Governor:
At 10 a.m., Gov. Malloy and Commissioner Redeker will hold a press conference to provide an update on I-84 Waterbury widening project at the I-84 Waterbury project site.
Gov. Malloy & Lt. Gov. Wyman Statements on Committee Approval of Constitutional Amendment Protecting Transportation Funds
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman released the following statement in response to a bipartisan vote today in the General Assembly's Transportation Committee to approve a resolution he introduced that will enact an amendment in our state's constitution protecting transportation funds from being raided and used for other purposes:
Governor Malloy said, "I would like to thank the Transportation Committee for voting this out of the committee on a bipartisan basis, and I especially appreciate Chairman Guerrera's voice and leadership on this issue. The time to act is now. This language is strong. This is the definition of a 'structural' budgetary change, and it will protect transportation dollars.
"It is disappointing to see opposition from members who claim to be in favor of a lockbox, but will not support this resolution. We cannot have it both ways - we cannot say we must fix our transportation system while also voting against the lockbox. Anyone in opposition to this measure must be prepared to answer some simple questions: Why shouldn't your constituents have the chance to decide for themselves if this amendment is worthy of our state constitution? Why should they be denied a chance to change the status quo?
"Let's not play politics with our economic future. Let's not stand in the way of fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges. We must make a structural change that will help Connecticut compete for jobs against Massachusetts, New York, and other states in our region."
Lt. Governor Wyman said, "Instituting a stable, consistent transportation funding structure is critical to Connecticut's future. A transportation lockbox helps us meet our broader goals in economic development, improve commerce, and it will save thousands of driver hours, and it makes our state more attractive to businesses and the workforce. I applaud the Transportation Committee on their vote."
Penfield Pavilion project ramps up as east wing comes down
FAIRFIELD — Construction at Penfield Pavilion started in earnest this week, as demolition of the east wing of lockers at the beachfront structure began Monday morning.
Construction equipment was moved onto the site the first week of March, and demolition of the wing is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
The pavilion has been closed since October 2012, when it was damaged by Superstorm Sandy.
The project to rebuild and reopen the pavilion is finally beginning after two years and 40 building committee meetings. The $7.4 million price tag is being financed primarily with 75 percent reimbursement of eligible costs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, plus a $500,000 state grant, $1.75 million from insurance and $1.4 million in town money.
After demolition of the east wing, the west wing will be raised, reinforced and then moved back into the parking lot. That work is expected to take place between April 1 and May 24. A new foundation, including driving timber piles for the structure, will take place from April 15 to May 10 for a new east wing and from June 8 to July 10 for the west wing.
Improvements are changing face of quaint Old Greenwich train station
GREENWICH — As tons of concrete are being poured and a large new retaining wall and parking lot near completion at the Old Greenwich train station, the shape of the new facility is coming into view.
The antiquated old station, with its roots in the 19th century, is getting a 21st-century makeover.
Few would dispute that upgrades were needed, but some residents are expressing ambivalence about the scale of the project. The new wall, which supports an additional parking lot, now looms large at the station.
State Rep. Michael Bocchino, R-Greenwich, said there will be a range of design elements coming in later that will soften the bulky appearance of the wall and additional parking.
“We’re going to make sure that there’s greenery, landscaping and planters. We want to maintain that neighborhood and community feel,” said Bocchino. “We want to make certain that the gem of Sound Beach Avenue is preserved. ... We need to do everything we can to maintain that.”
The state Department of Transportation says the wall will be “architecturally-aesthetic.” Its landscaping plan calls for 225 blue junipers to be installed there, along with more than a hundred other plants, trees and shrubs.
Once completed, the additions will increase parking at station from the existing 99 spaces to 220.
On a recent afternoon, a number commuters getting off the train expressed some frustration about the disruption and loss of parking during the construction process, and concern over the scope of the project. They used terms like “expensive,” “massive” and “a lot of work for a town like this.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Final power plant details in place
With financing set and a construction deal signed, nearly every detail is in place to build a power plant in Oxford.
Last week, Maryland-based Competitive Power Ventures closed financing on the planned 785-megawatt CPV Towantic Energy Center on Woodruff Hill Road. The $753 million debt financing, led by MUFG Union Bank, CIT Bank and Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, was arranged with 16 lenders participating.
The project has been the focus of intense local opposition, and on Sunday night, a fire was set in bales of hay and a trailer on the site. “People who start fires to make a point are called arsonists,” said First Selectman George Temple, who said the fire could have been a result of continued progress on the facility. “If they are caught, they are subject to felony prosecution.”
