Fare increases, reduced train service, less highway snowing plowing, postponed construction. All of these and more are on the horizon, say Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the Connecticut DOT because our Special Transportation Fund is running dry.
I hate to say I told you so, but…
We’ve been talking about this issue for years and our lawmakers have done nothing. In fact, they’ve hastened this transportation Armageddon by their own short-sighted political pandering.
Remember in 1997 when the Legislature lowered the gasoline tax by 14 cents a gallon? Seemed like a popular move in a state with such high gasoline taxes. But those taxes are how we fund our transportation!
And with lower oil prices, greater fuel efficiency and electric cars, people are buying less gas and the STF is running on empty. And our debt service on transportation is growing faster than CDOT’s spending on operations.
Last week the governor warned us that Wall Street won’t buy even our general obligation bonds, let alone transportation bonds, if the STF goes into the red. So unless we find new revenue sources soon, any bonding will be more expensive if not impossible.
So pick your poison: tolls, sales taxes, Vehicle Miles Tax, gas tax, higher fares… none of them are popular, but some combination will be necessary.The alternative is to cut spending, cancelling things like new railcar orders for the standing-room-only Metro-North… eliminating off-peak and weekend trains on the New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury branches… cutting Shore Line East rail service by 50 percent... and three fare increases from 2019 to 2022.
Forget about rebuilding the crumbling Stamford rail station garage, a new station garage in New Haven, widening I-95 or rebuilding the disintegrating Route 7 - I-84 “Mixmaster” in Waterbury. And as CDOT faces further staffing layoffs, don’t be surprised if our highways don’t get plowed. Agency insiders tell me they’re already down 50 percent in snow plow staffers in some parts of the state.
Oh, but here come the uniformed suggestions for a quick fix. You’ve heard them and maybe thought of them yourself.Why not cancel the new New Haven to Springfield rail line? Sure… but because it’s being built with federal money, the state would owe Washington a $191 million refund it doesn’t have.
Why not stop the raids on the STF to balance the budget with a lock-box? Great idea and you’ll get a chance to vote on that in a November 2018 referendum assuming you think it’s a real lock on that box.
Why not wrap all Metro-North trains in advertising… collect all tickets… sell naming rights for stations? Sure, but that would bring in chump change compared to the $1 billion we need just to keep the STF solvent and the state afloat.
Tolls and taxes are the only realistic alternatives. But our legislators, facing an election year, have no stomach for either. They’re still recovering from wrenched shoulders from patting themselves on the back for achieving an unbalanced budget while they’re in serious denial about the real mess we are in.
Come January the CDOT will start a series of public hearings on the necessary fare hikes and spending cuts. It will be a great time to see who among our lawmakers will be honest with us about the financial crisis they created.
Meriden Commons II nearing construction
Plans call for Meriden Commons II to sit behind Meriden Commons on four acres off State and Cedar streets. Both projects will cost more than $60 million combined, and provide 151 units of mixed income housing and more than 15,000 square feet of commercial space. Residential leasing at Meriden Commons I will begin in early 2018, while commercial leasing has started.
“We’re through planning and zoning, our drawings are in, and we’re waiting for permits,” said Pennrose Regional Vice President Charles Adams.
Building A of Meriden Common II will be four stories tall at the corner of State and Park streets, with parking between Meriden Commons I. The other two buildings will stand three-stories tall, with Building B will fronting Park Street and Building C sitting at the corner of the existing Mill and Cedar streets.
The project includes parking for about 125 cars between the buildings and a playground on Cedar Street, and Mills Street will eventually be eliminated. The city has federal funds and a permit to demolish the Mills Memorial apartments.
Environmental testing is currently ongoing and the city is working on bid specifications, and demoliltion is expected to start late spring early summer. Construction on Meriden Commons II can begin without the Mills demolition because the building sites are not occupied by any of the apartment buildings.
“It’s an exciting project for us to be involved in the transformation downtown,” said MHA Executive Director Robert Cappelletti. “We’re going to be leasing up Phase I in the spring.”
The MHA is giving the land currently occupied by the apartments to the city to allow them to extend the Meriden Green flood control and park project to Cedar Street.
Building A of Meriden Common II will contain ranch-style apartments in a single building. Buildings B and C will have townhouses with separate entrances.The city has federal funds and a permit to demolish the Mills Memorial apartments and turn the land back to the MHA to build the housing component.
Environmental testing is currently ongoing and the bid has issued the specificiations for the demolition, expected next year. At Meriden Commons II, 61 units are considered affordable with the remaining 15 units at market rate. It will also contain more three and four bedroom units than Meriden Commons I.
Pennrose Properties LLC received a variance recently to allow it to build one less entrance than laws currently allow. They plan to put the main entrance in the lobby at the corner of State and Park streets.
A single entrance to the building is better for security purposes, Adams said
"The reason that we've got only one door there is for security purposes," Adams said . "If we had to comply with the strict requirements of every 75 feet we would have to put a door within another group of units. It would be another point of entry that would not be as s ecure."
Meriden quarry proposes concrete recycling facility
MERIDEN — The Suzio York Hill company is expected to present plans to add a new concrete recycling facility to its Westfield Road operation at an upcoming Planning Commission meeting.
The facility will sort concrete, stone and sand so the materials can be used for other purposes, indicative of an industry trend toward more sustainable practices.
“More and more, that’s definitely the way of the future for everybody,” Suzio said. “It’s not real profitable. It’s really a way to just recycle the material instead of just dumping it some place.”
The project replaces an older recycling facility at 975 Westfield Road. The company has been recycling concrete since the 1970s, Suzio said.
Plans call for a 1,200-square-foot building and accompanying 7,500 square foot open air space, with several holding pits located about 300 feet southwest of the main offices. Trucks will transport leftover concrete to the new facility, which will sort the materials using a large screw mechanism and water filtration system into separate piles of stone, sand and concrete.
The materials can then be sold for reuse in other projects, but the stone and sand can also be utilized under bedding plants in nurseries or as a filler for closing landfills, Suzio said. Selling the recycled products is not particularly profitable.
“We realize we have to do something to limit the concrete waste, so it’s just one of the costs of doing business,” Suzio said. “If we can sell some of it, that’s great, but it’s really just a waste disposal with some recycling coming out of it.”
A trend toward more sustainable practices is the norm for concrete production facilities in urban settings such as Meriden, Suzio said
The project received conditional approval from the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission on Dec. 6, according to Associate City Planner Paul Dickson, who added the project includes the construction of a water basin that would increase the quality of storm water run off in the area.
“It’s a net improvement for storm water quality for the site from a wetlands point of view,” Dickson said.
The Planning Commission is expected to review the project Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall Room 131.
Killingly council expected to postpone vote on power plant deal until January
KILLINGLY — The newly elected Killingly Town Council chairman hopes to have a resolution by January on proposed tax and benefit agreements with a developer working to launch a power plant project.
Jonathan Cesolini said the council on Tuesday will likely re-table agenda items concerning a tax stabilization and Community Environmental Benefit, or CEBA, agreements that, if approved, would net the town $95 million in cash and tax revenue over 20 years.
Citing the imminent swearing in of a new council, the previous council last month declined to vote on whether to accept the agreements with the NTE energy company. The firm is hoping to construct a 550-megawatt power plant in the Dayville section of town.
Cesolini said all new council members have received copies of the latest draft agreements, which have undergone several revisions in the last year.
“NTE is also holding an informational session between our December and January meetings which will give us chance to review the project and ask questions,” he said. “My plan is resolve these contracts, either with a yea or nay vote, in January.”
The previous council spent two hours on Nov. 30 amending the proposed agreements, the latest in a series of meetings on the contracts. The most recent changes largely revolved around language relating to plant decommissioning and prohibitions on any material changes to initial project plans,
NTE previously agreed to increase its initial $2 million CEBA proposal to $5 million. That “unrestricted” money could be used for a variety of environmentally oriented projects, including a scholarship fund, for water testing at Alexander’s Lake and to plant trees throughout town.
A revised tax stabilization agreement now calls for $91 million — up from $90 million — in revenue to be paid to the town over 20 years with more paid out in the early years of the contract.
The draft version of the plan called for the company to pay the town $90 million in taxes over a 20-year period, but that figure rose to $91 million after further negotiations. The amended tax agreement also calls for more money paid out in the early years of the contract.
“I have faith in the reviews of these contracts conducted by the previous council,” Cesolini said. “I’m impressed with their work. We have three members who are now new to this council, so it’s matter of getting them up to speed on the discussions before we vote.”
Because NTE’s permit applications were rejected by the state Citing Council earlier this year “without prejudice,” the company is expected to re-file early next year. The siting council, not the Town Council, has final say on whether the plant will be built. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Bidders, vision emerge for development around Dunkin' Donuts Park
The New York landlord of downtown Hartford's Stilts Building and 100 Pearl Street office skyscrapers wants to reinvigorate "desert" acreage around Dunkin' Donuts Park into a viable commercial mixed-use development.
Principals with Shelbourne Global Solutions LLC confirmed they are planning to take a run at redeveloping some 20 acres of city-owned land, grouped into four parcels now used for commuter and stadium parking, into apartments, retail — including possibly a supermarket — and other amenities.
Also considering a redevelopment proposal is Florida hotel owner/operator Inner Circle, owner of downtown Hartford's 18-story, 350-room Radisson Hotel, 50 Morgan St., overlooking Dunkin' Donuts Park, according to Inner Circle advisor and board member Mark Hall. Inner Circle has been working to convert 200 rooms in the hotel to 96 apartments, but has hit some construction setbacks. It hopes to finish that project early next year.
Shelbourne and Inner Circle are among eager bidders interested in redeveloping the Downtown North, or "DoNo," parcels after the city in October fired Centerplan Construction Co. of Middletown and its DoNo Inc. affiliate as developers. The city recently issued a new request for proposals for the project and is hosting a question/answer session for interested developers Dec. 14. Final DoNo bids are due in Feb. 2018.
Centerplan garnered the city's ire after it fell behind on construction of Dunkin' Donuts Park, which anchors the DoNo parcels. Principal Robert Landino and partners were originally chosen for both projects by the Segarra administration after wowing the city with their vision of office, retail, more parking, apartments and condos. Later, Landino announced plans for a Hard Rock Hotel in DoNo.
Centerplan was also fired from the ballpark project and sued the city for wrongful termination. The legal dispute remains ongoing.
Meantime, the city is eager to get DoNo development moving because repayment of millions borrowed to build the stadium hinges not only on rent the ballclub pays but also on the collection of property taxes from DoNo buildings and parking revenue from visitors to the development. According to the city, annual debt payments alone on the ballpark debt runs about $4.6 million.
The 6,000-seat stadium's first-year success in attendance and glowing reviews for its design is seen by some as a promising omen for DoNo's eventual transformation.
"What's happened over there with the ballpark has been great," said Jim Lewis, owner of Harvey & Lewis Opticians, a long-time downtown retail fixture. "To keep building on that is terrific."
Yard Goats owner Josh Solomon said the ballpark proves that "if you build a quality product, the right product for this market, people will come."
Ahead of the city's Dec. 14 question/answer meeting, the Hartford Business Journal sampled some of the city's downtown landlords and other neighborhood stakeholders about their interest in the project and wish-lists of DoNo amenities.
Shelbourne and Inner Circle are the only potential DoNo bidders HBJ has identified. Some other landlords and developers said they had no interest in redeveloping DoNo or didn't return calls seeking comment.
Shelbourne officials say they are assembling a "world class" team to bid on DoNo. They say the downtown relocation of UConn's suburban campus, plus demand for downtown housing signals "that the city is on the verge of a breakout."
"It is true that the budget debacle, out of control property taxes and the threat of bankruptcy created a hostile atmosphere for investors, but Shelbourne is and will continue to invest in Hartford," Principal Bernard Bertram said via email.
