“Warehouse” Denied
We should be so proud of our community.
Residents, experts, nonprofits, and our Township have all worked together to help push back against big-money developers and their army of consultants - people who don’t even live here.
For most of 2024 and 2025, the specter of a massive logistics center has hovered above the communities of Ponds Edge and Franklin Station. Land that was originally suggested to these communities as being developed into a retail promenade, quietly shifted toward becoming a high volume logistics hub - conveniently just after most of the homes had been sold.
Residents from these new neighborhoods, and across the entire township, have been rightfully distressed by this industrial development that threatens to devour our community’s resources and character while offering little in return.
And it's not just our immediate area at risk, but adjacent townships as well. The Rt. 1 corridor has struggled to handle local traffic volume for decades. With the closure of nearby hospitals, Riddle Memorial Hospital has seen over 60% more emergency vehicle trips in 2025, even needing temporary urgent care facilities to handle the overflow. People from all over rely on that hospital - and when hundreds of additional tractor trailers clog the roads, lives will be at stake.
The longer it takes to get to the hospital, the worse the outcome.
The developer has provided traffic data that has been inconsistent and called into question by residents and experts. They have also downplayed the potential impact on air quality from the hundreds of tractor trailers expected to use the facility, which would be operated by a “to be determined” future tenant. While they claim the project qualifies as a “by right” use under SU1A zoning as a warehouse, what they are actually proposing appears to be a last-mile, high-intensity logistics center - significantly more disruptive than a traditional warehouse.
This appears to be an attempt to misuse zoning classifications and force through a project that was never intended for this location.
Over the past several months, The McKee Group and Outrigger Industrial have flooded the township with consultants and attorneys, pressing aggressively for approval despite widespread community opposition.
At every step, residents have shown up in force to speak out. In response, our township has stepped up by moving meetings to Springton Lake Middle School to accommodate turnout, and scheduling continuation meetings so every voice could be heard.
On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the Middletown Township Land Planning Commission voted unanimously to DENY the plan to build a 330,000 sq ft high-volume logistics center at the Franklin Mint site.
The fight is not over.
While the Land Planning Commission has listened to the community and voted unanimously to deny the proposed logistics center, the final decision now lies with our Township Council.
This is our moment to stand together once again, and make our voices heard. The same concerns remain: the impact on public safety, traffic, air quality, misusing zoning designations, and the disregard for what was originally promised to our neighborhoods.
We urge every resident, whether you're from Ponds Edge, Franklin Station, or anywhere in Middletown, to contact your Township Council representative. Let them know clearly:
You oppose this 330,000 sq ft high-volume logistics center.