DANBURY — By a wide margin Tuesday, city voters approved two $10 million bond packages that will fund a controversial partial demolition of the historic Hearthstone Castle, improvements to the city’s dog pound, road, sidewalk and bridge repairs, and federally-mandated updates to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
Unnofficial returns showed that voters approved both the wastewater treatment plant work and a separate package including the other items by 3-to-1 margins.
Most contentious was $1.6 million to demolish parts of the Hearthstone Castle in Tarrywile Park, which was built in 1897.
Mark Nolan, treasurer for nonprofit Friends of Tarrywile Park, said his group is happy the city and its voters will “make (Hearthstone) safe,” by cleaning out the building and shrinking towering, broken walls while still preserving the historic site.
Although city officials had said they were confident that voters would back the spending packages, the castle was a point of contention that City Council members worried would derail the vote.
When plans to tear down parts of the “dangerous” castle surfaced in summer, residents who felt the city was not doing enough to save the structure protested.
In response to the public outcry, city officials held a meeting with state officials, who said they could save some of the structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The state may also provide funding to help Danbury preserve as much of the ruins as possible.
The bond package also included $4.35 million for paving, road drainage and bridge repairs; $1.1 million for downtown sidewalk repair; $1.05 million for playing field improvements; $950,000 for improvements at Richter Park; and $950,000 for the construction of a new animal control building.
Oxford firefighters train at new power plant
OXFORD - As construction continues on 785-megawatt CPV Towantic Energy Center on Woodruff Hill Road, the town’s firefighters recently had a training execise at the site.
Maryland-based Competitive Power Ventures is building the center to produce power — for which the primary fuel will be natural gas, with low-sulfur distillate fuel oil as a backup — that will go onto a regional grid serving New England. Water for the plant’s operation will come from the Heritage Village Water Co. in Southbury, with wastewater going to the Naugatuck River via the Naugatuck Water Pollution Control Authority. CPV had said it hopes to have its plant operating by 2018.
Glastonbury-based Gemma Power Systems is building the combined-cycle electric generating facility, which will include two General Electric 7HA.01 combustion turbine generators, two heat recovery steam generators and one steam turbine generator.
According to Oxford fire and rescue’s Facebook page, firefighters went to the power plant to train on aerial and rope operations rescuing a injured person from tall structures on the site. Members used Truck 46 and a construction crane to get access to the person then setting up ropes and rescue equipment for removal.
Last year, CPV received approval from the Connecticut Siting Council and has all its necessary permits.
The plant has been opposed by a number of Oxford residents and those who live in nearby Southbury.
Many opponents say they’d prefer to see a renewable energy facility on the 26-acre site, but other projects around the region indicate a replacement would not produce anything close to the nearly 800 megawatts the CPV station would generate. For example, an 11-acre solar array on a closed Bridgeport landfill generates some 2.2 megawatts of power, and in neighboring Beacon Falls, a planned 8-acre fuel cell park is projected to produce 63 megawatts.
Meriden Green project honored by economic development group
MERIDEN — The Meriden Green flood control and economic development project has been recognized for its impact and influence on the community and the state by the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, one of 22 projects to receive the honor in 2016.
The $14 million city-owned Meriden Green project, engineered by Milone & MacBroom Inc., utilized federal brownfield cleanup, flood control grants, and state and local transportation funding to create a key piece of the city’s downtown transformation. The 14-acre park, formerly known as the Hub, includes several key features including a pedestrian evacuation bridge, an amphitheater, walking and biking paths and a water channel aimed to control severe flooding. The Meriden Green has spurred millions in state housing and private investment funding for residential and commercial development along its boundaries. Construction on the Meriden Commons and 177 State St. projects is expected to begin in a year.
“It’s a nice recognition,” said city Economic Development Director Juliet Burdelski. “I was aware they were taking note of us. These are communities taking on critical projects. It’s a nice honor.”
