Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
ANSONIA — A new police headquarters downtown is getting closer to reality.
That’s thanks to the city getting ready to go out to bid in the next week or so seeking a contractor to transform the former Farrel Corporate headquarters at 65 Main St. into a new police station, which also will house a new senior center.
Once bids come back in a few weeks, the Police Building Committee will review them, and the city, in turn, will award the bid, likely around the end of July. City officials hope construction can get underway in late August or early September, and expect the project to take about a year to complete.
According to Economic Development Director Sheila O’Malley, the city is in search of a contractor to handle renovations to the entire building, which will include a new roof, heating and electrical work, as well as purchase and installation of new furniture and equipment to outfit the police station. Bids also will include prep work for the new senior center, which will share space in the three-story, 85,000-square-foot building.
O’Malley said Jacunski Humes Architects LLC of Berlin, with input from the Police Department and city officials, put together the bid package.
Going out to bid is a significant step forward for a project that’s been in the works for the past two years.“It marks the beginning of renovations to a building that has lay fallow since September of 2016,” O’Malley said. “This is a good example of repurposing an old office building into one of the highest and best uses. The Police Department’s move to downtown will be the linchpin in the ongoing redevelopment efforts of this administration.”
Mayor David Cassetti said moving police from their dilapidated, 123-year old digs on Elm Street into a newly renovated, “state-of-the-art” police station has been a culmination of lots of planning and effort by many individuals, including residents, the Board of Aldermen, former Police Chief Kevin Hale, Interim Police Chief Andrew Cota, the building committee, city staff and others.
“This was no small effort,” Cassetti said. “The transformation of this building will coincide with all of the many improvements and redevelopment that is occurring in the downtown. It truly is part of a ‘recharged’ effort that will spur further growth and development.”
Corporation Counsel John Marini added, “It is significant in that it demonstrates what amazing things can happen with everyone working together towards one purpose.”
To date, O’Malley said environmental assessment work, removal of ceiling tiles and old furniture and installation of temporary lighting has been completed in the building.The building also includes both an indoor parking garage and an outdoor parking lot.
The city plans to bond the $12 million residents previously approved at a referendum to fund the major renovation project.
The building housed the Farrel-Pomini Corp. for years, before the company moved into new headquarters across town in the Fountain Lake Commerce Park in 2016. The company was going to pack up operations and leave town in 2014, but the city stepped in to stop the manufacturer from leaving. The city landed a $1 million grant which paved the way for an access road, which the city aptly named Farrel Boulevard, into Fountain Lake, and ultimately to construction of the new headquarters. Cassett said that all led to the city being able to repurpose the building for a much-needed new police headquarters and senior center.
Derby aldermen approve water tank deal despite residents’ opposition
Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
DERBY — Despite neighbors’ concerns, the city recently approved an agreement to lease land near Derby High School to the Regional Water Authority to construct a one-million gallon water tank.
The Board of Alderman approved a memorandum of understanding last week, detailing the terms of the lease. The next step will be for RWA to gain site plan approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission, which will meet June 18.
Mayor Richard Dziekan voiced his support for the project, saying “the public safety need that will be addressed by the tank is undeniable.”
The agreement involves RWA leasing 2.15 acres on the north portion of Nutmeg Avenue from Derby for $1 for 99 years with the option for two, 99-year extensions. In addition, RWA will fund the city’s purchase of 1.25 acres of adjacent land owned by St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ansonia for $165,000. The nearby parcel would be used as a construction staging area. Afterward, a portion would be paved for the city to use for different municipal purposes, according to the city’s Chief of Staff Andrew Baklik. RWA also will fund the city’s purchase of a 0.89-acre parcel known as the Lombardi property for $50,000, which the city will dedicate for open space, under the agreement.
While many residents living nearby the proposed tank have expressed opposition to the project, city officials are in favor of it.
Fire chiefs in both Derby and neighboring Ansonia, along with Griffin Hospital officials, have said the tank is necessary due to public safety concerns regarding low water pressure during peak demand times.Roxbury attorney Gregory Cava, representing a family who owns property on nearby Chatfield Street, spoke against the project at a public hearing last week, claiming it violates both Derby and state zoning laws. He also said it exceeds the building height limits by at least 6 feet and would violate state law because a separate required hearing on park land reuse was not conducted. In addition, Cava said trees will be removed and habitat for wildlife will be eliminated. He said a nearby site in Ansonia off Silver Hill Road is a much better option.
Carmen DiCenso, Derby’s economic development liaison, said the tank is desperately needed.
“It would be a damn shame if we didn’t do this if there was a fire and we had a loss of life due to (inadequate) water pressure,” he said. “And shame on anybody that opposes this for a tree. If you are going to compare a tree to a life or somebody’s home you should be ashamed of yourself.
Griffin Hospital President and CEO Patrick Charmel said an incident several years ago in which a water main broke caused the hospital to lose water pressure, forcing it to cancel all scheduled surgeries. He said residents and patients are at risk if something isn’t done to improve the water capacity.
“It was probably one of the most frightening things that I’ve experienced at Griffin,” he said. “In a hospital operation, water is a critical resource. All of our sterilization in the hospital uses steam, so if we don’t have water we can’t sterilize equipment. Essentially, we can’t function.”Rose Garvrilovic of RWA said the Nutmeg Avenue site is the best possible site, adding “we’ve spent a significant amount of time and effort to find the best site for the residents of Derby, the officials in Derby, the customers of Regional Water Authority and most importantly, the public health and safety of the community.”
The tank would serve 13,000 customers in Ansonia, Derby and Seymour, including Griffin Hospital, and is planned for a wooded section at the far end of the Derby High School and Middle School complex near Coon Hollow Road. It would be bordered by the schools, the Public Works facility, the former VARCA building and Osbornedale State Park.
Site walk coming up for Wheelabrator expansion plans
Stephen Beale
Wheelabrator Technologies appeared for a second time before Putnam’s Inland Wetlands Commission on Wednesday for a public hearing on its plans to expand the ash landfill it operates in the town.
Wheelabrator first unveiled its plans at a public meeting in early March. The proposed expansion, which requires approvals at the federal, state, and local level, would add 17 million cubic yards of space and allow the facility to operate for another 25 to 30 years. The current area of operations has about four years remaining.
Wheelabrator is an important partner for the community, contributing about $3 million in host fees a year to the Putnam town coffers.
The company first presented its plans to the Inland Wetlands Commission on May 8, and was called back to present them again.
“We’re hopeful,” said Don Musial, the general manager for the facility. “For now ... they’re going to do a thorough job.”
The next step for the commission is a site walk at 10 a.m. June 29 which is open to the public. Musial said the project then could come back before the commission at its July or August meetings, at which time a vote is possible.
Elaine Sistare, the town planner and engineer, was not available for comment.
Wheelabrator will replace the wetlands at a ratio of 1.5 acres for every 1 that is disturbed. That means the company will be creating a total of 11 acres of new wetlands areas, adjacent to the area that is being disturbed. An added bonus of the plan is the new space will be replicated in the first and second years of the expansion, while the expansion itself will only gradually impact the older seven acres, Musial said.
About half a dozen Putnam residents and neighbors of Wheelabrator weighed in on the plans.
Martin Fey, a Bulletin columnist, said the existing facility is an eyesore and expressed concern about the aquifer. Lisa Morin told the commission she was worried about pollution in the water and air. Phillip Brown spoke about dust and debris in the air and the impact on wetlands, saying that “wetlands can’t be replaced,” according to the meeting minutes.
The Democrat has made it clear he’s not giving up tolls, but acknowledged he’s open to making changes to the proposal that was being crafted during the regular legislative session, which ended June 5. He recently suggested to News 12 Connecticut that tolls might be ramped up over a period of time, or “maybe we do tolls not everywhere but somewhere.”
While some Democratic legislators, who control the General Assembly, say they’re open to changes, Republicans say they’re still opposed to the concept.
Lamont has called for no more than 50 tolling gantries on Interstates 84, 91, 95 and Route 15.How we learned to love the toll
Ian Ayres , Steven Berry , Kenneth Gillingham and Barry Nalebuff
Every politician in Connecticut agrees that we need new revenue to fix our broken roads, trains, and buses. The argument is over how to pay.
Republicans argue for irresponsible borrowing, Gov. Ned Lamont argues for tolls with discounts for state residents, and many Democratic politicians are in hiding.
We know tolls are simple. With low-hassle electronic gantries and auto-pay on your account, the government can collect the toll with minimum friction. Indeed, some politicians fear that E-ZPass tolls are too painless and too easy to increase over time, so they want to stop tolls before they have a chance to grow out of control. In our view, tolls should be as simple and transparent as possible.
We know tolls are simple. With low-hassle electronic gantries and auto-pay on your account, the government can collect the toll with minimum friction. Indeed, some politicians fear that E-ZPass tolls are too painless and too easy to increase over time, so they want to stop tolls before they have a chance to grow out of control. In our view, tolls should be as simple and transparent as possible.
Turning to incentives, taxes on income are a problem, as they reduce the incentive to work. Taxing cigarettes works the other way, helping to provide the right incentive to stop smoking. Similarly, tolls can reduce highway congestion. By charging people higher tolls during rush hour, tolls can operate as a congestion tax that channels people with more flexible schedules to drive at different times. Reducing congestion delays can produce big benefits. The average commuter in our home town of New Haven was delayed in 2014 more than 40 hours by traffic congestion and consumed an additional 19 gallons of fuel.
The toll can also encourage people to take different modes of transportation such as the train and public transit, thereby creating cleaner air and benefiting the environment. Lamont has suggested giving commuters an additional discount, but in developing the plan, he should include people who have purchased monthly bus or train passes in the commuter discount. The toll should make clear that there is now an additional reason to take public transit.
Nationally, it’s been estimated that driving an extra mile during times of congestion imposes social costs on your fellow drivers of about 10 cents a mile, so asking people to consider whether paying 4 or 5 cents per mile before driving on the highway when there is higher volume of traffic has the advantage of helping them feel the pain they are causing other people.
As for who bears the burden, tolls force drivers from other states to bear their fair share of the costs of using our roads. All other New England states (except Vermont) impose tolls on Connecticut residents when we drive on some of the major roads in those states. It’s only fair that drivers — especially heavy trucks from other states —should pay for the wear and tear that their driving causes to our roads. And because the nutmeg state is located between Boston and New York, out-of-staters are major users of our highways. What’s more, Lamont’s plan would give a 30 percent discount to Connecticut residents who pay with a Connecticut-issued E-ZPass account and another 20 percent to those who drive each day to work.
Finally, Go. Lamont’s plan avoids the traditional concern that tolls are necessarily regressive, hitting our poorest members most harshly. Among the poor, 20 percent don’t own cars and, for those with cars, richer people tend to drive a lot more miles. Lamont’s plan also lowers bus fares to $1 if tolls go through and spends money on trains and buses.
This is a tax where out-of-state drivers would pay 40 percent of the tolls. We’re attracted to the matching aspect of the toll. For every $3 we pay, out-of-staters pay $2. Lamont could further rebate the toll by eliminating vehicle registration fees. Eliminating the $100 two-year registration fee would effectively give Connecticut residents 1,100 miles a year of off-peak toll-free driving. With 1.4 million cars in Connecticut, that means out-of-staters would pay almost 50 percent of the cost. That works for us.
It is time for Democratic legislators to come out of hiding and support the only fair way of funding transportation improvements. For Republican legislators who have trouble getting behind anything that smells of taxation, it might help to think of Gov. Lamont’s toll proposal by a more traditional legal term: a tariff that will substantially fall on our fair state’s imported drivers.
Ian Ayres is a professor at the Yale School of Law, Steven Berry is a professor of economics at Yale, Kenneth Gillingham is an associate professor at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and Barry Nalebuff is a professor at the Yale School of Management.