Time lapse video of the I-84 project
Bridge rehabilitation in Monroe could delay traffic
Amanda Cuda
MONROE — The rehabilitation of the bridge on Route 34 over Boys Halfway Brook could jam up traffic in some parts of town over the next two weeks.
According to a notice from the Town of Monroe, between now and Jan. 11, during the bridge replacement, the contractor will be allowed to maintain alternating one-way traffic, controlled by a temporary traffic light. The light is expected to be installed near Lake Zoar Drive In.
The construction and change in traffic patterns could cause delays, and motorists are instructed to slow down in work zones. The construction schedule is subject to change, based on weather and man power availability.
Looking forward, looking back: Walk Bridge project poised for a busy 2019
Justin Papp
NORWALK — The Walk Bridge reconstruction has been the subject of countless meetings, spawned a lawsuit, and raised concerns for the businesses and residents who will be impacted by the multiyear, more than $1 billion project.
As a lawsuit pushes forward in federal court, and a new governor and state transportation commissioner are set to take office in the coming weeks, the Connecticut Department of Transportation project will likely remain divisive in 2019.
Final design plans could be ready as soon as spring 2019 and are expected no later than the summer. Construction of the 240-foot vertical lift bridge, which carries Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad trains over the Norwalk River, is expected to take four to five years, and is set to begin in the fall
“The project needs to happen. It’s a bridge that’s over 120 years old that’s hampering our ability to have faster train service,” said State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk. “It’s a tough project, it’s going to be inconvenient and disruptive but it needs to get done. Our aging infrastructure needs to be addressed.” Concerns have been raised that the construction will disrupt shellfish beds and stir up pollutants. Norwalk Harbor Keeper, a local conservation group, filed a lawsuit in early 2018 claiming the DOT didn’t adequately consider a smaller, less-expensive bridge that is fixed in place, which they said would suffice because of reduced boat traffic on the channel.
Those who brought the lawsuit point to another state agency’s memo regarding construction alternatives. In a December 2016 letter from the state Office of Policy and Management to the DOT, the OPM deemed maritime access not “an essential element of this project,” and suggested the DOT consider alternative designs.“The OPM basically asked the question, or stated, since there’s not much traffic anymore, we’d like you to look at a low-level fixed bridge,” said Fred Krupp, president of the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund and a member of Norwalk Harbor Keeper. “That’s the exact same thing the lawsuit is asking the state to do.”
In the DOT’s original Environmental Impact Evaluation, there was no mention of improving the bridge to allow for marine navigation. But a later version of the EIE listed “maintaining or improving navigational capacity and dependability for marine traffic in the Norwalk River,” as a goal of the project.
Krupp and Norwalk Harbor Keeper suggested two alternatives: the first, to bolt the existing bridge shut, and the second, to build a new, simpler, non-lifting bridge. Both Norwalk Harbor Keeper and the state DOT have entered motions for summary judgment — a decision made without a full trial — and a decision could come in 2019. If Norwalk Harbor Keeper should win that case, the state would have to review its design.
Krupp said, without question, something needs to be done to the existing bridge. But he and Norwalk Harbor Keeper feel the scope of the current design is inappropriate.“This project, where the construction is now estimated to last five years, could absolutely threaten the survival of the (Maritime) aquarium, as well as the thriving renaissance of restaurants in SoNo. And restaurant owners are very concerned,” Krupp said.
Construction will also cause parking issues in South Norwalk. The Maritime Aquarium’s IMAX theater will be razed by the state DOT for use as a staging area, and portions of the adjacent 45-space Norwalk Water Street lot will at times be blocked off. The Maritime Garage, where the majority of visitors to the aquarium park, lies safely outside of the construction area, but will sometimes be difficult for motorists to reach.
The aquarium’s associate director of communications, Dave Sigworth, has said that he believes visitors will continue to use the garage.
Once the construction starts, other nearby businesses and residents will have to learn to live with the disruptions“My job is to protect and represent businesses and the residents that are affected and ensure that they’re being listened to and that we are working to the best ability to minimize disruptions and inconveniences,” Duff said.
Transportation's importance on revitalization discussed
Skyler Frazer
NEW BRITAIN - Transit in the state has improved over the last decade, but the legislature and Governor-elect Ned Lamont have more work to do if Connecticut wants to continue making strides in transportation.
That was the sentiment at New Britain City Hall on Tuesday when transportation experts and other stakeholders in the state met to discuss the Connecticut’s transit system and the challenges ahead.
“The priority for the last decade has been expansion and really about significant investment and enlargement of the transit network,” said Richard Andreski, the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Bureau Chief of Public Transportation.
Andreski said the expansion of the Hartford and New Haven rail lines and CTfastrak are examples of this expansion.
“The dividends of those investments are just beginning to pay off. We’ve seen economic development popping up all across the Hartford line and also here in New Britain,” Andreski said.
Speaking specifically of New Britain, executive director of the New Britain Downtown District Gerry Amodio talked about the challenges with transit-oriented development.
Amodio shared the story of New Britain being divided into sections in the 1970s with the construction of Route 72 and Route 9. Decades later, the city is still coming to terms with the facelift the downtown area has received. Amodio compared the city to a living organism, and living bodies can’t function the same after parts have been ripped from them.
