Residents packing a town meeting Thursday night defeated a proposed ordinance that would have imposed regulations on a potential casino in town and could have scuttled an agreement to develop a gambling venue at the former Showcase Cinemas.
In a 198-112 vote, residents voted against the ordinance and a push to bring the issue to a townwide referendum.
"This is good," First Selectman Robert Maynard said after the paper ballots were counted. "Now it is up to the legislature to decide."
In March, the board of selectmen signed an agreement with MMCT Venture, a partnership of the operators of Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino, to build a satellite casino on the Showcase property. The East Windsor gambling venue would be part of a strategy to keep gaming revenue and jobs tied to the industry in Connecticut as the opening of a $950 million casino and entertainment in Springfield draws closer.
Any expansion of casino gambling still needs legislative approval, which is not a lock in the current session. Three casino expansion bills — one favoring the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans and two others pushing a competitive process inviting more proposals — are still pending.
The town meeting tested not only the sentiment of residents for the proposed ordinance but how well voters were accepting the possibility of a casino being built in town.
"This proposed ordinance is about doing something the town already does plenty of – regulating what, where and how certain private and business activities can be carried out in our neighborhoods," said Brianna Stronk, the resident who proposed the ordinance.
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North Stamford residents want answers on Riverbank bridge; city hopes for quick fix
STAMFORD — A group of North Stamford residents are fuming over how the city has handled the replacement of a structurally unsound bridge in their neighborhood, a project officials hope to finish by the end of the year but say could be held up by red tape.
Wildwood Association board member Jerry Blair said he’s “pissed off” with the level of communication he’s had with Mayor David Martin about the Riverbank Road bridge, which was blocked off this month after the state Department of Transportation deemed it unsafe for vehicles.
“You can’t just do this and not tell anyone you're doing it,” the Pinnacle Rock Road resident said. “He’s spinning us and no one wants to be spun.”
The city notified residents on April 7 of the closure. Martin said he’s trying to speed along the project because of the safety issues presented by the closed roadway — the detour would delay emergency vehicles getting to the area. Homeowners have also complained of traffic backups and speeding on Wildwood Road.
“Excessive speeding through our 25 m.p.h. neighborhood streets has been an issue and has definitely increased since the detour,” said Wildwood Association co-president Sandi McLaughlin, adding that a stoplight is needed at the corner of Wildwood and Long Ridge Road. Moving ahead with a $1.3 million replacement of the small stone bridge, which spans the east branch of the Mianus River between Laurel Ledge Road and Hedge Brook Lane, requires permits from city and state agencies that could take months to secure, Martin said. The city must also hire a contractor for the project, which is partially funded by the state Department of Transportation.
“We’re working on getting this done quickly for traffic flow and the safety of those who depend on the bridge,” Martin said. “We’re trying to get those bureaucratic jobs out of the way so we can get it done as quickly as possible.”
The mayor’s spokeswoman Elizabeth Carlson said Martin has spoken with Blair over the phone and his assistant has responded to Blair's emails. His office has scheduled a public meeting with the Wildwood Association and other neighbors on May 9 to discuss the bridge. The association serves some 300 homes in the wooded neighborhood. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Rain And Pole Removal Delaying Glastonbury Roundabout Project
Rain and telecommunication poles still in the road right-of-way have delayed the start of the roundabout project at Hebron Avenue and New London Turnpike.
Daniel A. Pennington, the town's director of physical services and town engineer, said the intersection's traffic light was originally scheduled to be removed Thursday and lighted traffic drums and large cones installed and lines painted to simulate the counter-clockwise roundabout flow. That won't happen until the poles and wires owned by Frontier Communications are relocated away from the roundabout right-of-way and there's a dry period to paint the lines.
