During the Avalonbay court hearings in 2000, Orange asserted & maintained that the land of Prindle Hill & Edison Roads was the last available area in Orange for the development of an industrial park which would increase the tax base and bring good paying jobs to the town.

 Orange further argued that the inclusion of this site was necessary for the preservation of the entire industrial zone.

So now, why are the town leaders saying & supporting a major zone change of 44 acres in the industrial zone for a Stew Leonard’s mega grocery / store and also his “mall of stores” and conference center? 

What caused the change in the strong position Orange took in the Avalonbay Court hearings and why now when there is a major breakthrough with the extension of Edison Road all the way from Prindle Hill to Marsh Hill Road?  

For years, Orange neglected the industrial zone and now with a State grant of $1,350,000, we are in the active process of extending Edison Road & opening up previously land locked & inaccessible acres for industrial development. Industrial companies have taken notice & are inquiring about relocating or expanding. 

The Town Plan calls for 3 zones, residential, retail & industrial & we must keep this in force in order to provide a stable tax base. Compared to retail, industrial companies provide higher taxes without traffic, crime or extra police services. For example, Silverbrook II pays $15,000 per acre; Stew Leonard’s would pay $9100 per acre [$400,000 for the 44 acres] and industrial companies pay an average of $15,600 per acre in R.E & P.P. taxes. 

The Post Road is 4 miles long comprising 400 acres and is “the best in the state “. With a Stew Leonard’s, we will have a 2^nd retail corridor on Marsh Hill Road from the Milford line down to the Post Road. Stew Leonard’s alone will have a “ mall of stores “ including a pharmacy; a high end restaurant; a beer, wine & spirits shop; a catering service, a conference center & a nursery / garden center. This would be a competitor to many of the Post Road businesses & create out-of-business & empty stores. It is time to say no!

 In 1997, the TPZC did that by voting 4 to 1 to deny Stew Leonard’s application to build a mega grocery / dairy store on the Marsh Hill Road site and in 1998, the people of Orange did exactly that by voting 2851 vs. 1964 against a proposal for a non-binding referendum for a Stew Leonard’s. That was 59% against Stew Leonard’s and 41% for. The town didn’t want Stew Leonard’s then & doesn’t need his store and the “mall of stores “now.

 This store & its volume of traffic, 6.5 million visitors a year, require a city with traffic lights throughout the local roads so the residents can make left hand turns. Orange is a quiet town & wants to stay that way with a vibrant industrial zone.