“When you look at the area and you look at New Britain and you say ‘Wow, why do we struggle,’ well, I think if you take out your liver and your gallbladder and you rearrange all your organs, you’d struggle too,” Amodio said.
CT DOT announced in August that CTfastrak carried its 10 millionth ride. As opposed to nationwide, where public transportation ridership has remained flat, Connecticut saw an increase in ridership last year.
Mayor Erin Stewart, who has been a big supporter of CTfastrak, said the bus system has faced some unfounded criticism and many people rely on it for commuting to work, for shopping or simply for easy access to Hartford. The downtown hub has also helped the city receive funding and support for several downtown projects, like the Beehive Bridge project and the recently finished rotary on Bank Street.
“We’ve got hundreds, thousands of people that use it on a daily basis, and our downtown is transforming because of it,” Stewart said. “To have this connector, to have mass-transit back in downtown really allowed us a lot of opportunities for business and housing.”
Going forward, there are challenges facing the state in regards to transportation. State funding and federal funding are always big topics of discussion around budget season, and 2019 is no exception.
Don Shubert, president of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, said his group is constantly monitoring transportation-related bills at the federal level. Specifically, Shubert is monitoring President Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan and how it would affect transportation investments at a statewide level.
“We’re watching it all unfold,” Shubert said. “If we don’t see an infrastructure bill this year (2019), as far as transportation advocates are concerned, we’re going to have our hands full in Washington next year during an election year.”
Further, technology and new businesses are disrupting common forms of transit. CT DOT has already rolled out a few new ways to make payments and is working on ways to make it easier to plan trips using the rail or bus system. Andreski said that this year, for the first time ever, ridership on rideshare companies Uber and Lyft will exceed ridership on public buses nationally.
“As we look to the future it’s about partnerships, it’s about technology and it’s about really being flexible with how we provide service,” Andreski said.
Karen Burnaska from Transit for CT and Mary Tomolonius from the Connecticut Association for Community Transportation organized and moderated the event.
Berlin chief has doubts on proposed police HQ expansion
Charles Paullin
BERLIN - Now that the report on the possible expansion of police headquarters into neighboring Board of Education offices is done, Police Chief John Klett has doubts the project will happen.
“The priority for the last decade has been expansion and really about significant investment and enlargement of the transit network,” said Richard Andreski, the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Bureau Chief of Public Transportation.
Andreski said the expansion of the Hartford and New Haven rail lines and CTfastrak are examples of this expansion.
“The dividends of those investments are just beginning to pay off. We’ve seen economic development popping up all across the Hartford line and also here in New Britain,” Andreski said.
Speaking specifically of New Britain, executive director of the New Britain Downtown District Gerry Amodio talked about the challenges with transit-oriented development.
Amodio shared the story of New Britain being divided into sections in the 1970s with the construction of Route 72 and Route 9. Decades later, the city is still coming to terms with the facelift the downtown area has received. Amodio compared the city to a living organism, and living bodies can’t function the same after parts have been ripped from them.
“When you look at the area and you look at New Britain and you say ‘Wow, why do we struggle,’ well, I think if you take out your liver and your gallbladder and you rearrange all your organs, you’d struggle too,” Amodio said.
CT DOT announced in August that CTfastrak carried its 10 millionth ride. As opposed to nationwide, where public transportation ridership has remained flat, Connecticut saw an increase in ridership last year.
Mayor Erin Stewart, who has been a big supporter of CTfastrak, said the bus system has faced some unfounded criticism and many people rely on it for commuting to work, for shopping or simply for easy access to Hartford. The downtown hub has also helped the city receive funding and support for several downtown projects, like the Beehive Bridge project and the recently finished rotary on Bank Street.
“We’ve got hundreds, thousands of people that use it on a daily basis, and our downtown is transforming because of it,” Stewart said. “To have this connector, to have mass-transit back in downtown really allowed us a lot of opportunities for business and housing.”
Going forward, there are challenges facing the state in regards to transportation. State funding and federal funding are always big topics of discussion around budget season, and 2019 is no exception.
Don Shubert, president of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, said his group is constantly monitoring transportation-related bills at the federal level. Specifically, Shubert is monitoring President Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan and how it would affect transportation investments at a statewide level.
“We’re watching it all unfold,” Shubert said. “If we don’t see an infrastructure bill this year (2019), as far as transportation advocates are concerned, we’re going to have our hands full in Washington next year during an election year.”
Further, technology and new businesses are disrupting common forms of transit. CT DOT has already rolled out a few new ways to make payments and is working on ways to make it easier to plan trips using the rail or bus system. Andreski said that this year, for the first time ever, ridership on rideshare companies Uber and Lyft will exceed ridership on public buses nationally.
“As we look to the future it’s about partnerships, it’s about technology and it’s about really being flexible with how we provide service,” Andreski said.
Karen Burnaska from Transit for CT and Mary Tomolonius from the Connecticut Association for Community Transportation organized and moderated the event.
Berlin chief has doubts on proposed police HQ expansion
Charles Paullin
BERLIN - Now that the report on the possible expansion of police headquarters into neighboring Board of Education offices is done, Police Chief John Klett has doubts the project will happen.
“I don’t see this happening,” said Klett at a recent Police Commission meeting, adding given the town’s current debt situation, “this was the cheapest of the options.”
