In February 2018, an application by Shoreline Rail & Recycling (SRR) to build a waste recycling plant at the site of a collapsed warehouse off of Route 145 at 30 Old Post Road was received by the Inland Wetland Commission. The proposed facility would have been 94,500 square feet and used for storing waste composed of construction and demolition debris.

The application drew intense public opposition during one public hearing in March and two more in April. No member of the public spoke in favor of the application, while dozens spoke against the proposal. Members of the public expressed concerns about the potential contamination to wetlands on the property, safety concerns, and health issues associated with the debris that could be processed at the site.

In May, SRR withdrew its application after several member of the IWC indicated they were leaning toward voting “No.”

In June, SRR submitted a new application before the IWC, only to once again withdraw the application in early August, after the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) passed a zoning amendment that would prohibit the type of use that the proposed facility would have engaged in. The owners of the property, Old Post Realty, challenged the PZC amendment in State Superior Court in Middletown.

In October the developers filed a motion to withdraw their appeal, which was granted in December. The developers met with the PZC on Dec. 10 to discuss the possibility of building an indoor recreation facility and starting fresh with the town in 2019.