Fairfield assisted-living facility gets the go-ahead
FAIRFIELD — An assisted-living facility on Mill Hill Terrace, though hotly opposed by neighbors, was approved recently by the Town Plan and Zoning Commission.
The commission gave unanimous approval to a special permit for Maplewood of Fairfield, a three-story, 98-unit facility for seniors on 27 acres adjacent to Mill Hill School. The developer will set aside 13 acres of the property as open space in perpetuity, with public access.
During three nights of hearings on the application, the majority of residents voiced their opposition to the proposal, citing concerns about vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
“I think this is the best option available for developing this site,” said Chairman Matthew Wagner. He said while neighbors cited objections to a commercial concern being in a residential neighborhood, Wagner pointed out the property is adjacent to Interstate 95, commercial properties, including a restaurant, a nursing home and a school.
Wagner said, however, that the building was “beautiful” and would fit into the residential character of the community.
New sidewalks will be installed by the developer on Mill Hill and Pease Avenue, and access to the open space area provided from a point on the Mill Hill sidewalk, and from the assisted living property. Under conditions approved by the TPZ, signs will be installed marking those access points, and parking will be allowed on the Maplewood property for visitors to the open space. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Hearing set on proposed Berlin police HQ
BERLIN — A $16.28 million proposal for a new police station on Farmington Avenue will be the subject of a public hearing next month.
The hearing, on July 19, will mark another step in the nearly decade-long journey toward a new headquarters for the police, according to Chief Paul Fitzgerald. Berlin police have been housed on the lower level of the town municipal complex since 1974 and have been looking to relocate since 2003
In 2011, the Town Council approved the bonding of $2 million to acquire the former Kensington Furniture site at 903 and 913 Farmington Ave. for a new 34,000-square-foot headquarters. A $21 million proposal was rejected by voters at referendum three years later.
The new proposal is from A/Z Corp. of North Stonington, along with Tecton Architects Inc., Fuss & O’Neill Inc., and Consulting Engineering Services.
“We looked at the results of the referendum and reduced the size of our request,” said Fitzgerald. “I’m not happy about what I had to give up, but I understand it’s what we needed to do to move forward. That’s why we’re hopeful that the town will find the willpower and the money to get the job done.”
Fitzgerald said he eliminated an outbuilding and other features he previously requested, while also reducing the size of every room in the proposed station.
Meanwhile, the chief said, conditions at the overcrowded police station, which houses 42 officers, nine dispatchers and four support personnel in about 10,000 square feet, continue to deteriorate. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Ledyard Town Council votes to keep school construction projects on schedule
Ledyard — Following the legislature's decision to postpone reimbursement of the town's school building projects, leaving the town to either sign contracts for the $65 million project without obligated state money or delay the construction schedule, potentially costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Town Council voted unanimously Wednesday to continue the schedule.
"This is the least risk we're at right now, proceeding at risk," Councilor Kevin Malone said, explaining that delays or ceasing the project could cost the town much more in the long run.
The projects were left off a combined bonding and school building construction bill that saw close to a billion dollars in debt removed and left town officials shocked that their project had been dropped from the list so late.
The town's Permanent Municipal Building Committee had been planning to send out the bid package in January 2017, accept bids and enter into contracts. In the spring, construction would begin and be ramped up during the summer when the students were gone, replacing heating and cooling systems and conducting asbestos abatement.
If the council chose to wait until July, when the reimbursement commitment from the state comes in, building committee Chairman Steven Juskiewicz estimated that costs would escalate about $120,000 per month, not including the additional costs of continuing to keep Ledyard Center School open.
State Sen. Cathy Osten arranged a meeting between members of Ledyard's building committee and members of the Department of Administrative Services, which oversees school construction grants.
Based on the opinions from state Reps. Mike France and John Scott, Finance Committee Chairman Fred Allyn III noted that the chance of the state not approving the money was very low. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Cheshire bridge project over $3 million
CHESHIRE — A bridge on East Johnson Avenue which spans the Quinnipiac River will remain closed for repairs until later this fall. Town Council member Tom Ruocco said the more than 40-year-old structure had been on the town's list of repairs and the work could not have come at a better time.
"The bridge is worn out, it probably would not have collapsed but the repairs are due now," Ruocco said. The work began in early June and will last until sometime in December. It will cost more than the $3 million which was approved at referendum late last year. A state grant will reimburse the town 80 percent of the project's cost. "This is a very big project, one of the biggest I've seen in a while," Ruocco said. The bridge closures are between McClausland Crescent and Cheshire Street where access is restricted to all vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Construction is being done by Hemlock Construction Co. of Torrington. Town Engineer Walter Gancarz said the new span will be about 10 feet longer and will eliminate the center pier, so the opening will be completely without obstructions.
