Fairfield’s Holland Hill school project comes in under budget
FAIRFIELD — The Holland Hill School expansion project has
officially come to a close with the dissolution of the building committee this
week.
“I’m proud to announce the Holland Hill project is
completed,” Jason Li, the building committee chairman, told the selectmen in
his final report on Monday.
The committee
was established in early 2016 to oversee the elementary school
expansion project, which brought the enrollment capacity from a little more
than 300 up to 504, removing the need for the portable classrooms.
Town bodies
approved $18.5 million for the project in 2017 and broke
ground in 2018. The presentation at the time said the work would add five
classrooms, along with a new general music room, new lockers for fourth and
fifth graders in the addition, special education resource rooms, a larger
kitchen area and a new performance platform/instrumental music classroom space.
It also expanded the central office area to allow for
controlled visitor access and a nursing office. Under the project, all of the
toilets are now compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. All
existing lockers were replaced and a new gym floor installed, according to
previous reports.
On Monday, Li said the work also expanded the north parking
lot and added new furniture. It installed a new HVAC system so that there is
fresh air and air conditioning throughout the building. There are also new
electrical, firs and gas lines, as well as new serving lines in the cafeteria.
“We were fortunate enough we got this project done before
the COVID pandemic hit,” he said.
He said they plan on returning $115,000 to the town with the
project coming in under budget and getting everything included on the initial
charge.
Li said all of the systems are online now and the town has
taken control of the building.
The selectmen commended Li and the committee on the project,
all of the members’ hardwork and getting it done under budget.
Selectman Thomas Flynn also suggested the town commemorate
the late
Harry Ackley and Thomas
Quinn, who both served on the building committee and were influential in
the project’s success.
“Mr. Ackley has done everything for the town, but Mr. Quinn,
as it related to building committees, chaired so many of them and did so much
for the students of this town,” he said. “There might be something appropriate
there to honor those two men.”
Li also credited Quinn for everything he’s done and said the
Parent Teacher Association established a garden there in his memory.
Possibility of adding train station back on Newington officials' radar
NEWINGTON – A train stop and all that it brings is back on
the town’s radar, after an inquiry from the new town planner reignited the flame
and elected officials’ interest.
Renata Bertotti, who was hired as Newington’s Town Planner
in Nov. 2020, brought together members of the Town Plan & Zoning Commission
(TPZ) and Town Council Tuesday night to find out more about this alleged train
station proposal, which was on the back burner for years.
Old concerns and enthusiasm both came to light, along with
divisions on location and scope.
“My approaching you all with this was honestly trying to get
to the bottom of it,” Bertotti told elected officials. “I received a couple
inquiries from residents asking for updates and I never could give them any
because I didn’t have any.”
The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) also
contacted her in hopes of doing a site study ahead of the project, but Bertotti
was uncertain as to what specific site was chosen.
“From my recollection the council was very split on where
the location should be,” Mayor Beth DelBuono said of discussions a few years
back regarding the project.
The Council and TPZ did approve Transit Village Design
District (TVDD) regulations in Aug. 2019 for a 64-acre site along 565 Cedar
St., which the State Department of Transportation had been considering for a
new stop along Amtrak’s Hartford-New Haven line.
“The state felt Cedar Street made more sense in terms of its
location in relation to other stations,” the mayor recalled. “From my
perspective the Newington Junction, West Hill area made a lot of sense. It
gives us opportunities to develop that as a historical district; to make it
more walk-able, so people can come and visit. I see why Cedar Street is
attractive as well. I think the biggest thing we need to figure out is, is the
state willing to do one or the other or are they decided on one location.”
The answer to that and other questions will be obtained
before Newington can move forward.
TPZ Chairman Domenico Pane also leaned toward Newington
Junction as a better location, but emphasized the right decision would be the
one that’s best for Newington.
“I like the fact it’s more of a community station,” he said
of the Junction site. “It’s walking distance to a tremendous amount of people
in Newington and the southern end of West Hartford.
On the other hand, Pane added, the Cedar St. site was
preferred by the DOT for its proximity to I-84 for commuters, but would require
costly environmental remediation.
“What station would be in the best interest of Newington
citizens, not necessarily State of Connecticut?” he asked.
New town councilor Mitch Page urged fellow elected officials
to “think big.”
“If we think creatively, innovatively and through a lens of
abundance we can create a lot of mixed use, retail, housing for young
people…create energy and get a lot of money coming in to stabilize our tax
base,” Page said. “We need to be brave and courageous…the Cedar Street site
made sense then and it makes sense now.”
Deputy Mayor Gail Budrejko was not as privy to the
possibility of this grand-scale development.
