HARTFORD >> The Connecticut Airport Authority touted how a casino at a Bradley International Airport terminal and new transportation center could “capitalize on a captive audience” in a pitch to Connecticut’s federally recognized tribes, according to documents released Friday.
The authority noted how more than 17,000 passengers pass through the Windsor Locks facility on a daily basis.“No other location within the state of Connecticut can offer the opportunity for that amount of dedicated non-casino traffic to pass by the casino entrances daily,” according to a proposal the authority submitted last year to the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes. Both are considering locations for a proposed jointly-owned, satellite casino to blunt competition from MGM Resorts International’s planned casino in Springfield, Massachusetts.The authority’s proposal, however, was shelved in June after it became clear the timeline for any potential development of the casino would not be compatible with construction of the $225 million transportation center. MGM released a copy of the proposal on Friday to the media after obtaining it through an open records request.The airport authority has stressed that other locations for the casino still exist at Bradley.
The tribes, who own and operate Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino in southeastern Connecticut, have yet to announce a location for their joint venture. They also still need local approvals and the consent of the General Assembly and governor.According to the proposal, the authority offered various options for the tribes to consider, including adding gambling space before and after security checkpoints. One version suggested a rooftop casino where patrons could watch the planes, suggesting it’s an “extremely important component of the overall entertainment experience.” Plans also included restaurants and other entertainment.Kevin Dillon, executive director of the airport authority, acknowledged that alternative locations at the airport won’t offer same level of foot traffic the terminal and transportation center locations provided. However, he said the airport is still a good location for a casino, noting the easy accessibility from highways. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Berlin High School renovations nearly complete
BERLIN — An extensive renovation of Berlin High School that’s been years in the making is nearly complete, town officials say.
“The majority will be turned over by the time classes start,” Public Works Director Jack Healy said Friday.
Classrooms will be ready by the start of the school year, while the auditorium and music rooms are scheduled to be finished by Sept. 30.
Tom Reid, chairman of the Public Building Commission, said the project is on schedule and within budget. The renovation project started in 2012 with the addition of a building to house classes during construction. Reid said the best part about the classroom space is that it can be used after the renovations are complete, as opposed to temporary portable classrooms.
“It’s been a long, involved process,” Reid said of the project.
A majority of the renovation work has taken place in the last year. In January, renovations of one gym and the girls locker room were completed.
According to a monthly report release by Gilbane Construction, stage three of the project is underway. The focus is on the auditorium and the music rooms, the report states.
Roof work in the auditorium is ongoing as is masonry in the band room. Electrical and plumbing work is also ongoing.
Healy said contractors expect to begin leaving the site between October and November.
The first day of school is Wednesday, Aug. 31.
The Killingly Town Council will hear two presentations on Tuesday, including one from opponents of a proposed Dayville power plant, and is also expected to approve a raise for the town manager. The council will meet at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Power plant: Members of the Not Another Power Plant group will have 30 minutes Tuesday to discuss their opposition to Florida-based NTE Energy’s proposal to construct a 550-megawatt combined-cycle, natural gas power plant on Lake Road in Dayville near the town’s industrial park. The plan has drawn sharp criticism from residents living near the proposed site around Alexander Lake and others who worry about possible pollutants, decreased water quality and other environmental and health issues the plant might generate. NTE is preparing a full application to the Connecticut Siting Council and hopes to break ground on the project in 2017. Commercial operations could begin by 2020 if the plan is approved. Water: The council will conduct a question-and-answer session with David Radka, director of water resources and planning for the Connecticut Water Company, which oversees water use for 35 Connecticut towns, including Killingly. Radka is expected to discuss the future availability of water in Killingly and how that amount could affect economic development, Town Manager Sean Hendricks said. Though Radka's presentation was scheduled weeks before the Not Another Power Plant group was booked, he is also expected to touch on the potential effects that such a new power plant could have in town, Hendricks said. Raise: Town council members are also expected to approve a raise for Hendricks. The council recently conducted an annual performance review of Hendricks, who was hired two years ago. Hendricks received largely high marks from council members again this year, especially in areas of budgeting and community relations. Because Hendricks’ review went on longer than anticipated during an executive session last month, the council decided to postpone any raise approval until Tuesday. Hendricks currently makes $125,000 a year. There has been no formal indication of how much more the council will approve for Hendricks.