New York City-based Shelbourne, whose 20 Church St. property also houses its Upward Hartford co-working spaces, did not elaborate as to its specific vision for DoNo. However, officials say that in 2018, Shelbourne intends to demolish and rebuild the parking garage at Main and Talcott streets that LAZ Parking owns.
Developers' options
The DoNo redevelopment area consists of 32 properties that fall within four distinct clusters, three of which overlook the ballpark. A fourth parcel is adjacent to the city's new public safety complex, a 150,000-square foot building located on a 5.7-acre site that houses Hartford's police, fire, and first responder dispatch operations.
Developers can propose to purchase the land or do a ground lease. They can redevelop parcels individually or in any combination, according to the RFP.
The city hopes to receive a plan for a mixed-use urban neighborhood that reestablishes essential connections between Hartford's north side neighborhoods and downtown.
Despite the stadium's inaugural success, Solomon, who besides being a team owner is president and chief investment officer of a Massachusetts realty company — DSF Group — that has invested more than $2.5 billion in properties, says he has no plans to pursue development of DoNo.
"Hartford is much better served with me as the owner of the baseball team," he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Bloomfield Council Votes To Reinstate Spending On Building Project
After several weeks of discussion and changes of heart, the town council Monday voted 8-1 to restart spending on the $22.3 million human services building project.
“As a council, we wanted to make sure we had deliberation,” Mayor Suzette Brown said prior to the vote and after several residents gave differing view points on the project’s validity.
However, Solomon and others had some ideas of what they would like to see — or not — DoNo transformed into.
“We thought it prudent to take time and gather information.”
The project, which calls for a new, 52,000-square-foot facility to house the town’s senior center and leisure and youth services departments, has been in limbo since the council halted spending in November over concerns about cost overruns.
Current estimates show the project to be about $2.9 million over budget, but supporters have said that the true cost won’t be known until the construction drawings are finished and go out to bid.
The council Monday approved spending the $312,000 needed to complete the drawings, which would put the total spent on the project so far at about $1.1 million.
As part of the same vote Monday, the council also directed Town Manager Philip Schenck to spend up to $50,000 for an updated estimate on the cost of renovating the current human services building, an aging 92,000-square-foot former school.
At a minimum, the building would need a new roof, heating and cooling system and a sprinkler system. Town officials have said the building does not comply with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations regarding bathrooms and entrance ramps.
Blue Hills Fire Marshal Bill Lewis has said that he would consider shutting the building down if plans to build the new facility are scuttled, and the town does not move quickly to remedy fire, safety and other code compliance issues.
The council also directed the building committee to expand the scope of its work to include determining the cost of an indoor pool or increasing the size of the new building by about 5,000 square feet, or even building separate facilities for the departments in other locations.The discussion prompted council member Elizabeth Waterhouse to suggest spending up to $30 million on the project. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Eversource Threatens Lawsuit Over Accusations It Manipulated Gas Deliveries
Eversource on Monday threatened to sue the Environmental Defense Fund unless the group backs off its accusation that the utility manipulated gas deliveries to create shortages that led to higher electricity prices costing consumers $3.6 billion over three years.
“These statements and publications are irreparably harming the reputation of Eversource Energy,” Gregory Butler, the utility’s executive vice president and general counsel, said in a letter to officials of the Environmental Defense Fund.
Jon Coifman, a spokesman for the Environmental Defense Fund, said the group had only recently received the Eversource letter and referred it to its lawyer for review.
“We stand by the analysis and reject this obvious attempt to intimidate and chill legitimate public inquiry," he said.
Three university researchers and an economist at the New York-based environmental group wrote in a 74-page paper that they found “strong evidence” the gas and electricity utilities “regularly restricted capacity to the region by scheduling deliveries without actually flowing gas.”
As a result, from 2014 to 2016, prices were driven up for electricity generated by power plants that rely on natural gas.
Limited pipeline capacity is partly responsible for extreme prices during particularly cold winters, the authors said. But “scarce capacity” is often used to support the case for more pipeline construction, they said.
In his letter to Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp and N. Jonathan Peress, the group’s senior director of energy market policy, Butler said Eversource “adheres scrupulously” to regulations. The utility is not permitted to profit from higher prices on natural gas or other fuels, he said.
“Your publication of statements that are contradicted by statute and regulation is accordingly either knowingly false or in reckless disregard of easily ascertainable facts,” Butler said.
Eversource demanded that the Environmental Defense Fund halt all publication of the statement in writings, interviews and presentations and to have its statements related to the gas study removed from websites. The state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority began an investigation in October of Eversource and Avangrid. Avangrid also has denied the allegations. Regulators will examine the utilities’ “adherence to appropriate practices,” such as forecasting and deliveries.
Eversource spokeswoman Caroline Pretyman said the utility acted now by threatening a lawsuit because the Environmental Defense Fund has been disseminating the study in news publications, on websites and elsewhere.
“We decided enough is enough,” she said.
State DOT Looking To Bridge Another Trail Gap
ith construction crews working on the Charter Oak Greenway in sight of Bolton Notch, the logical question is: Where to next?
The newest ribbon of multiuse trail that runs from the banks of the Connecticut River in East Hartford through Manchester and into Bolton has made its way to the Route 6/44 exit of I-384. With the painted American flag of “Flag Rock” in Bolton Notch State Park glimmering in the distance, officials at the state Department of Transportation are determining the best way to get trail users safely from Bolton Notch into the Bolton Post Office shopping area along Route 44. Right now, bicyclists and walkers are prohibited from traveling on the Route 6/44 connector to 384.
Although the Hop River Trail — a former railroad — passes under Route 44 and Route 6, there is no access to either road from the path. A tunnel allows the trail to pass under the highways, and towering rock ledges prevent any access off the path.
While the greenway’s eastern terminus will be Bolton Notch State Park and the Hop River Trail, the DOT is proposing what it calls a shared-use path to Quarry Road. That half-mile path would allow trail users to access Route 44 along a paved stretch on the northern side of 6/44. A concrete barrier would separate trail users from the busy road. The path would end at a crosswalk and traffic signal at the shopping center and Bolton post office.
The shared-use path is part of a larger, $7.7 million project that includes realigning Route 6 eastbound, relocating Notch Road farther to the west and removing a portion of the rock outcropping along the highways so the sight lines are better for those exiting Notch Road.
Right now, the trail and roadway improvements are in the early concept phase. And money for the project? Well …“It’s very dire times, fundingwise,” said William Britnell, principal engineer for the project, adding that the DOT is scaling back on projects. “We’re just saying this is an idea.”
The plan calls to shift Route 44 a bit to the south into the grassy median. The path would be squeezed in along a ridge where a local landmark known as “Squaw Cave” is located. According to a local legend, it’s the location of a cave where an Indian maiden and her Dutch lover hid from colonists. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Northeast rail plan stymied by lack of funding, concerns in Fairfield County
Washington – An ambitious — and to some in Connecticut controversial — plan to overhaul the railroad in the Northeast Corridor has come to a full stop, a victim of lack of funding.
There also has been pushback to the plan from Fairfield County residents who fear the impact of laying down new high-speed-ready tracks and other development near their neighborhoods.
The Federal Railroad Administration in July issued its final Northeast Corridor (NEC) Future plan that detailed a long-term vision to improve and grow passenger rail service in the corridor at a cost between $121 billion and $153 billion.
The plan, called “Tier 1,” included adding 200 miles of expanded track capacity between Washington, D.C., and Boston, and making sure most of those new tracks can carry trains traveling at up to 220 miles per hour.
But Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Marc Willis said none of the eight states that would be impacted by the plan have submitted new project proposals so that NEC Future can move into the “Tier 2,” or project-level, phase of the plan.
“Right now, there is nothing going on,” Willis said.
A major problem is money. Some states are waiting for the Trump administration to follow through on a promise of a major infrastructure plan, a costly endeavor whose prospects have been dimmed by the current push to overhaul the federal tax code – which would cost the U.S. Treasury about $1.5 trillion.