“Part of the issue for me is the scale,” Budrejko said. “I
don’t think this station should be a magnet for surrounding towns to just come
and park and leave. I think it should also be attractive.”
In a letter sent to the Council beforehand and in his
address at the meeting, State Rep. Gary Turco cautioned elected officials on
shifting their support for the station’s location, pointing to a 2018 DOT study
that concluded the Cedar St. site was better suited than the Junction.
“Some of those reasons include a more viable construction
site, potential for economic development and strategic access to highways and
Central Connecticut State University,” Turco said. “The DOT’s support of the
proposed site is essential to move the project forward. Funding needs to be
secured within the State of Connecticut’s budget and will most likely include
federal grants. Without the DOT’s support for the site location, the project
will not move forward.”
Turco went on to share how Newington residents might benefit
from the train station and surrounding development and promised to help the
town open lines of communication with DOT to discuss ideas.
Town officials are now hoping to meet with the DOT to get
answers to their questions before returning to the table.
“I appreciate the open dialogue tonight. I’m hopeful we can
work with the DOT to get what we feel is best for the Town of Newington,”
DelBuono said, going on to address how the project’s parameters may have
changed since last discussed. “I think we are doing our due diligence to ask,
‘is the vision that was right years ago still the vision that is right for
Newington and its residents?’”
Do bridges on your commute need repair? What New London County inspection data tells us.
When the torrential rains of Tropical Storm Ida caused widespread flooding across Norwich last summer, city
officials watched with concern as the engorged Yantic River threw itself
against the Sherman Street Bridge.
While the river didn’t go over the banks, the bridge was
blocked off due to the force of the water hitting it.
“It’s very telling of its condition, or lack of at this
point,” Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom said.
The Sherman Street Bridge is one of 23 bridges in New London
County rated in poor condition, according to U.S. Department of Transportation National Bridge Inspection
data. Forty-five, including many of the 23, are rated on a separate scale
as being in need of repair or corrective action.
See the data yourself:New London, Connecticut bridge inspections
Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments Executive
Director Jim Butler said most of the bridges in the area - there are 445 total
bridges in the county - are in safe and decent shape, as bridges are inspected
regularly based on state and national regulations.
State-owned bridges, from Gold Star to Mohegan-Pequot
In terms of state-owned bridges, locals in New London County
rely on the Gold Star Bridge for travel. Butler said there has been recent work
on the southbound span of the bridge, which was mostly funded by the Let's Go
CT program during the Dannel Malloy administration, and that the twin span will
be upgraded in the coming years.
Pedestrian access on the Gold Star Bridge is a concern for
Butler, as it’s important for people who might choose to walk, or people who
don’t have an automobile. Such access has been placed on the southbound bridge,
and he wants the state to study if something on the northbound bridge would be
needed.
“It’s pretty scary if you’re running or walking up there,
and you hear someone yell ‘bike’!” Butler said.
Another one of the local state-owned bridges that people are
concerned with is the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge, which straddles the Montville and
Preston town lines.
While there are aspects of the bridge that have a low score,
including deteriorated pier and abutment protection and approach guardrail
ends, the bridge overall is considered to be in fair condition.
Butler said the bridge needs new spans, as the existing ones
can’t be widened to accommodate four lanes of traffic. Montville Mayor Ron
McDaniel said this expansion would help prevent car crashes that cause
shutdowns of “the only other major bridge across the Thames." It's a
lengthy detour to cross the river by the Gold Star Bridge, or get to the other
side by traveling further north.
The state Department of Transportation looked at the bridge
for an environmental impact statement over 10 years ago, Butler said, when the
nearby Preston Riverwalk plans were first proposed. Improvements to that bridge
were part of a three-part plan to improve the flow of traffic to that area and
the casinos.
“(The Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments) has
consistently reminded DOT of the need for the bridge, should the Mohegan-owned
Preston Riverwalk site be developed,” Butler said.
Butler also wants pedestrian access on the Mohegan-Pequot
Bridge.
Norwich bridges, including Sherman Street
Municipally-owned bridges are also of concern. In Norwich,
the Sherman Street Bridge was found to be in poor condition, according to the
U.S. Department of Transportation data, and the city has been working on replacing
it, with the project going out to bid on Dec. 22 and work expected to start in
the spring.
Katherine Rattan, Transportation Program Manager for the
Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, said the project is set to
cost $14 million, with the cost burden, as The Bulletin reported in 2019, being
80% federal funds, 10% state funds, and 10% city funds.
Right now, a section of the bridge is closed to limit
traffic.
Long mentioned that there will also be work coming for the
bridge over Trading Cove Brook, which is shared by Montville. That work is
related to the surface of the bridge, but the structure is in good shape. The
city is also thinking about culvert replacements, as some have been inspected,
like bridges.
The city has also worked on some bridges in the recent past,
including the Sunnyside St. Bridge, which was reconstructed in the 2020
construction season. Before that, there was a replacement on the bridge on
Pleasant St. by Otrobando Ave.
As for state-owned bridges in Norwich, Long said there was
work on the Scotland Road Bridge in 2019 and the state will work on Lawler Lane
over I-395, set to cost 5 million.
Between those two, Nystrom said the one on Scotland Road was
in worse shape, which is why it was an around-the-clock project to get it done
before the school year that year.
“All of these are important to the infrastructure,” Nystrom
said. “You can’t lose sight of them.”
Butler also said the Sherman St. Bridge has been a priority
for the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments. That will be a big
project, he said, with rerouting and traffic disruptions, though the city has
worked with the state to accommodate important vehicles like ambulances and
school buses.
Beyond these bridges, there are others in the area that
locals would like to see receive attention.
Back in February, State Senator Cathy Osten wrote a letter
to Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Congressman Joe Courtney that other local
bridges were in need of funds, including the raising of the Groton Long Point
Bridge over Palmer’s Cove, and the rehabilitation of Lantern Hill Bridge in
Ledyard and the rebuilding of the Wiftford Brook and Mystic River bridge.
“Any of those local bridges that need to get done, need to
get done,” Osten said.
When will these bridges see repairs?
While the Sherman Street Bridge awaits a construction
contract - after the December bidding process began - officials in the region
put together plans for spans in poor condition.
Kafi Rouse, the communications director for the Connecticut
Department of Transportation stated the department is planning the
rehabilitation projects for the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge, and a project scope
would be released in the next several weeks.
Rattan said the group recently went through the capital plan
process with the state Department of Transportation. Along with the Gold Star,
Rattan said the Council of Governments is focusing on bridges at I-84 in East
Lyme, Old Lyme River Road, the Sherman St. Bridge, Beaver Brook Road in
Franklin, and Beebe Cove in Groton, among others. Rattan said much of this
is funded through various kinds of state and federal funds, including funds
from the National Highway Performance Program, and the Surface Transportation
Program from the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
For some of the other bridges in Montville, McDaniel said he
wants to prioritize items on the town’s bridge program in the event funding
becomes available, but it's still a matter of seeing how the money will get
moved, and the wait for a funding opportunity, like an EDA grant or something
similar.
On Dec. 17, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal’s office
announced Connecticut is slated to receive $655 million for the first year of
funding of five from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Included is funding for bridge repair.
Panel proposes $13.8M senior center for Windsor Locks
WINDSOR LOCKS — A town committee formed to work a plan for
the new senior center Monday issued its final report, which proposes a
17,550-square-foot building on Spring Street at an estimated cost of $13.8
million.
Senior Center Study Committee Chairman Mike Rosadini shared
an extensive report during the selectmen’s meeting, providing an overview of numerous
steps the committee took over the past two years.
The site subcommittee began by looking at more than 36
properties for the new senior center, he said, narrowing them down to three
until determining in May 2021 that the best location is the 3- to 4-acre
property at 491-519 Spring St.
In June 2020, the town hired Jacunski Humes Architects LLC
of Berlin to conduct a space-needs assessment and site evaluations. Rosadini
said the study committee worked with Jacunski Humes and first produced plans
for a 25,270-square-foot facility before the plan evolved to its current
proposal, a 31% decrease in size for $13,872,644.
Brian Humes, representing the architectural firm, also
provided an extensive overview of Humes Architects’ work on the project. He
said the town would be saving $94,112 on the project if the senior center and
new police station were built on the Spring Street property concurrently.
Humes’ presentation included drawings showing a brick
building surrounded by plantings. The name on the canopy above the center’s
main entrance is Center for Active Living, which reflects that the facility is
not just for seniors but also a reflection of the recreational activities that
will take place inside and outside the facility.
Selectman Scott A. Storms, who served on the 15-member study
committee, said he’s comfortable with the incredible job the members did in a
relatively short period of time.
“The final report is excellent,” he said, adding that it’s
time for the town to move forward with the next steps and share the report with
the public.
Selectman Jonathan Savino suggested moving forward with
getting residents’ reactions and scheduling a public hearing, town meeting and
ultimately a referendum to approve the funding.
The selectmen will meet with the Board of Finance Jan. 25 to
discuss the price. Copies of the reports by the study committee and Jacunski
Humes will be available at the library and senior center for the public to
review.