Dollar Tree's Approval by Comparison

The town has recently made an effort to answer some of the questions residents have had concerning Dollar Tree's approval process, including questions regarding the perception that town officials were eager to move the company's application through town commissions at an accelerated pace.

The town manager's office compiled a timeline of approved applications for projects receiving tax abatements, providinga detailed summary of commission meetings concerning ING, Walgreens, The Hartford, Emhart and Dollar Tree.

The following table shows the length of time it took the economic development commission and town council to review and approve each company's abatement application:

The information compiled shows the town's consistent practice of providing a schedule of meetings that is beneficial to companies looking to establish a home in Windsor, and begin operations as soon as possible.

The consistency is also apparent in the timespan between the submission of the companies' applications to the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission and the Town Planning and Zoning Commission, and when those applications were approved:

• ING - 40 days
• Walgreens - 46 days
• The Hartford - 40 days
• Emhart - 38 days
• Dollar Tree - 88 days (32 days between application date and earliest possible approval date)

Dollar Tree's approval process was obviously prolonged by petitions filed by residents and their opposition to the project during meetings, which caused the item to be continued over multiple meetings of the IWWC and TPZC.