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Residents warn of noise, traffic and blasting risks as Waterbury Amazon project advances
Summary
At a public session, residents pressed Blue Water about nighttime truck operations, heavy blasting, vibration, and potential loss of wildlife habitat; presenters said many design elements remain to be finalized and emphasized existing reports and pending reviews.
Residents at a Blue Water public information session raised a range of concerns about traffic, noise, blasting and wildlife as the company described plans for an Amazon fulfillment center on an approximately 183‑acre site in Waterbury and Nagat.
"When trucks come off that Highway my house shakes," said Mike Cersa, who told presenters he lives near the Route 8 southbound off‑ramp and asked whether a sound barrier would be installed. Presenters said final roadway designs will be developed through the state Office of State Traffic Administration review and an independent peer review and that traffic improvements have not been finalized.
Other attendees questioned the placement of a parking area near Long Meadow Drive and said proposed retaining walls and 24/7 parking and lighting would disturb nearby neighborhoods. Barbara Murray asked whether the parking lot at the end of Long Meadow Drive would operate 24/7 and whether buffers would protect residences; presenters said they increased the residential buffer by about 150 feet in their plan, that parking and lot improvements are outside that buffer, and that sound walls and additional landscaping are proposed.
Several residents expressed alarm about blasting. An audience member said past local blasting damaged houses and asked who would monitor or compensate for possible damage. The project team said extensive blasting is expected, that blasting permits and monitoring are jurisdictional requirements, and that pre‑blast surveys would be performed for homes within a radius to be determined; a presenter said pre‑blast inspections would be offered at no cost to nearby homeowners.
Environmental concerns included the fate of animals and upland habitat. "I see nature and I'm afraid I'm going to be hearing Buzz saws," said Christopher Casey, asking whether the buffer zone would limit construction activity; Dean Gustafson, the project's wetland scientist, said most forested wetland and upland habitat would remain and described plans to sweep the construction zone and relocate wildlife before heavy earthwork begins.
Residents asked for earlier and broader access to technical reports. Multiple attendees said geotechnical and blasting analyses should be provided sooner; presenters replied that a wetland delineation report, wetland assessment report and a stormwater management report have been submitted and are available for public review, and that additional reports will be filed with subsequent zoning or permitting submissions.
The session closed after presenters reiterated the schedule for the wetland permit public hearings on Oct. 2 (Waterbury) and Oct. 3 (Nagat) and invited further written questions and review of the submitted reports.
