Rural CT town faces choice on former farmland. It’s a controversial mega-warehouse plan
It’s shaping up as a particularly adversarial case.
East Granby’s planning and zoning commission will
soon be deciding whether to let a large New Jersey-based commercial
real estate developer build
700,000 square feet of warehouse space on former farmland near Bradley
International Airport.
The Silverman
Group’s proposal to develop part of its 134-acre parcel on Rainbow
Road has drawn enough public opposition that a lengthy hearing last month had
to be extended to Nov. 17 so more residents could speak. So
far, emails and letters to the zoning board have run almost exclusively against
the plan.
Public discontent with recent industrial buildup has been
brewing for years, with residents complaining that large corporations are
getting too much latitude to change the rural nature of their town.
A few critics focused their criticism on First Selectman
Eden Wimpfheimer, saying her administration has favored wealthy business
developers over homeowners. Wimpfheimer consistently rejected those arguments,
but on Tuesday residents voted her out of office in favor of Democrat Jason
Hayes, who made the matter a key
campaign issue.
His website cited three chief complaints with her
leadership, including “An unfair and unsustainable reliance on overburdened
homeowners paying an absurd portion toward our tax base (and) no substantial
town plan to protect East Granby from becoming an industrial airport border.”
“The 65% tax abatement being proposed by the first
selectwoman is for a five-year period. This is a horrific proposal. Why would
we give a multi-billion-dollar company already trying to build these massive
warehouses in our town a 65% tax break?,” Hayes said in a Facebook post during
the campaign.
Wimpfheimer promptly disputed that account, saying it was
the economic development commission, not her office, that came up with the new
incentive plan.
“Regarding abatements, the Silverman Group has not requested one. Even if a request were made, the town is under no obligation to grant it,” she wrote.
At issue is whether Silverman can construct two
mega-warehouses on its property, one of 400,000 square feet and the other of
300,000.
Silverman said it wants to build both warehouses without
pre-signing tentants.
“Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026 and be
complete before the end of 2027,” it wrote in its zoning application. “As an
end user has not been identified, it is feasible that the project will be
phased.”
Wimpfheimer noted that a financial study concluded the
warehouses could, when taxed at full value, pay about 2% of the town’s current
annual taxes.
“Based on comparable industrial properties in the area, this
development would generate an estimated $1,708,665 in annual property tax
revenue for East Granby. This significant increase to the town’s tax base would
help fund essential public services and potentially reduce the tax burden on
residents without requiring substantial additional municipal services,” wrote
Shawn McMahon of Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Inc.
But numerous residents are calling on East Granby to put the
revenue question aside.
“We acknowledge the need for appropriate commercial growth,
and we are not opposed to all development. We could certainly support smaller
warehousing or facilities that are not designed to serve the high-volume, 24/7
shipping and logistics purpose for which these structures are architected,”
Jeffrey Hecht told town planners in an email.
“We are being asked to trade the peace, stability of
property values, and quality of life for our neighbors for a marginal tax
benefit. This is an unacceptable trade-off, and we must not approve a
development based solely on its cash flow,” he wrote.
“Furthermore, Mr. Silverman is not a local business owner
with intrinsic ties to our community; he is an outside developer proposing the
exact same, highest-profit, maximum-speed model common in industrial real
estate,” he wrote. “This is about quick returns, not long-term community
partnership. If Mr. Silverman is unwilling to engage in genuine compromise, he
is simply not the right developer for our town.”
Silverman, which is currently in court with Simsbury over
its refusal to approve a large-scale apartment complex on part of The
Hartford’s former campus on Route 10, asked
an alternate zoning commissioner last month to recuse himself. The
company asserted Austin Gelinas had created the appearance of being biased
against the project, and should not be allowed to vote. Gelinas, however,
remained seated for the hearing.
Replacing Whiting Forensic Hospital could cost $700M
Emilia Otte and Laura Tillman, CT Mirror
Patients at Whiting Forensic Hospital in Middletown have a
long list of complaints about their living quarters: unhygienic conditions and
mice, the closure of the woodworking shop and vegetable garden, frustrations
about staff behavior and a lack of privacy.
State leaders are working to address some of those
shortcomings. But it’s been a deliberate process.
A state task force, convened in 2019 to investigate
complaints at Whiting, concluded that the facility was in desperate need of
replacement. The task force recommended the construction of a new building —
one that would “promote recovery and healing” and provide long-term care in a
modern and secure setting. In the state’s fiscal year 2026 budget, Gov. Ned
Lamont set aside $50 million in design costs toward a replacement for Whiting.
Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, co-chair of the
legislature’s Public Health Committee, said that the new facility was a
critical next step in addressing issues raised by the task force. “This is a
necessary responsibility of the state to address these issues,” Anwar said. The
new Whiting facility should be “reflective of the current times, a safe and
healing environment,” he said.
But efforts to replace the old facility — a cramped, aging
building from the 1970s that was planned by an architect who designed prisons —
appear to have hit a roadblock.
An architectural firm hired by the state to study the best
option for a new hospital has recommended a design that would cost the state
$700 million.
The plan, which would involve razing the former Connecticut
Juvenile Training School in Middletown and constructing an entirely new 246-bed
facility, offered several benefits. According to Page Southerland Page Inc.,
the firm contracted to perform the study, the new plan would make it possible
to keep patients in one space, without having to transport them outside the
facility; it would create more efficiency for staff and allow for private
bedrooms and green spaces for patients.
But the price tag was more than state budget officials were
comfortable with spending. They have now asked the design firm to conduct a new
study in search of a less-expensive middle ground — potentially reusing
portions of the former training school buildings rather than knocking them all
down for a new building.
Christopher McClure, spokesperson for the state Department
of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said no option has been taken off the
table yet, and it will ultimately be up to the state’s executive and
legislative branches to make the final determination.
Whiting CEO Joe Crego said he supports conducting the new
study. “It’s going to give a lot of options, and ultimately the optimum way to
utilize taxpayer dollars to build the best facility possible,” he said.
A spokesperson for Lamont did not respond to requests for
comment in time for publication.
After the story published, the spokesperson sent a statement
via email. “The Governor understands the need for a new hospital to support the
state’s treatment and services for patients with acute mental health conditions
who are involved in the criminal justice system,” the statement read. “That’s
why he included $50 million in the most recent biennium budget to begin the
process of evaluating the future of Whiting, including whether there are any
existing structures that can be reused or redesigned to ensure state tax
dollars are used most efficiently.”
Ongoing problems
The shoddy conditions in Whiting Forensic Hospital have come
under the scrutiny of state lawmakers for nearly a decade.
An abuse scandal in 2017, in which Whiting staff were
videotaped physically and psychologically torturing patient William Shehadi
Jr., shocked the public. Staff members abused Shehadi over an extended period,
and dozens were found to either be involved in or aware of the abuse.
The case also led to the state legislature’s creation of the
task force that was charged with evaluating conditions at the forensic hospital
and making recommendations for improvements. Members were appointed by state
lawmakers and included advocates and experts.
The task force’s inquiry included hearings with patients, a
tour of the Whiting building, and meetings with patient advocates, staff
members and the Psychiatric Security Review Board — a group of mental health
professionals and criminal justice experts charged with determining whether it
is safe for a patient to transition from the hospital back into the community.
Patients who spoke to the task force described a lack of
educational programs and 12-step recovery groups; staffing shortages and
quality-of-life concerns like cold showers; and cockroaches in the building. A
2019 report from Disability Rights Connecticut found that the facility had
inadequate treatment plans for patients, used restraints as a form of
discipline and was overreliant on psychotropic medication.
The report the task force released in 2021 described the
facility as being in “poor condition” and outlined numerous safety concerns.
And the task force concluded that opportunities for learning, recovery and
vocational advancement were more apparent in the state’s correctional
facilities than at Whiting — despite the fact that Whiting is, by its nature,
not a punitive environment but rather intended to help people recover from
illnesses that are preventing them from successfully rejoining society.
The task force ultimately recommended exploring options for
constructing a new building — one that would “promote recovery and healing” and
provide long-term care in a modern and secure setting.
Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, has been an advocate for
improvements at Whiting since the Shehadi abuse came to light, and she has
visited the facility multiple times.
“It’s not a facility that would encourage wellness,” Somers
said. “I could see it actually going the other way, being detrimental.”
Somers said the history of abuse and the long slog to
funding a new facility was important context for the public to be aware of as
they watched a significant amount of money be set aside — $50 million by Lamont
in the state’s fiscal year 2026 budget for design costs toward the replacement
of Whiting, and likely hundreds of millions more for construction in coming
years.
The decision to invest in Whiting is not coming out of
nowhere, she said, but from revelations of dangerous conditions over many years
of inquiry.
“We have to recognize that we have to spend money to protect
and serve those who are the most vulnerable,” Somers said. “I think that this
is one of the most vulnerable populations that we have.” She also pointed to
the costliness of litigation for the state, which paid out $9 million in a
legal settlement with Shehadi’s family.
Not enough space
Staff and patients suggested many improvements needed at
Whiting, but one, Crego said, was key: more space.
Steve Morgan, a patient at Whiting, said the lack of space
can irritate patients with paranoia and other mental health issues. “People get
amped up,” Morgan said.
Whiting serves three groups of patients — people who have
committed a crime and been found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI);
people who have been arrested but found not competent to stand trial; and
people who have not been accused of any crime but who have been deemed too
mentally unstable to rejoin the community.
For all patients, it’s important that the environment be
therapeutic. And that’s often not the way it goes.
Crego said patients at the maximum security facility, for
example, move up and down a single hallway when they need to traverse the
building — an arrangement that became problematic during the COVID pandemic.
While there’s a courtyard in the center, patients aren’t able to see much
beyond the tops of trees.
“There’s not a lot of room,” Crego said. That can be a
problem when a patient is upset, he said. “One of the biggest de-escalators is
just to allow someone who’s upset space,” Crego said.
It’s also a safety hazard, Crego explained: if someone
starts behaving violently, having space allows that person to calm down
naturally rather than having to step in and physically restrain the person.
“There’s a lot of studies that show that 30 minutes of
physical activity a day for any one of us — it’s almost better than an
antidepressant or an anti-anxiety medication,” Crego explained. “So for someone
with a pretty significant serious mental health issue, the ability to have more
space in and of itself is therapeutic.”
If the state moves forward with the CJTS site in Middletown,
Crego said it might be possible to reuse some of the buildings that already
existed, which would save some money. And there are opportunities to add
programs at the site.
Crego said the facility’s larger building, located next to
the football field, already has a training kitchen, treatment areas and places
for school and vocational training. Another plus is the “mirrored spaces” in
the building, which allow residents to see others on the opposite side.
“If we’re able to show a patient who’s here in [maximum
security] and is working on this side of that building that, hey, there’s
another side … that I can be able to get a job working in the kitchen and start
to work my way out, it instills that sense of hope, which is so important for
all of us as human beings,” Crego said.
There are some areas that would have to be revamped, Crego
said, particularly the sleeping areas. The dorms at the training school were
set up like cells, not like hospital rooms, and were designed for children
rather than adults.
Crego said patients were given a great deal of input during
the study — they were part of work groups, on steering committees and in policy
groups.
“Some of our folks, unfortunately, stay here for quite some
time. So we want to make sure that they’re able to have some input into their
homes,” Crego said.
The task force’s study presented some alternative options,
like the construction of a smaller 102-bed facility or the renovation of
Dutcher Hall, the current building housing lower-security patients. But those
options have some key drawbacks, including the need to transport patients and
distribute food between two buildings, and the space limitations present at
Dutcher Hall.
Somers was skeptical of whether a renovation of existing
buildings at CJTS would ultimately deliver the necessary cost savings. As a
perennial renovator of older homes and as a former mayor who oversaw the
renovation of local schools, Somers said that she’s learned over the years that
costs are usually far more than anticipated because of unexpected problems.
“I don’t know of any renovation that has ever come in under
budget,” she said. “Sometimes it’s more cost effective to just build new, and I
hate to say that, but that’s the reality of what I faced.”
Ultimately, she said, building a new facility would allow
the state to have more control and create the environment of healing that is
the end goal.
A new building can’t fix everything
In order for Whiting to improve care and operations, staff,
patients and state officials say it will take more than just new space.
Representatives from the hospital and the state Department
of Administrative Services said natural light was key, and they proposed things
like a cafe that would be open to community members, a chapel, a room for art
therapy and woodworking, a comfortable visiting area, places where they could
host outdoor activities like cookouts and basketball games, and vocational
programs that would serve patients when they’re released into the wider
communities.
A key priority was creating a facility that would be clearly
focused on recovery and that would prepare patients for a successful return for
their communities. They said they wanted to decrease the stigma associated with
the facility and improve understanding from the general public.
Staff also said that while a new building has been promised
for years — and repairs were “long overdue” — that wouldn’t magically fix some
of the systemic problems plaguing the institution.
“Our job is to care for your loved ones during their most
vulnerable moments. Yet, we’re understaffed, not properly supported, and
lacking the equipment to do the jobs we were trained to do. Morale is low
because leadership isn’t listening,” said Rob Baril, president of SEIU 1199 NE,
the union representing workers at Whiting Forensic Hospital, in a statement.
“If this is really about improving care, it must start with
treating staff with respect, hiring enough people, and committing to real
oversight,” he added. “A new building means nothing without a new approach.”
Whiting has struggled with large numbers of employees
suffering injuries at the workplace that take them out of work for a period of
time, leaving their colleagues to work mandated overtime shifts, sometimes for
days on end.
Patients say that even without a new building, there are
things the administration could change at the current hospital to make life
better for the residents.
For example, Morgan mentioned the mice problem and suggested
improving the food, which has few fresh vegetables, or reducing the excessively
bright lighting in the hallways. Morgan said that among the most healing places
at Whiting was a vegetable garden in the courtyard that no longer exists. “It
was one of the most positive things, I think it was appreciated by everyone —
patients and staff,” he said.
Aaron Ramsey, also a patient at Whiting, said that privacy
was a key issue, and questioned whether it was necessary for patients to dorm
together in rooms with up to four people.
“There’s no real privacy, and obviously if you’re calling
people so dangerous, why would you have four people in one room on this unit?”
Ramsey said.
Ramsey also said that the removal of curtains from some
rooms was degrading for patients. “That’s such an easy fix, and that’s why my
perspective, as far as spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a new
building is not the best idea if you’re not going to fix all the other stuff
that’s wrong with this place, which there is a lot,” he said.
“It looks like something new and shiny, but it fixes none of
the problems,” Ramsey said.
In response to patient concerns, McClure said in an email
that the facility does offer a private phone for legal calls, there’s a unit
cell phone for patients to call family, and Whiting is working to get tablets
as well.
McClure said that staff “routinely monitor and maintain the
cleanliness” of the day room. He noted that while the leather and woodworking
shops were closed because of safety concerns, the hospital is developing new
“therapeutic spaces” that will include a sensory treatment area, a live
kitchen, space for group therapy and a screen for games and entertainment.
While there’s no longer a large vegetable garden, each unit
has a planter box. Room size meets or exceeds minimum requirements, he said.