WESTFIELD — Falcon Landing — the new 525,000 square foot warehouse proposal at what was to have been a Target distribution center — will land before the Westfield Planning Board Dec. 19.
The project from Winstanley Enterprises and NorthPoint Development is on the agenda for a public hearing at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers in City Hall, 59 Court St.
The project seeks a site plan review, a stormwater permit, and approval to construct a building larger than 100,000 square feet and to use land to operate a warehouse in a water resource district, according to the agenda.
Winstanley and NorthPoint have also invited neighbors and the public to a virtual informational meeting on the project held over Zoom from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13.
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A link to the meeting can be found at falconlandingwestfield.com/#outreach
Neighbors on Westfield’s north side worry about increasing truck traffic and whether the project threatens the area’s aquifer. Their opposition doomed Target’s proposed distribution warehouse in 2021. The retail giant looked south and its new warehouse is now under construction in Connecticut.
Winstanley Enterprises owns the adjacent 111 Southampton Road, the former Digital Equipment Corp. factory.
Winstanley and NorthPoint said they have altered the project to meet residents’ concerns. They will not build the cold storage that Target previously wanted. They will reduce parking by 30%, providing 684 spaces as compared to the 938 spaces originally proposed. They also say they will not build a transportation office building and trailer maintenance facility, which will cut the facility’s water consumption by 67%.
But according to environmental forms filed with the state in October, changes to the plan will reduce traffic generation by 33 trips on an average day.
There is no tenant for the warehouse, project spokesman Matt Watkins said. It’s being built on speculation.
