Area group plans industrial subdivision
Toolbox
By PATRICK McARDLE STAFF WRITER - Published: February 9, 2010
BENNINGTON – The Bennington County Industrial Corp. is moving forward with its plans to subdivide the property at the Dan Maneely Corporate Park on Shields Drive as part of its efforts to attract more industrial jobs to the town.
Peter Odierna, executive director of the corporation, said last week he plans to attend a meeting of the Bennington Development Review Board on Feb. 16 during which the board will consider a request to subdivide an undeveloped portion of the park into 10 units ranging in size from almost 2 acres to a little more than 7 acres.
"This is the culmination of a yearlong process to enhance the marketability of the Maneely Corporate Park. The industrial real estate market continues to be very tight in Bennington County. There are some small pockets of excess manufacturing capabilities, but, overall, it's a very tight market," he said.
While some industrial employers in Bennington have cut employees, none have been forced to shut down during the ongoing recession.
The corporate park is a horseshoe-shaped property off East Road, which is already home to businesses such as NSK Steering Systems America, Plasan Carbon Composites, Global-Z International and Abacus Automation.
The subdivision of the park is part of preparations undertaken by the Bennington County Industrial Corp. to take advantage of an economic recovery.
"If that (recovery) indeed turns into a trend, I think the Maneely Park is well-positioned to capitalize on expansion and relocation opportunities," Odierna said.
Dan Monks, Bennington's planning director and zoning administrator, said he didn't see any obvious issue with the request submitted by the corporation. The process the board follows, however, would not allow the board to approve the permit until its next meeting at the earliest.
Odierna said members of his board are hopeful the Maneely Park will be a "collateral beneficiary" of a chip-manufacturing facility being built in southern Saratoga County, in New York, expected to open within about three years.
The entire park already has umbrella permits in place for storm water discharge and approval by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources' District 8 Environmental Commission for Act 250 permits.
The Act 250 umbrella permits allows any development that complies with the design criteria of the corporate park to qualify as a minor development, which doesn't require a full hearing before the Act 250 committee.
In 2009, the industrial corporation made improvements to the park by extending the electric and telecommunication infrastructure. Odierna said he believes this makes the Maneely Park the "most shovel-ready industrial park in Vermont."
Town Manager Stuart Hurd said Bennington officials believed it was a positive sign for the local economy that the industrial corporation was investing in the park's future development.
Odierna said he expects to attend the 7 p.m. meeting on Feb. 16 at the Bennington Fire Facility, with a representative of BMA Architects, a company with offices in Bennington whose staff has worked on the proposal.
patrick.mcardle@rutlandherald.com
20