First components for Revolution Wind farm arrive at New London’s State Pier
Sarah Gordon
New London ― The Rolldock Storm, a heavy-load carrier
registered in the Netherlands, carried the first offshore wind components for
the Revolution Wind project to State Pier on Wednesday.
The turbine sections were the first pieces of a 65-turbine
project set to be staged and assembled in New London for an Ørsted and
Eversource wind farm that will be built off the coast of Rhode Island.
The 704-megawatt project will be the first to deliver power
to Connecticut. The state is expected to receive 300-megawatts of electricity
from the project.
State Pier was previously used to assemble and ship
components for South Fork Wind, a 12-turbine project that became the first
utility-scale offshore wind project in the country and is now supplying
renewable power to the Long Island grid.
Eversource's plan to put two transmission lines under Norwalk Harbor sparks concerns about docks
NORWALK — Plans for Eversource to
place transmission lines under Norwalk
Harbor as part of the $1
billion project to replace the Walk train bridge are prompting
concerns over the future of the city’s public docks.
Eversource
plans to place two existing overhead transmission lines underground
by microtunneling from
the Norwalk Police Station, under the Norwalk River, to East Norwalk on Fort
Point Street, according to the project’s webpage. However, the tunnel’s path
crosses in front of Norwalk’s boat ramp off Veterans Memorial Park.
“Connecticut Department of Transportation is currently
rebuilding the Walk Bridge that crosses the Norwalk River to ensure continued
railroad operation along the vital Northeast rail corridor,” Eversource’s
website says. “As part of this work, we must relocate and energize the two
electric transmission lines that span the top of the bridge.”
The tunnel’s path through the river concerns the Norwalk
Harbor Management Commission, which has petitioned the Connecticut
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to further
investigate the project’s impacts on the harbor and the future of the public
dock.
“I think Eversource should be held responsible for any
additional work that would be required,” said John Pinto, a member of the
Harbor Management Commission during its March 27 meeting. “If we had to replace
or refurbish or redesign that dock in the future, having these two high-tension
wires underneath our dock is going to set into motion an added expense.”
Microtunneling
is a construction method in which a pit is dug to the desired depth,
then sections of the tunnel are incrementally pushed into the earth
horizontally while the machine at the tip of the tube breaks up and evacuates
the soil.
Once complete, the tunnel will house 115kV transmission
cables that power Norwalk.
After gaining the necessary 25 signatures, the Harbor
Management Commission has temporarily delayed the microtunneling project until
DEEP hosts a site visit and hearing. During the last Harbor Commission Meeting
on April 24, Chair Alan Kibbe said the visit is tentatively scheduled for
May 22 and the hearing tentatively for May 29.
Members of the Harbor Management Commission said the
location of the electric cables will create a “Pandora’s box” of negative
effects that could limit public access to the harbor. Completely replacing the
dock would cost about $4 million, said Geoff Steadman during the meeting in
April.
Whether DEEP
will deem the project a hindrance to public access and against the
costal management plan is unknown, but the commissioners remained skeptical.
“DEEP has recently announced their intent to approve
Eversource’s proposed method to relocate their two transmission lines from the
Walk Bridge structure to conduits beneath the Norwalk River without conducting
a public hearing,” Commissioner Christopher White said
on Facebook in asking for support for the petition.
“The Norwalk Harbor Management Commission believes it is
important to have a public hearing on this proposal. Routing these transmission
lines beneath the David Dunivan Marine Center and the Norwalk River will create
long-term impediments to maritime-related use and development in South
Norwalk,” he said.
The Harbor Management Commission needs only 25 signatures to
secure a public hearing, but the online petition was closed with 133
supporters.
“It’s clear that there’s no, in my opinion, there’s not
going to be any critical discussion,” Steadman said. “Initially, when we talked
with DEEP about it, they were interested in the effect on the visitors' dock
because it’s a permitted public access facility, that’s supported or encouraged
by the Coastal Management Act, so there was some discussion that DEEP might be
able to protect the city’s interest.”
Meriden council rejects $25M in bonding for new senior center, health department
MERIDEN — The City Council voted 8-4 to reject a proposal
Monday to add $25 million to the city's capital improvement plan to fund a new
senior center and health department.
The ultimate
rejection of the proposed senior center and health department funding
followed an hour-long debate over the city's debt load and whether the $25
million would increase or decrease the city's ability to secure grants to cover
the price tag of the finished project.
The question divided both caucuses of the City Council.
Opposing the measure were Democrats Sonya Jelks, Chad
Cardillo, Yvette Cortez and Joseph Scaramuzzo, along
with Republicans Dan Brunet, Michael Zakrzewski and Michael
Carabetta, and We the People's Bob Williams.
Republican Ray Ouellet joined Democrats Michael Rohde,
Larue Graham and Bruce Fontanella in supporting the amendment.
The proposal had the strong backing of unaffiliated Mayor
Kevin Scarpati, who drew a comparison to the recently completed library
renovation project which began with $10 million in bonding and ended with a $13
million project. The senior center project is estimated to cost $44 million to
$48 million but councilors want to see lower-cost options.
"We have tried (to get grants) and we don't have a
shovel-ready project," Scarpati said. "We have to move the project
forward."
Fontanella at one point asked if the city might want to
consider bonding the estimated $5 million cost to design and prepare the
project for bidding, rather than the full $25 million at this time. Finance
Director Kevin McNabola said the bond counsel recommended putting in the
full amount. The city would have until 2030 to pay off the debt. The debt cost
would represent about .34 mills as a portion of the tax rate after
construction.
"The worst thing you could do is to design the work and
not move forward," McNabola said.
After a year-long feasibility study involving city
officials, seniors and members of the public, the City Council is seeking to
build a 35,000 square-foot-senior center, a 15,000-square-foot health
department, an 8,000-square-foot gymnasium, an outdoor area and parking. Most
wanted to see designs for a $25 million facility and a $48 million facility. If
the city seeks additional funding for the upgraded building, it could go before
the council for approval, as it did with the library.
The city has received a $2 million state grant to demolish
the vacant building at 116 Cook Ave. that is contingent upon rebuilding a
structure that complies with its Plan of Conservation and Development.
Jelks, the Democratic majority leader, told councilors that
the $48 million project was ideal, but now some of the councilors may have
"sticker shock" over the cost.
She added the council seemed confused over what it wanted to
accomplish.
Scarpati fired back that the specifics have been made
clear in multiple meetings and through public input.
"We need to build as big as possible," Scarpati
said. "We spent a year studying this. The $25 million is a good starting
point."
Scarpati, who has veto power over council decisions, said
Tuesday he is reviewing both the city's approved 2025 budget and the capital
improvement plan for potential vetoes.
The city has budgeted $15,538 million in debt service for
2025.