At a recent planning board meeting, residents spoke out against the most recent of a series of proposed mega-warehouses slated to be built in several locations in Howell. The objections centered on the size of the projects– hundreds of acres of warehouses with over 300 loading docks. The warehouses would be operational 24/7, and would bring hundreds of tractor trailers onto Howell’s local roads. Many residents are blaming the Republican controlled Council. 

The warehouses have become an issue in this year’s campaign for Council, with Republicans backing the warehouses, and the Democrats strongly opposing them. The Republicans currently have the majority on both the Council and the Planning Board, and if they maintain control additional warehouses are likely to be built. 

The largest of the proposed mega-warehouses is Monmouth Commerce Center. It would be located right off Randolph Road near the Arnold Steel Building and will dump hundreds of tractor trailers onto roads in the Ramtown section of Howell. This warehouse was first proposed 2 years ago and could have been permanently stopped by a change in zoning, but the Council failed to change the zoning and the project is still proceeding.

Additional mega-warehouses are planned near Howell Road and Oakerson in the north end of town, and near 547 off of Fairfield Road.  

According to residents, mega-warehouses will bring traffic, noise and safety hazards.  According to the Republican majority on the Council and Planning board, the mega-warehouses are worth the problems because they’ll add to Howell’s commercial. Democrats disagree.