Burdelski is among a core group of city officials involved in the Meriden Green’s planning and execution for more than a decade. Two other key members, former City Manager Lawrence J. Kendzior and former City Planner Dominick Caruso recently retired. Their replacements have pledged to continue the city’s transformation plan.
Burdelski is working with representatives from Milone & MacBroom on a packet detailing the project for the annual Celebrate CT event in Hartford where recipients will be honored on Nov. 30.
The 22 honorees were selected by economic development officials in each of 11 regions across the state for contributions to the state’s economy. Some of the contributions included growing employment levels, playing a critical role in changing the character of its community or civic engagement, strong public/private collaboration to encourage new investment, or leadership resulting in growth or improvements, said CERC spokeswoman Kristi Sullivan.
The Meriden Green and the Madison Center Project were nominated for inclusion by the South Central Regional Economic Development Corp. (Rex Development) and the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.
“You’re probably very well aware of Meriden’s challenges,” said Ginny Kozlowski, executive director of Rex Development. “Clearly this project could be the catalyst to expand its transit oriented district. This is such a transformation it should put Meriden on its way to its goals; and it looks great.”
In addition to the Meriden Green, other honorees include a Hartford rezoning project, the Metro Realty group’s investment along Farmington Avenue , KidsPlay Children’s Museum in Torrington, Borinquen Bakery in New Britain and Indeed.com, a global job seeking site founded in Stamford. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
The referendum was passing 6,183 to 5,519 as of 10 p.m. Tuesday, with about 1,500 absentee ballots yet to be counted.
Voters were asked to approve the full amount, but the state is expected to cover $100 million. Based on Groton's median home value of $223,800, which is assessed at a lower amount of $156,000, the school project would cost taxpayers an average of $194 annually. The plan would close three of Groton's oldest buildings — Claude Chester, S.B. Butler and Pleasant Valley elementary schools.
Members of the political action committee Groton 2020 Schools had promoted the plan, erecting signs across town, speaking to voters at the town’s annual fall festival and holding public forums. Committee co-chairman Craig Koehler said the plan is needed to update the district’s aging schools, meet the state's mandate for racial balance and make the schools more competitive.
But members of the political action committee Groton Advocates for Tax Efficiency opposed the plan, saying it would drive up taxes and not improve the quality of education.
Voters interviewed Tuesday gave voice to both sides.
“You sit there and do a Band-Aid approach, you end up spending more in the long run,” said Joe Russack-Baker, a voter in District 1. He said he’s tired of people saying they'll support education and law enforcement, then cutting those areas. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Norwich receives bids for designing Reid & Hughes demolition
Norwich — The city received two bids Tuesday from engineering firms interested in designing the demolition specifications for the controversial plan to tear down the 1880 Reid & Hughes Building, 193-201 Main St.
The historic split-level former retail store abuts three structures in the urban block, including a small one-story shed attached to the rear of the building and not owned by the city. Demolition plans would have to ensure the safety of all three structures, as well as passing traffic on Main Street.
Silva Engineering of Willimantic submitted the low bid of $12,500, and Weston & Sampson of Rocky Hill submitted a bid of $37,000 to write the demolition specifications.
City purchasing agent William Hathaway said he will review the bids to ensure the firms submitted all necessary information before turning them over to the Public Works Department for a technical review and recommendation.
Despite objections from residents and historical preservation activists, the City Council approved an ordinance authorizing bonding of up to $800,000 to tear down the former Reid & Hughes, citing its deteriorating condition and potential damage it could cause to adjacent buildings.
The Norwich Heritage Trust, which is leading the opposition to the demolition, is circulating a petition that will ask the state Historic Preservation Council to intercede and rule that the city has a viable alternative to the proposed demolition.
The Women's Institute for Housing and Economic Development has proposed a $6 million plan to convert the building into 20 apartments — half to be reserved for formerly homeless veterans. The institute has asked city officials to spend an estimated $300,000 to shore up the building, including patching a partially collapsed roof, to allow time for the group to secure funding for the project.