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Editor’s note: This is the second part of a three-part story examining The Meridian Group’s presentation of a revised Tidewater Logistics Center project to the Windsor Town Council and the council’s feedback.

The Meridian Group presented to the Windsor Town Council on Tuesday, Aug. 27, a revised version of the proposed Tidewater Logistics Center warehouse project it is trying to develop on the outskirts of Windsor.

TMG is the parent company of Meridian Property Purchaser LLC, which previously submitted a rezoning application to the county proposing a multi-warehouse complex consisting of five buildings totaling 1.2 million square feet that would have been adjacent to the Lovers Lane/Keaton Avenue neighborhoods.

Influenced at least in part by vocal opposition to this version of the project from some Windsor residents and council members, the Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on June 13 to reject the rezoning application.

Windsor Town Manager William Saunders outlined the purpose of the Windsor Town Council’s Aug. 27 work session in a memo to the mayor and council.

“TMG has made what they see as substantial revisions to the project, to include removing one warehouse, moving the truck parking area away from the residences on Lovers Lane and Keaton Avenue, increasing the setbacks from those residences, among others,” he stated. “This work session is being conducted in response to a request from Tom Boylan of The Meridian Group to present the latest iteration of the plan to the Windsor Town Council for their feedback.”

The first part of this story focused on Boylan’s presentation. This second part will focus on some of the council’s questions and comments for Boylan following his presentation.

THE WINDSOR TOWN COUNCIL’S FEEDBACK

Windsor Vice Mayor J. Randy Carr asked about details pertaining to the proposed berm and sound wall and then asked if trees could be planted in the proposed common area bordering the Lovers Lane/Keaton Avenue neighborhoods to make it look like a park, which would restore it to its natural state within 10 to 15 years.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Boylan said. “I think a landscape architect could craft a plan that has shade trees and benches and more of a natural setting.”

Adams asked who would be responsible for maintenance, to which Boylan explained that if different organizations end up owning different parcels of the Tidewater Logistics Center site, the association’s responsibilities will include clearing snow and maintaining the private road, the culvert bridge, the dam, the stormwater management ponds, etc.

“This common area or any type of trail or park setting would also be maintained as a common area of the association,” Boylan said.

When asked about parking, Boylan said there was an opportunity to pull back the berm and create several parking spots but was hesitant to give a number of spots that would be available.

Windsor Mayor George Stubbs expressed concern about the lack of an acceleration lane after turning right onto Route 460.

“(U.S) 460 in a 55 mile-an-hour zone, you’re going to turn right on 460 coming out of the park and no acceleration lane? Uh, is there a problem there? I see one,” Stubbs said.

“I think VDOT should have recommended one,” Boylan said. “I don’t know why they didn’t, but I understand why it’s important. We can look at that.”

Councilman Marlin W. Sharp suggested moving the beginning of the 45 mph zone farther east.

“And we recommend that in our traffic study,” Boylan said, “but I believe that has to come from a recommendation from the county to do a speed study for the county.”

Sharp asked why the trailer parking, which was positioned away from the residential neighborhoods in the original plan, was relocated to the same side as the neighborhood.

Boylan said, “I think a couple reasons. The original plan that we had did show all the docks oriented away from the residential, visible from Windsor Boulevard, which is in the highway’s historic corridor overlay district. The revision that we made to pull everything out of the (Resource Protection Areas) RPA areas required the trailer areas to be on the northern side of Building B.”

He later told Sharp, “We asked that question as well and ran a couple iterations of how it could work and ultimately it was very, very difficult to fit that or anything close to it.”

Sharp asked about raising the berm from six feet to 20 feet. Boylan said they could explore that as well. However, he said, the thought was moving the berm as far back and eliminating buildings and reducing total soiree footage was a step in the right direction.

Carr emphasized his main concern for the residents of Lovers Lane. He stated he is not opposed to the project but feels the planning needs to protect the citizens in the nearby neighborhood.

Stubbs noted that he understands the concerns of the residents who live on Lovers Lane.

“We want to try to protect them as much as we can,” he said. “But looking at the way the trailer parking is and where it is, where the berm is going to be located, it may not be as disruptive as we may think it’s going to be, and I don’t want it to be to the residents.”