The mayor’s spokeswoman Elizabeth Carlson said Martin has spoken with Blair over the phone and his assistant has responded to Blair's emails. His office has scheduled a public meeting with the Wildwood Association and other neighbors on May 9 to discuss the bridge. The association serves some 300 homes in the wooded neighborhood. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Rain And Pole Removal Delaying Glastonbury Roundabout Project
Rain and telecommunication poles still in the road right-of-way have delayed the start of the roundabout project at Hebron Avenue and New London Turnpike.
Daniel A. Pennington, the town's director of physical services and town engineer, said the intersection's traffic light was originally scheduled to be removed Thursday and lighted traffic drums and large cones installed and lines painted to simulate the counter-clockwise roundabout flow. That won't happen until the poles and wires owned by Frontier Communications are relocated away from the roundabout right-of-way and there's a dry period to paint the lines.
"We were on track, but the rain delayed things as well as the poles that still need to be yanked out," Pennington said. "We have no definitive date of when the project will begin. It really has to remain flexible and weather-dependent. It's the nature of the construction business."
For the past month, other utility companies have moved their poles or placed wires underground. Construction crews have been working outside the roadway, widening each corner in preparation for the roundabout installation. When work begins, the northern portion of New London Turnpike from Hebron Avenue north to Welles Street will be the first portion of the roundabout spoke to be closed.
Temporary pedestrian crossing points will be created and police officers will be present to direct traffic during the construction. All businesses within the project area will remain open during construction with vehicular access maintained at all times.
A key legislative committee Thursday approved funding for renovations to Hartford's XL Center, but it cut deeply into what had been recommended by the governor.
The finance, revenue and bonding committee approved $40 million for 2018 and $30 million for 2019 as part of the much larger capital improvement budget that the committee is sending for debate in the full House and Senate.
"Absolutely not," said Sen. Len Fasano, the Republican president pro tem. "This is not something state government should be doing."
Fasano said private financing should be sought for the renovations. The GOP presented its budget proposal Thursday but was still working on a capital improvement package. Fasano said the package isn't likely to include funding for the XL Center.
Michael W. Freimuth, the authority's executive director, declined comment Thursday.
In the finance committee meeting Thursday, some members expressed concern about the cost of the renovations and not having enough details to justify such an expenditure.
Developer to rework Hamden housing proposal; residents vow to fight
HAMDEN >> The developer of a proposed apartment complex on Rocky Top Road said Wednesday he is withdrawing his application and will resubmit one that addresses the concerns of neighbors.
And while neighbors cheered the withdrawal, they also know the fight is far from over.“We aim to strike a balance and resubmit a full set of plans addressing the neighbors’ concerns to the town soon,” said Gary Richetelli, president of Mountain View Estates. “This project would create hundreds of construction jobs and pay close to a million dollars to the town of Hamden, all while providing much needed affordable housing and meet the State of Connecticut requirements.”Mountain View’s application called for 288 apartments and was filed under the state’s affordable housing statutes, which means a portion of the apartments would have been rented under the state’s income guidelines. The application also included the removal of hundreds of thousands of yards of fill, essentially taking the top off the Rocky Top mountain. Some residents at an Inland Wetlands Commission public hearing charged that the construction would be the equivalent of running a gravel pit for the several years it would take to build the complex. But Richetelli said there are residents who have told him they support the application.
“While much of the feedback at the hearings concerned density, traffic and wetlands, we have also heard from many other town residents who believe there is a need for affordable housing in Hamden, and there is a desire to live or stay in Hamden,” he said.The plans, when resubmitted, will reflect what they heard from residents at the public hearing, Richetelli said. “The development company would like to make changes to the plan that takes into effect some of the public concerns that have been addressed throughout the hearing process thus far,” he said.“While this may feel like a victory, it is only a small reprieve from all of our hard work. We should not lose focus but dig in even deeper,” said Rainbow Court resident Tim Mack. Mack has organized with his neighbors to fight the application, hiring an attorney and filing for intervener status on the application. Those efforts will continue, he said.“We will continue to grow our base and should double in size as more Hamden neighborhood associations join us in our fight to save Rocky Top,” he said. And they’re ready to do everything they have done so far all over again, he said.“When a new application is submitted, the organization will again have to petition for a new public hearing, reapply for the intervener status and resubmit its testimony,” he said. “We are not against development but require smart development that coincides with the surrounding neighborhoods and natural habitats.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE D
Developers for The Haven project in West Haven get approval to buy two more parcels
WEST HAVEN >> The developers seeking to build The Haven upscale outlet mall off Elm Street along the West River and New Haven Harbor took another step this week toward securing the land they need, gaining City Council approval to purchase two more properties within the Haven South project area.
That leaves only the four properties tied up in court over the city’s efforts to take those properties via eminent domain proceedings outstanding. Gary O’Connor, the outside attorney handling the issue for the city, said that on that litigation real progress has been made and everyone has the hope “that there will not be a July court date,” as is currently scheduled.The City Council voted by an 11-1 margin Monday night to approve a resolution agreeing to sell city-owned properties at 0 Center St. and 395 First Ave. to The Haven Group LLC for $23,750 and $198,125, respectively, and adopt land disposition agreements for both.The First Avenue property is a house. The property at the Water Street end of Center Street is vacant. The council’s sole Republican, Councilman David Riccio, R-At Large, who plans to run against Democrat Mayor Ed O’Brien in the November election, voted against the sale, saying he couldn’t vote to sell the developer additional property because “I don’t see anything happening there.” Council Chairman Jim O’Brien, D-6, was absent.Both figures represent 125 percent of the properties’ appraised values, O’Connor said. O’Connor told Riccio, who made the statement during a meeting of the council’s Redevelopment Committee, that “the developer has invested over $25 million” and have every incentive to complete the project. “There are certain economies of scale when the developer owns all of those properties,” O’Connor said. “I do development work all over the state” and it often looks as if “nothing is happening, until something starts happening.”Then people start to believe, he said.The closing is expected to take place two weeks after the approval, O’Connor told the council. The Redevelopment Agency and the Planning and Zoning Commission both previously recommended approval of the sale, he said.The Haven developers Sheldon Gordon and Ty Miller have proposed to build the $200 million, 347,826-square-foot waterfront development project in two phases, with about 60 stores and seven restaurants in the first phase and about 100 stores if both phases ultimately are built. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
State investigation of Woodridge Lake proposal that would impact Torrington continues
TORRINGTON >> The investigation of a proposal to connect a sewer pipeline from the Woodridge Lake housing development in Goshen to the Torrington sewer system remains in progress, state Department of Public Health spokeswoman Maura Downes said Tuesday.
The most recent development in the matter, according to Downes, was a March 6 meeting between officials with DPH and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. During this meeting, DEEP officials said they were concerned that an “adverse decision” by DPH would create a precedent “(inferring) that mere presence of sewer pipes are prejudicial to public health.” The statement was included in a presentation with a letter from DPH Commissioner Raul Pino to Frederic Lee Klein, an attorney representing the Woodridge Lake Sewer District. The decision would create a precedent, impacting 130 of 214 public drinking water surface watersheds in the state and 93 municipalities, DEEP officials wrote as part of the presentation. The Torrington Water Company has objected to the proposal from the Woodridge Lake Sewer District because the pipeline would run through a section of the Allen Dam reservoir.
The Goshen portion of the pipeline would run from Route 63 to Pie Hill Road, then to East Street South and Route 4, while the proposed Torrington portion of the pipeline would run along Route 4 from the Goshen/Torrington line to Lovers Lane, then on to Riverside Avenue. Torrington water officials worry that such a pipeline, if it were to break or become damaged, would impact local water sources and customers’ service. The Woodridge Lake Sewer District was established in 1970, according to DEEP, with sewage facilities designed for 200,000 gallons per day constructed in 1974. A permit for 40,000 gallons per day of sewage was issued that same year, according to DEEP.WLSD officials indicate that this permit was to last for one year in a timeline posted on their website, and that DEEP, then the Department of Environmental Protection, “(agreed) with the 200,000 gallons per day design to operate collection system, sewage treatment plant and disposal fields under a groundwater discharge permit.” Engineering reports on the “ridge and furrow system” employed by Woodridge Lake were not approved through the 1980s, according to DEEP, “due to unresolved technical issues.”The permit was modified in July 1989 to allow for 100,000 gallons per day, according to DEEP, after a consent order was issued. WLSD describes this change as a limiting of the amount of sewage the development could allow to flow, as DEEP was “concerned about disposal field capacity.” An engineering plan was accepted in 1996, according to DEEP, which “stated that the hydraulic capacity of the ridge and furrow system under optimal conditions equaled 34,000gpd(.)” The acceptance of this report was rescinded between 2001 and 2003, according to DEEP. Another report was completed during this period in 2005, which, according to the WLSD, sent “a Facilities Plan to DEP with two alternatives: upgraded plant and disposal fields or pipeline to Torrington both costing approximately $10 million,” which was rejected as DEEP indicated that sand filtration would be required. No progress was made until 2010, according to DEEP, when the sewer district board changed. As part of the posted timeline, DEEP said that “enforcement action forthcoming if WLSD doesn’t address outstanding items by June 30, 2010,” with an action plan agreed upon in July 2010.Testing in 2012, according to WLSD, showed that 105,000 gallons, on average, was flowing per day through the system — 50,000 of wastewater and 55,000 of groundwater filtering into the system — and that “tests of disposal fields capacity (showed) favorable results in range of 125,000 gpd.”CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy had recommended $50 million in 2018 and $75 million in 2019 to fund a $250 million top-to-bottom makeover of the 40-year-old arena in downtown Hartford. The renovation has been proposed by the Capital Region Development Authority after an extensive study and would likely stretch out over three or four years.
Even the scaled-down version faces opposition in the broader General Assembly, with one Republican legislative leader arguing that public funding should not be devoted to the project, given the state's precarious fiscal situation. "Absolutely not," said Sen. Len Fasano, the Republican president pro tem. "This is not something state government should be doing."
Fasano said private financing should be sought for the renovations. The GOP presented its budget proposal Thursday but was still working on a capital improvement package. Fasano said the package isn't likely to include funding for the XL Center.
Michael W. Freimuth, the authority's executive director, declined comment Thursday.
In the finance committee meeting Thursday, some members expressed concern about the cost of the renovations and not having enough details to justify such an expenditure.
Rep. Christopher Davis, R-Ellington and ranking member of the committee, has been among those critical of funding for the XL Center when other parts of the state budget are taking deep cuts. Davis said scaling back on the initial investment would give time to revisit the scope of the project at a time when the state is dealing with significant budget woes. "I'm not sure a city the size of Hartford needs to have a ... 20,000-seat arena when we don't have a professional team that can fill that arena 30, 40, 50, 60 guaranteed nights a year and generate the revenue that's needed to pay for that size arena," Davis said.
Davis said he hopes the $250 million price tag will drop and that private financing might be sought for some or all of the project.
Rep. Patricia B. Miller, D-Stamford, said the state has an obligation not only to maintaining the XL Center but supporting a venue that contributes to the vibrancy of the state's capital city.
Miller said she toured the XL Center recently and was surprised by what she saw.
"Some of the equipment is 44 years old — older than me ... I'll be honest with you, I was appalled during the tour at what I saw," Miller said. "We need to step up to the plate and make repairs."
The latest renovation plan would come on top of $35 million in the last few years to spruce up the arena. Those renovations were intended to keep the XL Center viable until a long-term plan — the $250 million renovation now envisioned by the authority — was developed. Another $3.5 million has been approved to replace a near-failing ice-making system and other improvements. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Davis said he hopes the $250 million price tag will drop and that private financing might be sought for some or all of the project.
Rep. Patricia B. Miller, D-Stamford, said the state has an obligation not only to maintaining the XL Center but supporting a venue that contributes to the vibrancy of the state's capital city.