The study, evaluated the feasibility of fitting an expansion the size of what the Police Department needs into the basement of Town Hall - based on a 2015 study of the department’s space needs. It proposed a roughly $6.8 million budget for the expansion project.
The space-needs assessment, by Jacunski Humes Architects of Berlin, said about 23,000 square feet would be needed, or about 1,000 square feet more than currently available.
“It’s close enough to where it is doable,” Klett said, but the location remains not as desirable as Farmington Avenue, where a new $16 million police station had been proposed. That proposal was rejected in 2016 by the Town Council for budgetary reasons. Questions about work flow also surround the Town Hall basement location.
The expansion study’s proposed costs account for consultants, financing, construction - including a complete renovation that would include the possibility of existing offices being retained.
It also takes into account the costs of, new furniture, moving and contingencies.
The budget does not include how much it may cost to relocate the Board of Ed’s offices, food pantry, town records and the firing range, which would be converted into a hallway.
Superintendent of Schools Brian Benigni has said he is open to relocating the Board of Ed offices, if adequate space can be found elsewhere.
The study also does not include a facilities-conditions assessment, nor does it address the adequacy of parking, vehicle maintenance, security or exterior storage needs.
There is no timeline on the expansion project included with the report.
“I think it’s a stall tactic,” said Commissioner Bob Peters, later adding he thinks the council isn’t supporting the commission.
He said he was against the expansion project because it’s not what he wanted. What he wanted was a new station that would go the town for a vote, such the $21 million first proposed station that failed at referendum in 2014, he said.
Other Police Commission members requested a detailed presentation by the Public Buildings Commission on the study at their next meeting, which is scheduled for Jan. 16.
If the commission and town, after Town Council approval, wish to go forward with the expansion project, the next steps would include hiring a design professional to further confirm the study’s conclusion.
An architectural/engineering firm would then be hired, the study recommended, for more detailed schematic designs of the space for the expansion.
Developer plans to break ground on downtown Southington condos this winter
Jesse Buchanan
SOUTHINGTON — Developers plan to break ground on townhouse-style condominiums in the center of town this winter.
Local builder Mark Lovley is the construction manager for Homestake Capital, a New Jersey-based development firm. They plan to build 23 townhouses on Eden Avenue next year, followed by a 41-unit apartment building.
“We should be filing for building permits right after the beginning of the New Year,” Lovley said.
The project had languished for months. Diversified Realty Advisors, a New Jersey-based company, originally had the project as well as the Greenway Commons project in downtown. The company has left both.
Homestake Capital owner Michael Kokes said issues with other partners delayed work but that he’s now the sole owner and ready to move forward.
Southington’s proximity to the highway and employment made the town attractive for an investment.
“I think Southington’s a great town...it’s got a nice little downtown,” Kokes said. “We’re happy to be a part of the town and add a nice project to the town.”
The townhouses will cost between $229,900 to $259,900, according to Lovley. A one-bedroom apartment will rent for $1,350 a month with utilities; a two bedroom will rent for $1,650 with utilities.
Kokes said the units will be high-end with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and other luxury features.
“It’s going to be a gorgeous project,” he said.
The townhouses will take between six and eight months to build. Kokes hopes to have people moving in late summer of 2019 or sooner.
Town Council members discussed the lack of progress on the site at a meeting in October.
Three houses on Forgione Drive, a private road off Eden Avenue, were demolished a year ago to make way for the project.
Council members were unhappy with the look and concerned about safety.
Town Councilor Victoria Triano, who described the site as a “war zone” during that meeting, was pleased that work would begin soon.
“I knew if Mark could expedite it he would,” she said. “I’m happy to hear they’re moving full steam on that. It’s going to benefit downtown and our whole community. It sounds like they’re committed.”
Millstone victorious in quest for CT power contract
Matt Pilon
Capping an approximately three-year lobbying push at the state Capitol by Dominion Energy, Connecticut's sole nuclear plant has won a state-assigned contract that will enable it to sell approximately half of its massive output to electric ratepayers over the next decade, state officials announced Friday.
"The Millstone nuclear facility is an extremely important resource providing efficient, reliable, baseload zero carbon electricity to the region as well as economic benefits to the state," the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Gov. Dannel Malloy's office said in announcing the deal, which comes in the final days of the Malloy administration.
"Make no mistake, we are facing a climate crisis with the future of the planet is at stake," Malloy said in a statement. "Despite President Trump's refusal to listen to scientists on this matter, the reality is that urgent and significant action is needed to dramatically reduce our dependence on carbon-based energy sources. In addition, we need to increase investments in clean energy like offshore wind, solar, and grid-scale storage. Should we fail to do so, we will fail to prevent the catastrophic outcomes that will result from climate change."
Also selected Friday for similar, albeit smaller contracts to sell electricity to Eversource and United Illuminating were New Hampshire's Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, which will provide 230 megawatts of capacity; nine solar projects, which will provide 164 megawatts; and 100 megawatts for the offshore Revolution Wind project.
All selected winners still must finalize contracts with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).
Revolution already has an existing 200-megawatt contract awarded by state overseers in a separate competitive bidding process. Last week, PURA finalized Revolution's contract, along with deals for four fuel-cell projects, totaling 452 megawatts in all.
But Friday's announcement is far larger in scale. The assigned contracts cover 1,524 megawatts of generating capacity that will produce an estimated 11.7 million megawatt hours of electricity a year, with three-quarters of it coming from Millstone. The total electric output covered by the agreements is equivalent to 45 percent of the power Connecticut draws from the New England grid annually.
