Developer Withdraws Application For Norden Complex Proposal

NORWALK, CT — The controversial proposal to create a warehouse and distribution center at the former Norden Systems manufacturing plant in East Norwalk has been withdrawn by the developers, Norwalk Planning and Zoning Director Steven Kleppin confirmed to Patch Monday.

As a result of the special permit application's withdrawal, a Zoning Commission public hearing scheduled for Monday night to discuss the proposal has been canceled, Kleppin said.

"Yes we have withdrawn," Adam Altman, managing member for KABR Group, told Patch. KABR and Benerofe Properties were developing the project. "No further comment at this time."

The Norden Logistics Center project, which was opposed by neighborhood groups and many East Norwalk residents, called for the development of a 300,000 square feet warehouse at the complex where merchandise would be stored and shipped by truck throughout the region.

Opponents of the project had held two rallies against it and launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a legal fight.

One of the organizers of the opposition, Farhan Memon, president of the Sasqua Hills Neighborhood Association, told Patch that the withdrawal of the application was wonderful news.

"This was an ill-conceived project that would have affected the health and safety of residents," Memon said; residents largely opposed the plan for dozens of tractor trailer truck trips through residential neighborhoods. "This victory is a testament to the power of community action. It shows that by coming together and making our voices heard we don’t have to let out-of-town developers ruin our neighborhoods."

Memon thanked the "many people in our community [who] put their time, talent and treasure into organizing a united opposition to this proposal," adding that residents successfully made the case of what the development would mean on a personal level. Additionally, the experts and consultants the opponents retained were able "to show the misinformation and gaps" in the applicants' proposal.

"We now have to shift our focus to ensure that Norwalk’s Zoning Commission considers imposing a moratorium on development within the R&D and Light Industrial Manufacturing Zone that this property sits on," Memon told Patch. "We need to properly consider how future development in these zones fits in with the East Norwalk TOD plan. We also need to re-evaluate the zoning process so other neighborhood organizations don’t have to raise thousands of dollars to fund lawyers and consultants. Doing so places an extraordinary burden on citizens and is not sustainable."