There's good news for travelers on Interstate 95 -- the reconstructed rest stop at northbound exit 22 is expected to reopen soon. Paul Landino, head of Project Services LLC, which is rebuilding the highway rest plazas in the state, said he hopes the complex on the northbound side will be open in two weeks. The southbound plaza is about two months away from completion, Landino said.
Neighbors of the rest stops have been pushing for the state to install safety and sound barriers between the plazas and their properties. In addition to residential homes, the plazas are close to the Connecticut Audubon Society's Birdcraft Museum, Tomlinson and Roger Ludlowe middle schools and Fairfield Ludowe High School. As an example of potential safety threats posed by the service plazas, residents have cited an incident last year when a trucker left the plaza and later was found in a Fairfield Ludlowe High School locker room. In the past, the rest areas, which were built in the 1950s, have been surrounded by chain-link fences. At meetings with neighbors and town officials, Landino and representatives from the state Department of Transportation have explained that solid fencing, like that found at the I-95 service plazas in Darien, were not included in the scope of the Fairfield project. The northbound fence in Darien was paid for by a private developer, while the southbound fence, described as a trash barrier, was included in the project to protect a nearby pond. CLICK TITKE TO CONTINUE
New subcommittee aims to reduce cost of police station
BERLIN — With the Police Department’s need for additional space not going away, the Police Commission has begun looking into how it can provide the needed square footage by exploring all options, including trimming the cost of the proposed new police station that failed at referendum last month.
The $21 million proposed construction was decisively turned down by residents by nearly 2,000 votes. A subcommittee has been formed to specifically look into any and all alternatives to the defeated proposal. Town Manager Denise McNair said it’s a good place to start. “The meeting was very productive and a subcommittee of the Police Commission was made up to work with staff, including the police chief and the architect to look at possible ways to perhaps scale down or change the project,” she said. “[Also] to look further into the feasibility of expanding here at Town Hall.”
The planning and design of the previously proposed station came as a result of the department having outgrown its current space. The department has been in search of additional space as far back as 1995. When the department moved into its current spot attached to Town Hall, it had 18 officers.
Fast forward 40 years and it now staffs 42 officers, nine dispatchers and four support staff employees. The defeated proposal, architect Brian Humes said, would have provided adequate space for 56 officers with the building spanning 34,000 square feet. CLICK TITKE TO CONTINUE
Developers proposing 'The Glastonbury Mews' Housing Project
GLASTONBURY — A 150-unit housing project – the first within the new town center zone - has been proposed. Developers have proposed building "The Glastonbury Mews" at the corner of House Street and Hebron Avenue. The proposal calls for 84 apartment units within three buildings and 66 townhomes within 11 buildings The proposal also calls for a pool and clubhouse along with garages and parking.Developer Howard S. Rappaport of Continental Properties, Inc. is part of the Washington Square Group, an integrated real estate company that has more than $3.5 billion of real estate. The group manages more than 5,500 rental units and 800,000 square feet of commercial space.
The proposal will come before the town's conservation/inland wetlands commission tonight and the town plan and zoning commission on Tuesday for informal discussions. The plan will be presented before both commissions formally early next year.
The development would be accessed on House Street across from Melrose Drive. Vehicles would only be able to make a right-only turn out of the development. There would also be a raised median in the center of House Street to deter left-hand turns to Hebron Avenue. CLICK TITKE TO CONTINUE
ARTBA Forecasts Modest 2015 Growth for U.S. Transportation Infrastructure Market
The U.S. transportation construction market will grow 3.1 percent from $185.9 billion in 2014 to $191.7 billion in 2015, according to a forecast released December 3 by American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Chief Economist Dr. Alison Premo Black. This is slightly above anticipated growth in the overall economy—U.S. Gross Domestic Product is expected to grow between 2.6 and three percent, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. The ARTBA forecast for the largest segment of this market—highway, street and related work—is tempered by two key factors: uncertainty over long-term federal funding, which represents 52 percent of state department of transportation (DOT) capital outlays; and still recovering state and local budgets. Outside of construction, state and local governments are expected to spend an additional $38.5 billion for maintenance work; $13.2 billion for in-house and consultant planning and design services; and $7 billion for right-of-way purchases as part of their highway and bridge programs. By infrastructure mode, forecast highlights in Dr. Black’s report include: Highways, Private Driveways & Parking Lot Construction/Pavement The construction market for highways, streets and related work, private driveways and commercial parking lots will grow to $64.9 billion, up 2.1 percent from $63.5 billion in 2014.
• This includes 1.2 percent growth in highway, street and related work, from $51.8 billion in 2014 to $52.4 billion in 2015. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Construction Spending in October Increases
Construction spending increased in October amid growing public-sector demand for construction and continued modest growth in residential, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the new spending figures underscore the need for measures to increase the supply of qualified construction workers as firms worry about growing labor shortages. “Today's data shows that construction growth remains volatile,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “While overall construction spending jumped by more than one percent in October, the gain followed two months of stagnation. Public construction was the fastest-growing segment for the month but the slowest-growing over the past year and for the first 10 months of 2014 combined. Conversely, private nonresidential construction inched down from September to October but has risen at double-digit rates — 11 percent — for the combined January through October period. And private residential construction continues to grow very modestly, with multifamily construction taking the lead on an annual basis.” Construction spending in October totaled $971 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, up 1.1 percent from the September total and 3.3 percent higher than in October 2013, Simonson noted. Private residential spending edged up 1.3 percent from September and 1.9 percent from a year earlier, while private nonresidential spending dropped 1.0 percent for the month but rose 6.4 percent year-over-year. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE