Connecticut abolished tollbooths more than 30 years ago, and every attempt to reinstate them since has been blown out of the water. But that would have to change, says U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, should his proposed underground highway system in Hartford become reality.
For the last eight months Larson has talked to nearly every civic group, news editorial board, local business, municipal government, state agency, and federal office, trying to drum up support for his proposed $10 billion “big dig” project.
So far, support has been hit or miss for the plan that would sink interstates 84 and 91 under the capitol city and the Connecticut River — creating tunnels east to west from Roberts Street in East Hartford to Flatbush Avenue in Hartford’s west end, and north to south from the Meadows to Frog Hollow, with a cloverleaf interchange somewhere underneath Coltsville National Historical Park in Hartford.
Federal funding is highly questionable, even from a presidential administration that campaigned on rebuilding the country’s failing infrastructure. Another fiscal hurdle is a combative state legislature that can’t adopt its own budget on time.
Still, Larson, who is one of the lead Democrats on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, says he’s confident he can wrangle 90 percent of the funds out of the federal government, leaving Connecticut to finance the remaining 10 percent.
Last month Larson introduced legislation that would allocate $1 trillion for infrastructure projects throughout the country, which he hopes will include his own pet project, without affecting the national debt. The proposed bill would raise the funds by imposing a carbon tax on fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas. The revenue would be placed in a designated fund to be used solely for infrastructure projects.
But tolls will have to be part of the Hartford project, Larson said Wednesday during a meeting with the Journal Inquirer.
“I think that would be inevitable,” the East Hartford native said, adding that if nothing else, tolls would be needed to pay for ongoing maintenance of the ambitious and colossal construction. Besides, every surrounding state with the exception of Vermont uses the much safer electronic transponder tolls to their advantage, while Connecticut gives every motorist and trucker passing through the state a free ride, he said.
“We subsidize every other state’s roads — it just doesn’t seem fair,” he added.
But the real irony is that the Connecticut River’s levees and viaduct systems need to be redone anyway, he notes.
Designed in response to the floods of 1936 and 1938, the existing system of embankments is prone to “underseepage,” according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It’s unlikely water would crest over the elevated mounds, but much like the levee failure in the New Orleans 9th Ward during Hurricane Katrina, the Connecticut hills meant to hold back rising waters are built atop alluvial sand deposits that can allow the rushing river to percolate through the bottom and breach the embankment from underneath. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Bristol submits application for $3.9M state grant for Centre Square
BRISTOL - The city officially submitted a grant application to the state Department of Economic and Community Develop-ment for a $3.9 million grant this week, which would be used for the second phase of Centre Square development.
This was announced at the downtown committee of the Bristol Development Authority meeting by Justin Malley, executive director of the development authority.
“Essentially we applied for $3.9 million in state funds to help build out the second phase of Centre Square,” he said. “That would be one or more additional roadways on the site, the interior parking area on the site, streetscape work. Hopefully, if we are successful, it will cover additional infrastructure that’s not already essentially being planned.”
“Obviously it’s a competitive environment, particularly now with the state’s budget situation, but you don’t get what you don’t apply for,” Malley said. He added that the grant application was approved by the City Council this month.
An update of the new Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center was given at the meeting.
“The site plan for the hospital has received conditional approval from the land use boards,” Malley said. “The only outstanding issues are staff comments, sort of housekeeping things that the land-use and engineering staff had gone through. So the plan is approved pending the resolution of those issues.”
A loading space for the hospital on Riverside Avenue and decreasing the slope in the parking area are aspects that were approved, Malley explained. He added, “At this point, they are still shooting to begin construction towards the end of this year.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Assisted living facility approved for Clintonville Road
New London —The Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday unanimously approved plans for a 72-unit, mixed-income housing development at the site of the long-vacant former Edgerton School property.
The approval comes nearly a year and a half after the property owners first announced plans to build a 124-unit affordable housing complex as replacement housing for the tenants at the federally subsidized Thames River Apartments. That project faced strong opposition from neighbors and ultimately was rejected by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The rejection, however, was appealed to Superior Court by attorney Mathew Greene and a stipulated agreement was reached with the commission that opened the door for the scaled-back version of the plan.
Nearby resident Dan McSparran has filed an appeal of the judge’s decision, though the city attorney has discounted the legitimacy of the appeal.
The project, which could start as early as next year, is being developed and will be managed by the team of Peabody Properties and Affordable Housing and Services Collaborative Inc.
The Edgerton will be located off of Cedar Grove Avenue and contain 10 buildings with a mix of two- three- and four-bedroom units, along with a community center. The community center would accommodate outside entities such as the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Connecticut and TVCCA. CLICK TITLE CONTINUE
17 CT proposals in mix to be state's pick for Amazon site
The state is reviewing 17 proposals from municipalities around the state interested in playing host to Amazon's new second headquarters location, state officials said.
The state Department of Economic and Community Development set a Sept. 19 deadline for the proposals before the state chooses what it thinks may be the best options and forwards one or more to the online retail giant for consideration, according to James Watson, a DECD spokesman.
Watson declined to identify the municipalities that are pitching themselves with three-page summaries, or elaborate on the review process.
According to multiple published reports, some of the cities and towns pitching themselves include Hartford; Bridgeport, Fairfield, New Haven and Stratford, which submitted a joint proposal; Enfield, Stamford and Danbury.
On Sept. 7, Amazon announced plans to open a second North American headquarters that will employ as many as 50,000 workers and cost at least $5 billion to build and operate. The facility would complement Seattle as "a full equal," Amazon said. It's looking for a community that "thinks big" and a location that will attract technical talent.
Waterbury waiting on $6.3M to renovate vacant Begg public housing
WATERBURY – City officials expect to know shortly if the state will provide $6.3 million needed to renovate an empty public housing complex in the Brooklyn Neighborhood.
City officials closed the William Begg Apartments in 2010, worried about lawlessness that had driven away tenants and endangered those that remained.
Now, the Waterbury Housing Authority is seeking to piece together funding for a $14.7 million renovation to create 50 affordable apartments. Five will be two-bedroom units. The rest will have a single bedroom, according to the authority’s plans.
“The original problem with that building was the conditions in Brooklyn got bad, but with Duggan School the conditions have gotten better,” said James Lawlor, chair of the Waterbury Housing Authority board.
The city rebuilt the shuttered Duggan Elementary School at a cost of $39.7 mil The city rebuilt the shuttered Duggan Elementary School at a cost of $39.7 million, reopening the building for a new generation of students in the fall of 2011. The city tore down a number of properties and rebuilt sidewalks in the area as part of the project. Officials say the neighborhood has become a lot more attractive to residents due to the new school.
Lawlor said the building is a good resource, if managed correctly.
“Tearing it down would cost I think $3 million, so it’s not cost-effective,” Lawlor said. “The building is still basically sound. It’s got a 10-year-old roof, and concrete walls that are sound.”
Lawlor has advocated for setting aside apartments for seniors raising grandchildren, a common arrangement in Waterbury. But the housing authority pledged non-aged restricted housing in its grant application to the state, understanding that would make funding more likely.
Housing Authority Executive Director Maureen Voghel noted that seniors will still be able to apply. Voghel would like to get started in the spring on a yearlong restoration project. But that’s all contingent on the Connecticut Department of Housing approving the grant application, she noted.
“Nothing will happen with the Begg Building until we know if state money is going to be available for the restoration,” Voghel said.
CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
“Essentially we applied for $3.9 million in state funds to help build out the second phase of Centre Square,” he said. “That would be one or more additional roadways on the site, the interior parking area on the site, streetscape work. Hopefully, if we are successful, it will cover additional infrastructure that’s not already essentially being planned.”
“Obviously it’s a competitive environment, particularly now with the state’s budget situation, but you don’t get what you don’t apply for,” Malley said. He added that the grant application was approved by the City Council this month.
An update of the new Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center was given at the meeting.
“The site plan for the hospital has received conditional approval from the land use boards,” Malley said. “The only outstanding issues are staff comments, sort of housekeeping things that the land-use and engineering staff had gone through. So the plan is approved pending the resolution of those issues.”
A loading space for the hospital on Riverside Avenue and decreasing the slope in the parking area are aspects that were approved, Malley explained. He added, “At this point, they are still shooting to begin construction towards the end of this year.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Assisted living facility approved for Clintonville Road
The North Haven Planning & Zoning Commission overcame concerns from residents and approved the application of the North Haven Senior Living facility on Clintonville Road at the Clintonville Manor site. A zone change and site plan application by the Wegman Companies, a real estate development company in Rochester, NY was approved by the P&Z Commission Sept. 18
The zone change allows the company to construct more than 90 units on a property in an Elderly Housing District. The site plan application approved the construction of 109 residences, 87 assisted living suites in the main two floor building and 22 Memory Care suites in a separate one story building.
Elliot Croll, a Clintonville Road resident, said, “Adding 133 people to the area is like adding 45 houses, the building is much bigger than the area allows.”
Vern Carlson, the P&Z chairman, said, “That’s not true. It’s a sizable 11 ½ acre property that will fit the number of units. It doesn’t change the character of the neighborhood and it’s not on a secluded street but a state road.”Karen Berrios, a resident of Margo Street, which is in back of the property, said light from the suites would be seen at her house, but the commission ruled that a buffer of evergreens will be planted across the back of the property so the light won’t reach back and a fence will be built to shield neighboring houses from the property.
James Giulietti, a P&Z member, didn’t think the installation of 69 parking spaces would be sufficient but Greg Elmore, executive manager at Lenity Architecture, the Salem, OR firm that will design the buildings said most residents don’t drive and there will be more than enough spaces for the staff and visitors. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
SOUTHINGTON — State and national environmental officials celebrated the cleanup of a Superfund site and the opening of the newest section of the linear trail Thursday.