GOSHEN — A plan to send sewage from the Woodridge Lake Sewer District to Torrington via an underground pipeline is in the hands of the Inland Wetlands Commission.
The WLSD unveiled the $15.5 million proposal for the commission during a hearing on Thursday evening. After receiving testimony from the public, and representatives of WLSD and Torrington Water Co., the commission closed the hearing and will have 65 days to render a decision.
The proposed pipeline is necessary because the WLSD's current sewage treatment plant and collection field are no longer adequate to handle the volume of sewage coming from 691 sewer-using dwellings in the WLSD, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The 8-inch pipeline buried 6 feet underground would traverse Brush Hill Road, Route 63, Pie Hill Road, East Street South and Route 4 to the Torrington line, a distance of 3.9 miles. It would travel another 2.5 miles to Lovers Lane in Torrington, where it would connect with the city's sewer system.
The proposed project includes construction of a new pumping station at the sewage treatment plant.
According to the project's engineer, David Prickett of Enfield, most of the pipeline would be built along the sides of the roads. Some of the pipeline would have to be built beneath road sections to avoid wetlands, he said.
The pipeline would have no direct effect on wetlands or watercourses, according to soil scientist Michael Klein of West Hartford, who testified on behalf of the WLSD.
Goshen Town Planner Martin Connor said the pipeline's proposed route in Torrington is acceptable to the city's public works and sewer authority officials. Connor also serves as city planner in Torrington.
Torrington's Inland Wetlands Commission and Water Pollution Control Authority have to approve the pipeline, as does Goshen's Water Pollution Control Authority and the state Office of Policy and Management. The WLSD also needs to strike an intermunicipal agreement with Torrington.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the state Department of Public Health have signed off on the plan, said Christopher Smith of Hartford, WLSD's attorney.
Garrett Harlow, public works supervisor in Goshen, testified that the pipeline would have minimal effect on roads and no effect on road drainage systems.
Opposition to the plan came from the president of the Torrington Water Co., Susan Suhanovsky, who said the pipeline would threaten the water company's 5,000 acres of watershed that provides drinking water for 40,000 customers in Torrington. The pipeline would bisect a portion of the watershed. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
The WLSD unveiled the $15.5 million proposal for the commission during a hearing on Thursday evening. After receiving testimony from the public, and representatives of WLSD and Torrington Water Co., the commission closed the hearing and will have 65 days to render a decision.
The proposed pipeline is necessary because the WLSD's current sewage treatment plant and collection field are no longer adequate to handle the volume of sewage coming from 691 sewer-using dwellings in the WLSD, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The 8-inch pipeline buried 6 feet underground would traverse Brush Hill Road, Route 63, Pie Hill Road, East Street South and Route 4 to the Torrington line, a distance of 3.9 miles. It would travel another 2.5 miles to Lovers Lane in Torrington, where it would connect with the city's sewer system.
The proposed project includes construction of a new pumping station at the sewage treatment plant.
According to the project's engineer, David Prickett of Enfield, most of the pipeline would be built along the sides of the roads. Some of the pipeline would have to be built beneath road sections to avoid wetlands, he said.
The pipeline would have no direct effect on wetlands or watercourses, according to soil scientist Michael Klein of West Hartford, who testified on behalf of the WLSD.
Goshen Town Planner Martin Connor said the pipeline's proposed route in Torrington is acceptable to the city's public works and sewer authority officials. Connor also serves as city planner in Torrington.
Torrington's Inland Wetlands Commission and Water Pollution Control Authority have to approve the pipeline, as does Goshen's Water Pollution Control Authority and the state Office of Policy and Management. The WLSD also needs to strike an intermunicipal agreement with Torrington.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the state Department of Public Health have signed off on the plan, said Christopher Smith of Hartford, WLSD's attorney.
Garrett Harlow, public works supervisor in Goshen, testified that the pipeline would have minimal effect on roads and no effect on road drainage systems.
Opposition to the plan came from the president of the Torrington Water Co., Susan Suhanovsky, who said the pipeline would threaten the water company's 5,000 acres of watershed that provides drinking water for 40,000 customers in Torrington. The pipeline would bisect a portion of the watershed. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE