A proposal to establish a Caliber Collision auto body repair facility in Manchester, CT, was rejected in a 5-2 vote by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) on Feb. 3, following strong opposition from local residents and concerns over land use compatibility.
Calito Development Group LLC had submitted an application in November to develop the 12,670-square-foot facility on a vacant 3.2-acre lot at 130R Spencer St. The site, situated near a Dollar General store, Connect55+ senior living community and Squire Village affordable housing development, was proposed to employ approximately 14 workers if approved.
Caliber Collision, which operates in 40 states, including a location in South Windsor, aimed to expand its footprint in Connecticut.
According to reporting by the New Canaan Advertiser, during the PZC meeting, members debated the project’s potential impact on the area’s development. Vice Chairman Patrick Kennedy, one of two members who voted in favor of the proposal, expressed concern that the rejection was based on factors outside the established criteria for special exception applications.
“This clearly meets the criteria. There's automotive use on the other side of Squire Village,” Kennedy said, adding he believed denying the application could face legal challenges. “I don’t think if we turn it down that it would stand in court.”
However, PZC member Michael Stebe, who opposed the project, argued that the facility would disrupt the balance of the surrounding area.
“If you look at that area, on the south side, it’s residential and residential,” Stebe said, pointing out that the adjacent Dollar General serves the nearby housing developments. “As much as I know the applicant went through the process of making sure the air filtration would work ... the characteristics just don’t match.”
The proposal faced strong public opposition, particularly from residents and representatives of Connect55+, who raised concerns over potential air and noise pollution affecting the senior living community and neighboring Squire Village. Despite assurances from the developers that the facility would comply with a sound study’s recommendations and implement necessary noise-control measures, the concerns remained a central factor in the commission’s decision.
Developers also said the facility would have undergone state licensing processes, including environmental reviews from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and site visits by both DEEP and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Conditions set for the project included ongoing noise-control measures, privacy slats on fencing and deer-resistant landscaping around the site.
While the PZC's decision halts the project for now, the potential for legal challenges or revised applications remains open as Caliber Collision explores its next steps in expanding within the region.
