What's going on with offshore wind projects in New England?
The offshore wind market in North America has attracted
global developers and equity partners as state and federal policies finally
align to encourage investment in domestic clean energy.
But at the same time, developers face challenges as
inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, the high cost of materials, competition
for vessels and ports, and workforce shortages threaten to slow progress.
With news from the industry shifting on a regular basis, it
can be hard to keep track of the projects, the players, and the issues. Don't
worry. Here's a cheat sheet.
What are some of the major projects planned off the coast of
southern New England?
Commonwealth Wind is proposed by Avangrid Renewables, a
division of the Spanish multinational Iberdrola. The 1,232-megawatt project would
serve Massachusetts and be staged from the Salem Wind Terminal, site of a
former coal plant.
Park City Wind is proposed by Avangrid Renewables. It
has contracted to provide 804 megawatts of capacity to Connecticut. The project
would be staged from Salem, Massachusetts. The offshore wind port is being
developed by Crowley Maritime, with its administrative office in Providence.
Revolution Wind I is proposed by Ørsted (the former
Danish Oil and Natural Gas) and the New England-based Eversource Energy.
The project has
utility contracts in place to provide 400 megawatts of capacity to Rhode Island
and 300 megawatts to Connecticut.
Revolution Wind II is proposed by Ørsted and
Eversource. The 884-megawatt project could serve Rhode Island if it gains a utility
contract. Ørsted plans to stage all of its New England projects from the
Connecticut State Pier in New London.
South CoastWind I, headquartered in Fall River, was
formerly known as Mayflower Wind. It's a project of Shell and Ocean Winds,
itself a joint venture of EDP Renewables and ENGIE, a French multinational. The
1,200-megawatt project aims to serve Massachusetts.
Vineyard Wind, a 50-50 project of Avangrid and
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is now under construction and being staged
from the Port of New Bedford. The 800-megawatt project (first
developed by Erich Stevens) has Massachusetts utility contracts in
place to finance construction.
South Fork Wind, an Ørsted/Eversource project, is now under
construction with plans to devote 132 megawatts of capacity to Long Island. The
same developers are behind Sunrise Wind, a 924 MW project on track to
deliver energy to New York in late 2025.
Ørsted and Eversource also own the small, five-turbine
30-megawatt Block Island Wind Farm, an asset they procured from Jeff
Grybowski, the Providence-based founder of Deepwater Wind, a company he
sold to Ørsted. His Block Island project went live in 2016 as the nation's
first commercial offshore wind farm.
And in case anybody asks, the infamous Cape Wind is
long dead. After a 16-year struggle, developers pulled the plug on the Nantucket Sound project in
2017.
I've heard that some of the projects are facing financial
trouble. What's the problem?
No offshore wind project can realistically be built in the
U.S. without first securing long-term power purchase agreements, or PPAs, from
electric utilities. The PPAs, funded by ratepayers and approved by regulators,
provide revenue to support project finance and attract investment.
In the Northeast, states have partnered with utilities to
host competitive clean energy solicitations. An RFP is issued, developers
respond with proposals, and a winner is chosen. The winner gets to negotiate
PPAs with that state's utilities.
Some projects that negotiated PPAs before inflation and
interest hikes changed the economy ended up in a tough spot. In 2022 and 2023
two Massachusetts projects — Commonwealth Wind and South Coast Wind — said
those old contracts no longer supported project finance. The companies paid
fines to exit the deals and said they would bid into a newer RFP instead.
A separate Rhode Island project — Revolution Wind II — faces
a different problem. It was the only company to bid into that state's most
recent solicitation. But after months of review, the state's largest utility
refused to negotiate PPAs with the developers, saying their proposed energy
prices were too high.
A lot hangs in the balance, with some industry players
hoping that Biden-era tax credits will help make their projects bankable.
Projects that are currently moving ahead — including
Revolution Wind I, Vineyard Wind, and South Fork Wind — managed to lock in most
of their capital expenses before the economy took a turn for the worse.
Aren't there other risks and headwinds?
Lowball PPAs aren't the only problem. The offshore wind
industry is a global one. That means U.S. projects must compete with developers
in Europe and Asia for components, equipment, skilled labor, and special huge
vessels that need to be booked years in advance.
U.S. wind developers also need access to large, heavy-lift
ports in deep water harbors. Good offshore wind ports are in short supply and
expensive to build. As with vessels, developers are booking those port
facilities years in advance.
Developers are competing hard for good power interconnection
nodes. Offshore wind farms can't operate without plugging their cables into the
grid, but getting those permits and finding those tie-in spots isn't easy.
Regulatory risk is another huge consideration. The projects
undergo a complicated federal permitting process, but also need state
approvals. Ultimately, developers are looking for a final construction and
operations plan (a "COP") from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,
or BOEM.
Where will the wind farms be located?
About a decade ago, BOEM started auctioning large swaths of
ocean acreage to potential offshore wind developers. The first significant
lease sales were off the coast of Southern New England in federal waters.
Since then, BOEM has designated lease areas up and down the
East Coast, off the coast of California, and in the Gulf of Mexico.
How much clean energy can the U.S. expect from offshore
wind?
It’s not simple math, and it depends upon who you ask.
The U.S. has over 4,200 gigawatts of technical offshore wind
potential, triple that needed to meet the nation’s power demand, according to a
report from the Department of Energy. But “technical potential” doesn’t always
play out in reality.
Closer to home, it’s been said that 1,000 megawatts of
offshore wind capacity could meet 30% of Rhode Island’s electricity. Revolution
Wind 1, under development, would deliver 400 megawatts. Revolution Wind 2,
currently stalled, could deliver another 880 megawatts.
To put things in context, the average size of a U.S. coal
plant in 2011 was 228 megawatts, according to the U.S. Energy Information
Administration.
The Biden administration hopes to see 30 gigawatts (30,000
megawatts) of US offshore wind capacity installed by 2030. In total 10 states
have combined procurement targets of more than 81,000 megawatts. But again, it
remains to be seen how things actually play out.
Does offshore wind actually fight climate change?
There is in fact a carbon footprint associated with the
construction, operation, and decommissioning of an offshore wind farm. But
those costs are dwarfed by the lifetime benefits of a project, according to
Ørsted.
Citing an industry report and government data, Ørsted says switching from coal-fired generation to
wind power can reduce the carbon emitted from energy production by more than 99%.
But realizing such benefits will depend upon on continued
cost reductions and developing a pipeline of projects that actually get built,
according to the journal American Research Letters.
Will offshore wind hurt the commercial fishing industry?
Depends who you ask. There are lawsuits.
And government agencies don't even agree.
BOEM admits the wind industry will affect the fishing
industry, but says that dedicated mitigation funds will cover any economic
harms.
But the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2019 clashed
with BOEM, saying its review of Vineyard Wind failed to properly analyze
concerns raised by the fishing industry.
Advocates insist the two industries are compatible. “We have
been dedicated to the proposition that two industries can coexist
successfully,” New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell told WPRI in February.
But Cassie Canastra, director of operations at Base Seafood,
begged to differ. “This is the war, and we’re going to lose,” she said.
For those who want to dig, a peer-reviewed report synthesizing the current state of
science on the interactions between fisheries and offshore wind is available
online.
Is offshore wind killing the whales?
To date, no whale mortality has been attributed to offshore
wind activities, according to NOAA Fisheries. The agency has been monitoring a
high number of East Coast humpback whale deaths since 2016.
NOAA says of 178 whales that stranded, 40% had evidence of a
ship strike or entanglement. Other necropsies either couldn't be conducted or
were inconclusive.
The humpback whale population has grown in the Mid-Atlantic.
More whales in the water combined with more boats of all sizes increases the
risk of vessel strikes, NOAA says.
The U.S. Department of Energy recently responded to a spate of disinformation on the
connection between wind development and whale deaths.
"There is no evidence that these early-stage wind
development activities have resulted in serious harm to whales," the
agency said.
Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, with a price tag of about $25M, on track to be built by spring 2024
GREENWICH — The new Eastern Greenwich Civic Center,
projected to
cost roughly $25 million, should be mostly built by spring of 2024, and one
town official said the exterior of the new building will likely completed soon.
The new facility, named the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic
Center after its donors from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation, is
replacing the old civic center, which was built in 1950. The
foundation donated $5 million to the town in exchange for naming
rights.
This new building will be one-story and 35,418 square feet
and is being built on the existing footprint of the former civic center,
according to the
project’s website.
The civic center will include a full-size gymnasium and
roll-out spectator seating, an 8,100 square-feet multi-use event space and
three 1,000 square-feet activity rooms. Two of these activity rooms will share
a partition, so people can open it to create one larger room.
“In general, for most civic centers, we hope the general
populace gets a great amount of continued usage and enjoyment of this
facility,” said Luigi Romano, superintendent of building construction and
maintenance.
Work on the “outer shell” of the new civic center should be
completed within the next month, Romano said.
“They’re pretty much wrapping up construction of the outer
shell that everyone gets to see,” he said.
The former civic center stopped programming in early
2022 to
prepare for the demolition, which was completed
in October 2022. The construction of the new facility began in November
2022.
Romano said, after the new civic center is built,
electrical, plumbing, painting and other “outfitting” work will follow.
Right now, Romano said the workers are getting the building
“weathertight,” which means it will be sealed so that wind and rain and other
elements cannot damage the inside.
“That includes the walls, the roof, making sure everything
is tight so they can begin more detailed work on the inside,” he said.
Since the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center is still an active
construction site, it is closed to the public.
“Those who want to access the tennis courts and playground
behind the facility must go around the construction site by walking through the
playing fields to the north,” according to the project’s website.
$100M rehab of Hartford's XL Center comes as cities spend big on arenas
Getting hungry at a concert or a game? Pull up an app on
your phone, order and pick up your food without standing in line. And we’re not
talking just hot dogs and burgers: Choose from a menu of cuisines
including Filipino, Senegalese and Thai.
When the game is over, get up from your padded seat in the
club section and walk through the spacious corridors for a quick exit, followed
by drinks and dinner downtown.
That’s the new standard for spectators at mid-sized sports
stadiums and concert arenas across the nation — and a glimpse of the challenges
and opportunities facing Hartford’s XL Center.
With
$100 million budgeted for an overhaul of the XL Center set to start
next year, consultants in the arena business say that Connecticut needs to
spend big to just stay in the game as cities around the nation invest in major
venues.
Renovation plans full speed ahead
With
the $100 million secured at the close of this year’s legislative session, XL
Center managers are now in the middle of the design process, sketching out a
multiyear, multiphase renovation of the 48-year-old arena, once known as the
Hartford Civic Center. An upgraded XL is seen as crucial to continued viability
for the arena and key to hopes of attracting an NHL franchise.
Bids on the first part of the XL rehab should go out by the end
of August with contracts expected to be signed in early fall, said Michael
Freimuth, executive director of the Capital Region Development Authority
(CRDA), which manages the arena.
“There’s meetings almost on a daily basis,” Freimuth said of
the renovation project. Other key priorities include updating CRDA’s deal with
the center’s operator, Oak View Group, along with pacts with the state and city
of Hartford.
With much of the renovation happening “at the back of the
house” and during the week and slower summer months, XL Center attendees may
not notice any changes for months, Freimuth said.
High on the priority list is expanding the loading docks for
the arena to allow for quicker setup and breakdown by national acts. Upgrading
the electrical and IT grid is also prioritized to allow for easier use of cell
phones and other technology inside the XL.
An expanse of brand-new-glass marks the near-completion of
the revamp’s first phase — a
new sports-betting venue on the west side of the XL Center facing Ann Uccello
Street. Run by the state lottery, the sportsbook is on schedule to
open for business by the end of next month, Freimuth said. Gamblers can access
the sportsbook from the street but will need a ticket to enter the larger
arena.
“Operationally we should be a go for September 1,” Freimuth
said, adding that major HVAC and electrical work had been completed despite
supply-chain delays. “We’re now actually finishing the place up.”
Later phases of the XL revamp include creating more overall
seating by pushing back the stage, adding a new concourse and building more
luxury-level seats near the floor.
Arenas load up on amenities
Luxury seating, wider concourses and expanded food and
beverage options are the bare minimum to keep an arena competitive in the
current high-stakes market, said national consultants who have reviewed the XL
Center project.
“It’s not the way it used to be where you build a civic
center — this is all very competitive in terms of being able to get content
providers to bring you events,” said Carl Hirsh, managing partner at New Jersey-based
consultant Stafford Sports, LLC. “Hartford is unfortunately behind the curve on
that right now.”
The gold standard of new venues that have come online recently
is CityPark, a $460 million soccer stadium that opened late last year in
downtown St. Louis, said Fred Carstensen, director of the Connecticut
Center for Economic Analysis at the University of Connecticut.
“They have a technology to read your credit card when you
walk in so you literally simply walk in and pick up whatever you want, and pop
back out. There’s no queuing,” Carstensen said of CityPark. “I mean, think
about that in terms of convenience.”
In addition to advanced vending technology, CityPark’s
“chief flavor officer” picks out local and innovative food vendors, and St.
Louis rapper Mvstermind serves as “the director of musical experience
throughout any given matchday,” according to the venue’s website.
Other state-of-the-art venues debuting this year include a
$335 million soccer stadium in Nashville, a brand-new 35,000-seat arena in San
Diego and UConn’s own new 2,600-seat hockey arena on campus, which opened
earlier this year.
“Look at the number of cities that are, in fact, creating
venues in the hope of attracting a franchise,” Carstensen said.
Carstensen’s team has studied the XL Center over the decades
and recommended continuous upgrades. “If they’re going to invest in XL, make
sure that you’re not building something that’s out of date.”
“We’re seeing arenas all over the country come up,” said
Charles Johnson of Chicago’s Johnson Consulting, which has worked with CRDA on
the Connecticut Convention Center. “It’s a national trend to get these things
in order, and also make them a better contribution to the community.”
“We want downtown Hartford to experience the same thing
every other city’s starting to experience, and that’s modern facilities,”
Johnson said. “It’s theaters — the cultural adds are what we’re seeing happen.
And arenas are very much a cultural event.”
“You’re the state capital, so you probably want distinction
for the state as well as Hartford,” Johnson added.
Lawmakers’ historic reluctance to improve upgrades at the XL
Center reflects an underestimation of the importance of tourism and hospitality
to the state’s economy, Carstensen said. Officials statistics show tourism
creating only about 5 percent of the state’s GDP, but UConn estimates that the
sector in fact generates nearly 15 percent of GDP.
Much of Connecticut’s job growth in recent years has come in
the tourism and hospitality industries, Carstensen said, highlighting the
importance of sustaining and growing attractions like the XL Center that bring
people into the state to spend money.
“The legislature and the governor are choosing to underfund
what is a very important sector,” Carstensen said. “Tourism is a very
significant component of the state’s economy, much more important than is
currently being measured… talking about improvements to the XL Center kind of
raises this larger framework of how important is tourism.”
Upgrades in recent decades have kept Hartford’s arena
operational and able
to attract major acts like Lizzo. The XL Center has also survived
setbacks like a catastrophic
1978 roof collapse due to heavy snow and flaws in the arena’s original design.
Centerpiece of a new downtown?
The XL Center’s size at 16,000 seats and downtown location
actually dovetail with a national trend toward integrating mid-sized
arenas into urban areas and using them to spark economic development.
“These projects enliven swaths of urban
neighborhoods,” Arizona-based consultant Jesse Zunke wrote in a recent
online article on the topic of “Rethinking Stadiums” in SportsTravel magazine.
“Smaller venues are friendlier to urban neighbors and easier to build.” He
cited a $12 billion stadium project that includes 3,000 housing units, office
space and a hotel in downtown Oakland, Calif.
With an arena of the XL’s advanced age and space
constraints, knocking it down and starting over on a bigger piece of land is an
option that has been long debated. But the cost — likely approaching $1 billion
— and logistics of a do-over make it a “bridge too far,” Freimuth
said.
“The market does sustain the upgrade program, which we’re
working on. But it wouldn’t really justify a billion-dollar enterprise,”
Freimuth said. “Then if you were to find a new place, the land assembly that
would give you connectivity to hotels and restaurants and retail and parking
garages is not readily available.”
Venues like the XL Center will only have increasing
importance as cities
like Hartford adjust to post-pandemic work-from-home trends and surging
office vacancy, Freimuth said. Instead of “downtown business districts,”
cities will increasingly need to develop downtown entertainment
districts.
“The downtowns are going to become something different,”
Freimuth said. Along with theaters, bars and restaurants, a revamped XL Center
could play a key role in a new, entertainment-focused Hartford, he added. “For
a fraction of the cost of replacing it, we can position it for the next 20
years or so.”
Pedestrian bridge at Merritt 7 train station in Norwalk delayed by supply chain; new platform opens
NORWALK — The new Metro-North train
station at Merritt 7 is open for commuters, however, the
pedestrian bridge going over the railroad tracks to the office complex is missing some of its
needed glass, delaying its debut.
“A lot the glass is missing, so you would kind of have to
look closely,” said Josh Morgan, a spokesperson for the Connecticut
Department of Transportation. “We can’t open that structure until its fully
encased, so there are still openings. Water can still get in there, and we are
waiting for some of that material still.”
The delay
is due to ongoing supply chain issues that began during the COVID-19
pandemic, Morgan said. Although the bridge looks complete, Morgan said several
panels of glass are missing.
“Supply issues, some of it is unique, it’s not a 'go get a
4-foot piece of glass from Home Depot' type of situation,” Morgan said.
Once complete, the pedestrian bridge will directly connect
commuters on the Danbury Branch of Metro-North Railroad to the largest
corporate park in Fairfield County, according to Merritt 7's website. Until
then, commuters must still take a Norwalk Transit District shuttle
bus from the train station to the offices.
In addition to the bridge construction, CTDOT
will repave and expand the parking lot from 88 spots to 105 spots in
August. Demolition on the old platform is expected to start soon, after the
June 7 opening of the new platform, Morgan said.
“This is still an active work zone so there are still signs
up there are still people out there working, so while the platform is open and
is accessible there are some areas that people can’t go,” Morgan said.
The new platform is 500 feet long and heated to prevent snow
and ice accumulation. The project, which began in September 2020 and was
originally expected to be completed in fall 2022, has
been previously delayed due to supply chain, underground utilities and drainage
system issues.
Mayor Harry Rilling said previously that this new station
aims to create
a "village effect" in the northern end of Norwalk.
The train branch runs from Danbury to South Norwalk on the
New Haven Line, with some through trains to Stamford and to Grand Central
Terminal in New York City. Morgan said CTDOT has seen more riders return
to the tracks recently.
“Train ridership is rebounding, depending on the day of the
week,” he said. “We are certainly see a lot heavier usage on the rail lines
midweek, Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursdays, in comparison to Mondays and Fridays,
when there is a lot of people doing remote work.”
The Merritt 7 office complex is home to several large companies, including IBM,
Xerox, Frontier Communications, Datto, Hearst Connecticut Media Group and
others.
Norwalk celebrates $140 million in state aid for Walk Bridge, new school, nonprofits and more
NORWALK — State and local leaders are celebrating the
“unprecedented” $140
million from the state that will go to the city of Norwalk and many
community nonprofits.
“The money that is coming to the city is unprecedented over
the last few years; that’s thanks to a lot of work and a lot of different
people,” state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said at a news conference
Thursday.
Norwalk is receiving $72 million in state grants, $67.8
million in infrastructure grants and $2.6 million for nonprofits. This is a
significant increase from the $22 million in fiscal aid Norwalk received in
2022.
The big-ticket items for Norwalk are $45.7 million for
continued construction on the Walk Bridge project and $45.6 million allocated
to build the new South Norwalk Elementary School.
“Over $45 million for our new South Norwalk school —
and the reason that’s important is because that is the first school funded with
the new 60 percent reimbursement rate,” Duff said. “That normally would have
been 22.5 (percent) and now it’s at 60 percent.”
Board of Education member Janine Rudolph also praised the
higher rate of reimbursement from the state to the city for the new
school.
“This is really going to help out for us, these grants, we
live on grants,” Rudolph said. “We really need these to help us get
through. We are excited about the new building that we're going to have coming
through with the 60 percent reimbursement. This is really, really important for
us and for the city.”
Duff, joined by Mayor Harry Rilling, Norwalk state
representatives and nonprofit leaders, gathered to announce the funding on the
Norwalk Harbor Loop Trail, which was allocated $6 million.
“That will be an important component for the city and the
quality of life, having this Harbor Loop Trail finally finished,” Duff said.
“They asked for $6 million; they got $6 million.”
The state delegation attributed their success in securing
funding for the city to their team work and communication.
“We know that when we advocate for Norwalk, it’s something
that we do with passion, and I believe that we were heard,” state Rep.
Dominique Johnson said.
Duff agreed, saying “We are always talking; we are
always working together on so many different issues."
Rilling thanked the Norwalk delegation to Hartford for
securing funds for the city.
There will be “$140 million to help us grow and
develop,” Rilling said. “That is one of the reasons, a big part of the
reason, why Norwalk was just named the 29th best place in
the entire nation to raise a family.”
With $2.6 million allocated toward local nonprofits, 17
organizations, including the Maritime
Aquarium, the Seaport Association, EJ's Heart, The Workplace, Stepping Stones Museum
for Children and Person-to-Person, are
receiving state grants ranging from $20,000 to $500,000.
“We have announced a lot of exciting investments today, and
it's going to touch the lives of every single Norwalker, whether you're young
and going to Stepping Stones or enjoying the summer programs at the Maritime
Aquarium,” state Rep. Lucy Dathan said.
Among the local nonprofits receiving grants are several
Black-run community groups, including EJ's Heart, YL Trapped, the Youth Business Initiative and others.
“We worked really hard to get that funding through the
actual budget, so I was granted and blessed with $150,000,” state Rep. Kadeem
Roberts said. “So I came back to my community to give back to wonderful
nonprofits in the city of Norwalk … EJ's Heart and YL trapped.”
Dajuan Wiggins from the Youth Business Initiative said that
although he is thankful for the $20,000 his organization received, more needs
to be done to support students in South Norwalk.
“In South Norwalk, we are having a crisis, and most of our
students are coming from South Norwalk. And when you look at this board, there
is not a lot of representation and not a lot of funds headed toward South
Norwalk,” Wiggins said.
And referring to the $6 million allocated to the
Norwalk Harbor Loop Trail, he said, “I believe this walkway is going to be
a great thing. But when you look at the amount of money that is being spent on
this walkway compared to the community, I think it’s a disconnect there.”
Shelton buys Blacks Hill Road land, clears way for Constitution Blvd. extension
SHELTON — The city is adding to its land stock, buying a
Blacks Hill Road parcel that will be used as a rental property.
The Board of Aldermen, at its meeting Thursday, approved the
purchase of 38 Blacks Hill Road, on which sits a single-family house. Mayor
Mark Lauretti’s Administrative Assistant Kellie Vazzano told the Planning and
Zoning Commission Wednesday that the city would rent the home. The city last
year completed purchases
of two other Blacks Hill Road lots needed to allow construction of the
Constitution Boulevard extension.
The city will purchase the lot for $310,000, with the funds
coming from aldermanic bonding.
“This will be an earning asset,” Vazzano told the
commission, which approved the 8-24 referral.
The city presently owns five residences, with only one, 56
Perry Hill Road, still vacant.
City Finance Director Paul Hiller said the other four
residences — 279 Soundview at $1,600 per month; 58 Perry Hill Road at $1,750
per month;.27 Old Town Road at $1,600 per month; and 45 Grove St. at $1,600 per
month — are presently rented.
Hiller said there are no special qualifications for
occupancy.
This newly purchased 0.87-acre site is contiguous to other
city property and near the Mas property, which is to be home to what
Lauretti has envisioned as a manufacturing hub. Work on the Constitution
Boulevard extension — which will give access to the always land-locked Mas
property — remains underway.
Lauretti said this latest land buy is in keeping with the
city’s goal of adding to its land stock. In this case, the city will be earning
revenue from the site.
“This just makes sense,” Lauretti said of the land
buy.
This is the latest acquisition of Blacks
Hill Road properties.
To complete the Constitution Boulevard extension, the city
had to acquire both 55 and 56 Blacks Hill Road.
Stratford approves $18M in upgrades for schools, parks, Shakespeare redevelopment and more
Richard Chumney
STRATFORD — School buildings, tennis courts, playgrounds, and other public facilities are all set to receive millions of dollars in repairs and upgrades next year as part of a town-wide effort to improve local infrastructure.
The Town Council voted unanimously last week to approve Mayor Laura Hoydick’s proposed improvement program for the 2023-24 fiscal year and issue $18 million in bonds to cover the cost of the project.
In a statement, Hoydick said the plan includes crucial upgrades for a wide-range of facilities, including general improvements for parks and replacements for some sidewalks, as well as new safety gear for police officers and other public safety officials.
The council also agreed to set aside $3 million for the yet-to-be-approved redevelopment of the old Shakespeare theater property, a 12-acre town-owned waterfront site off Elm Street where Hoydick is proposing to build a small theater, music pavilion and food truck court.
“This is a necessary blueprint for greater advancements and efficiencies to our town’s facilities and services, providing crucial and beneficial updates across every facet of the town that will prove fruitful both short-term and down the road,” Hoydick, a Republican, said in the statement. “I hope Stratford residents are encouraged and excited as we look toward the future of our town.”
According to town documents, the plan includes about $3.4 million to buy new school equipment and to cover various repairs to school buildings, including $1 million to replace the windows at Stratford Academy Johnson House on Birdseye Street.
Town parks and several other public facilities such as the Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field and the South End Community Center will get nearly $5 million for repairs and renovations. A little more than $2 million will pay for new public works equipment and technology upgrades for some town buildings.
About $3.5 million will be used to resurface aging roads and upgrade the town’s stormwater systems to help prevent flooding. An additional $850,000 will cover the cost of new safety gear for police officers and firefighters as well as other public safety-related equipment.
Council member Kaitlyn Shake, a Democrat who represents District 2 and serves as the 10-member’s body’s minority leader, called the multi-million dollar improvement plan a compromise between fellow members.
“I’m looking forward to seeing many of these projects get up off the ground in the next year,” Shake said.
In addition to appropriating money for various repair projects, the council also set aside $3 million for the future redevelopment of the old Shakespeare theater site. The council has not yet decided on what should replace the theater, which was destroyed by arsonists in early 2019.
But Hoydick is proposing to build an about 500-seat black box theater on the property alongside space for food trucks and a music pavilion. The estimated $11.5 million project would be built in three stages, starting with about $2.5 million in infrastructure upgrades. The state has also appropriated $3 million in grant money to help the town redevelop the site.
Council Chair Christopher Pia, a Republican who represents District 1, predicted the improvement plan, which he noted was backed by a large bonding package, will positively impact thousands of residents for years.
“I love that we were able to get the additional couple million dollars in there to keep moving the Shakespeare project … forward as we keep vetting out the designs for it,” Pia said. “It's going to benefit the entire town and the community as a whole.”
Clear Cutting For Powerlines Between Branford and Old Saybrook has Neighbors Up in Arms
Tim Leininger
Residents of Guilford and Madison as the energy company
Eversource has started clearing trees from the 150-foot wide right of way
running along transmission lines between Branford and Old Saybrook.
The project is expected to run through the end of the year,
said Eversource Manager of Vegetation Management in Connecticut Sean Redding.
The clearing is one of two projects in the area, said
Redding, the other focuses on the replacement of poles with sturdier poles and
replacing wires with more compact covered wire along roadside distribution
lines.
“Both are stronger and help improve reliability in the
area,” Redding said.
With the distribution lines project, he said, under state
law, property owners have the right to refuse work that alters vegetation on
their property.
The same is true regarding trees that aren’t on private
property, he said, and if there is a tree the public doesn’t want removed that
sits on public property they can appeal to the town’s tree warden to not have
the tree removed, as it is the tree warden’s ultimate decision.
But, property owners do not have legal recourse to protect
vegetation within the right of way of transmission lines, which are the high
voltage wires that deliver power from generation plants out to substations.
Eversource has had these easements for decades, Redding
said, and in the past they have conducted regular maintenance around the
transmission lines.
“That’s regulated at the federal level,” Redding said.
“Somebody owns the property and at some point the company purchased an easement
to build, maintain the lines and as well do the vegetation management.”
Eversource is now increasing the maintained right of way and
removing incompatible trees up to 100 feet from the wires.
Rebecca Martins, who lives on Stepstone Hill Road in
Guilford, said that removing incompatible trees is essentially removing
everything.
“When you push Eversource for answers, they’ll say we’re not
cutting everything, just incompatible species,” she said. “Anything that can
grow to 15-feet. In a wooded area, that’s everything. It’s going to be full of
invasive species.
“They are cutting everything in the right of way,” she said.
“When we get down to specifics they’re cutting everything. I can’t get them to
save anything. They’re saying they’re not cutting everything. Why does a
30-foot tree 100 feet away affect the power lines? It doesn’t. The explanation
I got is, the lines are covered by federal law. In certain conditions the line
can sag and blow out. They’re clearing for those conditions. If the lines are
on a hill, the trees are a bit taller. I understand their reasoning, but it
feels drastic. They’re cutting 150-foot wide all the way through the town.
They’re cutting down half of my yard. I feel defeated. I can’t stop it.”
Eversource has previously maintained vegetation within its
easement, but the decision to clear cut represents a significant change in
policy.
“Like many things over time, the conditions and situation
evolve,” Redding said. “Reliance on electricity is increasing over time.
Reliable power is key for homeowners, businesses and the economy. A few years
back, we were evaluating our performance for reliability. With the increase of
storms and the intensity of those storms, we were seeing more disturbances and
outages on our transmission lines. The primary cause of that were trees within
the easements falling into or close to the lines to cause an outage on our
transmission lines. Because of the voltages, the tree doesn’t even have to hit
the line, it can come close and cause an outage or a disturbance. That hinders
our overall restoration. These lines serve tens of thousands of customers. It’s
critical these lines stay on. This is a situation we wanted to reduce the risk
on.”
He said that with the increased age of the trees in the
state and with disease and invasive species, trees are failing and need to be
removed from the easements.
The width of the easement through most of the Guilford area,
Redding said, is 150 feet, but can vary depending on the agreement at the time
the easement was established. And transmission lines don’t necessarily fall
directly in the middle of the easement.
According to maps provided by Bill and Susan Wivell of
Madison, who have been living on their property within the easement on White
Birch Road for about 30 years, the transmission lines are off center with 50
feet of easement north of the lines and 100 feet south.
The Wivell’s property has a long driveway leading up to
their home running through heavy foliage. Much of the foliage that leads from
the street to their house will be removed by Eversource.
“We have a really cute 8-foot pine that’s in our driveway
right now,” Susan Wivell said. “It’s never going to be tall enough for many
years.”
In the past, she said, Eversource would come in for a couple
days every few years for trimming.
This changed last summer, she said, when Eversource came in
and cleared the 50-foot north side of the easement.
“We were shocked by the scope of it,” Susan Wivell said.
“We’ve been here for many decades.”
When she spoke to a representative of Eversource in May of
this year, she said he told her that was only the beginning.
She said that was the first time she had heard about the
project to clear out the additional 100 feet of easement.
Redding said that Eversource had started reaching out to
residents in December as part of a multistage effort to notify property owners
about the clearing.
“We start with a letter,” he said. “The letters were sent
out in December and followed up with direct outreach, trying to make direct
contact to inform them of upcoming work. That’s knocking on doors, leaving door
hangers, making calls. We include further discussions to explain what’s
happening.”
There are residents, though, like the Wivells who didn’t
hear about the work to clear out the additional 100 feet until recently.
Martins said she never received the letter in December.
Though a contractor did come to the house in February, she
said, Eversource’s concept of making contact with property owners is an
overstatement.
“They said I’d met with the arborist and outreach team in
February and June,” she said, “but I have no idea who the outreach team is.
Saying they ‘met’ with us seems to indicate in person. That didn’t occur.”
The most common complaints among property owners is that the
clearing of the vegetation will devalue their property and have a negative
impact on the environment.
“The scope of this is beyond reasonable,” said Susan Wivell.
“We understand the legal side of it,” Bill Wivell said. “Our
thing is Eversource has always said they have a good neighbor policy, called
their Best Management Practices guide. Their own BMP states the importance of
maintaining a screen of trees for residential value to lessen the impact. They
have a right to cut. The question is why? Do you do it simply because you have
the right to? What is the need?”
“There are some great native New England canopy healthy
trees that will never be a threat,” Susan Wivell said, “and will be removed.”
Leslie Sude, who lives on Windsor Court in Madison, said the
clear cutting will only add to the detrimental effects on the environment.
“It’s going to be exacerbated by the loss of shade, loss of
canopy cover, loss of soil, oxygen purification, soil erosion,” Sude said.
“This is just a small percentage of a larger swath across New England.”
Considering that only 50 feet on one side of the
transmission lines are being cleared, Susan Wivell questioned the necessity of
having to clear all 100 feet on the other side.
“That tells me by default if it was so critical to have the
full 100 feet, they would be negotiating with homeowners, pleading with them to
say they need an extra 50 feet,” she said. “They’re not doing that at all. By
default they are saying 50 feet is okay on one side.”
She said they’d be fine if Eversource cleared only 50 feet,
but clear cutting 100 doesn’t make sense.
“A 10-foot tree, even a 50-foot tree will never fall 100
feet,” she said.
Kenny Weisman, who also lives on White Birch Road, owns a
maple tree in his front yard about 40 to 50 feet tall that sits right on the
line of the easement, said Eversource has told him they’re removing the tree.
“I’ll have an arborist come in to trim it,” he said.
“It would have to be lifted up by a tornado and thrown into
the lines to come anywhere near it,” said Bill Wivell.
Clearing has already begun in Guilford with the 150-foot
cutting of land running up the hill visible from the intersection of West Lake
Avenue and Old New England Road.
Nancy Craig Kalin who lives on Wilderwood Drive, can walk
into the cleared part of the easement from her backyard.
“If you look at it, there’s literally no way these trees
will fall and hit those wires,” she said of many of the trees that haven’t been
cleared yet.
She said she and her husband Tom were willing to create an
even 75-foot split on either side of the transmission wires, giving up 25 feet
on the north end so they could maintain some of the trees they would lose on
the south end, but were rejected.
“They aren’t concerned about the lines,” she said, pointing
out trees on the north end that she was offering to let them cut down that were
within range of falling onto the lines. “I’m all for protecting the power grid.
I respect that.”
Another concern for property owners is what will grow back
once everything is torn down.
Redding said there is no compensation for the property
owners from Eversource for loss of value to the homes, but is offering
mitigation planting on a case by case basis based on the impact.
“We’ll come to an agreement about replanting,” he said,
“depending on where it is.”
He said that directly below the wires, they won’t plant
anything that will grow over 15 feet, and in a to-be-determined range, 25 feet
further out. “If we plant outside the easement, it can be taller, typical
mature trees,” he said. “If it’s determined that planting is appropriate, we’ll
have a landscape designer and work with the property owners and work with them
based on what the property owner is interested in having accomplished.
Ultimately the property owner has to agree with what’s being planted. We obtain
the plant material, work with a contractor to install it.”
It will be up to the property owner to maintain whatever is
planted and Eversource won’t plant anything if the property owners are unable
to care for it.
After Eversource finished the 50-foot clearing last year,
the company never planted new trees or shrubs, said Susan Wivell.
“Originally they said they’d replant into fall, now it’s
spring, summer or next fall,” she said. “They haven’t done any maintenance.”
She said she had an arborist come over to inspect the
vegetation that has grown and it’s all invasive right now.”
Guilford First Selectman Matthew Hoey said that aside from
the responsibilities of the local tree warden with the distribution lines, the
town has no control over what Eversource can and can not do regarding the
easement.
“These are protocols that have been established,” he said.
Amazon buys former Lowe’s plaza in Orange for $14.5M
E-commerce giant Amazon.com has purchased two vacant retail
plazas along the busy Boston Post Road in Orange for more than $14
million.
The site was the subject of a 2020 redevelopment proposal to
turn the former Lowe’s center into a 129,000-square-foot delivery
station.
It is unclear what Amazon’s plans are for the property.
The two properties at 48-50 Boston Post Road were bought by
Amazon.com Services and principal Michael D. Deal on July 5 for $14.5 million,
according to town land records.
Deal is Amazon’s general counsel.
Lowe’s closed its Orange location in 2018 as part of a
broader nationwide closure of underperforming stores. The property at 48 Boston
Post Road includes more than 128,000 square feet of space and was built in
1998.
It sits on 15.3 acres and has a total appraised value of
$11.9 million.
The adjacent plaza at 50 Boston Post Road contains 65,000
square feet of retail space and had been home to an Edge Fitness Club and
Guitar Center. It sits on 7.5 acres and has a total appraised value of $5.4
million.
The properties were sold by Boston-based Great Island
Development Group Orange LLC, and principals Bernard M. Devine Jr and Charles
R. Irving III.