WALLINGFORD — A section of Sam’s Flower Stand on Route 5 that encroaches on Amtrak property will be demolished for the ongoing rail expansion project. Officials said Amtrak will pay for the demolition, which is expected to happen this spring.
The $650 million rail project will add tracks and upgrade stations between New Haven and Springfield, Massachusetts. The state partnered with Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration on the project.
Construction crews creating track beds were about a quarter-mile away from the flower stand Thursday afternoon.
Sam’s Flower Stand, at 991 N. Colony Road, sits on a small triangle of land nestled between state property on Route 5 to the east and Amtrak property to the south and west. The business was not open Thursday morning and a sign on the door stated it would remain closed until Easter. With the holiday a little over a week away, no flowers could be seen on the property and part of the roof of the greenhouse appeared to have been damaged or removed.
Owner Samuel Papale Jr. could not be reached for comment.
John Bernick, assistant rail administrator for the sttae Department of Transportation, said the southernmost section of the flower stand containing the greenhouse encroaches on Amtrak property. He said the problem posed by the encroachment becomes more evident as construction approaches the flower stand.
“It’s more exasperated by the fact the additional track is going to be on that side,” Bernick said. “I believe (Amtrak) is working with the owner and that the greenhouse portion will be taken down.”
Until the greenhouse is demolished, Amtrak will not be able to complete work in that area, Bernick said. “I would say it needs to be done immediately,” Bernick said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Construction of the development on a vacant 5.5-acre plot of land near the Waterford town line, one of the last undeveloped spots in the area, could start as early as late spring.
The complex will be constructed, owned and managed by A.R. Building Company Inc., doing business as Mansfield Apartments LLC.
Land-use attorney William Sweeney, representing A.R. Building, said the rental costs of the apartments likely would range between $1,000 and $1,500 a month and will be marketed to “upwardly mobile young professionals with disposable income.”
He said the development would be a boon to economic development in the community.
Thursday’s approval came after a half dozen neighbors raised concerns focused on quality-of-life issues, including increased traffic and noise from the planned blasting of rock ledge at the site.
Iris Lampert, who has lived at 45 Mansfield Ave. for the past 42 years, said she recalls that when other area apartment complexes were built, “I had crystal falling off my shelves.”
Blasting would occur for several weeks but mostly would amount to a few “shots” a day followed by excavation of the rock, Sweeney said.
Pre-blast surveys also would be performed on neighboring properties to ensure any damage, though none is expected, is covered by insurance. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Construction Employment Increases in Most Metro Areas
Construction employment increased in 243 out of 358 metro areas, was unchanged in 43 and declined in 72 between January 2015 and January 2016, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that many of the metro areas experiencing drops in construction employment were in energy-producing metro areas.
"Demand in most parts of the country is robust and construction employment is growing in more than two-thirds of all metro areas," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "However, the downturn in energy prices appears to be having a significant impact on construction demand in a number of formerly strong markets."
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, Calif. added the most construction jobs during the past year (12,400 jobs, 15 percent). Other metro areas adding a large number of construction jobs include Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (11,060 jobs, 6 percent); Orange-Rockland-Westchester, N.Y. (7,700 jobs, 22 percent) and Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. (7,600 jobs, 7 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred in El Centro, Calif. (61 percent, 1,100 jobs); Weirton-Steubenville, W.Va.-Ohio (33 percent, 500 jobs); Monroe, Mich. (30 percent, 600 jobs); Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury Town, Mass.-N.H. (22 percent, 800 jobs) and Orange-Rockland-Westchester, N.Y.
The largest job losses from January 2015 to January 2016 were in Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (-4,700 jobs, -6 percent); followed by Odessa, Texas (-3,800 jobs, -19 percent); Midland, Texas (-3,500 jobs, -12 percent) and Greeley, Colo. (-3,100 jobs, -16 percent). The largest percentage declines for the past year were in Odessa; Greeley; Victoria, Texas (-14 percent, -900 jobs) and Huntington-Ashland, W.V.-Ky.-Ohio (-14 percent, -1,100 jobs). CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE