WALLINGFORD — Eversource Energy will present a plan to remove hundreds of trees near transmission lines at a Town Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
The cutting is intended to reduce storm-related power outages by removing tall trees that pose a risk to the transmission lines, Eversource spokesman Frank Poirot said. The removal of trees in Wallingford is part of a larger project in several towns.
At the Town Council meeting, Eversource officials are expected to present details of its tree removal plans. Members of the public will have a chance to comment.
The presentation was requested by Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. after he was approached by property owners with concerns
“It threatens our safety and serenity,” said Suzanne Goodison, who lives on Mulligan Drive.
Goodison’s property in the Fairways at Harbour Ridge is adjacent to a transmission right-of-way where the Eversource plans to clear trees. The company notified her and nearby residents in a letter sent Aug. 25.
“Eversource is scheduled to remove all tall growing tree species in an expanded area of the transmission right-of-way on or adjacent to your property,” the letter stated. The letter went on to say that removal would be done with “mechanical tree-harvesting equipment, manual climbing crews and tree-chipping equipment.”
Poirot said he could not provide details about what other areas will be impacted in Wallingford, but noted all affected property owners were sent a letter on Aug. 25.
The decision to remove the trees by Eversource is in part a response to recommendations made by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission following an October 2011 snowstorm that left millions without power in the state and region. According to a report by the commission, over half of the power outages were caused by contact with trees.
On Sept. 16, Goodison sent a letter to Eversource on behalf of the Fairways at Harbour Ridge Condo Association, which outlined concerns about the impact of tree removal in the area.
Among the concerns, is noise and light pollution. Goodison said the trees act as a barrier between the condominiums and Interstate 91, which is located about 800 feet from her property.
The trees “decrease significant highway noise from auto and truck traffic” and “dampen significant headline radiation from traffic,” Goodison wrote in the letter to Eversource. She added in the letter that removal of the trees will devalue the neighborhood’s homes by “at least 30 percent.”
Though Eversource does not own the land, the company has a “right-of-way” that defines its legal right to maintain the land beneath the lines, Poirot said.
Town Council Vice Chairman Tom Laffin said the presentation will be a “good opportunity for members of the public to express their concerns and feelings.”
Laffin added that mass removal of trees “seems drastic but let’s see what they have to say.”
The removal of trees by Eversource has raised similar concerns by property owners in other towns, including in Glastonbury, where the company appeared before the Town Council last month to make a similar presentation, Poirot said.
Goodison said she and neighbors have met with Eversource officials, as well as Dickinson and other local officials like state Rep. Mary Mushinsky and Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano about their concerns.
“It’s really a more collaborative process than people think,” Poirot said about the company’s tree removal plans. He added that the tree clearing will not start until after the company has received public feedback. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
The official death notice came earlier this month in the Federal Register, where the Federal Highway Administration published an announcement that it was canceling plans to undertake an environmental impact study on the project.
The study would be required before federal funds could be spent to build the approximately eight miles of new highway connecting the existing Route 11 to the Interstate 95-395 intersection near the East Lyme-Waterford town line.
The project, estimated to cost $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion, would have been paid for with a combination of state and federal funds. About $12.7 million has been spent by the state Department of Transportation over the last two decades on studies, plans and preliminary design work on the Route 11 extension, DOT spokesman Judd Everhart said.
Construction on the existing 8.5-mile highway from Colchester to Salem stopped in 1979.
Doug Hecox, spokesman for the FHA, said Monday that the agency decided to publish the notice, effectively signaling the project is no longer under consideration, after months of inaction by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The FHA, he said, “made multiple requests (to Connecticut) to provide key information about this project, among them, a financial plan, engineering and operational analysis and other elements.”
“Several months ago, after these issues remained unresolved, the (highway administration) shut down this project’s number in the federal aid financial system,” he said. “In the Federal Register on Oct. 4, the (highway administration) rescinded the Notice of Intent for this project.”
Montville Mayor Ronald K. McDaniel said state DOT officials a few months ago informed him and leaders of the three other towns on the proposed route that the Route 11 extension effectively was dead, but that improvements would be made to I-95 and Route 85 instead.
"The reality is that they don't have the money to do the project," McDaniel said.
"If we can at least get some improvements to those roads (95 and 85) to ease congestion at peak times, that's a much more achievable goal," he said. "We've got other things we can tackle."
Hecox said one of “many factors” that weighed into the cancellation of the project was the identification of Native American archaeological sites in the proposed route of the highway, which would have traversed through Salem, Montville, East Lyme and Waterford. He directed further questions about those sites to the state DOT.
Kevin McBride, director of research at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, said that several Native American and colonial sites have been found along the route over the years, but he was not aware of any recent discoveries. He said he did not have direct knowledge of particular sites in that area, however.
“It’s a very sensitive area archaeologically,” he said. “But I don’t know of any new finds.”
State DOT officials did a "field walk" of the proposed route with representatives of the two Native American tribes and the Federal Highway Administration, according to Everhart, the Connecticut DOT spokesman. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
United Services breaks ground on $14M behavioral health center
WINDHAM — United Services broke ground Tuesday on a new facility with the promise of improving access and integration of care.
The $14 million health center will be located on the Windham/Mansfield town line and consolidate children, adult and family behavioral health services in one location, along with other services provided by the nonprofit.
“Some of us thought this ground-breaking would never happen,” said Jeffrey Kramer, chairman of the United Services board of directors. “We didn’t anticipate the obstacles, road blocks and the naysayers.”
United Services President and CEO Diane Manning said the new facility is made possible by a $10 million loan from USDA that will be paid back over 40 years.
Manning said need has driven the project forward. Demand for United Services Behavioral Health services has increased 258 percent in the last 10 years, Manning said.
Manning said she hopes the ribbon cutting will be as soon as 15 months away, but it may take longer.
U.S. Rep Joe Courtney said USDA has invested $47 million in the 2nd Congressional District in the last year. Courtney, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Sen. Christopher Murphy all supported the USDA funding for the facility.
“This project has not been for the faint of heart getting to where we are today,” Courtney said. “The problems [United Services is] addressing can sometimes be overwhelming when you think of the scope of the issues. But it shouldn’t be because you can see the progress being made because of the magic sauce, which is the staff.”
Leonard Shuzdak Jr., program director for community programs with USDA, said the department is investing nationwide in behavioral health programs. Shuzdak said USDA invested $213 million with 80 programs in 34 states in the 2014-15 fiscal year.
Manning said the new facility will put the United Services staff all under one roof instead of the two current facilities the organization occupies. The new site is also on an existing bus line, another critical factor for clients, Manning said.
It will also be a green building facing south to maximize solar power and geothermal wells to help efficiently heat and cool the facility. Eversource and Jewett City Savings Bank have also been critical supporters of the project, Manning said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Public invited to comment on proposed Dayville power plant
Public hearing: The Connecticut Siting Council will host a public comment session at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Killingly High School on a proposal by NTE Connecticut LLC to construct a 550-megawatt power plant in Dayville. Anyone who has not been granted party or intervenor status – which includes all of Killingly’s elected and appointed officials, as well as employees - can speak on the record on the issue to the nine-member panel. Individuals wishing to comment can check in at the school, 226 Putnam Pike, beginning at 6 p.m.
The project: NTE is proposing to build a dual-fuel, combined cycle power plant on Lake Road in Dayville. Project developers said the air-cooled plant has the potential to develop and sell enough electricity to the grid to power 550,000 homes, will require hundreds of construction workers, lead to the creation of several permanent jobs and have the potential to bring in millions in tax revenue. Opponents question the need for the plant and the possible ancillary environmental and health effects of such a facility, which is planned near the existing Lake Road Generating Plant.
Evidentiary hearing: At 11 a.m. Nov. 3, the Siting Council will hold an evidentiary hearing on the project at 10 Franklin Square, New Britain. At that time, the town, to be represented by Town Manager Sean Hendricks, can present evidence on the issue. Hendricks can call witnesses and perform cross-examination of other witnesses. Hendricks said he plans to question representatives from TRC, the private firm hired by the town to evaluate NTE’s application. Earlier this month, letters from the town’s Planning and Zoning and Inland Wetlands and Watercourses commissions were forwarded to the state. The letters include lists of regulatory issues – traffic, noise, storm water drainage – that members said will be affected by the plant’s construction.
MMCT, the joint tribal venture that has been given authority by the state to select the site of a casino in the greater Hartford area that will compete with the planned $900 million MGM casino in Springfield, announced that a South Windsor site is now being considered.
The town's submission was filed in response to MMCT's second request for proposals, which was opened last month and concluded over the weekend.
The original request for proposals in fall of last year required space for only 50 gaming tables, but MMCT is now asking for space to accommodate 150 tables.
South Windsor's proposal was submitted in conjunction with development company dck North America. The casino, Town Manager Matthew Galligan said, would be in the I-291 Corridor Development Zone.
"We still have an opportunity to do the studio," said Galligan, who called the proposed plans "a real shot in the arm" that would provide a prominent entertainment area in the capitol region.
South Windsor is competing with proposals in East Windsor, East Hartford, Hartford, and Windsor Locks, all of which have submitted proposals that are being considered by MMCT. MMCT plans to conduct a public engagement campaign in each community prior to selecting a proposal.
According to a recent report by the Office of Fiscal Analysis, the state could lose $68 million in revenue during fiscal year 2019 if the Springfield site opens as expected in fall 2018 without a competitor in the northern part of Connecticut.
One of the parcels championed for development in past years includes a combined 22-acre property originally set aside for a film studio.
In 2009, the town conditionally granted three land deeds for three properties lining Route 5 to Connecticut Studios. Though the land was supposed to host sound stages, retail space, a hotel, a visitors center, and other structures, none of the planned infrastructure was ever developed. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Work to resume at Hartford ballpark
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin has signed the takeover agreement with Arch Insurance Company to resume work at Dunkin' Donuts Park.
The mayor's spokesman, Brett Broesder confirmed the action Tuesday.
Work has been stalled but Arch Insurance tapped Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. to complete work on the unfinished ballpark in late September.
The city fired the original developer for work, which had been expected to cost $53.5 million, and that developer, Centerplan Construction is suing the city over the matter.
The Hartford Yard Goats, who played their entire season on the road, aims to play the upcoming season with Hartford as their home base beginning April 13, 2017.
Patrick Nails, a senior vice president with Arch, could not be reached for comment.
Despite Delays, DOT Expects Work On Route 4 In Farmington To Be Completed On Schedule
There have been some unexpected delays in the six months since crews broke ground on Route 4 in Farmington, but state Department of Transportation officials say it is a top priority to get the project completed on time.
Construction on a half-mile portion of the town's main thoroughfare, from Garden Street to Mountain Spring Road, started in April. The work is expected to continue through the summer of 2018.
Since April, crews have been clearing and excavating near the former Parson's Chevrolet dealership. Dunham said frequent travelers might not see much of a difference, because most of the ongoing work is underground, such as relocating utilities, creating a new water main, tying in water services to the buildings and installing major drainage fixtures.
"Once all that underground work gets done, then the contractor can come in and start building the roadway," he said. "I would think ... next spring or summer, you'll start to actually visually see some changes over there."
The town's submission was filed in response to MMCT's second request for proposals, which was opened last month and concluded over the weekend.
The original request for proposals in fall of last year required space for only 50 gaming tables, but MMCT is now asking for space to accommodate 150 tables.
South Windsor's proposal was submitted in conjunction with development company dck North America. The casino, Town Manager Matthew Galligan said, would be in the I-291 Corridor Development Zone.
"We still have an opportunity to do the studio," said Galligan, who called the proposed plans "a real shot in the arm" that would provide a prominent entertainment area in the capitol region.
South Windsor is competing with proposals in East Windsor, East Hartford, Hartford, and Windsor Locks, all of which have submitted proposals that are being considered by MMCT. MMCT plans to conduct a public engagement campaign in each community prior to selecting a proposal.
According to a recent report by the Office of Fiscal Analysis, the state could lose $68 million in revenue during fiscal year 2019 if the Springfield site opens as expected in fall 2018 without a competitor in the northern part of Connecticut.
One of the parcels championed for development in past years includes a combined 22-acre property originally set aside for a film studio.
In 2009, the town conditionally granted three land deeds for three properties lining Route 5 to Connecticut Studios. Though the land was supposed to host sound stages, retail space, a hotel, a visitors center, and other structures, none of the planned infrastructure was ever developed. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Work to resume at Hartford ballpark
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin has signed the takeover agreement with Arch Insurance Company to resume work at Dunkin' Donuts Park.
The mayor's spokesman, Brett Broesder confirmed the action Tuesday.
Work has been stalled but Arch Insurance tapped Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. to complete work on the unfinished ballpark in late September.
The city fired the original developer for work, which had been expected to cost $53.5 million, and that developer, Centerplan Construction is suing the city over the matter.
The Hartford Yard Goats, who played their entire season on the road, aims to play the upcoming season with Hartford as their home base beginning April 13, 2017.
Patrick Nails, a senior vice president with Arch, could not be reached for comment.
Despite Delays, DOT Expects Work On Route 4 In Farmington To Be Completed On Schedule
There have been some unexpected delays in the six months since crews broke ground on Route 4 in Farmington, but state Department of Transportation officials say it is a top priority to get the project completed on time.
Construction on a half-mile portion of the town's main thoroughfare, from Garden Street to Mountain Spring Road, started in April. The work is expected to continue through the summer of 2018.
John S. Dunham, district engineer for the DOT's fourth district, said the $12.6 million reconstruction is running about 53 days behind schedule, due to unforeseen issues with the water main in the area.
"Whenever you work in the ground and underneath the road, [there's] always some complications and difficulties that you can't always plan for because underground utilities aren't always exactly where you think they are when you plan the job," Dunham said.
"You don't have X-ray vision. You can't see in the ground."
Dunham said the DOT will be meeting with New Britain contractor Tilcon Construction, Inc. to discuss ways to make up time over the next year and a half.Since April, crews have been clearing and excavating near the former Parson's Chevrolet dealership. Dunham said frequent travelers might not see much of a difference, because most of the ongoing work is underground, such as relocating utilities, creating a new water main, tying in water services to the buildings and installing major drainage fixtures.
"Once all that underground work gets done, then the contractor can come in and start building the roadway," he said. "I would think ... next spring or summer, you'll start to actually visually see some changes over there."
Once finished, there will be traffic lights at the intersection at High Street, a local road running parallel north of Route 4, and two eastbound lanes from the Route 10 intersection up to the I-84 on-ramp. The town is exploring potential redevelopment concepts of a 40-acre area that Route 4 runs through. The area is adjacent to the Farmington Center historic district with the Farmington River to the west.
Dunham said most of the work will continue to take place Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with some night work hours Monday through Friday, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
There will be a nightly road closure and detour impacting the northern section of Route 10, at Waterville Road and the intersection of Route 4, from Oct. 24 to 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
State Housing Authority Gives $6.5 Million For Glastonbury Elderly Housing Project
A plan to modernize the Center Village senior community received a boost when the state Department of Housing and the Connecticut Housing Authority gave the town $6.5 million for the project.
The grant will help the Glastonbury Housing Authority fund the $18 million project to renovate and expand the senior housing built in 1975. The authority's plan is to construct a 38-unit, two-story building on the corner of New London Turnpike and Salmon Brook Drive. The plan includes the renovation and expansion of 34 units in six existing buildings from 350 square feet to 650 square feet. Three buildings with 16 units would be demolished along with a community hall.
State Housing Commissioner Evonne M. Klein said this grant given to Glastonbury is one of the biggest ever. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Hamden zoners table Quinnipiac stadium plan pending more noise study
HAMDEN >> The question of whether the use of a second stadium on Mount Carmel Avenue by Quinnipiac University’s lacrosse and soccer teams will exceed noise regulations has pushed the school’s Planning and Zoning application off for another month.
The Planning and Zoning Commission tabled the application to its Nov. 15 meeting in order to get more information about how the construction of the 500-seat stadium will affect neighbors. The commission already has approved the construction of another larger, 1,500-seat stadium on the site Attorney John Lambert, who represents residents in the area of the fields, told the commission that according to its regulations, the university designation doesn’t imply that a stadium is a necessary accessory use.The definition of a university implies academic uses, not athletic, he said. “The emphasis is on learning, not socializing,” he said, referring to Town Planner Dan Kop’s statement in his recommendation for approval that “athletics are an integral part” of the student experience. “That’s just not true,” he said, noting that the town’s other higher learning institute, the Paier School of Art, has no athletic facilities.
“To say it’s an integral part of Quinnipiac University is just not true,” he said. Participating in sports is not a requirement to earn a degree, he said. For Mount Carmel Avenue resident Patricia Martucci, the proposed stadium means more headaches getting around the area, she said. The traffic on her road in the morning is as bad as traffic on Whitney Avenue because of the university, she said, and it becomes even worse when there are events taking place there. “We become prisoners in our own neighborhood,” she said. “You can’t get out to Whitney Avenue and then you can’t get back in, and you can’t have guests over,” she said, “and that’s without the stadium.”When the YMCA recently was before the commission with an application to expand outdoor activities, neighbors opposed it based on the noise it would produce, and the commission denied it, she said. “How is this different?” she asked.The commission two weeks ago tabled the public hearing until Tuesday night, wanting to get more information on how the noise produced there would affect neighbors. It had before it a noise report from the university and one commissioned by neighbors, each which contradicted the other as to how much noise the stadium would produce. The commission then requested a third report be done and paid for by the university, but that wasn’t done, angering one commissioner. “I’m very disappointed,” said Commissioner Michele Mastropetre. “We should have a third-party opinion.” She recently drove down Mount Carmel Avenue on a Saturday afternoon and found the road lined with cars from Sleeping Giant State Park down to the fields, Mastropetre said. While some of them probably belonged to park visitors, she saw people get out of cars with out-of-state license plates to go to the fields, she said.CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Dunham said most of the work will continue to take place Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with some night work hours Monday through Friday, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
There will be a nightly road closure and detour impacting the northern section of Route 10, at Waterville Road and the intersection of Route 4, from Oct. 24 to 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
State Housing Authority Gives $6.5 Million For Glastonbury Elderly Housing Project
A plan to modernize the Center Village senior community received a boost when the state Department of Housing and the Connecticut Housing Authority gave the town $6.5 million for the project.
The grant will help the Glastonbury Housing Authority fund the $18 million project to renovate and expand the senior housing built in 1975. The authority's plan is to construct a 38-unit, two-story building on the corner of New London Turnpike and Salmon Brook Drive. The plan includes the renovation and expansion of 34 units in six existing buildings from 350 square feet to 650 square feet. Three buildings with 16 units would be demolished along with a community hall.
Construction on the 3.7-acre site will be funded with a combination of low-interest loans and grants from local and state housing authorities. The work will be done in phases with the main building completed first and residents moving in while the remaining units are demolished or renovated. The town has a waiting list of 116 people. The project will begin next spring.
"Many of our residents are very excited and have been engaged in the process right from the start," said Neil Griffin, Glastonbury Housing Authority executive director. "We started talking about this two and a half years ago, so it's very exciting to see it come to fruition."
During a tour last week, state Sen. Steve Cassano, D-Manchester, said it's an exciting moment for the town. A few years ago, Cassano helped the town secure $3 million in funding to renovate elderly housing at Knox Lane, also built in the 1970s.
"What a difference that made," Cassano said. "This is step two of a major change in the way things have been done in Glastonbury ... this state funding is going to go a long way toward making life better for a lot of folks who love Glastonbury and who want to stay here."State Housing Commissioner Evonne M. Klein said this grant given to Glastonbury is one of the biggest ever. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Hamden zoners table Quinnipiac stadium plan pending more noise study
HAMDEN >> The question of whether the use of a second stadium on Mount Carmel Avenue by Quinnipiac University’s lacrosse and soccer teams will exceed noise regulations has pushed the school’s Planning and Zoning application off for another month.
The Planning and Zoning Commission tabled the application to its Nov. 15 meeting in order to get more information about how the construction of the 500-seat stadium will affect neighbors. The commission already has approved the construction of another larger, 1,500-seat stadium on the site Attorney John Lambert, who represents residents in the area of the fields, told the commission that according to its regulations, the university designation doesn’t imply that a stadium is a necessary accessory use.The definition of a university implies academic uses, not athletic, he said. “The emphasis is on learning, not socializing,” he said, referring to Town Planner Dan Kop’s statement in his recommendation for approval that “athletics are an integral part” of the student experience. “That’s just not true,” he said, noting that the town’s other higher learning institute, the Paier School of Art, has no athletic facilities.
“To say it’s an integral part of Quinnipiac University is just not true,” he said. Participating in sports is not a requirement to earn a degree, he said. For Mount Carmel Avenue resident Patricia Martucci, the proposed stadium means more headaches getting around the area, she said. The traffic on her road in the morning is as bad as traffic on Whitney Avenue because of the university, she said, and it becomes even worse when there are events taking place there. “We become prisoners in our own neighborhood,” she said. “You can’t get out to Whitney Avenue and then you can’t get back in, and you can’t have guests over,” she said, “and that’s without the stadium.”When the YMCA recently was before the commission with an application to expand outdoor activities, neighbors opposed it based on the noise it would produce, and the commission denied it, she said. “How is this different?” she asked.The commission two weeks ago tabled the public hearing until Tuesday night, wanting to get more information on how the noise produced there would affect neighbors. It had before it a noise report from the university and one commissioned by neighbors, each which contradicted the other as to how much noise the stadium would produce. The commission then requested a third report be done and paid for by the university, but that wasn’t done, angering one commissioner. “I’m very disappointed,” said Commissioner Michele Mastropetre. “We should have a third-party opinion.” She recently drove down Mount Carmel Avenue on a Saturday afternoon and found the road lined with cars from Sleeping Giant State Park down to the fields, Mastropetre said. While some of them probably belonged to park visitors, she saw people get out of cars with out-of-state license plates to go to the fields, she said.CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE