Industrial Building Proposed For High Bridge Road

By Andrew Gorosko

The Conservation Commission is reviewing the wetland protection aspects of a Monroe firm’s proposal to construct a 72,000-square-foot industrial building at 8–12 High Bridge Road in Botsford, near High Bridge Road’s intersection with Botsford Hill Road.

SMT Corporation of Monroe proposes constructing the industrial building in a M-2 Industrial zone, on the south side of High Bridge Road. The structure would be used for the warehousing and disassembly of computers and electronic devices. M-2 zoning allows such an industrial use.

Conservation Official C. Stephen Driver said the Conservation Commission is reviewing the development proposal in its role as the town’s wetlands agency. The 8.2-acre site holds an approximately one-acre wetland on its western side.

The Conservation Commission will review the development proposal in view of the presence of a vernal pool in that area, Mr Driver said. A vernal pool is a contained basin that lacks an outlet. Such areas contain water for a few months in the spring and early summer. Vernal pools serve as breeding areas for various amphibians.  

The site is relatively flat. The eastern two-thirds of the property is grassland. The western third of the site is wooded and contains the wetland with the vernal pool. The 24-foot-tall building would be constructed along the southern boundary of the property. An 800-foot-long driveway would link the building to High Bridge Road. The warehouse would have large loading docks at its eastern and western ends.

The developer would use stormwater retention basins to control drainage from driveways, parking areas, and roofing on the property.

Engineer Larry Edwards described the site’s design to Conservation Commission members at a March 12 session. Commission members are expected to act on the application at an upcoming meeting.

If the applicant gains wetlands approval, a site development plan application would be submitted for Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) review. The owners of the property are Anna, Mary, and Richard Maye.

Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker met recently with the applicant to review the proposed development. The project would have an approximately $3 million value, she said.

Ms Stocker said the proposed building would contain an office area holding between 4,000 and 8,000 square feet of space. The applicant would use the building to consolidate the functions of several buildings located in Monroe and Trumbull, Ms Stocker said. Because the building would be used for electronic components, the structure would be heated and air-conditioned, she said.

The site would be landscaped to enhance the property’s appearance, she said.