While federal money could pay up to 80 percent or more of a new project, Connecticut’s transportation budget is facing a severe shortfall and is not likely to come up with the difference.Then there’s concern about the impact of development on densely populated and historical areas in the state.
The NEC Future plan was met with heavy resistance in the eastern coastal section of the state, especially in the town of Old Lyme, because of the plan’s proposal to put a second set of tracks further inland along that coast.
The final Tier 1 plan scrapped that idea, and instead called for a New Haven-to-Providence “capacity planning study” to address capacity constraints, speed restrictions and the threat to the rail system posed by flooding along the Connecticut and Rhode Island shoreline.
Now resistance to the NEC Future plan is coming from Fairfield County.
Westport has recently reached out to the Washington, D.C., mega-law firm of Akin Gump Strass Hauer and Feld in case there’s a need to legally challenge NEC Future’s proposed changes in the area, which include turning its local Green’s Farms train station into an infrastructure hub and establishing new elevated tracks in the region.
To Sara Harris, operations director in the town of Westport, the idea of expanding the Green’s Farms station makes no sense since there are better locations in Fairfield County for a new hub.“We want to preserve the character of the (Green’s Farms) station,” Harris said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Atlantic Coast Pipeline Signs Agreements With Construction Trade Unions
Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC announced Dec. 9 it has signed Project Labor Agreements with the nation's four leading building and construction trade unions. The agreements reaffirm the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project's commitment to hiring skilled union workers for the pipeline's construction.
The agreements were signed with the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), Teamsters National Pipeline (Teamsters), International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States (United Association).
“From day one we've committed to building this project to the highest standards of quality and safety,” said Leslie Hartz, Dominion Energy's vice president, Engineering & Construction. “These organizations represent the most highly-skilled and well-trained professionals in the industry. They have the training, dedication and experience we need, and we're proud to have them on board for this historic project.”
Commitment to Hiring Local
Under the agreements, the four trade unions will be responsible for hiring and training the 13,000 construction workers needed to build the pipeline. The unions have committed to hiring at least half of the construction workforce through local union membership in West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. Furthermore, the organizations have committed to hiring at least 25 percent of all new hires – individuals joining the trade unions for the first time – from the local communities where the pipeline will be built.
Biggest Job-Creating Infrastructure Project in Decades
“This is the biggest job-creating infrastructure project we've seen in our region for many decades,” said Dennis Martire, LiUNA's vice president & Mid-Atlantic regional manager. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our region's infrastructure and bring back the middle class jobs that have disappeared from too many of our communities. Our members live in these communities, so we have a personal stake in doing this the right way and with the utmost care for safety and the environment. We have the skills and the work ethic that it takes to build a project like this, and we're just grateful for the opportunity to put those skills to work for our economy and our energy security.”
Free Training and Apprenticeships for Local Residents
In addition to employing thousands of local tradesmen and craftsmen, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will provide opportunities for many local residents to pursue new careers in the construction industry. The trade unions are offering free local training and apprenticeship programs so local residents can develop new skills and gain real-world experience in the industry. After construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is complete, many will go on to pursue long-term careers in the building and construction trades.
Opportunities for Local Veterans
Through their participation in the 'Helmets to Hardhats' program, the trade unions will also provide job opportunities to many local veterans. 'Helmets to Hardhats' is a national, nonprofit program that connects National Guard, Reserve, retired and transitioning active-duty military service members with skilled training and quality career opportunities in the construction industry.
“This project is going to be a game changer for working people in our region, including our veterans,” said Matt Yonka, president of the Virginia Building and Construction Trades Council. “We're talking about thousands of new jobs for men and women who have spent their careers developing their craft and contributing to our economy. We're also talking about hundreds, if not thousands of local residents, including our veterans, who will have the chance to start a new career and earn a better livelihood. We're ready to get to work on this project so we can grow our economy and support our families.”
Skilled Crafts and Trades
The four organizations signing the agreements represent the crafts and trades that will perform the bulk of mainline construction activity for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline: