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Residents urge planning board to revisit Bridgepoint warehouse approvals after alleged pre-permit clearing and updated flood maps
Summary
Residents and local officials urged the West Windsor Planning Board to reconsider approvals for a large warehouse project after speakers said aerial photos and a Watershed Institute report indicate tree and vegetation clearing before permits; the township official disputed some claims and said the site is in litigation.
Residents packed the public-comment period at the May 7 West Windsor Planning Board meeting to press the board to review its approval of the Bridgepoint West Windsor warehouse project, citing alleged pre-permit tree clearing, updated flood maps and outstanding litigation.
Those who spoke said new evidence should prompt the board to pause and re-evaluate the project's conditions and compliance. "I'm struck by the word 'tranquility' on your seal, and I'm not sure what part of ginormous warehouses that are wrecking the environment and causing traffic and pollution ... is in keeping with that word," said Felicia Spitz, who said she grew up in West Windsor. Theresa Worman, who identified herself as a West Windsor resident, told the board the Watershed Institute has shared aerial photographs and a report she said show the builder disturbing the site before permits were issued and asked the board to apply the 2023 flood maps instead of older 1999 maps.
Why it matters: Speakers argued the scale of the planned warehouse complex — repeatedly described in public comment as a multi-million-square-foot project — could affect stormwater risk, traffic and neighborhood character and that the board should not rely solely on prior approvals if facts on the ground have changed.
Township response and disputed claims
A township official responded during the meeting with a detailed accounting intended to correct what the official called inaccurate public statements. The official said Atlantic Realty (not Bridgepoint) owns the parcel and provided tax-payment figures, saying Atlantic Realty paid $3,557,355 in property taxes in 2024 and that other properties have different taxation histories; the official also said one parcel earlier had farmland status and later paid higher taxes. The official noted the site is the subject of ongoing litigation and that certain construction or demolition activities can legally occur under demolition permits even before full planning-board conditions (such as a required link to Route 1) are satisfied.
Speakers pressed for enforcement and clarity. "If we're allowing developers to build without proper permits now, is that the new protocol, or are we going to investigate this pretty clear evidence?" asked Ben Finkelstein.
What the board did next
Chair and staff said litigation constrains what the board can say publicly about court matters and closed the public-comment period. Later in the meeting the board moved on to several ordinance and checklist items; members did not vote to rescind earlier approvals for the warehouse project at this meeting.
Open questions and next steps
Multiple speakers said they would provide material to the board and staff (including the Watershed Institute exhibits mentioned during public comment). The township official reiterated that taxes and some permitting actions had been addressed and reminded the public that the parcel remains in litigation. The board did not take formal enforcement action on the record during the meeting; any further review would depend on staff advisories, new filings, or changes presented to the board in a subsequent hearing.
Ending
The planning board closed public comment and proceeded with its agenda, including ordinance-consistency reviews and redevelopment items. Members noted the limits imposed by ongoing litigation and asked staff to continue coordinating with legal advisers and consultants.
