STRATFORD — Burns Construction, still bursting at the seams in the tiny lot on Access Road that it calls home, has decided to no longer pursue its dream of taking over at least a part of a park next door to expand its paving operation.
The company will still build a new heavy equipment garage, replacing the one that it’s been using since the 1950s. But left unsolved is the issue of that has bothered the company and its South End neighbors alike — finding a place for employees to park.
“The community was unwilling to give up any part of that park, so one of the town engineers figured out how how to fit the new garage on the land we have,” said. Mitch Flynn, the flee operations manager for Burns. “I still have to find a place for all of our employees to park.”
The park is called Great Meadows Park. Burns offered to buy the park from the town, but the company ran into stiff opposition from the neighborhood. Town officials say that the park has an in perpetuity clause, meaning that it’s supposed to remain a park until the end of time.
“This would make it difficult to purpose the park for anything else,” said Amy Knorr, the assistant economic development director for the town.
Anyone who has visited that end of town has noticed the cars parked alongside Access Road. Those belong to Burns’ employees, and company officials say that they’re not happy with not having a proper place for them to park, particularly when it snows. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
DOT study: $5.3B Hartford viaduct replacement worth the cost
The economic benefits would outweigh the $5.3 billion price tag to replace the I-84 viaduct in Hartford, according to an economic value analysis released Tuesday.
The report, which calls the replacement "expensive, but essential," comes as a decision about the future of the aging viaduct looms. Among the alternatives the state is facing for rebuilding the viaduct: Building a tunnel or building a lower section of highway.
The study was conducted by the state Department of Transportation's Bureau of Policy & Planning along with consulting firm CDM Smith. It looks at the issue in two ways.
Using a cost-benefit analysis, the report concluded that replacing the viaduct would result in more than $9 billion in benefits, like reduced travel time, fewer accidents and congestion, and lower vehicle operating costs.
And using a second method, called economic impact assessment, the report concludes that replacement would yield $10.2 billion in business sales and output over three decades. DOWNLOAD PDFs
Read the DOT report
UI to build Woodbridge microgrid
New Haven-based utility provider United Illuminating Co. said Tuesday that it has finalized an agreement with Woodbridge town officials to build a 2.2-megawatt microgrid.
Powered by a fuel cell made by Danbury-based FuelCell Energy, the Woodbridge microgrid will supply power to seven town facilities, including the police and fire departments, during power outages.
The fuel cell will be located near Amity Regional High School, which will receive heat and hot water from the plant's co-generation process.
The Woodbridge microgrid will be operational late next year. FuelCell Energy has a long-term service agreement with UI to maintain and operate the plant.
UI said the project fulfills the company's 2013 commitment under its Renewables Connections Program agreement with state regulators. The agreement allows UI to earn a higher financial return on 10 megawatts worth of renewable energy installations.
Other projects that qualify toward those 10 megawatts include a 5-megawatt fuel cell and solar facility in Bridgeport and a 2.8-megawatt fuel cell in New Haven.
Malloy: Connecticut Can't Afford Not To Replace I-84 Viaduct
HARTFORD — In a pitch to shore up support for replacing the I-84 viaduct, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday said the multibillion-dollar project will recoup more than twice its cost through economic growth and savings for motorists.
"The cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of action," Malloy said at a press conference beneath the deteriorating elevated highway that takes the interstate through Hartford. "Making a down payment … will generate billions in economic activity and grow thousands of jobs."
Replacing the heavily used stretch of highway between Exit 45 and the I-91 interchange is a key piece of Malloy's ambitious $100 billion, 30-year proposal for overhauling Connecticut's transportation network.
Some legislators have recently signaled that they want to scale back the governor's proposal because of worsening budget deficits. Lawmakers' first opportunities to do that would involve diverting transportation money to the state's general fund, and scaling back the design and engineering work that is budgeted for dozens of big-ticket highway and transit initiatives.Malloy, however, maintains that Connecticut needs to make up for decades of politically driven neglect of its highways, bridges and transit systems. On average, highway commuters in the state lose 40 to 42 hours a year to delays caused by congestion, he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE