Middletown seeks public hearing on Route 9 traffic lights removal
MIDDLETOWN — Middletown leaders,
with support from vocal members of the community, are again
urging transportation officials to hold a forum on the controversial
Route 9 traffic lights removal project so the public can provide input on the
latest plan.
Since the early 2000s, the state Department of
Transportation has been working
on a project to remove two signals to improve safety and keep traffic
flowing. The DOT estimates the project will cost $143 million, spokesperson Eva
Zymaris said Wednesday.
The lights are at the junction of Route 9 and Hartford
Avenue at Exit 24, and Exit 23C, where the highway intersects with Route 66 and
deKoven Drive.
The traffic signals on Route 9 in Middletown are the
only ones on a state highway in Connecticut, according to the Department of
Transportation. Critics of the lights have said hazardous conditions may arise
when motorists come to a stop.
Between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2023, there were 505
crashes resulting in 161 injuries within the project limits on Route 9 alone,
according to the DOT.
There is an average of one crash every other day and an
injury once per week in this area, the
project website says.
In May 2024, the DOT
presented a version of the light removal plan at City Hall. It's
unclear if any changes have been made to that plan.
In June 2024, the council passed a
resolution asking the DOT to halt the removal in light of many
“serious questions and concerns” about highway changes. These include
environmental damage, traffic congestion on local streets, environmental
justice concerns, and a lack of planning for the proposed construction, city
officials said at the time.
However, the project was never put on hold.
During Monday
night’s Common Council meeting, members supported a measure to request the
state provide an update on the project, allow people to comment, and explain
how it will affect adjacent city streets.
Ed McKeon, a former common councilor, has been pushing
for more transparency for some time.
“I’m hoping… we will have time to debate the specifics of
whether removing traffic lights on Route 9 is a good idea or not,” he said at
the meeting. “We’ve had that debate here. Unfortunately, we’ve not had that
with the DOT present.”
McKeon said the agency has demonstrated “arrogance” in the
matter.
“They have thumbed their noses at you,” he told the council,
characterizing the project as a “life-changing alteration of our highway
system.”
The DOT has held several public meetings since December 2023
and briefed local officials over the years, Zymaris explained Wednesday.
“These meetings ensured residents could learn about the
projects, expected impacts, and long-term safety and economic benefits,” she
said.
State officials are intent on keeping the public involved
throughout the process, and are open to input, Zymaris added.
“Any statement to the contrary is totally false,” she
said.
The DOT, she continued, has been “fully transparent and open
throughout this entire process,” and revised the signals project based on
community feedback.
Among the residents who have been interested and concerned
about the project since the beginning is Jen Alexander, founder of Kidcity
Children’s Museum. At Monday's meeting, she said she was discouraged by
what she saw as the DOT's lack of communication.
“Unless we’re in the room, and unless we’re accountable, it
can look like they’re giving us information, and then that information changes
later, and we don’t get to absorb the difference in that kind of impact,” she
said. “There’s going to be a million things we find in the details of this plan
that we’re only going to find if they have to speak about them in
public.”
The public has “historically shown support of the removal of
the signals, yet haven’t been in support of the design alternatives previously
presented,” the project website reads.
The DOT has presented multiple iterations of the plan over
the years, according to resident Brian Stevens.
“Each time, it was stopped because the people
of Middletown saw some big problem,” he said.
Councilman Vincent Loffredo expects the project will
particularly affect a certain population.
“This will have a tremendous impact on the lowest income
zone in the city in terms of the housing and concentration of people living in
the North End,” he explained.
The DOT plans to hold a public briefing sometime this
summer, Zymaris said.
For project details, visit portal.ct.gov.
Costco lawsuit against Plainfield could hinge on June 9 meeting
A landowner will present a lawsuit settlement to Plainfield's planning and zoning commission.
The lawsuit stems from the commission's denial of a zoning
change for a proposed Costco distribution facility.
Landowners and Costco claim the commission failed to
properly review the application according to law.
The commission may vote on the settlement after discussing
the pending litigation in an executive session.
The lawsuit against the Plainfield Planning & Zoning
Commission may come to a resolution on June 9, when the commission will hear a
presentation from the landowner, one of five plaintiffs in the suit. The
lawsuit is a result of the Planning & Zoning Commission's denial of a
zoning change needed to build a Costco distribution facility on the
Plainfield/Canterbury town line.
Costco representatives made its initial presentation to
the town on Sept. 17.
Representatives from P. Camp Holdings LLC, one of five plaintiffs who are suing the planning and
zoning commission for denying the zoning change, will make
its case to the commission.
The other plaintiffs in the case are Butts Bridge LLC,
P & J Holdings LLC, and 1197 Norwich Road LLC, who collectively own the
land where the distribution facility is proposed. Costco, who is the
contract purchaser of the land, is also a plaintiff in the case.
What the plaintiffs allege in their lawsuit
The landowners and Costco are suing the planning
and zoning commission because they believe the board failed
to analyze the application for the zoning change for consistency with the
comprehensive plan and their decision ignores substantial evidence in
the record. The plaintiffs also said in their complaint that the defendant failed
to review the information before it in accordance with the
law and the zoning regulations.
What is Costco proposing?
In addition to the distribution facility proposed in
Plainfield, the project calls for a depot in Canterbury. The total
combined site would exceed 400 acres and would serve as temporary storage of
products that would be received from suppliers and then distributed to Costco
retail stores.
During the project's initial presentation to the town,
Costco representatives said the corporation plans to hire for 190 positions in
the first year, with an average hourly wage of $26 per hour. Costco plans on
increasing their workforce at the Plainfield/Canterbury facility to 250
positions in year five, with an average hourly wage of $30.
Costco representatives added during the presentation that
95% of employees at the Plainfield/Canterbury facility will be eligible for
Costco's employee benefits. The company's benefits include medical, dental,
vision, pharmacy, life and disability insurance. Costco also offers a 401(k)
with company match and annual contribution in addition to flexible spending and
dependent care accounts. Vacation time and holidays are also offered.
What will happen at the Planning & Zoning meeting?
Following P. Camp Holdings LLC’s presentation,
the planning and zoning commission is scheduled to enter into
executive session to discuss the pending lawsuit. When the board comes out
of executive session, they may vote on a settlement.
Karla Desjardins, chairwoman of the Plainfield
Planning and Zoning Commission, is unsure if money will be offered as part
of the settlement. She added that she does not know what will happen after the
commission accepts or denies the settlement.
“This is all new to me,” Desjardins said. “I’ll pretty
much find out what happens on the 9th on the 9th ... The attorney
will have to tell us.”
If you want to go
The Plainfield Planning and Zoning Commission meeting is
scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9 at Plainfield High School.