Development giant Winstanley Enterprises is pledging to donate 22 undeveloped acres to Enfield as a conservation buffer to its planned 819,000-square-foot distribution center on the former Hallmark property.
Plans for development of 35 Bacon Road received approval from the town’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency last week among stiff opposition from residents living around two lakes near the edges of the property.
Winstanley, on Monday, announced its intention to donate 22 acres, a combination of field and woods, bordering Spruceland Road. That neighborhood runs along one side of Crescent Lake.
“Donating the land as open space further memorializes in perpetuity our commitment to maintain an existing and mature perimeter tree buffer and open space,” said Adam Winstanley, a principal with the company. “We understand that this is an important take-away for the neighbors and helps to alleviate hypothetical concerns pertaining to future development of the parcel. It also yields considerable new designated open space for the town and its residents.”
The town’s Inland Wetlands agency board approved the proposal last week. Concerned residents packed the board’s Jan. 18 hearing, sharing their concerns in more than an hour of testimony. They worried about impacts to wildlife, as well as potential runoff flooding of neighboring residential areas and contamination of wells and the nearby Crescent and Shaker Pines lakes.
“I’m really surprised it has even gone this far because they are putting this giant almost 1-million-square foot building, cement structure, in between two of these beautiful lakes we have,” said Angela Foss, who lives off Crescent Lake.
Winstanley said it has taken care to incorporate resident concerns in its designs.
In a release issued Monday, the company said the wetlands agency’s decision cited a minimal impact on wetlands and natural habitat, plans for a closely monitored stormwater management system and preservation of trees and vegetation on the perimeter of the nearly 200-acre development site.
Winstanley plans to begin construction of its distribution center by this summer, completing construction within one year. Winstanley spokesman Matthew Watkins previously said two undisclosed tenants have already signed letters of intent to occupy the building.
The proposal must also undergo site plan approval from the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission, a process that begins in a meeting Thursday, according to Watkins.
Watkins said the 22-acres would be gifted, with restrictions keeping it forever as open space, after the last regulatory approvals have been granted to the development.
Winstanely paid $12 million in 2015 for Hallmark’s former 1 million-square-foot distribution center in Enfield, which included 324 acres. The commercial real estate developer and investor reports spending more than $41 million to renovate two Hallmark buildings, drawing three tenant companies in 2018.
Winstanley also carved off a 200-acre parcel that is the subject of the current development proposal.
Winstanley already owns several industrial leasing spaces in Enfield, including a 500,000-square-foot distribution center leased to Advanced Auto Parts; a 600,000 square-foot office, warehouse and distribution facility leased to Lego and Coca-Cola Bottling; as well as a 500,000 square-foot warehouse under construction on North Maple Street that will be occupied by Agri-Mark dairy products and life-science company Eppendorf.
The company owns and operates more than 9.3 million square feet of commercial space in Connecticut and 11.4 million square feet overall.
