Update on industrialization of Farmington River

NORTHWEST CORNER — On July 24, Allan Borghesi submitted an application to the town of Canton’s Land Use Development Department for a zone change to a little over 30 acres of land between Route 44 and the Farmington River from residential to industrial. The property is located at 674 and 684 Albany Turnpike, and the northwestern boundary of the parcel included in the application is the town line with New Hartford.Borghesi’s property extends across into New Hartford and the zoning of the more than 18-acre portion that lies on that side of the town line was changed to industrial park by the New Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission at their meeting on June 11.At the two prior New Hartford planning and zoning meetings, in April and May, public hearings were held concerning the proposed zone change. According to the minutes from those meetings, the opinions of private New Hartford residents, as well as business owners were unanimously against the proposed zone change. Voices from New Hartford commissions and the applicant comprised the totality of the support for the change of zone. The commission voted 4-1 to approve the zone change despite the public outcry, which included fears regarding the health of the Farmington River and the organisms living in the area.There are also concerns over the fact that no specific tenants had been named and no plan had been submitted for what will occupy the industrial park.Canton residents seem to feel similar to how residents of New Hartford felt about the industrialization, with petitions circulating among local businesses against the application, as well as strong opposition to the zone change from customers of those businesses. Josh Bristol, who manages Bristol’s Farm and Market in Canton, is a fifth-generation Canton farmer and owns the property at 541 Albany Turnpike, just down the road from the Borghesi property.Bristol’s property has been owned by his family since 1888. He has a “Save Satan’s Kingdom” poster up on the wall of the farm market at the farm and is distributing a petition opposing the project for Canton residents to sign. “Almost everyone who sees the poster is horrified at the prospect of an industrial park going in right here,” Bristol said. “I have talked to hundreds of people about this and 99 percent of them have been vehemently opposed to the zone change.”When asked about specific concerns that he has about the possible future industrialization so close to the river, Bristol brought up numerous fears and worries, including mentioning how industrializing next to the river could drive away the countless tourists who flock to this section of the Farmington because of the ability to tube, kayak, and fish in what he described as, “a truly beautiful place.” He said that he worried he and his family are about possible pollution that an industrial park could cause to the water that they rely upon to grow the crops that are the foundation for his family’s farm.In another echo of what many New Hartford residents and the lone dissenting vote on the Planning and Zoning commission focused on in their opposition to the zone change, Bristol expressed deep concern about the fact that what could be built on the property is a complete mystery at this point.When asked if he has specific tenants in mind for the property, when he was interviewed on Monday, Aug. 11, Borghesi said, “I do, but I can’t reveal them because if their names became public, my competitors have the opportunity to take them away from me.”When told of his position of not revealing the names of future tenants, Bristol said, “It certainly does not give me any peace of mind.”Since much of the concern surrounding the project revolves around the Farmington River and the potential harm that could come to it as a result of industrial development, Borghesi was asked about prior projects he has been involved with in the past near rivers in other towns and whether ecological impact studies have been performed to determine the level of impact, if any, the development has had on the rivers. “I have built a lot of buildings very close to rivers,” Borghesi said. “I have never had a complaint.”The application for the zone change is to be officially received by the Planning and Zoning Commission of Canton at its meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Library Community Center at 40 Dyer Ave. According to the town’s Land Use office, the public hearing concerning the project will most likely be held on Sept. 17. With the higher than usual anticipated attendance, the time and location for the meeting has not yet been determined.