Massive E. Windsor solar project gets hearing, faces farmer opposition
Matt Pilon The developer of a proposed East Windsor solar farm that could be the largest in the Northeast will appear at a public hearing before the Connecticut Siting Council this week as it seeks approval for the project.
Gravel Pit Solar, a 120-megawatt solar installation backed by $50 billion global investment firm D.E. Shaw, would cover 485 acres.The developer is seeking a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need to build, operate and maintain the project, which already has contracts to provide energy to utilities in Connecticut and Rhode Island, and intends to sell the balance to municipal light departments or other commercial customers in New England.
Gravel Pit Solar applied to the Siting Council, which has statewide jurisdiction over energy projects 2 megawatts in size or larger, in late July. The council’s final decision will be based on whether it finds that the proposed project’s public benefits outweigh any adverse environmental effects.
The council will hold a virtual hearing on the application Thursday starting with an evidentiary session at 2 p.m. The public comment portion will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Several state officials, including Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt and Council on Environmental Quality Executive Director Peter Hearn, have expressed concern about the project’s impact on Connecticut’s shrinking supply of agricultural land.
While Gravel Pit Solar is named for the 61 acres of sand and gravel quarry land at the site,
the majority of the property on which the panels would be mounted is agricultural fields.
“The loss of 230 acres of actively used prime farmland soils will likely put additional farms at risk for conversion to non-agricultural use, including development,” Hurlburt wrote this month. “Permitting such large-scale projects on prime farmland would set a poor example for demonstrating the state’s stewardship of its agricultural resources.”
Hearn wrote in an October letter that the Siting Council has reviewed a number of energy projects over the past eight months that in all have targeted a total of 540 acres of farmland.
“By comparison, the total acreage acquired for preservation by the state for all of 2019 was 773 acres,” Hearn wrote. “The continuing concentration of solar energy facilities on the tillable farmland, rather than on peripheral land, threatens the continued viability of the agricultural economy in the state.”
It’s a debate that’s come to a head in recent years, as developers have sought bigger solar installations in the state.
The legislature in 2017 passed a law that makes it more costly and time consuming to build solar projects that will materially impact prime farmland or core forest, as determined by the
Since Hurlburt has determined that Gravel Pit Solar would impact farmland, the 2017 law says the project can’t win a “declaratory ruling” fast-track approval from the Siting Council and therefore its only path to approval is the council’s more in-depth certificate process.
Brookfield, New Fairfield town hall projects among several in Danbury area to earn state grants
Julia Perkins Several Danbury area towns received grants for infrastructure improvement projects as part of $11 million in funding the state announced on Monday.
Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Sherman, Southbury and Washington are among the 94 towns to earn these grants, which are being awarded for the first time since 2016 as part of the Small Town Economic Assistance Program, known as STEAP. The governor said he reinstated the program with the goal of boosting local economies and helping in towns’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
A special COVID-19 provision is expected to support towns with expenditures related to their ongoing response to the pandemic, including for new construction, expansion, renovation or replacement of existing facilities, the governor’s office said.
For example, New Fairfield receive more than $128,000 for COVID-related HVAC improvements at Town Hall. This will be matched by almost $27,700 from the town.
Brookfield is also looking to upgrade its Town Hall. The town earned more than $128,000 to hire a design consultant related to the redesign of the building. This will be matched by $29,800 from the town.
The state gave $100,000 for the second phase of the project at the Bridgewater Community Center, which includes demolition and remediation of the existing structure to rebuild with salvaged materials. The town will match $50,000.
Roxbury received more than $128,000 for a keycard entry system, audio and visual technology upgrades, with the town contributing almost $21,800.
For New Milford, more than $105,000 will go toward the design and engineering of a new kitchen facility at the senior center. This will be matched by $26,300 from the town.
More than $128,000 will go toward the installation of a parking lot, pavilion and kiosk at the Sandy Hook Heritage Park and Trail. This will be matched by $12,000 from Newtown.
In Ridgefield, more than 128,000 was approved to expand and renovate the Boys & Girls Club, with a $2.6 million match from the town.
Bethel earned more than $128,000 to replace the culvert and headwalls at Codfish Hill Road. This will be matched by about $332,000 from the town.
Structural repairs for the Sherman-owned Happy Acres Farm barn received more than $128,000, with at $196,000 town match.
In Southbury, more than $128,000 will go toward building a municipal fueling station. The town will match $510,000.
Washington received $128,000 to rebuild and modernize the transfer station. The town will contribute $200,000.
Plainville to commission study to evaluate White Oak proposals
Brian M. Johnson PLAINVILLE – The Town of Plainville will hire Loureiro Engineering to evaluate both proposals for the White Oak property and plans to present their findings to the town council.
Town Manager Robert E. Lee said Monday that the town still has $13,000 to $14,000 in state grant money left over from the remediation of the site, which is located next to the municipal center. This study will not cost any additional money to taxpayers. Formerly owned by White Oak Construction, the site sat vacant for many years as town staff worked to clean it up for eventual re-use. Loureiro Engineering was previously contracted for the site remediation study.
There are currently two proposals for re-use of the property.
D’Amato Construction Company, which is currently located in Bristol, is looking to relocate to Plainville if the town approves of their proposal for the property.
Tony D’Amato, operations manager for D’Amato Construction, said the company has grown “significantly” in the last 10 years. In addition to the main Middle Street building, he said they have multiple sites throughout the city and are looking to consolidate them going forward.
“They’d be looking to use the property for a very similar purpose to what White Oak used it for years ago,” said Lee.
The other proposal, by Manafort Brothers, Inc., Newport Realty and TWM Development LLC. would see the construction of 155 apartments on the second floor as well as some commercial space on the first floor. It would also see the creation of a 25,000 square foot medical office building. There would also be buildings with large garage doors for use by contractors.
“There would be some 55 and older apartments and some market rate apartments,” said Lee.
Lee said that the study will give “comparative information” to the town council to help them reach a decision.
“They will look at the environmental impact, the potential impact to surrounding businesses downtown and the potential demand for town services,” said Lee. “They will also look at how much revenue each proposal would generate and the employment estimates during and post construction. We’ll also have them look at the traffic impact.”
Lee also plans to present the information from the study to the Planning and Zoning Commission, the town’s Economic Development Agency, members of the Plainville Chamber of Commerce and downtown businesses to seek their input.
“I anticipate that the study will be completed by the end of the year,” he said. “The town council will also likely want to set a public hearing some time after the new year, probably in mid-January.”
Capital Workforce Partners awarded $3.7M to train displaced workers
Liese Klein Unemployed workers seeking jobs in IT, health care, construction and other fields will get new funding toward intensive re-training under a $3.7 million grant announced by Hartford-based Capital Workforce Partners (CWP).
The funds come from the state Department of Economic and Community Development as part of a worker-training effort under the auspices of the state Coronavirus Relief Fund
“This program is geared to enable participants during a short window of time to earn relevant skills and certifications, which can lead to job stability, employee benefits, job advancement opportunities or even a change in careers,” CWP President & CEO Alex Johnson said.
More than 400 people are currently enrolled in CWP re-training programs, which include a $200 stipend for each week of training, a laptop computer if needed, funds for training gear and funds for basic needs including child care, transportation and housing.
The U.S. Treasury allocated $1.4 billion in federal monies to Connecticut for its Coronavirus Relief Fund in April, and the state set up the Workforce Training Innovation Fund to pay for job-training and re-training efforts around the state.