Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
DERBY — A one-million gallon water storage tank slated for near Derby High School received the green light from the Planning and Zoning Commission this week, but the approval may face a fight in court from a nearby neighbor.
The commission Tuesday, following a lengthy public hearing, unanimously granted approval to Regional Water Authority of South Central Connecticut to build the tank.
According to RWA spokesman Dan Doyle, the commission’s approval was the last of several RWA needed to move the project forward. The next step for RWA is to finalize bid documents and move toward construction of the tank.
“The need for this water tank has been well established by multiple firefighters and municipal officials from Ansonia and Derby, as well as the president of Griffin Hospital,” Doyle said. “The Derby Water Tank project is a necessary infrastructure improvement that will protect public safety and health of over 13,000 residents in the Valley area. We thank the Planning and Zoning Commission, the City of Derby and its residents for the support they’ve shown for this important project.”
Doyle said once constructed, the tank will “help stabilize pressures, improve fire flows, provide storage to meet peak flows during maximum day demands and increase the amount of water available for emergencies.”
While Doyle said RWA expects to begin construction on the tank this fall, and finish by early next summer, an attorney representing a family residing about 650 feet from where the tank’s going said he likely will appeal the commission’s decision.
Roxbury attorney Gregory Cava represents a family who owns property on nearby Chatfield Street, and spoke on their behalf at length during Tuesday’s hearing, detailing a host of reasons the tank doesn’t belong there. Cava alleged the tank, expected to be 57 feet tall, exceeds the commission’s 50-foot maximum regulation for building height; said known wildlife in the area will be driven from the site; a city deed approved some 80 years ago intended the land to remain as a park and basically said the application was “illegal,” in that the city failed to properly put the land out to competitive bid; it fails to meet the city’s Plan of Conservation and Development; and will “destroy” the natural resources there.
Attorney Kari Olson with Murtha Cullina Attorneys at Law, representing RWA, disputed everything Cava said, saying RWA “met all the requirements for site plan approval.” She said the tank is a permitted use; meets height regulations because Derby’s regulations for buildings excludes water tanks; the deed from years ago does allow for municipal use; and won’t cause pollution or be a detriment to natural resources.
The commission stressed that RWA must plant trees to buffer the tank, and believe like a nearby tank on Grassy Hill Road in Orange, will be out of the public’s view, won’t cause any harm to the public’s health, safety and welfare and will fill a major need in supplying water.
The tank is slated to be built on a 2.1-acre site on the north portion of Nutmeg Avenue, near the entrance of the Derby High School/Middle School complex. The city recently approved leasing the land to RWA for $1 for 99 years, with the option for two, 99-year extensions. In addition, RWA agreed to 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. RWA will also fund the city’s purchase of an 0.89-acre parcel known as the Lombardi property for $50,000 which the city will dedicate for open space, under the lease agreement.
Eversource launches project to replace poles, wires in Greenwich
Ken Borsuk
GREENWICH — If you see Eversource crews at work along Greenwich roads, don’t be surprised. They’re going to be there for a while.
The recently launched work is part of a $50 million investment in upgrading the town’s electrical system, Eversource said in a statement Wednesday. The work will include replacing more than 400 new utility poles and installing more than 20 miles of both new underground cable and overhead wires.
The new poles, which are “stronger and thicker,” will be better able to withstand falling tree limbs, which is also why the new overhead lines are being installed, said Mitch Gross, Eversource spokesman.
The new lines will also add redundancy to the town’s electrical system, he said. When a power outage occurs, Gross said Eversource will be able to more quickly reroute power so outages will be shorter as well as less frequent, too.
“We’re always working to serve our customers better and that means doing what’s needed to ensure they have the energy needed to run their businesses and live their lives,” said Craig Hallstrom, Eversource’s president of regional electric operations. “This is a significant investment that when completed, will result in an even stronger, more resilient electric grid that will reliably serve more than 28,000 Greenwich customers well into the future.”The work is currently centered along:
*West Putnam Avenue between Pemberwick Road and the Jeep dealership at 631 W. Putnam Ave.
*Weaver Street from Chapel Street to Glenville Road,
*Glenville Road between Weaver Street and Riversville Road, and
*Riversville Road from Glenville Road to Hardscrabble Road.
The upgrades are expected to be complete by late 2020.
This work comes as Eversource has begun work on a new substation on Railroad Avenue. The substation, which is a separate project, is needed to meet rising demand for electricity in town, Eversource said. The substation will be located at the former site of the Pet Pantry, which has been razed.
The new substation will be connected to the existing one in Cos Cob along the Post Road with 2.3 miles of transmission lines. The route will go through a section of Bruce Park and cross over Indian Harbor on a new pedestrian bridge. The transmission lines will be encased in concrete along the bridge.
The town had opposed the new substation and questioned its necessity, but last week the Board of Selectmen and Eversource announced a settlement, ending a court challenge. The design changes were made in the project to address environmental concerns from residents and town officials. Eversource will also pay for the new pedestrian bridge.
The plan is to have the new substation complete and online by the end of 2020.
“As always, Eversource and its contractors will continue to work closely with community leaders to minimize possible interference with community events, as well as mitigate any potential traffic disruptions wherever work is being done,” the utility said in the statement.
Middletown bridge will be dedicated to fire captain who died in line of duty
Cassandra Day
MIDDLETOWN — A wooden bridge carrying West Street over the Providence and Worcester Railroad near the Middlefield line will later this year bear the name of a fire official who died on the job in 2006.
Middletown Fire Capt. Joe Pagano suffered a fatal heart attack at his desk in the station in November 2006 at 52 after returning from a car accident scene.
He was found by fellow firefighters, who used a defibrillator to try to restart his heart, but the effort was unsuccessful.
“He was a very good firefighter who gave close to 28 years: He gave it all for the city,” Middletown Fire Chief Robert Kronenberger said. He was deputy chief when Pagano was a lieutenant, and they worked the same shift.
Kronenberger said Pagano had a great sense of humor and was a man who mentored his crew, taking them under his wing. “His crew was well taken care of.
“I think it’s a fitting tribute to him and his family.After the captain passed away, Kronenberger consulted Public Works Director William Russo, asking something be named in his honor.The bridge, which goes over the Providence and Worcester Railroad in Middletown, is under construction through Nov. 29. It will be identified with a placard. The structure is about a mile-and-a-half from the station, making it the perfect location, the chief said.
Two of the city’s fire trucks bear ribbons and decals designating numbers 4 for Rau and 7 for Pagano. The numeration corresponds with a firefighter’s seniority in the department, Kronenberger said.
At his Pagano’s funeral, the chief shared a story about the time Pagano took his swimming test at the fire academy.
“I can’t swim,” Pagano told the other firefighters, but, according to Kronenberger, he dog-paddled the whole way and completed the swimming portion with everyone cheering him on.
“He was an ordinary man with extraordinary courage,” Kronenberger said at the time, adding Pagano loved the simple things in life: a hot cup of coffee in the morning, cooking a perfect burger or making the right call behind home plate.
The Common Council approved the resolution honoring Pagano at its June 3 meeting.
One of the leading causes of death for firefighters is cardiac arrest.
The West Street bridge has been closed to traffic since April and the project’s expected completion date is Nov. 20, according to the state Department of Transportation. A detour takes motorists to Middlefield Street.
Hamden schools $30 million building plans gets council approval
Clare Dignan
HAMDEN — The town’s education building plan is moving forward.
The Legislative Council approved the bonding for several key project’s in the Board of Education’s Reimagine, Restructure, Results Initiative — known as 3R.
The initiative addresses the declining enrollment, racial imbalance and decreasing state funding for education that Hamden faces. In total, the council approved bonding $29,846,000 for the school projects involved in the plan.
“We’re on step three of a very long process,” council President Michael McGarry said. “We all have fiscal concerns of this plan, but it addresses many issues in education in Hamden.”
McGarry said the plan is not perfect, but there is a lot of good in it that shouldn’t be thrown away.
“We’re not charged with deciding the best way to educate kids,” Councilman Eric Annes, D-4, said. “I trust the Board of Education there. But given our debt, can we afford this plan? I’m struggling with that.”
The bonding would add about one mill to the town’s tax rate for the 30-year life of the bonds.
The council approved more than $11 million for a new wing at Hamden Middle School to accommodate sixth grade, more than $17 million in renovations at Ridge Hill School, more than $1 million for a prekindergarten program at all the elementary schools and $700,000 in renovations at the Wintergreen School.
The Board of Education has taken back the Wintergreen facility into the Hamden school system as a planned neighborhood school that incorporates special education classes. Instead of redrawing all the attendance zones to balance racial diversity, the BOE plans to convert Helen Street, Ridge Hill, Dunbar Hill and Bear Path elementary schools into intra-district magnet programs.
The council did not approve the $17.6 million for like-new renovations and an added science and technology wing at Dunbar Hill because many members said it was too expensive and were unsure the town should be undertaking new construction for a proposed magnet school.
“The vote on Dunbar Hill is disappointing in that it was economic decision, not a curriculum one,” BOE Secretary Myron Hul said after the meeting. “It would have been cheaper to renovate as new than to repair on a piecemeal basis.”
Renovating the building as new would have provided a facility with everything the school needs for less money than repairing the building in parts, Hul said. Even without the new wing for $4.5 million that was included in the project request, Hul said it would have been easier to find an alternative if the school could be renovated as new. With the down vote, the building has no scheduled repairs
Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler said the town will have to redistrict, at least in part, to racially balance the schools and magnet schools are how the BOE would like to accomplish it because it would give parents more choice on where students are moved.
Many council members were against the idea of magnet schools in Hamden because of concerns about potential curriculum costs.
“I’m concerned the magnets are a financial risk that other communities have tried out that didn’t work that well and I don’t think Hamden is in a position to take financial risks,” Councilwoman At-Large Lauren Garrett said. She, like most members, though, was in favor of offering universal prekindergarten, saying it would attract families to Hamden.
Under the plan, building a new wing onto the middle school to accommodate moving all sixth-graders there would make prekindergarten available for all Hamden 4-year-olds in the elementary schools. Universal pre-K is part of Hamden’s strategy to close the achievement gap.
“It is a reason to come to this town, it is a reason to have faith in this town,” McGarry said.
Mayor Curt B. Leng said the town took an enormous step toward strengthening its education system, with pre-K being a “game-changer.”Hamden is prepared once again to unquestionably be known as the best community for families to invest and live if they want the best education opportunities in the Greater New Haven area — bar none,” Leng said in a statement.
The plan also proposes closing Shepherd Glen Elementary School and Church Street School, initially to repurpose it as the new central office building, youth center and the Hamden Collaborative Learning Center. But last week the town got an offer to sell the building.
If the sale were to go through, it could provide millions of dollars in funding toward the 3R plan so the town wouldn’t need to borrow as much, Leng said.
The council removed the Church Street renovations bonding from the ordinance, but given the sale negotiations, Morton said it doesn’t make sense to bond at this time.
“By and large, the result doesn’t change 3R,” Morton said. “We still have universal pre-K, we’ll be able to move the special education classes to Wintergreen, we can move sixth grade to the middle school. All things considered, it’s a good win - we’re happy.”
An unenthusiastic response to Lamont’s tolls reboot
Mark Pazniokas
The administration of Gov. Ned Lamont re-launched its campaign for highway tolls in a private two-pronged pitch to wary legislative leaders Wednesday, setting Connecticut’s growing transportation infrastructure needs against a special transportation fund on the verge of insolvency.
Its reboot of a plan originally rolled out in February offers sweeteners to lawmakers concerned about the financial impact on constituents, primarily by lowering the income tax on the first $10,000 of taxable income from 3 percent to 2 percent, providing a savings of between $90 and $180. The plan also would offer discounts on tolls and lower fares on bus transit.
But the legislature appears no closer to returning in special session to address the governor’s proposal to raise funds and alleviate congestion with variably priced tolls on the Merritt Parkway and Interstates 84, 91 and 95. Republican leaders said they were invited only because Democrats cannot pass a tolls bill on their own, and no GOP support is forthcoming.
“No, we don’t support tolls, period,” said Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven. He added that he believes Senate Democrats would not call a vote on tolls without some Republican support, an assertion Senate Democratic leaders would not confirm or dispute.
“I would not comment on that directly until we have a caucus,” said Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven. “I do believe it it would be preferable for an issue of this magnitude to be bipartisan.”
“I think the governor genuinely wants a bipartisan solution that all four caucuses can support,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk. “He invited Republican leaders, because he wants everybody at the table.”
After a nearly two-hour presentation, Lamont smiled when asked how it went. He said, “Well, as they say after those State Department summits, I’d say we had frank and honest discussions.”
What he needs is a way to reassure Senate Democrats, who now hold a 22-14 majority after sharing power in an 18-18 Senate for the previous two years, that tolls would not cost the party its majority. House Democrats hold a 91-50 majority, but their leadership has indicated it would not act on tolls until the Senate demonstrates it has the votes.
The regular session ended two weeks ago without a vote in either chamber on Lamont’s proposal to return tolls to the states’ highways after an absence of 30 years, a defeat for a new Democratic governor who says a new and stable source of transportation funding is the key to the revival of a lackluster economy.Protesters greeted Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz as they walked across the hall of the State Capitol from the governor’s office suite to a conference room, shouting, “No tolls!” Their presence was a reminder of the grass-roots opposition to tolls, encouraged by Republicans and the trucking industry.
The meeting was geared to legislative leaders, not the press or public. Reporters were given copies of a power-point presentation delivered by two top aides: Melissa McCaw, who oversees the budget as secretary of policy and management, and Joseph J. Giulietti, the commissioner of transportation