If the Connecticut Siting Council had any doubt about how residents felt about a new proposed electrical substation on Railroad Avenue, the position was made crystal clear Tuesday night.
Residents blasted the proposal put forth by Eversource Energy to build the new substation at 290 Railroad Avenue, the current site of Pet Pantry. Environmental, aesthetic and health concerns were all cited during a public hearing, as a series of speakers got up and urged the council, which has the final authority, to reject the proposal.
“Even though a lot of things have changed in this town, you can go down Greenwich Avenue and go down Putnam Avenue and you still won’t see eight-story buildings,” Alison Fisher said. “Everything is basically the same. If you put something like this down on Railroad Avenue, it will be a terrible eyesore and it will change everything in this town for the residents and for the aesthetics.”
Later, Joan Stewart Pratt presented 1,646 petition signatures to the council — with 878 signatures from people in person and 768 signed online.
“I’m for another substation in Greenwich, but not at 290 Railroad Avenue,” Stewart Pratt said. “It’s an inappropriate location right smack in the middle of a busy intersection on a vital artery in Greenwich, right next to a gas propane company and a stone’s throw from an on-ramp onto I-95.”
Close to 200 attended the hearing, including First Selectman Peter Tesei, Town Planner Katie DeLuca and the entire town legislative delegation to Hartford. Tesei and DeLuca pressed the council to, if it were to approve the proposal, mandate guarantees and contingencies to protect the town and its environment.
The public hearing followed two hours of testimony before the council. Eversource’s Vice President of Engineering Kenneth Bowes said the substation was needed to handle capacity issues with Greenwich’s demand. He said that on three occasions in July, the Cos Cob substation exceeded its normal equipment ratings. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
U.S. construction spending reaches highest level in 7 years
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. construction spending in July climbed to its highest level in more than seven years, boosted by an increase in the building of houses, factories and power plants.
The Commerce Department said Tuesday that construction spending rose 0.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.08 trillion, the highest level since May 2008. The report also revised up the June increase in construction spending to 0.7 percent from 0.1 percent previously.
Ground breakings for houses, apartment complexes and commercial centers have helped to improve overall economic growth. The government said last week that the U.S. economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.7 percent in the April-June quarter, after having edged up just 0.6 percent in the first quarter.
"We expect housing activity will continue to strengthen, underpinning greater residential investment in the coming quarters," said Gregory Daco, head of U.S. marcoeconomics at the forecasting firm Oxford Economics.
After Thursday's construction spending report, analysts at the bank Barclays projected that the economy is on track to grow 2.6 percent during the third quarter and that the second quarter growth rate would be revised up to 3.8 percent.
Total construction spending has risen 13.7 percent over the past 12 months.
In July, construction of single-family houses advanced 2.1 percent. Factories rose 4.7 percent, and power facilities increased 2.1 percent.
Spending on government building projects slipped 1 percent, although they have risen over the past year largely because of the construction and maintenance of highways and streets.
The gains from residential construction have laid a foundation for broader economic growth since the beginning of 2014, after the sector suffered severe setbacks during the Great Recession due to the bursting of the housing bubble. The economy entered its seventh year of recovery this summer. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
After running through a litany of completed projects in the area—some of which predate his administration—the mayor touted some deals in the works that could have a dramatic impact.
These include the reuse of McLevy Hall, which a news release said will be converted into “professional offices for a recognizable institution to expand their regional presence into downtown Bridgeport.” McClevy Square, across State Street, is
Most dramatic is the potential for an office tower that could rival the height of the headquarters of People’s United Bank. Information Communication Services, a Texas company, has been in talks to build a 225,000-square-foot tower on Main Street in the Downtown North neighborhood. The company is working on financing, and hopes to break ground next spring.
Nearby, new construction is planned at the site of Davidson’s Fabric Warehouse building at 277 Middle St., with apartments, office space and ground floor retail.
The administration also pointed to what it is calling Barnum Square, the surface parking lots adjacent to Webster Bank Arena and Harbor Yard. Plans there call for 300 apartments, retail, restaurants and other amenities.undergoing conversion to 32 apartments with restaurant and office space, to break ground this fall. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Bethel road projects slowed by shortages
BETHEL — As summer comes to a close, road and building projects across the state are in such high gear that town officials have had a hard time finding enough workers and materials to complete local projects.
“It took everybody by surprise,” said Public Works Director Douglas Arndt.
But he and other town officials are confident that, as long as warm weather continues, they’ll be able to complete projects more or less when planned.
State projects in progress this summer include reconstruction of the I-84 interchanges at exits 5 and 6 in Danbury, widening of a stretch of Route 37, repaving Route 7 in Ridgefield and renovation of the Route 7 bridge over Interstate 84 near the Danbury and Brookfield border.
Ardnt said the harsh winter might have forced towns to repair more roads than expected, further straining supplies of workers and materials.
Kevin Nursick, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said the state does have a lot of projects this summer, but “that’s not atypical for a normal construction season.”
But Brookfield-based A&J Construction, an asphalt paving company that often does work in Bethel and surrounding towns, has experienced its busiest summer since the 2008 recession, said Louie Augusto, the company’s vice president and chief operations officer.
“It’s been extremely busy,” he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Plans for Beacon Falls energy park submitted to Connecticut Siting Council
Plans for a fuel cell powered electric generation facility in Beacon Falls have been submitted to the regulatory agency charged with determining where Connecticut’s energy infrastructure should go.
Plans for the Beacon Falls Energy Park were submitted to the Connecticut Siting Council late Monday afternoon. If the Siting Council approves the project, the first phase of the 63-megawatt fuel cell park will be producing electricity by the end of next year, said William Corvo, president of CT Energy & Technology, the Middletown company that will own the facility once it is completed.
The generation facility will be built on part of the 25-acre site of a former sand and gravel plant located west of the Naugatuck River near Lopus Road. The Beacon Falls Energy Park will generate enough electricity for more than 60,000 Connecticut homes, Corvo said.
A schedule has not yet been established for a hearing on the fuel cell park plan, but Corvo said he expects that the Siting Council will hold one hearing in Beacon Falls before making its decision.
As the application for the project makes its way through the regulatory review process, Corvo said his company will seek to reach a tax stabilization agreement with Beacon Falls officials.
“It’s pretty standard, but it will help us get financing,” Corvo said. Tax stabilization agreements seek to encourage new development by freezing property taxes for a few years. The payment ratio is increased gradually over time until the taxes paid reach the full obligation.
Corvo insisted it would be a misnomer to refer to what his company is seeking as “tax break.”
“You show them what the gross taxes are going to be over the whole period and then work out a way to pay it in a different configuration,” he said. “We’re doing anything we can to make this project more competitive.” The fuel cell park will be built on property owned by Torrington-based O&G Industries Inc., one of the Northeast’s largest construction companies and the parent company of the generation facility. O&G also will be the lead contractor for the project, according to Corvo.
A third Connecticut company, Danbury-based FuelCell Energy, will produce all of the 21 individual fuel cells for the project. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Sections of pedestrian bridge arrive at Meriden HUB
MERIDEN – Construction workers on the Hub project cheered and snapped photos as two oversized tractor-trailers carrying pieces of a steel pedestrian bridge made their way through downtown’s narrow streets and onto the job site.
“It’s a great day for the city,” said Joseph LaRosa of LaRosa Construction Co., the project’s general manager. “Whew, this is a big relief.”
The bridge’s arrival follows the completion of culvert work on the northern end of the site that allowed Harbor Brook to flow freely last week for the first time in more than 20 years. Clark Brook, on the western side of the Hub, will be diverted into the channel after the bridge is in place.
Daylighting Harbor Brook and diverting Clark and Jordan Brooks into a single channel is designed to fix chronic flooding downtown. Designers added the pedestrian bridge and the amphitheater as design features aimed to attract foot traffic and investors near the city’s train station and downtown.
Five trucks carrying pieces of the bridge left Fishkill, New York at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday but could only travel on Interstate 84 as far as Middlebury because of the size of the trucks and heavy highway construction through Waterbury. By 3 p.m. four trailers had completed the journey and pulled into the Hub site.
Flanked by state police cruisers, two more trucks made their way toward the site of the city’s future downtown park and flood containment basin at the Hub. The bridge is being used as a design feature on the project and its delivery was a week overdue. One truck carried the materials to connect the bridge sections together and the remaining trucks had the structure on them. The largest truck with its load was roughly 105 feet long, 14.5 feet wide and 15 feet tall.
A motorcade of state police and construction vehicles emblazoned with “oversize load” banners accompanied the trucks. Traffic snarled momentarily as police cars led the motorcade through Naugatuck, Prospect, Cheshire and South Meriden en route to downtown Meriden. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
It is worse than we thought.
Designed in the 1950s to safely handle a traffic volume of 50,000 vehicles per day, which at the time appeared to provide an ample provision for traffic growth, I-95 today sees an average of 150,000 vehicles per day in some locations.
Half the highway through Connecticut has only two lanes, with much of that narrow roadway in eastern Connecticut. This two-lane crowding is made worse by an unusually large number of exits and entrances, averaging 1.3 miles between exits, but with on-off traffic far more frequent than that in many locations.
The result is too many cars having to negotiate roads that fluctuate between two and three lanes, and occasionally four, while merging on and off frequent exits. Cars and trucks traveling through or across the state interplay with local folk using the highway to run nearby errands, adding to the volume and the chaos.
This all contributes to cause an average of 17 accidents per day on I-95 in Connecticut, a number that continues to increase.
In addition to accidents, the crowded highway sees frequent traffic jams that hurt commerce, waste energy and aggravate drivers.
There is no easy fix, but there are ways to improve the situation.
It is paramount to add a third-lane to the two-lane sections, easing congestion and ending the need for vehicles to repeatedly merge back into two lanes. A third lane would also provide greater access for emergency vehicles and increase the opportunities for police to keep traffic moving around accidents.
CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Natural gas pipeline installation begins on Wednesday in Bozrah
In a boost to local businesses Eversource Energy is set to begin work today on installing a natural gas pipeline between Route 32 in Franklin and the Stockhouse Road industrial park in Bozrah. The three-month-long project involves installing 1.7 miles of underground pipeline along existing roadways, including routes 32 and 87. The project will enable gas expansion to the AEN Asphalt facility in Franklin and the Collins & Jewell Company in Bozrah, as well as possible future expansion to other businesses, according to Eversource. “It represents choice for customers,” Eversource spokesman Mitch Gross said. “Now they’ll have the option to choose natural gas. It’s a first for Bozrah, which is the 72nd town in Connecticut that Eversource delivers natural gas to.” Along with Route 32, streets affected by the project will be Route 87, Murphy Road, Stockhouse Road and Rachel Drive. The project will also include construction of new railroad and bridge crossings and a culvert crossing. Construction will take place at multiple sites along the route until the project is completed, according to Eversource. The company said it will work to minimize impacts to the area, but drivers should expect some delays because of construction. Local officials said the gas pipeline will be a benefit to Bozrah, which is trying to grow its commercial base in the industrial park area off Stockhouse Road. “It will supply Stockhouse Road and Fitchville Road and allow for future expansion,” First Selectman Bill Ballinger said. “And it’s being done at no cost to the town.” The gas line will eventually connect to Collins & Jewell, the custom steel fabrication business that last year opened a 34,500-square-foot plant on Rachel Drive in Bozrah. Owner and company chief financial officer Chris Jewell said that when the company moved, it had to switch from natural gas supplied by Norwich Public Utilities over to four propane tanks it rents. The company has spend $117,000 on the tanks over the last year. The company uses gas to quickly heat air for its paint shop, Jewell said. “We’re hoping to save some money with the natural gas,” Jewell said. “We always were hopeful that natural gas was going to come, and we’re happy to see it coming as quickly as it has.”
Hartford minor league ballpark construction reaches early milestone
Just as the Rock Cats finished their final regular season game in New Britain on Sunday, the city of Hartford Tuesday will commemorate an early milestone in the construction of the minor league team's new home.
Mayor Pedro Segarra and team owner Josh Solomon will be among the dignitaries expected at Dunkin' Donuts park this afternoon to celebrate the raising of the $64 million stadium's first steel beam.
The ballpark, which will be home to the renamed Hartford Yard Goats, is expected to be ready by the start of the of the 2016 season in April. Construction began in the spring.
Ballpark construction cost overruns surface on day of celebration
HARTFORD — Six months into the building of a minor league baseball stadium north of downtown, the developer already is reining in mushrooming costs to keep within the project's $56 million budget as it races to The cost reductions mostly involve the materials used in construction and mechanical systems inside the building.
"There's nothing really visible that anybody would notice if you looked at a picture today" compared with the original plan, Jason Rudnick, president of Centerplan's development arm, told the Hartford Stadium Authority Tuesday.The cost overruns are the result of adjustments to the plan, including materials and the amount of time needed to do the work — for example, crews found a buried foundation at the site.
The issue surfaced publicly on the same day city officials celebrated the installation of the first steel beams at the site of the ballpark, known as Dunkin' Donuts Park, where the Double A Yard Goats will play.
After that upbeat event, Centerplan executives and others involved in the construction gathered down Main Street at city hall for the authority meeting — where the city's independent monitor expressed concern that steel and other construction materials had been delivered late. That could push up overtime labor costs because of the project's tight timeline, adding further to costs. Despite the delivery delays, monitor Kevin G. Greene, executive vice president at International Facilities Group, said the ballpark is still set for "substantial completion" by March 11 as planned. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Propane transfer facility off Thomaston Ave proposed
WATERBURY — Pan Am Railways is proposing a propane transfer facility on train tracks it owns along Thomaston Avenue that would serve as a distribution point for New England.
Several times a week, freight trains would deliver propane to 433 Thomaston Ave., across from the state Department of Social Services office. The frequency of deliveries would hinge on market demand, which is higher in the winter, said Cynthia Scarano, executive vice president of the rail carrier. The facility would have a spur with about 10 spaces for tanks to park. A transloader would be used to transfer the propane from tankers to trucks for local and regional distribution. Each tanker train can hold about 30,000 gallons of propane, which is about three times more than a truck.
Scarano said Pan Am studied its network of tracks, which spans throughout New England and into Canada, and found that Waterbury is an ideal location for propane distribution.
"Waterbury is kind of the center of New England," Scarano said. Pan Am has agreements with the owners of passenger railroads, including the Waterbury branch of Metro-North, to run freight trains when passenger service isn't running, primarily overnight, she said. The propane transload facility in Waterbury would be Pan Am's first in Connecticut, though it has agreements to use similar facilities owned by other companies throughout New England. Scarano said the need for such a facility stems from demand that exceeds the supply of propane available through traditional routes. For the last decade, the U.S. purchased most if its propane from overseas, including Syria and Algeria. "Now we're obtaining propane in our own country," Scarano said. "Propane has shifted from being distributed by water to being distributed by rail." Pan Am plans to ship propane extracted from the Marcellus Shale in Utica, N.Y., Pennsylvania and Canada. Outside of New England, Pan Am has connections to other freight railroads, including CSX, giving it the ability to ship propane across the country. "Now it's an energy that's a lot more reasonably priced because it's able to be produced here," Scarano said. Increased competition could lower costs for consumers, she said.
Until recently, Pan Am planned to build the transload facility on land it owns on Jackson Street. However, after learning those plans would interfere with the city's effort to revitalize the Freight Street corridor and build a greenway along the Naugatuck River, Pan Am is pursuing the 1.5-acre site at 433 Thomaston Ave., which is owned by Waterbury House Wrecking Co.
Pan Am has applied for a zoning text change to allow propane transload facility as a use in a commercial arterial district. The city's current zoning regulations don't currently allow such facilities.
The City Plan Commission will consider the proposed text change next week before it goes to the Zoning Commission.
Attorneys for Pan Am say the company is exempt from local zoning regulations because it operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.
Scarano said Pan Am is going through the zoning process to show its desire to work with the city.
"This is something where we want to work with Waterbury," Scarano said. "We find it's better for both our business and the city if we work together on a project."