It is a tradition dating back to the earliest edifices in America, the cornerstone inscription of the year a building was constructed.
Going forward in Connecticut, builders can add the signature of the entities that poured the foundation — figuratively, anyway.
Under a new state law that takes effect in October, municipalities may only issue a certificate of occupancy for a new structure — commercial or residential — after collecting the identities of the concrete supplier and the subcontractor that poured the foundation.
The law is intended to give property owners and insurance companies recourse to chase down anyone responsible for shoddy work or materials requiring expensive repairs down the road. It comes in the wake of hundreds of homeowners in Eastern Connecticut who traced cracking and crumbling in their foundations to a single contractor’s use of a crushed stone additive that included a mineral that can degrade concrete over time. That contractor testified in support of new rules this past winter, and maintained that many of the problems could have been prevented by better installation techniques, adding that the state should require licensing of installers and mandate inspections at construction sites.
The Connecticut Attorney General’s office and the Department of Consumer Protection have been investigating the issue, primarily in instances involving homes, with nearly 30 subpoenas issued to insurance companies seeking information. The Connecticut Insurance Department last year issued a directive prohibiting carriers from canceling or failing to renew a policy as a result of a crumbling or otherwise defective foundation. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Stop work order lifted for Durham contractor
TORRINGTON >> A stop-work order against Interior Building Contractors, a subcontractor working on the Litchfield Judicial District Courthouse construction site, has been lifted, state officials said Wednesday.
The Durham-based company was cited over the weekend for “misrepresenting employees as independent contractors,” a violation of Section 31-288 of the Connecticut General Statutes, after those working on Saturday refused to explain how they were paid when queried by inspectors, a labor official says.
On Wednesday morning, Staff Counsel and Communications Director Jeffrey Beckham said that the labor department notified IBC that the stop-work order had been lifted around 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Our project manager was at the site all afternoon yesterday,” Beckham said. “The review of the paperwork submitted by IBC showed that their employees at the Torrington site are in compliance with our contract requirements, which require compliance with all relevant state laws.”
IBC is a subcontractor hired to work on the construction of courthouse on Field Street in Torrington. KBE Building Corporation is the general contractor for the project, in charge of hiring subcontractors for specific tasks. Joseph Nosal, managing member of IBC, said the order was lifted after the company submitted appropriate paperwork to the state Department of Labor. He said the company’s timeline for work at the courthouse site had not been affected by the temporary delay. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
For almost two decades, state inaction left a neglected and blighted property perched like a stain on Preston’s waterfront. Norwich Hospital, a former psychiatric facility, was allowed to fall into ruin since the state closed it in in 1996.
In recent years, however, the small town of Preston, having assumed ownership and renamed it Preston Riverwalk, has worked with the Malloy administration to gradually raze the old buildings and clean up the property. Yet until now, no private party has been willing to make a real commitment to developing this exceptional site on the Thames River.
All of that is about to change.
The Mohegans, who on Friday announced their plans to purchase the nearly 400-acre property, have a powerful vision for the Preston Riverwalk. Working together with the Town of Preston and with assistance from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the Department of Economic and Community Development, the tribe seeks to invest in this unique waterfront property with new, non-gaming property tax paying development that will include business and residential facilities. This initiative will boost Preston’s economy, create new jobs, and secure eastern Connecticut’s status as a hub for tourism and commerce. Voters should approve the memorandum of understanding today. It’s a major investment in our region’s future that will bring clear, tangible benefits to all of Preston’s residents. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Recriminations Aside, Hartford (Almost) Has A Ballpark
It will be at least a month before Dunkin' Donuts Park is ready for baseball. Or, put another way: Hartford is only a month away from opening the gates of one of the nicest ballparks around.
In recent years, however, the small town of Preston, having assumed ownership and renamed it Preston Riverwalk, has worked with the Malloy administration to gradually raze the old buildings and clean up the property. Yet until now, no private party has been willing to make a real commitment to developing this exceptional site on the Thames River.
All of that is about to change.
The Mohegans, who on Friday announced their plans to purchase the nearly 400-acre property, have a powerful vision for the Preston Riverwalk. Working together with the Town of Preston and with assistance from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the Department of Economic and Community Development, the tribe seeks to invest in this unique waterfront property with new, non-gaming property tax paying development that will include business and residential facilities. This initiative will boost Preston’s economy, create new jobs, and secure eastern Connecticut’s status as a hub for tourism and commerce. Voters should approve the memorandum of understanding today. It’s a major investment in our region’s future that will bring clear, tangible benefits to all of Preston’s residents. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Recriminations Aside, Hartford (Almost) Has A Ballpark
It will be at least a month before Dunkin' Donuts Park is ready for baseball. Or, put another way: Hartford is only a month away from opening the gates of one of the nicest ballparks around.
It's all too easy to get wrapped up in the disappointments and recriminations over the long list of missed deadlines and cost overruns at the park just north of downtown. To be sure, there's plenty of blame to go around. But all of the problems can obscure the most important fact:
Yes, the process has been an embarrassment, from the secret dealings at its genesis to the finger-pointing along the way. Yes, the construction timeline was overly ambitious. Yes, it's an expensive investment. But at this point, there's no turning back, and continuing to hammer on the mistakes of the past is counterproductive. Focusing on the future — although with a wiser eye — is the best thing for the city. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Hartford has a ballpark.
Yes, there's still work to be done at the future home of the Hartford Yard Goats — one could call it a diamond in the rough — but it's close, tantalizingly close, and there's no walking away from it. Mayor Luke Bronin on Wednesday called it "beautiful."Yes, the process has been an embarrassment, from the secret dealings at its genesis to the finger-pointing along the way. Yes, the construction timeline was overly ambitious. Yes, it's an expensive investment. But at this point, there's no turning back, and continuing to hammer on the mistakes of the past is counterproductive. Focusing on the future — although with a wiser eye — is the best thing for the city. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE