestrian and school crossings as they race their quickest routes.
With the negatives so clearly outweighing the negligible economic benefits of 100 promised warehouse jobs, one wonders why this application is being met by the glad-handing of our employed and elected. History tells us to follow the money. A few years ago lead developer KABR Group partnered with the infamous Kushner Companies in a Jersey City real estate project that resulted not only in a contentious tax dispute, but also a dubious pay-to-play scheme — enough to raise SEC ire.
Also very troubling is what we don’t know about this development. It is unfathomable that any sane municipality, including lead lawyer’s neighboring Darien, would entertain a special permit without knowledge of the anchor tenants or their lines of business. In the absence of sunlight, we should assume the worst, such as hazardous chemicals, bulky building materials and perishables that will require far more truckers than the Swiss-cheese traffic report assumed.
Another red flag is why the current owner of 10 Norden Place (Fortis Properties) got kid-glove treatment with their overhanging tax delinquencies as they negotiated the property sale to the permit applicants. The developers agreed to pay all years of arrears with a permit, suggesting this might be the city’s back-door way to collect. If broadening the tax base means zoning deadbeats into bad development, the city’s problems are worse than just being poorly run.
Still unanswered is what happens to the other half of parcel #10A retained by Fortis. A good guess given KABR’s shady past would be there’s a quiet quid pro quo to buy the rest for a stealthy facility expansion once the dust settles, reducing the city of Norwalk to a smoggy I-95 truck stop where any permitting can be bought.