"We are pleased that Connecticut's regulators have selected Millstone's offer as being in the best interest of customers," said Paul Koonce, Dominion's CEO of power generation. "DEEP's decision is good news for Connecticut's economy and the environment."
Dominion says the Millstone deal will provide at least $670 million in net benefits to Connecticut ratepayers, as compared to a scenario in which the nuclear plant closed and its output was only partially replaced by other zero-carbon resources.
Another consideration for lawmakers who enabled the process that led to the contract was Millstone's economic presence. The plant employs 1,500 workers, with an annual payroll of more than $100 million, and pays $40 million in state and local taxes, according to Dominion.
Over the past few years, Dominion has sought to convince state lawmakers and regulators that it faces future financial risks too large to ignore. Should the plant close, it's likely that carbon-emitting plants, such as those fired by natural gas, would replace much of its output.
Other power plant owners, along with environmental groups and AARP criticized the prospect of a long-term contract for Millstone as a bailout or subsidy, arguing that the plant should be forced to open its books to prove its financial condition, and that giving it a long-term contract could raise electricity prices and suppress the development of renewable energy like solar and wind, which have grown in recent years thanks to similar DEEP-led, competitive bidding processes.
Dominion shared its financials confidentially with PURA and DEEP. PURA deemed the plant to be at risk of retirement starting in 2023, and DEEP concurred.
That at-risk designation, originally created by the legislature, gave Millstone a leg up in DEEP's scoring criteria for the dozens of bids it received in September.
Though Seabrook could have asked for the same at-risk status, it did not, officials said.
While the announcement is a major win for Millstone, the deal is not quite done. The first three years of Millstone's contract are based on its submitted bid price, which was not disclosed Friday, but DEEP said it wasn't satisfied with the rate of return Dominion wanted for the final seven years of the deal, calling it "not in the best interest of ratepayers." DEEP has ordered Eversource and UI to negotiate lower pricing for the later years of the contract. It set a March 31 deadline to finish those talks with Dominion.
"We remain committed to keeping this valuable zero-carbon resource, provided that it is affordable, as we work towards long-term replacement through smart investments in offshore wind and solar paired with grid-scale storage," DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee said. "At the same time, we believe ratepayers deserve, and can get, a more competitive price for Millstone's output."
UI parent Avangrid said Friday that it is reviewing DEEP's directives and said it is "encouraged that the state is seeking energy solutions that are in the best interest of ratepayers and the environment."
"We look forward to working with the Lamont Administration, along with DEEP and PURA, to advance future initiatives to make clean energy available to our customers at reasonable prices," the company said.
Eversource joint wind venture not picked
While Ørsted's Revolution Wind development tacked on another 100 megawatts to its long-term commitments from Connecticut, a separate 200-megawatt joint venture called Constitution Wind that Ørsted and Eversource jointly bid into the competition was not selected by DEEP.
Eversource, which was among those that expressed concern over the prospect of the state awarding a contract to Millstone, said the nuclear plant had a leg up in the latest competition for contracts.
"With more than 10 times as much capacity submitted as awarded, and with inherent advantages for existing nuclear capacity, we are disappointed but not surprised with the result of the DEEP RFP," Eversource spokeswoman Tricia T. Modifica said. "While we're certainly disappointed with DEEP's decision to solicit only 100 megawatts of offshore wind, we are excited by the considerable long-term growth opportunities that exist within the US offshore wind market."
A statement released Friday by Ørsted was a bit more upbeat.
"Offshore wind is fast becoming a centerpiece of Connecticut's renewable energy future," said Jeffrey Grybowski, Co-CEO of the company's U.S. offshore wind division. "We're proud that our Revolution Wind project will now deliver even more clean energy to Connecticut communities."
Solar contracts
The solar projects selected by DEEP include three in Connecticut and six outside the state.
DEEP said the prices utilities will pay for the solar power amounts to just under 5 cents per kilowatt hour. That price, the agency said, "is approaching parity with the market price of energy, and represents continued price reductions compared to our last procurement of grid scale solar, as well as additional savings to ratepayers."
In-state projects include Montville Energy Center, Black Hill Point Energy Center and Gravel Pit Solar.
The exact locations of each wasn't immediately clear. DEEP declined to give locations, citing the contract negotiation process that lies ahead with PURA. In many of the public versions of the bids submitted to DEEP several months ago, locations, financial information and various other project details were heavily redacted for perceived competitive reasons.
The out-of-state solar projects selected by PURA are located in New Hampshire and Maine, DEEP said.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Eversource is a partner in Ørsted's Revolution Wind project. The story has also been updated to include comment from Avangrid.
New DOT boss has trained for the job for more than 40 years
Emilie Munson
Joseph Giulietti has walked every mile of the Metro North railroad track in his three decades working in Connecticut’s rail industry.
After bootstrapping his way up from foreman and engineer, the 66-year old, former Metro North president sees commuter rail as a state’s economic driver. That belief will now drive his policy as Connecticut’s next Department of Transportation commissioner, where he will also supervise the state’s roads, harbors and airports.
The choice of Giulietti is a sign of that rail is a centerpiece of Gov.-elect Ned Lamont’s plan for Connecticut’s revival. Lamont highlighted his opinion that “substantially reducing travel time from New Haven and our other towns to New York City” is crucial, with Giulietti’s appointment
Giulietti, who grew up in New Haven, played coy with his exact priorities for DOT, but improving rail speed and reliability on Metro North seem to be high on the list.
That could be achieved by analyzing and adjusting the Metro North tracks to minimize curves and drawbridges that cause trains to slow down, Giulietti said. A deal with the Long Island Rail Road to allow Metro North trains into New York’s Penn Station in 2022 or 2023 could expand the line’s near-bursting capacity, too.
The son of a post office superintendent, he gave a long, hearty laugh when asked why he wanted the job of transportation commissioner.
“You can’t find someone who is more invested in the state,” he said. “I enjoy a challenge.”
Hands-on in crisis
Giulietti is widely respected among transportation observers for improving Metro North’s safety after a series of accidents in Bridgeport, New Haven and the Bronx in 2013 and 2014, bolstering his reputation and the railroad’s as a result.
He got his first job at Penn Central, which ran the Connecticut rails in 1971, when he was a Southern Connecticut State University student, thanks to a neighbor who was a union leader. Giulietti wanted to be a teacher and was in the SCSU education program until the school ended it
At odds with boss?
Indirectly, Lamont asked Giuletti to join his transition team for transportation after the November election. The request led to a conversation and finally a job offer.
“To get someone of the caliber of Joe Guilietti who is highly respected in the transportation field is real get for the governor,” said Joe McGee, vice president of the Fairfield County Business Council.Ironically, it is Giulietti’s transition team work that may put him at odds with his new boss. The group, including Giuletti, supported highway tolls on all cars and trucks, while Lamont has repeatedly said he only wants to toll tractor-trailer trucks. It also called for a possible increase in the gasoline tax, which Lamont opposes.
The team also said the state should consider expanding Tweed-New Haven Airport and possibly Sikorsky Memorial Airport, perhaps under an expanded Connecticut Airport Authority.
“It’s all items that are being discussed,” Giulietti said. “We’re sitting down and making recommendations and I’m sure you are going to be hearing from the governor on those items.”
High subsidies or cheap dollars?
Giulietti, who expanded the Florida’s Tri Rail System, connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, from 28 trains a day to 50, believes when it comes to transportation, “if you built it, they will come” - a phrase he repeated more than once Friday.
He applauded Connecticut’s investments in the Springfield-to-New Haven CTRail trains, which cost $769 million to build, and an estimated $44 million to run in this, its first year.
That’s a subsidy per passenger that could exceed $60, but if ridership multiplies and the line spurs massive development, it will pay off. “At some point in the future, those will seem like cheap dollars,” Giulietti said.
The investments expanded the CTRail line to 17 round trips a day between New Haven and Hartford, more than the old limited Amtrak-service. Weekday ridership since June averaged 1,945 boardings, DOT spokeman Judd Everhart said, exceeding expectations.
Opening the CTRail line, as well as CTFastrak buses and completion of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge on I-95 in New Haven, stand among DOT’s top accomplishments during the Malloy administration, Everhart said.
These feats, performed by a Department short staffed by nearly 500 people, prompt some to wonder why the current DOT commissioner, Jim Redeker - himself a former rail man for NJ Transit - could not continue his work, as he told some people he had hoped to do.
“I think that Jim Redeker was an excellent commissioner and I am disappointed that Gov.-elect Lamont did not keep him on,” said Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group and a Hearst Connecticut Media columnist. “He has been the best commissioner in the last couple of decades.”
But state Sen. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford, co-chair of the legislature’s transportation committee, said, “Everyone wants to come in with a new slate, their own people.”
Giulietti and Redeker have not met since the announcement of Giulietti’s appointment on Dec. 20, Everhart said.
Giulietti will have a new tool unavailable to Redeker: a lock box, approved by voters in the November election, guarding the state’s special transportation funds from other budget raidings. Since 2005, roughly $500 million was diverted from the Special Transportation Fund by lawmakers that instead put the money toward general government spending.
Despite that, he will face the struggle of trying to find upwards of $1 billion a year needed to unlock several times that amount in potential funding from Washington — to bring the state’s aging infrastructure up to good repair. That in includes more than 300 structurally deficient bridges.
Rail, too, needs improvements to grow. Schedules between the New Haven and CTRail lines need to be aligned for a shorter journey from Stamford to Hartford, McGee and Cameron said, and that requires track work. The CTRail line needs more train cars. Bringing the Metro North rails up to a state of good repair — at least a $100 million project — could improve reliability and cut times, McGee said.
“This has got to be one seamless system that works for the rider,” he said. “Now we have someone who’s real expertise is in rail and how to make rail work well, and that’s a real economic driver for Connecticut.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Giulietti’s father was a police sergeant. He was a post office superintendent.
The study, evaluated the feasibility of fitting an expansion the size of what the Police Department needs into the basement of Town Hall - based on a 2015 study of the department’s space needs. It proposed a roughly $6.8 million budget for the expansion project.
The space-needs assessment, by Jacunski Humes Architects of Berlin, said about 23,000 square feet would be needed, or about 1,000 square feet more than currently available.
“It’s close enough to where it is doable,” Klett said, but the location remains not as desirable as Farmington Avenue, where a new $16 million police station had been proposed. That proposal was rejected in 2016 by the Town Council for budgetary reasons. Questions about work flow also surround the Town Hall basement location.
The expansion study’s proposed costs account for consultants, financing, construction - including a complete renovation that would include the possibility of existing offices being retained.
It also takes into account the costs of, new furniture, moving and contingencies.
The budget does not include how much it may cost to relocate the Board of Ed’s offices, food pantry, town records and the firing range, which would be converted into a hallway.
Superintendent of Schools Brian Benigni has said he is open to relocating the Board of Ed offices, if adequate space can be found elsewhere.
The study also does not include a facilities-conditions assessment, nor does it address the adequacy of parking, vehicle maintenance, security or exterior storage needs.
There is no timeline on the expansion project included with the report.
“I think it’s a stall tactic,” said Commissioner Bob Peters, later adding he thinks the council isn’t supporting the commission.
He said he was against the expansion project because it’s not what he wanted. What he wanted was a new station that would go the town for a vote, such the $21 million first proposed station that failed at referendum in 2014, he said.
Other Police Commission members requested a detailed presentation by the Public Buildings Commission on the study at their next meeting, which is scheduled for Jan. 16.
If the commission and town, after Town Council approval, wish to go forward with the expansion project, the next steps would include hiring a design professional to further confirm the study’s conclusion.
An architectural/engineering firm would then be hired, the study recommended, for more detailed schematic designs of the space for the expansion.
Developer plans to break ground on downtown Southington condos this winter
Jesse Buchanan
SOUTHINGTON — Developers plan to break ground on townhouse-style condominiums in the center of town this winter.
Local builder Mark Lovley is the construction manager for Homestake Capital, a New Jersey-based development firm. They plan to build 23 townhouses on Eden Avenue next year, followed by a 41-unit apartment building.
“We should be filing for building permits right after the beginning of the New Year,” Lovley said.
The project had languished for months. Diversified Realty Advisors, a New Jersey-based company, originally had the project as well as the Greenway Commons project in downtown. The company has left both.
Homestake Capital owner Michael Kokes said issues with other partners delayed work but that he’s now the sole owner and ready to move forward.
Southington’s proximity to the highway and employment made the town attractive for an investment.
“I think Southington’s a great town...it’s got a nice little downtown,” Kokes said. “We’re happy to be a part of the town and add a nice project to the town.”
The townhouses will cost between $229,900 to $259,900, according to Lovley. A one-bedroom apartment will rent for $1,350 a month with utilities; a two bedroom will rent for $1,650 with utilities.
Kokes said the units will be high-end with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and other luxury features.
“It’s going to be a gorgeous project,” he said.
The townhouses will take between six and eight months to build. Kokes hopes to have people moving in late summer of 2019 or sooner.
Town Council members discussed the lack of progress on the site at a meeting in October.
Three houses on Forgione Drive, a private road off Eden Avenue, were demolished a year ago to make way for the project.
Council members were unhappy with the look and concerned about safety.
Town Councilor Victoria Triano, who described the site as a “war zone” during that meeting, was pleased that work would begin soon.
“I knew if Mark could expedite it he would,” she said. “I’m happy to hear they’re moving full steam on that. It’s going to benefit downtown and our whole community. It sounds like they’re committed.”
Millstone victorious in quest for CT power contract
Matt Pilon
Capping an approximately three-year lobbying push at the state Capitol by Dominion Energy, Connecticut's sole nuclear plant has won a state-assigned contract that will enable it to sell approximately half of its massive output to electric ratepayers over the next decade, state officials announced Friday.
"The Millstone nuclear facility is an extremely important resource providing efficient, reliable, baseload zero carbon electricity to the region as well as economic benefits to the state," the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Gov. Dannel Malloy's office said in announcing the deal, which comes in the final days of the Malloy administration.
"Make no mistake, we are facing a climate crisis with the future of the planet is at stake," Malloy said in a statement. "Despite President Trump's refusal to listen to scientists on this matter, the reality is that urgent and significant action is needed to dramatically reduce our dependence on carbon-based energy sources. In addition, we need to increase investments in clean energy like offshore wind, solar, and grid-scale storage. Should we fail to do so, we will fail to prevent the catastrophic outcomes that will result from climate change."
Also selected Friday for similar, albeit smaller contracts to sell electricity to Eversource and United Illuminating were New Hampshire's Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, which will provide 230 megawatts of capacity; nine solar projects, which will provide 164 megawatts; and 100 megawatts for the offshore Revolution Wind project.
All selected winners still must finalize contracts with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).
Revolution already has an existing 200-megawatt contract awarded by state overseers in a separate competitive bidding process. Last week, PURA finalized Revolution's contract, along with deals for four fuel-cell projects, totaling 452 megawatts in all.
But Friday's announcement is far larger in scale. The assigned contracts cover 1,524 megawatts of generating capacity that will produce an estimated 11.7 million megawatt hours of electricity a year, with three-quarters of it coming from Millstone. The total electric output covered by the agreements is equivalent to 45 percent of the power Connecticut draws from the New England grid annually.
"We are pleased that Connecticut's regulators have selected Millstone's offer as being in the best interest of customers," said Paul Koonce, Dominion's CEO of power generation. "DEEP's decision is good news for Connecticut's economy and the environment."
Dominion says the Millstone deal will provide at least $670 million in net benefits to Connecticut ratepayers, as compared to a scenario in which the nuclear plant closed and its output was only partially replaced by other zero-carbon resources.
Another consideration for lawmakers who enabled the process that led to the contract was Millstone's economic presence. The plant employs 1,500 workers, with an annual payroll of more than $100 million, and pays $40 million in state and local taxes, according to Dominion.
Over the past few years, Dominion has sought to convince state lawmakers and regulators that it faces future financial risks too large to ignore. Should the plant close, it's likely that carbon-emitting plants, such as those fired by natural gas, would replace much of its output.
Other power plant owners, along with environmental groups and AARP criticized the prospect of a long-term contract for Millstone as a bailout or subsidy, arguing that the plant should be forced to open its books to prove its financial condition, and that giving it a long-term contract could raise electricity prices and suppress the development of renewable energy like solar and wind, which have grown in recent years thanks to similar DEEP-led, competitive bidding processes.
Dominion shared its financials confidentially with PURA and DEEP. PURA deemed the plant to be at risk of retirement starting in 2023, and DEEP concurred.
That at-risk designation, originally created by the legislature, gave Millstone a leg up in DEEP's scoring criteria for the dozens of bids it received in September.
Though Seabrook could have asked for the same at-risk status, it did not, officials said.
While the announcement is a major win for Millstone, the deal is not quite done. The first three years of Millstone's contract are based on its submitted bid price, which was not disclosed Friday, but DEEP said it wasn't satisfied with the rate of return Dominion wanted for the final seven years of the deal, calling it "not in the best interest of ratepayers." DEEP has ordered Eversource and UI to negotiate lower pricing for the later years of the contract. It set a March 31 deadline to finish those talks with Dominion.
"We remain committed to keeping this valuable zero-carbon resource, provided that it is affordable, as we work towards long-term replacement through smart investments in offshore wind and solar paired with grid-scale storage," DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee said. "At the same time, we believe ratepayers deserve, and can get, a more competitive price for Millstone's output."
UI parent Avangrid said Friday that it is reviewing DEEP's directives and said it is "encouraged that the state is seeking energy solutions that are in the best interest of ratepayers and the environment."
"We look forward to working with the Lamont Administration, along with DEEP and PURA, to advance future initiatives to make clean energy available to our customers at reasonable prices," the company said.
Eversource joint wind venture not picked
While Ørsted's Revolution Wind development tacked on another 100 megawatts to its long-term commitments from Connecticut, a separate 200-megawatt joint venture called Constitution Wind that Ørsted and Eversource jointly bid into the competition was not selected by DEEP.
Eversource, which was among those that expressed concern over the prospect of the state awarding a contract to Millstone, said the nuclear plant had a leg up in the latest competition for contracts.
"With more than 10 times as much capacity submitted as awarded, and with inherent advantages for existing nuclear capacity, we are disappointed but not surprised with the result of the DEEP RFP," Eversource spokeswoman Tricia T. Modifica said. "While we're certainly disappointed with DEEP's decision to solicit only 100 megawatts of offshore wind, we are excited by the considerable long-term growth opportunities that exist within the US offshore wind market."
A statement released Friday by Ørsted was a bit more upbeat.
"Offshore wind is fast becoming a centerpiece of Connecticut's renewable energy future," said Jeffrey Grybowski, Co-CEO of the company's U.S. offshore wind division. "We're proud that our Revolution Wind project will now deliver even more clean energy to Connecticut communities."
Solar contracts
The solar projects selected by DEEP include three in Connecticut and six outside the state.
DEEP said the prices utilities will pay for the solar power amounts to just under 5 cents per kilowatt hour. That price, the agency said, "is approaching parity with the market price of energy, and represents continued price reductions compared to our last procurement of grid scale solar, as well as additional savings to ratepayers."
In-state projects include Montville Energy Center, Black Hill Point Energy Center and Gravel Pit Solar.
The exact locations of each wasn't immediately clear. DEEP declined to give locations, citing the contract negotiation process that lies ahead with PURA. In many of the public versions of the bids submitted to DEEP several months ago, locations, financial information and various other project details were heavily redacted for perceived competitive reasons.
The out-of-state solar projects selected by PURA are located in New Hampshire and Maine, DEEP said.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Eversource is a partner in Ørsted's Revolution Wind project. The story has also been updated to include comment from Avangrid.
New DOT boss has trained for the job for more than 40 years
Emilie Munson
Joseph Giulietti has walked every mile of the Metro North railroad track in his three decades working in Connecticut’s rail industry.
After bootstrapping his way up from foreman and engineer, the 66-year old, former Metro North president sees commuter rail as a state’s economic driver. That belief will now drive his policy as Connecticut’s next Department of Transportation commissioner, where he will also supervise the state’s roads, harbors and airports.
The choice of Giulietti is a sign of that rail is a centerpiece of Gov.-elect Ned Lamont’s plan for Connecticut’s revival. Lamont highlighted his opinion that “substantially reducing travel time from New Haven and our other towns to New York City” is crucial, with Giulietti’s appointment
On an average weekday, 135,000 people board Metro North trains, DOT data shows.
“I am really looking forward to working with this governor. He comes off very, very progressive," Giulietti said in an interview Friday. "I believe this is a relationship that is going to work very well because I know what he wants to see going forward.”Giulietti, who grew up in New Haven, played coy with his exact priorities for DOT, but improving rail speed and reliability on Metro North seem to be high on the list.
That could be achieved by analyzing and adjusting the Metro North tracks to minimize curves and drawbridges that cause trains to slow down, Giulietti said. A deal with the Long Island Rail Road to allow Metro North trains into New York’s Penn Station in 2022 or 2023 could expand the line’s near-bursting capacity, too.
The son of a post office superintendent, he gave a long, hearty laugh when asked why he wanted the job of transportation commissioner.
“You can’t find someone who is more invested in the state,” he said. “I enjoy a challenge.”
Hands-on in crisis
Giulietti is widely respected among transportation observers for improving Metro North’s safety after a series of accidents in Bridgeport, New Haven and the Bronx in 2013 and 2014, bolstering his reputation and the railroad’s as a result.
He got his first job at Penn Central, which ran the Connecticut rails in 1971, when he was a Southern Connecticut State University student, thanks to a neighbor who was a union leader. Giulietti wanted to be a teacher and was in the SCSU education program until the school ended it
After college, Giulietti became a locomotive engineer and moved to Boston with his wife, another SCSU graduate. He returned to his home state in the late 1970s to become Stamford’s trainmaster system superintendent, dealing with a host of daily disruptions as the railroads transitioned from focusing on freight to passengers.
In 1998, he relocated to South Florida to run Tri Rail, anticipating he would only stay a few years. He stayed 16. In 2014, he came back north to run Metro North amid a safety crises, burnishing his reputation as a hands-on and at times undercover boss.After his retirement in 2017, he worked as an independent consultant for several state transportation agencies and studied ways to improve speeds on Metro North’s New Haven line.At odds with boss?
Indirectly, Lamont asked Giuletti to join his transition team for transportation after the November election. The request led to a conversation and finally a job offer.
“To get someone of the caliber of Joe Guilietti who is highly respected in the transportation field is real get for the governor,” said Joe McGee, vice president of the Fairfield County Business Council.Ironically, it is Giulietti’s transition team work that may put him at odds with his new boss. The group, including Giuletti, supported highway tolls on all cars and trucks, while Lamont has repeatedly said he only wants to toll tractor-trailer trucks. It also called for a possible increase in the gasoline tax, which Lamont opposes.
The team also said the state should consider expanding Tweed-New Haven Airport and possibly Sikorsky Memorial Airport, perhaps under an expanded Connecticut Airport Authority.
“It’s all items that are being discussed,” Giulietti said. “We’re sitting down and making recommendations and I’m sure you are going to be hearing from the governor on those items.”
High subsidies or cheap dollars?
Giulietti, who expanded the Florida’s Tri Rail System, connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, from 28 trains a day to 50, believes when it comes to transportation, “if you built it, they will come” - a phrase he repeated more than once Friday.
He applauded Connecticut’s investments in the Springfield-to-New Haven CTRail trains, which cost $769 million to build, and an estimated $44 million to run in this, its first year.
That’s a subsidy per passenger that could exceed $60, but if ridership multiplies and the line spurs massive development, it will pay off. “At some point in the future, those will seem like cheap dollars,” Giulietti said.
The investments expanded the CTRail line to 17 round trips a day between New Haven and Hartford, more than the old limited Amtrak-service. Weekday ridership since June averaged 1,945 boardings, DOT spokeman Judd Everhart said, exceeding expectations.
Opening the CTRail line, as well as CTFastrak buses and completion of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge on I-95 in New Haven, stand among DOT’s top accomplishments during the Malloy administration, Everhart said.
These feats, performed by a Department short staffed by nearly 500 people, prompt some to wonder why the current DOT commissioner, Jim Redeker - himself a former rail man for NJ Transit - could not continue his work, as he told some people he had hoped to do.
“I think that Jim Redeker was an excellent commissioner and I am disappointed that Gov.-elect Lamont did not keep him on,” said Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group and a Hearst Connecticut Media columnist. “He has been the best commissioner in the last couple of decades.”
But state Sen. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford, co-chair of the legislature’s transportation committee, said, “Everyone wants to come in with a new slate, their own people.”
Giulietti and Redeker have not met since the announcement of Giulietti’s appointment on Dec. 20, Everhart said.
Giulietti will have a new tool unavailable to Redeker: a lock box, approved by voters in the November election, guarding the state’s special transportation funds from other budget raidings. Since 2005, roughly $500 million was diverted from the Special Transportation Fund by lawmakers that instead put the money toward general government spending.
Despite that, he will face the struggle of trying to find upwards of $1 billion a year needed to unlock several times that amount in potential funding from Washington — to bring the state’s aging infrastructure up to good repair. That in includes more than 300 structurally deficient bridges.
Rail, too, needs improvements to grow. Schedules between the New Haven and CTRail lines need to be aligned for a shorter journey from Stamford to Hartford, McGee and Cameron said, and that requires track work. The CTRail line needs more train cars. Bringing the Metro North rails up to a state of good repair — at least a $100 million project — could improve reliability and cut times, McGee said.
“This has got to be one seamless system that works for the rider,” he said. “Now we have someone who’s real expertise is in rail and how to make rail work well, and that’s a real economic driver for Connecticut.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Giulietti’s father was a police sergeant. He was a post office superintendent.