No injuries were reported. “Anytime our fire apparatus has to roll, there is the potential of injury to our firefighters or an innocent civilian,” Temple said, adding that steps would be taken to see that the site is more secure.
CPV last year received approval from the Connecticut Siting Council and has all its necessary permits. An appeal of the Siting Council decision is before an appellate court.
The Towantic Center is to produce power — for which the primary fuel will be natural gas, with low-sulfur distillate fuel oil as a backup — that will go onto a regional grid serving New England. Water for the plant’s operation will come from the Heritage Village Water Co. in Southbury, with wastewater going to the Naugatuck River via the Naugatuck Water Pollution Control Authority. CPV had said it hopes to have its plant operating by 2018. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Governor tours downtown New Britain
NEW BRITAIN — Mayor Erin Stewart escorted Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Transportation Commissioner James Redeker on a brief walk through the city’s central business district Monday afternoon to tout the burgeoning developments that have been invigorated by CTfastrak.
In the tour, aided by morning rain having let up shortly before, Stewart walked alongside the governor. She offered details of small businesses that populate the areas of West Main and Main streets and the projects that have been completed or are in the early stages, offering an economic and aesthetic boost to the downtown area.
Malloy was greeted by Stewart, aldermen and other city officials at the Miss Washington Diner, where he learned about the downtown’s stalwart eatery and posed for photographs with employees.
The entourage made its way east from Washington Street, where Stewart detailed Jasko Development’s improvements to the residential and retail complex at 99 West Main St. The governor made a brief, unplanned stop at the Downtown District to view the exhibit on the Borinqueneers, the celebrated United States Army regiment comprised most of troops of Puerto Rican descent. He made his way next door and didn’t leave empty-handed after a subsequent stop at Dulces Cupcake Café, selecting a few treats to take home and posing for photos with employees.
As they made their way down West Main Street, Stewart told Malloy of revitalization efforts at the Burritt House and the Apartments at Anvil Place, after the governor noted the "beautiful line of buildings" adjacent to City Hall. She explained the renovation project at Central Park, noting that construction fencing should be removed within the month and minor details completed in time for warmer weather. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
The Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) on Feb. 17 unanimously green-lighted issuance of three series of bonds as part of Seabury's financing structure, as long as certain bond-rating and pre-leasing requirements are met.
One will comprise permanent debt of approximately $52.6 million, with final maturity due in 2053. The others will be temporary bonds, one for about $9.25 million to mature in 2020; the other for about $13.75 million, maturing in 2021. Redemptions for the latter pair are tied to occupancy levels for the 23-year-old continuing-care housing complex.
Built in 1992 on 68 acres at 200 Seabury Drive, Seabury consists of 193 independent-living units, which include 34 independent-living cottages and five villas; 154 independent- and 49 assisted-living apartments; 58 memory-care units; and 60 skilled-nursing beds. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
POWER PLANT FIRE ARSON?
OXFORD — Police and fire investigators are looking for someone who they say intentionally set fire to a trailer filled with hay bales at the CPV Towantic power plant construction site Sunday night. Fire Chief Scott Pelletier said a 43-foot long trailer that contained 450 hay barrels was set ablaze. All of the barrels were destroyed, as was the trailer. Nobody was injured.
The Oxford Fire Department was called to the private development site off Woodruff Hill Road about 7 p.m. The volunteer firefighters spent three-and-a-half hours working to douse the hay bales.
They called a construction team working on the project and were granted permission to use a backhoe to rip apart the aluminum on the trailer to access the fire and hot spots, Pelletier said.
A volunteer firefighter who has experience operating heavy machinery was able to operate the machine and give fellow firefighters better access to the flames. Fire crews climbed a ladder to shoot down on the flames with a foam product, plus about 25,000 gallons of water, Pelletier said.
There were 14 other hay bales on the side of the road at the entrance that were also set on fire, he said. Pelletier, who also serves as the town's fire marshal, said there was no sign of partying in the area. He and members of the state fire marshal's office have ruled out all natural causes.
"It was a trailer filled with hay with no electric going into it," he said. He also said the hay was not freshly cut, leading him to believe it did not spontaneously combust. A state fire marshal worked with an accelerant-sniffing dog but didn't find anything. Neighbors didn't see anything suspicious nearby, he said. First Selectman George R. Temple said in a news release Monday the project, a 785-megawatt power plant that is being developed by Maryland-based Competitive Power Ventures, has been controversial. But he stopped short of blaming opponents for the arson. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE