Demolition could begin this week at Bridgeport's former Testo's, 177 apartments planned for site
BRIDGEPORT — Demolition of the former Testo's
restaurant, where Bridgeport's long-time Democratic Party chief for years
cooked for patrons and concocted political recipes for the city, could begin
this week to make way for a 177-unit market rate apartment complex.
The municipal building department on Monday issued the
$4,440 worth of necessary permits to tear down the Italian eatery and catering
hall on Madison Avenue in the North End, and two neighboring homes.
Testo's, run by Democratic Town Committee Chairman
Mario Testo and his nephew, Ralph Giacobbe, shuttered last New Year's
Eve with
the sale to out-of-town developer Amit Lakhotia pending. Lakhotia
closed on the deal, announced last November, in April.
Lakhotia's contractor, Bridgeport-based John Guedes, in an
interview Monday afternoon said he hoped the demolition would begin as soon as
Tuesday.
"The equipment has been moved in," he said.
But there is a major unknown. The municipal law department,
at the request of close Testa ally Mayor Joe Ganim, has been
reviewing the zoning permit issued for the four-story development, which
has been criticized by some neighbors, City Council members and activists as
too large for that section of town.
Law department head Mark Anastasi last week said he
expected his office to release its highly-anticipated opinion this week but
has made no other comment on what it might contain. He and his staff have also
consulted with outside counsel on the matter.
Ganim had in early May taken the unusual step of initiating
the thorough legal analysis of an already approved development following the
public outcry about the 177-unit, four-story apartment building with
underground parking planned for the former Testo's.
On
May 2 Hearst CT Media reported that because the plans were submitted
in late 2021 by Testa and Giacobbe before new, more-restrictive municipal
zoning regulations took effect Jan 1, 2022, the apartments were reviewed under
the obsolete design guidelines and a zoning permit was provided without a
public hearing and subsequent vote by the zoning commission.
A couple of days later, Ganim, who is seeking
re-election, announced
that he agreed with critics' concerns about the project's height and density and
would have his legal staff look into the zoning process.
Besides the three demolition authorizations issued
Monday, the building department on May 17, just days after Ganim announced the
legal review of the zoning permit, approved a permit for Guedes to build a
foundation for the 177-apartments. Hearst CT Media obtained that Monday
morning.
In an interview earlier Monday before the announcement of
the demolition permits, Raymond Rizio, the Bridgeport-based land use attorney
whose office in 2021 sought the zoning approval for Testa and Giacobbe, said
the May 17 foundation permit should be a meaningful piece of evidence.
"That basically tells you the city department in charge
of that (foundation) permit reviewed the plans and they're consistent with the
earlier zoning approval," Rizio said. "It's a confirmation that
everything was done correctly."
And now, Guedes argued, so too are his demolition
authorizations.
"This thing of Ganim having the law department review.
I can't figure it out. Review what?" Guedes said.
Asked what happens should the Ganim administration announce
that something was found to stop the Testo's project, Guedes said, "I
don't foresee the city getting into a situation like that"
"It would open up a major lawsuit," he added.
"You can't issue permits and then take them back. You can't do that."
Guedes also said that even though construction has not begun
behind the scenes supplies were being purchased and subcontractors hired.
"You're talking millions of dollars of contracts that
were issued as soon as the foundation permit was issued," he said.
"The city would need to be justified (in halting the project) and I just
don't see any justification. It all went by the book."
City Councilwoman Jeanette Herron, who represents the
neighborhood and has also come out against the apartments as designed,
said Monday, “We’ve been waiting for that legal opinion for almost two months
and I’m disappointed it hasn’t been done yet. I was told it’s coming this week.
I don’t like the fact that demolition permit was issued before the legal
opinion, but time will tell.”
Guedes said the permits should have been issued sooner and
blamed the controversy for the holdup. But Ganim's communications
director Tiadora Josef said Monday the city attorney's office "has
not told any departments to put a hold on issuing any permits/approvals for the
Testo's apartments."
Ridgefield Route 7 sewer project deadline delayed, costs rise 15 percent
RIDGEFIELD — The town is roughly a year behind on
its upgrades
to its sewer system, a project that when completed would improve the water
quality in the Norwalk River.
The project cost has grown 15 percent to $57.1 million due
to inflation and supply chain woes, and involves decommissioning
the Route 7 treatment plant and upgrading the South Street plant.
"At the end of the day, when this (South Street) plant
is in full operation and operating, filtration, is at a maximum, it’s going to
be one of the cleanest, most environmentally positive plants, in
Connecticut," First Selectman Rudy Marconi said.
COVID-19 related supply chain delays and a workforce
shortage onsite have pushed the completion dates from 2022 and 2023 to next
year.
When the Route 7 plant is decommissioned, the town will go
from two wastewater treatment plants to one, Marconi said. A bigger pump
station will be constructed at the Route 7 site, and wastewater will be pumped
from there to the South Street plant.
He added all the work was state mandated and the town will
not increase any of the capacity of the sewer plant.
The activity for last week involved testing the pump line on
Limekiln Road, he added. “There (is) fiber optic cable installation on Lee
Road, Limekiln and Haviland,” he said.
Marconi said the plant on South Street is 30 years old and
many of its parts are outdated and are due for upgrades.
“The quality of the effluent that’s being discharged aren’t
as good as they could be under current technology," he added.
Timeline, costs
Greg Kabasakalian, a member of the town’s finance
board, said the South Street upgrade was expected to be completed in
August 2022 and the Route 7 upgrade was expected to be completed in
August 2023.
Now, the South Street upgrade is scheduled to be finished in
January 2024, and the Route 7 project in April 2024.
South Street's cost has risen from $45.8 million to $46.9
million, while Route 7 work increased from about $9.7 million to $10.2
million.
The $1.68 million annual operating cost at South Street is
expected to increase 15 percent once the plant is complete, according to
Amy Siebert, chairman of Ridgefield's Water Pollution Control Authority,
in a letter that was shared with Hearst Connecticut Media.
The sewer project is with the WPCA, which is a separate
authority from the town, Marconi said.
In the letter, Siebert wrote the operating cost can vary
based on several factors, such as weather.
"Wet weather can lead to high flows and increased costs
associated with treatment; equipment issues ... that result in the need to
procure repairs, parts, etc, changes in supply costs ... (such as) chemicals
and other routine supplies," she wrote.
She added the plant will have new treatment processes in
place "and we will see how actual operations shake out as this all comes
together."
Marconi said the town bonded the project and invested about
$8 million in the project. He said the rest of the costs are being born by the
customers that the system serves, and the rates have "gone up
substantially."
Project benefits
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
told the town it would need to upgrade the Route 7 treatment plant if it
were to remain in operation, Marconi said. Those improvements would cost at
least $12 million to $15 million — millions more than the current project, he
said.
"From a capital project perspective, it’s less
expensive and we’re still treating (the plant)," he said.
A second benefit, Marconi said, is by decommissioning
that plant, which discharges the treated wastewater into the Norwalk River, the
quality of water in the Norwalk River will improve.
He added that’s a “huge benefit, not only in Ridgefield, but
all downstream.”
Flood-prone Meriden spared from heaviest rainfall during weekend storms
MERIDEN — Heeding forecasts that called for heavy rains and
thunderstorms that could bring about flash flooding last weekend, city
officials braced for the worst.
Fire Chief Kenneth Morgan said his department planned for a
potential 10 inches worth of rain between Saturday and Sunday. Actual totals,
reported by the National Weather Service, were 1.3 inches.
“I think in all honesty, we dodged a big bullet,” Morgan
said. So fire crews relocated the fire engine from the station on Pratt Street,
where there tends to be significant flooding, and relocated the reserve company
to another station. The department also had its tactical rescue unit relocated,
with boats on both ends of the Meriden Green.
“We had equipment repositioned in case we needed it,” Morgan
said.
As it turns out, those resources were not needed.
“We prepared and planned for the worst. Fortunately, we
didn’t have to enact any of it. It was a fairly uneventful day,” Morgan
said.
City Public Works and Engineering officials similarly
reported the storms’ rainfall had little impact on city roads.
Meanwhile, according to statewide news reports, other
communities, including Bristol and Waterbury, did experience flooding in some
areas.
Mayor Kevin Scarpati said his office did not receive any
complaints of flooding that he saw.
“I did check in on a few areas that are known to flood,” the
mayor said. “We seem to have been spared from the significant rainfall that
other parts of the state received.”
Flooding during significant rainfall events historically has
been an issue in Meriden. But officials say ongoing efforts during the
yearslong Harbor Brook flood control project, which is ongoing, have reduced
the severity of those such storms.
The Meriden Green is a cornerstone of those efforts, as it
is capable of storing some 58 acre feet of water during a 100-year storm event,
officials said. One acre-foot equals 326,000 gallons.
“We did not experience a 100-year storm or even a 50-year
storm,” said John Lawlor, the city’s director of Public Works and Engineering.
“We’ve gotten heavy rain recently, but nothing as significant as what we should
and need to design for.”
He added, the Meriden Green is designed for those
significant storms.
City Engineer Brian Ennis described the Meriden Green as a
bowl flood storage facility that is slightly elevated along its
perimeter.
The Green allows for smaller brooks that feed into Harbor
Brook to have places to drain more freely, instead of topping over onto
roadways, Ennis explained.
Smaller storms, like those that occurred over the weekend,
will be more frequent than 100-year storms. And they can be just as catastrophic
based on how many occur within a specific timeframe.
Ennis referenced a series of heavy rain storms that occurred
in the mid to late 2000s over a three-week period, in which the city amassed
roughly 15 inches of rain.
“When you combine them, they turned into a catastrophic
storm, just because it was storm after storm after storm. They just kept
coming. That’s the kind of thing, when you look at what we’re trying to do with
the Harbor Brook project, that’s what we’re trying to alleviate. Storms like yesterday
are going to come. We’re going to get more than we have in the past, just
because of the changing weather patterns,” Ennis said.
During those storms, there will continue to be street
flooding, because the city’s stormwater catch basins are designed for 10-year
storms.
“When you look at what happened two years ago, when we had
heavy storms that came, we had water on Pratt Street, we had water on State
Street. But when it stopped raining 20 minutes later, everything drained out,”
Ennis said.
Improving those catch basins is a project officials are
planning for when the Harbor Brook project is complete.
The current phase underway is a project to replace the Cedar
Street Bridge span. The former 35-foot long bridge has already been removed and
will be replaced with a new span that is more than 50 feet long, and six inches
higher in elevation. The city received a $4.7 million grant from the South
Central Regional Council of Governments, toward the project.
Officials expect the project will be completed by December
of this year, at an estimated cost of $4.1 million.
While the Harbor Brook project is underway, the city has
other infrastructure needs to address to alleviate other peripheral flooding
problems as they occur. An example was the flooding of the Stoddard Building on
Miller Street, which houses Health & Human Services Department offices, two
years ago. That issue, Ennis explained, resulted when a drainage pipe from the
building had broken, causing the water to backflow into it. That issue has
since been fixed.
Lawlor described projects like that, and another recently
discovered compromised storm line at the Kennedy Building, on Catlin Street, as
smaller projects “that help mitigate the flooding problem.
“Obviously there’s still a lot of work that needs to be
done. We’re not out of the woods yet,” Scarpati said of the ongoing flood
control efforts.
Manafort Bros. up for $3.6M contract to clear massive industrial building from Waterbury center
Waterbury officials are asking the city’s Board of Aldermen
to sign off Monday on a contract paying Plainville-based Manafort Brothers up to
$3.6 million to demolish a former brass factory in the heart of the city.
Waterbury paid $2.3 million for the 138,304-square-foot
building on 6 acres at 170 Freight St. in December, planning to demolish it,
clean the soil and market it for redevelopment.
The city had already acquired a neighboring 14-acre plot and
demolished various industrial buildings on the site. Together, the properties
at 130 Freight St., 000 West Main St. and 170 Freight St. had previously hosted
an industrial complex for brassworking giant Anaconda American Brass.
Later, a portion of the site was used by an industrial waste
processing outfit that ran into economic and environmental compliance problems.
The building at 170 Freight St. was rented to several commercial, industrial
and retail tenants before its sale.
Combined, the properties will offer a flat, 20-acre
development site on one corner of the downtown, right at the nexus of Route 8
and Interstate 84, a short distance from a passenger rail. Mayor Neil O’Leary
has made redevelopment of that site – seen as key to revitalizing the larger
Freight Street corridor – a major priority.
Manafort was the lowest of three bidders for the demolition
work at 170 Freight St. Stamford Wrecking and Bestech also applied.
The company will have 154 days to complete the project and
will be paid using a portion of the city’s federal American Rescue Plan Act
grant funding.
“I’m very pleased with the Manafort bid,” Mayor Neil M.
O’Leary said. “They have done great work for us on many other projects. This is
an exciting time. The interest on this piece has been amazing.”
Off shore wind project to supply CT energy gets environmental green light from federal regulators
Revolution Wind,
the offshore wind farm project southeast of Block Island that could power more
than 350,000 southern New England homes, moved significantly closer to
completion Monday when the federal Bureau
of Ocean Energy Management announced it had completed the project’s
final environmental review.
“BOEM used the feedback we received from Tribal Nations,
industry, ocean users, communities, and stakeholders to help inform our
decisions throughout the environmental review process and ensure that we are
addressing potential impacts,” Director Elizabeth Klein said. “This milestone
represents another important step forward in building a new clean energy
economy here in the United States.”
Revolution Wind, a joint venture by regional electric
utility Eversource and the North American division of Orsted, a Danish
multinational and global leader in offshore renewable energy, proposed a 100
turbine project capable of generating up to 880 megawatts of electricity.
The bureau said in its announcement Monday it had developed
a “preferred alternative” that meets the power production goal, but utilizes 65
of the towering wind turbine generators.
There has been opposition to the wind projects for a variety
of environmental and aesthetic reasons. Simulated images produced by the Bureau
of Ocean Energy Management suggest the turbines, hung on 300-foot towers, will
be visible from southern Rhode Island, as well as Block Island and Martha’s
Vineyard.
The bureau said it balanced “the needs and interests of
everyone who may be affected by the development” when preparing the final
environmental analysis. It said its preferred alternative would “meet energy
needs by installing fewer wind turbines to reduce impacts to visual resources,
benthic habitat, and allow for ocean co-use.”
The construction and supply base for Revolution Wind, and
two other offshore wind projects, is the State
Pier in New London, which has been rebuilt at a cost of more than $300
million.
The Eversource-Orsted partnership called issuance of the
environmental analysis a “major milestone” and praised the administration of
President Joe Biden for “its unwavering commitment to building the critical
renewable energy infrastructure necessary to achieve our clean energy goals.”
“This essential project is already benefiting local
communities, establishing a new, homegrown supply chain, and creating job
opportunities for workers in the industries of tomorrow, today,” said Julia
Bovey of Eversource.
Revolution Wind is one of three offshore wind projects being
developed by the Eversource-Orsted partnership. The other two, planned for the
same general area south of Rhode Island, are South Fork Wind and Sunrise Wind.
The three projects are among about 20 now planned by a
variety of groups on the continental shelf between Virginia and Maine
South Fork Wind is on track to be operational later this
year and, if so, will be the first completed utility-scale offshore wind farm
in federal waters.
South Fork Wind and Sunrise Wind will deliver electricity to
New York by cable to East Hampton on Long Island. Revolution Wind’s energy will
reach the New England electric grid by cable to Quonset Point, Rhode Island,
and produce power for homes in Connecticut and Rhode Island, according to
Eversource.
Last month, Eversource announced that it is selling part of
its share of the joint venture to partner Orsted for $625 million in order to
concentrate on its core business, the distribution of electricity.
Eversource and Orsted have signed a 10-year, $20 million
lease to use State Pier in New London as a supply base for offshore
construction of their three wind farms
Late last month, turbine towers began to arrive in New
London in pieces by ship. Most of the assembly is to take place on the 40-acre
pier and the components will be shipped offshore.
Agency Begins Scrutinizing Federal Contractors for Compliance On ILJA Projects
LUCY PERRY
Many of the infrastructure improvement projects that
resulted from the mega bipartisan IIJA program will be under scrutiny this year
by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). The
agency is increasing its focus on companies receiving those IIJA federal
monies. That means contractors on those projects need to don their best audit
gear.
The OFCCP released a list of 250 construction contractors
and subcontractors that the agency has on the audit radar. Those contractors
will be sent an official scheduling letter as advance notice of their
respective audit, to ensure companies are in compliance before the audit.
Keeping an Eye On the Audit
"The construction industry should monitor OFCCP's
regulatory requirements for construction contractors," wrote Lisa Marsh,
Jackson Lewis Law, which specializes in workplace law.
She said now is the time for contractors to review their
company's compliance program with an eye to making improvements where
necessary.
"Noncompliant contractors may face technical or
discrimination violations and, in extreme circumstances, contract cancelation
and debarment," said Marsh.
The OFCCP has a list of 16 mandatory affirmative action
steps, contained in a guide published by the agency. Marsh points to five major
categories included in OFCCP's Construction Contractors Technical Assistance
Guide. These categories are recruitment practices, training, implementation of
EEO policy, analyzing personnel activity and solicitations/contracts with
subcontractors.
Specifically, diversity recruitment is one of the most
frequently cited OFCCP audit violations, said Marsh.
"Many contractors rely on unions to fill construction
jobs, and many are unaware of their requirement to separately engage in
diversity recruitment."
She said in working closely with unions to engage diversity
organizations, contractors can neglect their obligation to demonstrate
compliance. These companies also must analyze their personnel activity to
conform with Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures.
The goal should be to ensure one race or gender is not
adversely impacted by the contractor's hiring practices.
"This requires the contractor to not only solicit and
maintain the gender and race of its employees, but to also track its
applicants, including demographic information," said Marsh.
Other contractor requirements include posting notices in
employee areas, and notifying OFCCP of certain subcontracts within 10 days, she
said.
"Contractors with a $50,000 and $150,000 non-federally
assisted contract must comply with OFCCP's regulations related to individuals
with disabilities and protected veterans."
Mega Projects Under Microscope
The OFCCP also has certain high-dollar projects on its
radar. The agency's Mega Construction Project Program was launched in March of
this year.
The program includes 12 federally funded projects with a
value of $35 million or more and a timeline of at least one year. After the
spring announcement, OFCCP held a public information session to outline plans
for working with contractors.
The agency intends to work throughout the project with the
direct and subcontractors awarded these jobs.
"OFCCP will require the employer working on the
selected Mega Projects to participate in EEO Committee meetings," said
Marsh. "The meetings will include relevant unions, diversity recruitment
organizations, and, potentially, other relevant government enforcement
agencies."
The increased industry attention is part of a move by
Director Jenny Yang, to reinvigorate OFCCP's oversight of affirmative action
compliance efforts. The agency plans to engage contractors and subs at the
pre-bid and post-bid stages to provide ongoing compliance assistance.
OFCCP also will evaluate contractors' efforts to recruit and
utilize talent from underrepresented backgrounds.
"OFCCP touts these projects as examples of how
involvement early and often can positively affect the community,"
according to Jackson Lewis Law. "With the launch of this new program,
construction contractors on Mega Projects can expect their chances of being
audited by OFCCP to spike."
Dissecting Audit Process
In evaluating contractors, OFCCP looks at all federal,
federally assisted and non-federal construction projects across all counties in
a geographic area. Understanding the OFCCP's requirements can help a contractor
prepare for an audit and reduce the risk of costly settlements.
Human resources specialist Berkshire said OFCCP exists to
ensure that the selected contractor is fulfilling contractual affirmative
action program obligations. The agency wants to see regularly prepared plans,
plan compliance with regulations, requisite data and complete annual data
analyses.
"The OFCCP also reviews whether a contractor has
engaged in any discriminatory hiring, promotion, termination or pay
practices," wrote Berkshire.
This is done by evaluating detailed personnel activity and
compensation data about all employees covered by the affirmative action plan
under review.
"The agency recovers money from the contractor at fault
to repay applicants and employees for missing back pay and salary
adjustments."
The agency can require that contractors establish hiring
goals as part of a resolution and can debar non-compliant contractors from
federal contracting work.
Qualifying contractors are required to maintain up-to-date
affirmative action plans and data regarding personnel decisions and other
employment records. This data should be analyzed regularly to monitor for OFCCP
compliance red flags, suggested Berkshire.
"Each employee must be included in the affirmative
action program of the establishment at which he or she works."
Covered contractors have detailed recordkeeping obligations
and must perform annual analyses of their personnel activity, according to
Berkshire. That includes applicant, hiring, promotions, terminations and
compensation systems. And contractors must evaluate workforce representation
against expected availability to determine if annual placement goals should be
established.
"Specific analyses also must be completed to evaluate a
contractor's progress in meeting government-established utilization goals for
individuals with disabilities and hiring benchmarks for protected
veterans," said Berkshire.
Companies may conduct the necessary analyses and reports
internally, or they may seek outside assistance.
"If you have limited resources or knowledge, our
recommendation is to obtain guidance," said the labor law specialists.
"Since these laws can be complex, expert interpretation is often
needed."
Are You in Compliance?
Under its frequently asked questions section, the DOL
explains the good-faith efforts construction contractors are required to take.
To increase participation of minorities and women in skilled
trades, contractors must maintain a harassment-free work environment.
These good-faith efforts also include recruiting minorities
and women, and developing on-the-job training for these workforce sectors.
Contractors should develop and disseminate EEO policies and evaluate minorities
and women for promotional opportunities.
Unintended discriminatory effects resulting from personnel
practices should be constantly monitored.
"Contractors must document their good-faith efforts
fully, which consist of the actions and steps they take to ensure the
requirements are met," according to DOL.
Another question asks if a contractor is meeting all
participation goals for minorities and women, can it assume it's not engaging
in any discrimination. DOL's answer is "not necessarily."
Participation goals are an important aspect of recruiting and developing a more
diverse workforce, according to the agency.
"Contractors that meet these goals still need to assess
their practices for possible employment discrimination," wrote the agency.
In determining whether employment discrimination has taken
place, OFCCP examines how each minority group is affected by a contractor's
practices.
"Executive Order 11246 prohibits discrimination on
sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and on inquiring about,
discussing and disclosing pay," said the agency.
Regulations prohibit contractors from discriminating on the
basis of disability and protected veteran status if they hold a direct federal
construction contract.
"Whether a contractor is meeting its participation
goals for women and minorities has no bearing on whether it is engaging in
discrimination on these other bases."
If employees or applicants experience discrimination in
association with a federal construction contractor, what are potential
scenarios for the contractor?
According to DOL, employees or applicants can file a
complaint with OFCCP, EEOC or a state or local civil rights agency with
jurisdiction. Additionally, if they are enrolled in a registered apprenticeship
program, they can file a complaint with the apprenticeship registration agency.
"The registration agency may refer a complaint to OFCCP
or to another enforcement agency, as appropriate," according to DOL.
What if a contractor fails to meet participation goals — is
it in violation? "Not necessarily," is DOL's FAQ response.
"Contractors must engage in outreach and other good-faith efforts to
broaden the pool of qualified candidates to include minorities and women."
Good-faith efforts include monitoring the effectiveness of
outreach and recruitment strategies in attracting diverse applicants.
Linking with different or additional referral sources in the
event that recruitment efforts fail to produce a diverse pipeline of applicants
is another positive move.
"The participation goals are not quotas, and no
sanctions are imposed solely for failure to meet them," said DOL. "A
contractor's compliance is measured by whether it has made good faith efforts
to expand employment opportunities and break down barriers to employment for
minorities and women."
Something else to think about: Accommodation request records
required by contractors to maintain. Contractors are required to maintain
records of requests related to pregnancy, childbirth, related medical
conditions and religious practices and observances. In addition, direct federal
contractors are required to maintain records of requests related to
disabilities, including those from disabled veterans.
"Specifically, contractors should maintain
documentation on requests made, relevant meetings and discussions held and
final dispositions. OFCCP regulations require contractors to grant reasonable
accommodation requests unless they can demonstrate that doing so would impose
an ‘undue hardship' on the operation of its business." CEG
Blumenthal seeks funds to repair roads
John Mckenna
GOSHEN – U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on Monday
pledged to do his best to secure federal funding for three Northwest Corner
towns where roads sustained heavy damage in flooding July 9-10.
Blumenthal stopped in Colebrook first, followed by Norfolk,
where several roads and two bridges on Route 272 were damaged, before moving on
to Goshen and a tour of town roads led by First Selectman Todd M. Carusillo.
In Goshen, Blumenthal, state Rep. Maria Horn, D-Salisbury,
and Democratic State Central Committee member Audrey Blondin of Goshen stood on
a bridge on North Goshen Road and viewed damage caused when the Hollenbeck
River rose quickly and flowed over the road, tearing out chunks of asphalt and
base material on either side.
“I’m astounded by the amount of damage and the cost it is
going to take to rebuild,” Blumenthal said. “For a small town like Goshen, the
burden of cost would be enormous and that’s why I’m ready to fight for disaster
relief.”
Once Gov. Ned Lamont, as expected, issues an official
request for federal disaster relief, Blumenthal said he will be poised to
present information he collected during Monday’s tour to President Biden to
show the president how badly aid is needed.
In addition to towns affected by flooding, Blumenthal said
farmers and businesses that suffered losses in the deluge also deserve
financial relief.
“The catastrophic impact is just stunning and unfortunately
these kinds of storms are now becoming the new normal,” he said.
The estimated cost of rebuilding the North Goshen Road
bridge is between $800,000 and $1.3 million, according to Carusillo, a cost
Goshen can’t afford on its own. Fortunately, traffic can still cross the
bridge, beyond which there are 16 to 18 homes.
“We need funding, and we need it now so we can get this done
right,” Carusillo said.
Carusillo also showed Blumenthal, Horn and Blondin washout
damage on Hageman-Shean Road and East Street North. Goshen public works crews
filled in washed out areas and regraded sections of roads following last week’s
storm, only to see some of the improvements washed away by heavy rain on
Sunday.
“Everything we fixed last week got washed out,” Carusillo
said at the stop on East Street North. “All that is having to be fixed again.”
Public works, Carusillo said, has had to dip into its budget
for several tons of gravel to repair washed out areas. The two sections of East
Steet North that sustained washouts were undermined to the point where they
will have to be rebuilt, he said.
Carusillo thanked Blumenthal and Horn for taking the time to
see the damage in Goshen.
“It shows the residents of Goshen that they care and are
here to help,” Carusillo said. “Hopefully this puts us on track to getting the
funding we’ll need.”