East Windsor Approves Changes At Excavation Site

EAST WINDSOR, CT — Town planners have approved changes at an existing Wapping Road excavation operation, allowing Pierce Materials II LLC to combine two adjoining properties and formally establish an area for processing excess earth materials.

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-0 on Aug. 11 to renew the company’s earth excavation permit and approve a site plan modification for 118 and 140 Wapping Road, according to meeting minutes.

The application does not allow the property to be used for bulky waste or debris disposal. Under the approval, Pierce Materials may occasionally bring excess earth from its construction sites to the designated processing area to be resized.

Hal Pierce, owner of Pierce Materials, appeared before the commission to explain the proposal. Town planning staff said the company was in compliance with its existing approvals and permit conditions.

No members of the public spoke during the hearing, and commissioners approved the application without opposition.

The operation remains subject to dozens of existing conditions. Excavation must be completed in phases of no more than seven acres, and each phase must be stabilized before work begins on the next one.

Work is limited to 7:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. on weekdays. The company must also submit quarterly reports documenting truck activity and the amount of material moved, along with annual aerial photographs and updated site plans.

Other conditions require dust-control measures, erosion protections and at least eight feet of separation between finished grades and the water table. Town staff may inspect the property to verify compliance.

Town Engineer Leonard Norton reviewed the revised plan in July and reported that he had no objections to it as submitted, according to a town memorandum.

Pierce Materials purchased the 140 Wapping Road property for $2.8 million in 2022, according to property transfers previously reported by Patch.

For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.