Gancarz said the east side of the bridge, the Cheshire Street side, will be about 5 feet higher than it currently is to allow for a 100-year flood to pass without overtopping the bridge. "Lastly, the roadway will be slightly realigned to eliminate that minor jog it currently has — where when you are going down to the bridge, the road turns slightly right and then back to the left," Gancarz said. The southern detour is on Blacks Road out to Route 10 and Cheshire Street, and the northern alternative is Route 322 out to Route 10. Signs indicating bridge closure and alternate routes are placed on surrounding streets.
Gold Street Relocated Again
HARTFORD — For the fourth time since the 1800s, there is a new Gold Street downtown.
The first vehicles took a spin on the street Tuesday afternoon, after construction crews finished paving and painting lane stripes. But traffic only will be able travel eastbound until the rest of the street relocation project — the centerpiece of iQuilt — is finished. Completion is expected in early fall. "The realignment of Gold Street takes iQuilt to a whole new level," Jackie Mandyck, iQuilt's managing director, said Wednesday.
This summer, Gold Street — as it existed since the 1970s — will be largely torn up and replaced with grass, trees, walkways, park benches and a public gathering space. The area, known as "Bushnell Gardens," also will better showcase Carl Andre's "Stone Field Sculpture," which now appears to be squeezed in the area, Mandyck said. The relocation, its supporters say, will create a continous green space on the north side of the street, essentially expanding Bushnell Park to Main Street. The new space, they say, is crucial to the milelong GreenWalk, stretching from the state Capitol to the riverfront.
Michael Looney, director of projects for the city, said he is optimistic that the work on Gold Street will meet expected completion dates.
"Things are moving along pretty quick," Looney said. "I'd say we're looking at the early end of the fall."
The relocation of Gold Street is the first component of iQuilt that required a major redesign of a portion of downtown. Adopted by the city council in 2010, iQuilt is a vision for tying together downtown cultural attractions and creating more walkable access to Bushnell Park, the riverfront and Union Station. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Construction of Naugatuck River Greenway celebrated with groundbreaking ceremony
TORRINGTON >> Officials and local stakeholders gathered to break ground on the Naugatuck River Greenway Wednesday morning. The groundbreaking was held in the sunny fields of the John Toro Sports Complex, with the banks of the river just off to the side. The group celebrated the next step in an ongoing effort to connect the city with its neighbors to the north and south. The greenway will eventually connect Torrington to Derby — traversing approximately 44 miles. The portion of this trail celebrated Tuesday will run along the river from Franklin Street to Bogue Road in Harwinton.
Shovels sent earth flying Wednesday as construction began on this leg of the trail, and an effort of some months by local officials and residents came to fruition. “To see that’s it’s actually going to become a reality is such a — I want to say rewarding, but it’s more than that,” said city Zoning and Inland Wetlands Officer Rista Malanca. “I’m just so happy for the city of Torrington as a whole, and the residents that live here, and the opportunity that this is going to provide to everybody.” Malanca mentioned a series of prospective positive effects — providing recreational opportunities for residents and local seniors, promoting healthy living, adding to the existing park, increasing the worth of homes in the area, driving business to local merchants — as potential outcomes of the trail. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Accidents Spur Comprehensive List of Crane Safety Recommendations
The Crane Technical Working Group released an interim report on June 10 that includes 23 recommendations in regard to crane safety.
The group was established by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Buildings Commission Rick Chandler following a crane collapse on Feb. 5. The accident involved a Liebherr LR1300 crawler crane at 60 Worth Street, Manhattan. One person died and another was seriously injured. The crane was set up to install a new generator and cooling tower on a building. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
The introduction to the report notes that the recommendations reflect the Working Group's “independent expertise in engineering and government; a thorough assessment of crane regulations in cities around the world that, like New York, have dense urban cores; and input from the city's construction industry, who also have a great stake in ensuring that our cranes are the safest in the world.”
The executive summary states that construction in a vertical city requires cranes.
“New York City's crane regulations are among the most comprehensive in the world,” it goes on to say. “They cover all phases of a crane's life cycle — from design and manufacturing at the factory; to maintenance, repair, and inspection in the crane yard; to installation and operation at a construction site.”
Further, the summary notes that the city's crane regulations were last comprehensively revised in 2008, with provisions specific to tower cranes added in 2008. Then in 2015, the Department of Buildings launched a new effort to update the city's crane regulations. The report notes that this ongoing effort, along with the recommendations made, represents an opportunity for crane safety improvement.
“These forward-looking recommendations could make New York's crane regulations — already the strongest in the country — even more effective,” Chandler said. “I thank the Working Group for offering their time and expertise to make our city safer. In the coming days, my team and I will fully evaluate this report. The group's recommendations are solid, sensible, and doable.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE