Killingly residents wary as Amazon looks to build 500+ acre warehouse
Amazon is looking to turn roughly 1.3 million square feet of land into a 24/7 warehouse in Killingly. The proposal has been entered, and the town of Killingly is accepting public comments.
The proposal includes 60 loading docks, 430 trailer parking spaces, and 930 other parking spaces. Two entrances would be off Westcott Rd.
If the warehouse is approved, Killingly resident Walter Okoney isn’t sure what would happen to his house. The proposal appears to turn his driveway off Westcott Road into an entrance.
“That kind of sucks when I first saw the plan of them putting their driveway right through the middle of our house,” said Okoney. I’m glad I got to live here for my high school years, but you know, obviously, I don’t want to move.”
It’s unclear whether, if the proposal is approved, what people who live in this section would need to do, if anything.
It’s a proposal with loud opposition in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner. Signs are posted across the community reading “Save the last Green Valley,” and a petition with over 650 signatures is garnering attention, citing environmental and traffic concerns.
“I’m an Amazon Prime member, but I like living here because of the small, idyllic small-town feel,” said Mike King, a Killingly resident. “I’m worried about people coming in from out of town and speeding.”
“I don’t see it serves any purpose to our little Boro here,” said Austin Chadwick.
Amazon disagrees, stating that the operations would bring new revenue to the town from the tax base.
“At least a net new 500 full-time jobs, and those positions come with a national average starting wage of 23 dollars an hour,” said Brad Griggs, of Amazon, at a Planning and Zoning Meeting on April 20.
Some community members see these job opportunities as a plus.
“It brings more employment, a little more employment,” said Lola Leon, of Killingly. “That’s good for the town.”
Amazon says 290 acres of land will be conserved to create space between the building and residential properties, and they told residents at the April 20 meeting that they are working to obtain approval from the Connecticut Department of Transportation for any traffic changes.
“We do not want to be the cause of or in your traffic. We have set these operations to minimize impacts,” said Matthew Skelly at the meeting, an engineer who worked on a traffic study for the project.
“We work hard to be a good neighbor and appreciate the partnerships we’re developing in Killingly and have across Connecticut. Before any new facility launches, we work with local officials and community members to discuss our operations and answer questions – it also provides us an opportunity to share more about the good jobs we offer and the steps we take to limit our overall impact,” said Amazon Spokesperson Steve Kelly, in a statement to NBC Connecticut. “As we continue to work through the planning process in Killingly, we’re committed to remaining engaged on these topics and more.”
There is another public hearing on the topic on Monday.
Both Killingly’s planning and zoning commission and wetlands commission will need to make a final decision on the proposal by July.
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