3 workers hurt in I-91 Middletown crash involving tractor-trailer, state construction trucks
MIDDLETOWN >> A crash involving a tractor-trailer and three state vehicles injured three construction workers on Interstate 91 southbound on Monday.
At about 9:30 a.m., a tractor-trailer struck three contractor vehicles owned by Mohawk Northeast of Plainville between exits 20 and 21 on I-91. All the “vehicles were heavily damaged,” state Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Nursick said in an email.
According to a state police accident report, a truck was parked in the breakdown lane along with a pickup truck and sign truck. A Mohawk worker was setting up signs, police say, for a construction job when a tractor-trailer “suddenly veered” into the breakdown lane and hit all three vehicles.
State police, city firefighters and multiple ambulances were called to the scene.
The worker in the first truck was in the rear bed at the time, the report details, and when the vehicle was hit, he fell and hit his head. He was taken to Hartford Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Two construction workers standing nearby “jumped over the guardrail upon hearing the screeching of tires,” state police say. They were also taken to Hartford Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and later released. The accident report says the tractor-trailer driver was cited for failure to drive at a reasonable distance in a construction zone, failure to maintain proper lane in a construction zone and failure to stop on the right side of the road. After the crash, one of the tractor-trailer’s fuel tanks began to leak and state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection crews were called in.
“Approximately 10 gallons of motor oil and five gallons of gasoline were released” on the pavement and highway shoulder, according to DEEP spokesman Dennis Schain.
“This material was solidified with speedy dry and recovered for disposal.” The saddle tanks on either side of the tractor-trailer were badly damaged, Schain added, but they did not break. They were removed, he said, to make sure the towing process was a safe one. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Norwich Public Utilities announces natural gas expansion program
Norwich Public Utilities recently announced that its successful natural gas expansion program will target nearly 150 homes and businesses in the Occum section of the city. NPU will extend its natural gas main along the Taftville-Occum Road, with construction beginning in the spring of 2016. NPU will reach out to customers through direct mail, and community meetings held in November, December and January will provide information on the process of converting to natural gas, construction schedules, incentive and rebates and financing options.
Farmington Residents Express Concerns On Proposed Apartments
FARMINGTON — Residents on Monday questioned how practical it would be to build a 268-unit apartment complex in the town's Unionville section designed for young professionals making more than $80,000.
About 60 people attended a public hearing before the planning and zoning commission on CenterPlan Development Co.'s proposed $60 million apartment complex to be built on 10 acres at 19 Perry St. The parcel is adjacent to the Union School and borders the Farmington River.
Resident Jason Wong said the complex is not likely to attract the demographic group the developers hope. Most young professionals live and go out in West Hartford, where there are more restaurants and shops, he said.
"[The developers] reference it as 'Live, work and play,' " Wong said. "I'm wondering, where is the play? Because I don't want to play at McDonald's."
Unionville business owner Viviana Pinhasi, however, praised the developer's plans and said it would be a "wonderful addition" to the area. Pinhasi, who owns Culteavo Tea Shop, said she would like to see more people walking around Unionville center.
The town council voted 5-2 on Sept. 8 to modify the 3-acre conservation easement allowing CenterPlan to access the property. Critics said the vote could be construed as tacit approval of the plans.
The developer plans to clean up the property, provide parking and allow for a walking trail and a canoe and kayak launch to be established along the river.
In addition to the conservation easement, the developer was also granted a 3-acre easement from the rear of the site, outside the fence that forms the perimeter around the far side of Union School's field and out onto Mill Street, contingent on approval by other boards and commissions.
Union School students are currently picked up and dropped off on Perry Street, but the apartment proposal envisions a loop road around the back of the school property that would direct traffic away from the front of the school and provide a new side street where parents can drop off or pick up children. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
New southbound Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge opens in New Haven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Hy6HYo4m0&feature=player_embedded
NEW HAVEN >> The Monday morning commute is off to a good start in and around Greater New Haven with no major accidents, construction projects or other delays to slow you down on Interstates 91 or 95 and Route 15. Local traffic is also moving smoothly to begin the day.
(If viewing on mobile, click here for the video by VM Williams.)
We do have some good news for people heading into and out of New Haven: The new southbound Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge on I-95 opened this past weekend and there are now five lanes in each direction. Hopefully that will ease rush-hour for area drivers.
Stay current on with the latest developments affecting your commute by checking out our live, real-time traffic map throughout the day and by following us on Twitter (@nhregister). Share what you see on the road by tweeting it to @breaking203 and we might include it in our coverage. Make sure you include your name and the town where you took the photo.
Naugatuck offered $4 million for 2 properties
Big project planned for Uniroyal parcels A and B
NAUGATUCK — A Westchester County real estate developer has offered the borough $4 million to acquire two land parcels in the heart of Naugatuck's downtown.
Developer Benjamin Zitron plans to build a grandiose commercial and residential project on downtown properties where former industries once thrived. Those properties are known locally as the former Uniroyal Chemical parcels A and B.
"This is a huge deal for Naugatuck and something that will benefit the community and surrounding communities tremendously," said Jay Carlson, chairman of the Naugatuck Economic Development Corp.On Monday, the development corporation voted unanimously at Town Hall to move forward with drafting a tentative agreement to transfer ownership of the parcels to Zitron after a series of steps are taken, including land use approval and millions of dollars in contamination cleanup. Zitron, who lives in Westchester, N.Y., and is chief executive officer of the New Haven-based Sustainable Development Corp., wants to build dozens of commercial buildings and between 300 and 400 residential dwellings in the borough's downtown.
Parcel A is a seven-acre parking lot on the corner of Old Firehouse Road and Maple Street. Parcel B is a more than 360,000-square-foot former U.S. Rubber Co. and Uniroyal Chemical industrial warehouse that most recently housed the world headquarters for General DataComm. The borough owns both parcels. The agreement with Zitron would call for him to take ownership of the property on June 30, 2017, after remediation efforts to remove underground contaminants are complete. The cleanup, which would require state and federal funds to finish, is estimated to cost $1 million to $14 million, Carlson said.
The deal would require the state Department of Transportation to move the former train station platform from 195 Water St. to the site of the proposed development between Parcels A and B.
Discussions between the borough and the state DOT are ongoing, and Zitron has been engaged in those, said Edward "Ned" Fitzpatrick, borough attorney.
Other developers have looked at the parcels in the recent past. The difference between Zitron and the other developers is that Zitron has money to put up right now and doesn't need to wait for loans or grants to begin development, Carlson said.
"He's paying with cash out of pocket, no financing," Carlson said.The proposal needs approval from the Board of Mayor and Burgesses and land use boards. Realistically, Carlson said, development should begin in 2017.
Zitron said Monday night he had not had an opportunity to discuss the outcome of the NEDC meeting with borough officials.
"I want to speak with them, and I know there are going to be other meetings coming up, so once those happen, I will be glad to discuss the plan in detail," he said.
Ron Pugliese, president and CEO of the NEDC, said he's thrilled to work with Zitron, who he called a wonderful developer.
"This is a great thing for Naugatuck," he said. "Everything we've been working toward is starting to come to fruition downtown, and it's an exciting time."