The section of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail runs north from Curtiss Street, cuts through the site of the now-defunct Solvents Recovery Service, and ends at Lazy Lane. It was formally opened during a ceremony Thursday and named after Martin Beskind, a late employee of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
“He couldn’t get enough of the outdoors, how that blended into his scientific mind and his work. This is a beautiful example of that,” said Martin’s son, David Beskind.
When Solvents Recovery Service was in operation, its distilling process produced clean solvents and fuels but also created unusable solvent that was dumped in unlined lagoons located on the property. The company operated from 1957 until 1991.“You can well imagine the impact on the environment from those activities,” Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator Deborah Szaro said. “That leaves an impact here on the site.”
“It takes a long time to remediate sites and to get them into productive reuse,” she added. “This is a celebration here today because we’ve done that.”
The process included the dismantling and disposal of building facilities, as well as the removal and treatment of contaminated soil and groundwater.
Remaining soil has been consolidated and capped to eliminate the risk of exposure.
“The work done here is a shining example of how EPA can and should strive to create an asset out of a liability for the communities, by leaving the site in a condition that is almost immediately reusable,” said Veronica Darwin, EPA senior advisor to the administrator for Superfund programs.
Patrick Bowe, DEEP’s director of remediation, worked with Martin Beskind on the project.
“This is a wonderful outcome from what was a very terrible situation,” Bowe said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
The approval comes nearly a year and a half after the property owners first announced plans to build a 124-unit affordable housing complex as replacement housing for the tenants at the federally subsidized Thames River Apartments. That project faced strong opposition from neighbors and ultimately was rejected by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The rejection, however, was appealed to Superior Court by attorney Mathew Greene and a stipulated agreement was reached with the commission that opened the door for the scaled-back version of the plan.
Nearby resident Dan McSparran has filed an appeal of the judge’s decision, though the city attorney has discounted the legitimacy of the appeal.
The project, which could start as early as next year, is being developed and will be managed by the team of Peabody Properties and Affordable Housing and Services Collaborative Inc.
The Edgerton will be located off of Cedar Grove Avenue and contain 10 buildings with a mix of two- three- and four-bedroom units, along with a community center. The community center would accommodate outside entities such as the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Connecticut and TVCCA. CLICK TITLE CONTINUE
17 CT proposals in mix to be state's pick for Amazon site
The state is reviewing 17 proposals from municipalities around the state interested in playing host to Amazon's new second headquarters location, state officials said.
The state Department of Economic and Community Development set a Sept. 19 deadline for the proposals before the state chooses what it thinks may be the best options and forwards one or more to the online retail giant for consideration, according to James Watson, a DECD spokesman.
Watson declined to identify the municipalities that are pitching themselves with three-page summaries, or elaborate on the review process.
According to multiple published reports, some of the cities and towns pitching themselves include Hartford; Bridgeport, Fairfield, New Haven and Stratford, which submitted a joint proposal; Enfield, Stamford and Danbury.
On Sept. 7, Amazon announced plans to open a second North American headquarters that will employ as many as 50,000 workers and cost at least $5 billion to build and operate. The facility would complement Seattle as "a full equal," Amazon said. It's looking for a community that "thinks big" and a location that will attract technical talent.
Waterbury waiting on $6.3M to renovate vacant Begg public housing
WATERBURY – City officials expect to know shortly if the state will provide $6.3 million needed to renovate an empty public housing complex in the Brooklyn Neighborhood.
City officials closed the William Begg Apartments in 2010, worried about lawlessness that had driven away tenants and endangered those that remained.
Now, the Waterbury Housing Authority is seeking to piece together funding for a $14.7 million renovation to create 50 affordable apartments. Five will be two-bedroom units. The rest will have a single bedroom, according to the authority’s plans.
“The original problem with that building was the conditions in Brooklyn got bad, but with Duggan School the conditions have gotten better,” said James Lawlor, chair of the Waterbury Housing Authority board.
The city rebuilt the shuttered Duggan Elementary School at a cost of $39.7 mil The city rebuilt the shuttered Duggan Elementary School at a cost of $39.7 million, reopening the building for a new generation of students in the fall of 2011. The city tore down a number of properties and rebuilt sidewalks in the area as part of the project. Officials say the neighborhood has become a lot more attractive to residents due to the new school.
Lawlor said the building is a good resource, if managed correctly.
“Tearing it down would cost I think $3 million, so it’s not cost-effective,” Lawlor said. “The building is still basically sound. It’s got a 10-year-old roof, and concrete walls that are sound.”
Lawlor has advocated for setting aside apartments for seniors raising grandchildren, a common arrangement in Waterbury. But the housing authority pledged non-aged restricted housing in its grant application to the state, understanding that would make funding more likely.
Housing Authority Executive Director Maureen Voghel noted that seniors will still be able to apply. Voghel would like to get started in the spring on a yearlong restoration project. But that’s all contingent on the Connecticut Department of Housing approving the grant application, she noted.
“Nothing will happen with the Begg Building until we know if state money is going to be available for the restoration,” Voghel said.
CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE