As a 12-month moratorium to pause new zoning applications for large warehouse and distribution centers began in Killingly on Monday, Plainfield is looking to do the same. At its meeting Monday, the Plainfield Conservation Commission discussed proposing a moratorium on new warehouse development at the next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Aug. 11. This proposal comes after several warehouses have been built in Plainfield including Amazon, Uline and Lowes, and most recently, a proposed 1.1 million square-foot Costco depot center was approved. The Planning and Zoning Commission passed the Costco development after months of court negotiations in June. Stephen Randall, member of the Conservation Commission, said members are trying to stop warehouses from coming in and preserve “The Last Green Valley,” as the area is known for, but there is only so much they can do. “What part of it is green if you look at Google Earth?” Randall said. We have been strip mining the earth with our gravel bags and we have these major industries coming in. … It’s overwhelming,” he said. Killingly’s moratorium, which began Monday and is in effect until June 30, 2027, will prohibit developers from filing new applications for “distribution centers, fulfillment centers, e-commerce centers, truck and freight terminals” in the town’s general commercial, mixed-use interchange, business park or mill mixed-use development districts.”
Warehouse moratorium begins in Killingly, another proposed in neighboring Plainfield
