Members of the Essex Development Review Board on Thursday did not decide whether to approve plans for a proposed Amazon distribution center in town.
Dozens of people showed up in person at Essex High School and online for the meeting, with a great majority voicing their concerns over the proposed facility, citing increased traffic, negative environmental impact and working conditions.
"I don't understand why there is no mention of solar panels," Margaret Smith, an Essex resident for over 50 years, said during the hotly contested public comment period. "You're gonna cut down the trees and increase the heat in the area between the trucks driving through and the pavement. Why not put in solar panels to help with that? There has been no pollution study done for the impact of that many trucks."
The would-be 107,000-square-foot facility would cover an area of about two football fields and include nearly 500 parking spaces at what is now an empty lot at 637 Kimo Drive in Essex.
More from Vermont Public: Amazon distribution facility proposed in Essex draws heated opposition
It would employ several hundred people in full-time and part-time roles, sorting packages and making deliveries in a 70-mile radius.
"Our goal with this facility is to serve the existing customers and the orders that are moving through Vermont every single day," said Jonathan Greeley, representing Amazon. "This is not a retail establishment; this is a last-mile facility."
The board was scheduled to decide whether to approve the proposal, but instead, they decided to continue the hearing at their next meeting.
“The stated purpose of the town plan is to express a shared community vision which will guide the future of growth, development and land preservation here,” said Essex resident Brian Clifford. “I'm having trouble reconciling our community vision with that of Amazon, which is bent on constant growth forever at the expense of all our livelihoods and collective future."
David Gagnon, a representative of the applicant and a project engineer at Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, shared updated materials during Thursday’s meeting. Changes include an additional 10 electric vehicle charging spaces in response to public and town staff comments.
The board is scheduled to resume the hearing on June 5.