Miller said she toured the XL Center recently and was surprised by what she saw.
"Some of the equipment is 44 years old — older than me ... I'll be honest with you, I was appalled during the tour at what I saw," Miller said. "We need to step up to the plate and make repairs."
The latest renovation plan would come on top of $35 million in the last few years to spruce up the arena. Those renovations were intended to keep the XL Center viable until a long-term plan — the $250 million renovation now envisioned by the authority — was developed. Another $3.5 million has been approved to replace a near-failing ice-making system and other improvements. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Developer to rework Hamden housing proposal; residents vow to fight
HAMDEN >> The developer of a proposed apartment complex on Rocky Top Road said Wednesday he is withdrawing his application and will resubmit one that addresses the concerns of neighbors.
And while neighbors cheered the withdrawal, they also know the fight is far from over.“We aim to strike a balance and resubmit a full set of plans addressing the neighbors’ concerns to the town soon,” said Gary Richetelli, president of Mountain View Estates. “This project would create hundreds of construction jobs and pay close to a million dollars to the town of Hamden, all while providing much needed affordable housing and meet the State of Connecticut requirements.”Mountain View’s application called for 288 apartments and was filed under the state’s affordable housing statutes, which means a portion of the apartments would have been rented under the state’s income guidelines. The application also included the removal of hundreds of thousands of yards of fill, essentially taking the top off the Rocky Top mountain. Some residents at an Inland Wetlands Commission public hearing charged that the construction would be the equivalent of running a gravel pit for the several years it would take to build the complex. But Richetelli said there are residents who have told him they support the application.
“While much of the feedback at the hearings concerned density, traffic and wetlands, we have also heard from many other town residents who believe there is a need for affordable housing in Hamden, and there is a desire to live or stay in Hamden,” he said.The plans, when resubmitted, will reflect what they heard from residents at the public hearing, Richetelli said. “The development company would like to make changes to the plan that takes into effect some of the public concerns that have been addressed throughout the hearing process thus far,” he said.“While this may feel like a victory, it is only a small reprieve from all of our hard work. We should not lose focus but dig in even deeper,” said Rainbow Court resident Tim Mack. Mack has organized with his neighbors to fight the application, hiring an attorney and filing for intervener status on the application. Those efforts will continue, he said.“We will continue to grow our base and should double in size as more Hamden neighborhood associations join us in our fight to save Rocky Top,” he said. And they’re ready to do everything they have done so far all over again, he said.“When a new application is submitted, the organization will again have to petition for a new public hearing, reapply for the intervener status and resubmit its testimony,” he said. “We are not against development but require smart development that coincides with the surrounding neighborhoods and natural habitats.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE D
Developers for The Haven project in West Haven get approval to buy two more parcels
WEST HAVEN >> The developers seeking to build The Haven upscale outlet mall off Elm Street along the West River and New Haven Harbor took another step this week toward securing the land they need, gaining City Council approval to purchase two more properties within the Haven South project area.
That leaves only the four properties tied up in court over the city’s efforts to take those properties via eminent domain proceedings outstanding. Gary O’Connor, the outside attorney handling the issue for the city, said that on that litigation real progress has been made and everyone has the hope “that there will not be a July court date,” as is currently scheduled.The City Council voted by an 11-1 margin Monday night to approve a resolution agreeing to sell city-owned properties at 0 Center St. and 395 First Ave. to The Haven Group LLC for $23,750 and $198,125, respectively, and adopt land disposition agreements for both.The First Avenue property is a house. The property at the Water Street end of Center Street is vacant. The council’s sole Republican, Councilman David Riccio, R-At Large, who plans to run against Democrat Mayor Ed O’Brien in the November election, voted against the sale, saying he couldn’t vote to sell the developer additional property because “I don’t see anything happening there.” Council Chairman Jim O’Brien, D-6, was absent.Both figures represent 125 percent of the properties’ appraised values, O’Connor said. O’Connor told Riccio, who made the statement during a meeting of the council’s Redevelopment Committee, that “the developer has invested over $25 million” and have every incentive to complete the project. “There are certain economies of scale when the developer owns all of those properties,” O’Connor said. “I do development work all over the state” and it often looks as if “nothing is happening, until something starts happening.”Then people start to believe, he said.The closing is expected to take place two weeks after the approval, O’Connor told the council. The Redevelopment Agency and the Planning and Zoning Commission both previously recommended approval of the sale, he said.The Haven developers Sheldon Gordon and Ty Miller have proposed to build the $200 million, 347,826-square-foot waterfront development project in two phases, with about 60 stores and seven restaurants in the first phase and about 100 stores if both phases ultimately are built. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
State investigation of Woodridge Lake proposal that would impact Torrington continues
TORRINGTON >> The investigation of a proposal to connect a sewer pipeline from the Woodridge Lake housing development in Goshen to the Torrington sewer system remains in progress, state Department of Public Health spokeswoman Maura Downes said Tuesday.
The most recent development in the matter, according to Downes, was a March 6 meeting between officials with DPH and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. During this meeting, DEEP officials said they were concerned that an “adverse decision” by DPH would create a precedent “(inferring) that mere presence of sewer pipes are prejudicial to public health.” The statement was included in a presentation with a letter from DPH Commissioner Raul Pino to Frederic Lee Klein, an attorney representing the Woodridge Lake Sewer District. The decision would create a precedent, impacting 130 of 214 public drinking water surface watersheds in the state and 93 municipalities, DEEP officials wrote as part of the presentation. The Torrington Water Company has objected to the proposal from the Woodridge Lake Sewer District because the pipeline would run through a section of the Allen Dam reservoir.
The Goshen portion of the pipeline would run from Route 63 to Pie Hill Road, then to East Street South and Route 4, while the proposed Torrington portion of the pipeline would run along Route 4 from the Goshen/Torrington line to Lovers Lane, then on to Riverside Avenue. Torrington water officials worry that such a pipeline, if it were to break or become damaged, would impact local water sources and customers’ service. The Woodridge Lake Sewer District was established in 1970, according to DEEP, with sewage facilities designed for 200,000 gallons per day constructed in 1974. A permit for 40,000 gallons per day of sewage was issued that same year, according to DEEP.WLSD officials indicate that this permit was to last for one year in a timeline posted on their website, and that DEEP, then the Department of Environmental Protection, “(agreed) with the 200,000 gallons per day design to operate collection system, sewage treatment plant and disposal fields under a groundwater discharge permit.” Engineering reports on the “ridge and furrow system” employed by Woodridge Lake were not approved through the 1980s, according to DEEP, “due to unresolved technical issues.”The permit was modified in July 1989 to allow for 100,000 gallons per day, according to DEEP, after a consent order was issued. WLSD describes this change as a limiting of the amount of sewage the development could allow to flow, as DEEP was “concerned about disposal field capacity.” An engineering plan was accepted in 1996, according to DEEP, which “stated that the hydraulic capacity of the ridge and furrow system under optimal conditions equaled 34,000gpd(.)” The acceptance of this report was rescinded between 2001 and 2003, according to DEEP. Another report was completed during this period in 2005, which, according to the WLSD, sent “a Facilities Plan to DEP with two alternatives: upgraded plant and disposal fields or pipeline to Torrington both costing approximately $10 million,” which was rejected as DEEP indicated that sand filtration would be required. No progress was made until 2010, according to DEEP, when the sewer district board changed. As part of the posted timeline, DEEP said that “enforcement action forthcoming if WLSD doesn’t address outstanding items by June 30, 2010,” with an action plan agreed upon in July 2010.Testing in 2012, according to WLSD, showed that 105,000 gallons, on average, was flowing per day through the system — 50,000 of wastewater and 55,000 of groundwater filtering into the system — and that “tests of disposal fields capacity (showed) favorable results in range of 125,000 gpd.”CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE