New Britain secures full funding for long-sought Allen Street drainage project
Claudio S. Hilario
NEW BRITAIN — Mayor Bobby Sanchez said New Britain has
secured all funding needed for the long-awaited Allen Street drainage and flood
mitigation project, which city officials say will address years of flooding
problems in the neighborhood.
“On day one, I made a promise to the Allen Street
neighborhood that we would fully fund this project and finally move it forward
after more than a decade of waiting,” Sanchez said. “Today, we are proud to say
that promise has been kept. This project is about protecting homes, improving
infrastructure and finally delivering relief to residents who have waited far
too long for action.”
The city had already secured nearly $8 million in federal,
state and transportation infrastructure funding for the project. Sanchez said
an additional $5 million in state bonding support has now been approved,
completing the funding package needed to move the project forward.
City officials said the additional support came through a
partnership involving the New Britain legislative delegation, including state
Sen. Rick Lopes and state Reps. Manny Sanchez, Dave DeFronzo, Iris Sanchez and
Gary Turco, along with support from Gov. Ned Lamont and U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes.
Residents in the Allen Street area have dealt with repeated
flooding issues during major storms for years. City officials said the project
has faced delays and uncertainty for more than a decade.
Sanchez said the city focused on finding outside funding
sources to avoid placing the cost on local taxpayers.
“By working collaboratively with our state and federal
partners, we were able to fully fund this project without using a single dollar
from the city’s general fund,” Sanchez added. “That means we are delivering a
real solution for Allen Street residents while saving taxpayers millions of
dollars. This is exactly how government should work: partnerships, persistence
and a commitment to delivering results for residents.”
The mayor also thanked Lamont for supporting infrastructure
projects in New Britain.
“Governor Lamont understood the importance of this project
from the beginning and has been a strong partner in helping us deliver long
overdue infrastructure improvements for our residents,” Sanchez said.
DeFronzo also praised the effort to secure the final
funding.
“This announcement represents what can happen when local and
state leaders work together with urgency and purpose,” DeFronzo said.
“Residents along Allen Street have waited long enough for action. Mayor Sanchez
made this project a priority from the beginning, and I was proud to work
alongside him and the entire New Britain delegation to help secure the funding
needed to finally get this done.”
Alderpersons John McNamara and Luz Ortiz Luna also welcomed
the announcement in a joint statement, calling the project a major victory for
neighborhood residents who have dealt with flooding and storm-related problems
for years.
Proposal for massive CT distribution center draws opposition. An ‘unacceptable burden’: resident
Noise, lighting, trucks, exhaust and more are on the minds
of Connecticut residents who oppose a proposed nearly 1.4-million-square-foot
warehouse and distribution center project that would be built off Interstate
395.
The Killingly residents voiced concerns about the
development, called Project Husky, that is being proposed by developer Ryan Companies. It also calls
for 60 loading docks, 430 trailer parking spaces and 930 associate parking
spaces. Although the name of the distribution company was not on any town
material or proposals, Amazon was mentioned several times by name during
the May 18 town
Planning & Zoning Commission meeting.
The 228 Westcott Road plan includes the construction of a
new warehousing and distribution center of 1,288,220 square feet and includes
340 acres for development and 76 acres of conservation easement. There are also
216 acres proposed to be deeded to the town of Killingly for conservation. The
project is located between I-395, Westcott Road and Mashentuck Road, according
to the Killingly
Planning & Zoning Commission agenda from May 18.
Two new distribution centers are being proposed on 54 acres
at 90 Putnam Pike. That proposal totals 467,500 square feet of gross floor area
with associated loading bays, trailer parking spaces, employee parking, access
drives, stormwater management systems, retaining walls, septic systems,
utilities, landscaping and lighting, records show.
Much of the first hour of a recent meeting included
people who expressed opposition to the proposal. Among the reasons for their
position also are environment, light pollution, noise pollution, water
pollution, air pollution, truck traffic and traffic congestion. There also was
support for the plans.
The issues in opposition were illustrated in written
testimony by Danielson’s Tammy Russell and all of those who submitted their
written testimony prior to the recent meeting.
“I am strongly opposed to the proposed warehouses and
distribution center being considered in Killingly. Both will result in zero
benefit to our town. Both projects masquerade as economic development,” Russell
wrote.
She added that a Walmart distribution center was proposed in
the same area of Westcott Road in 2002 and the application was rejected because
“the area was zoned business park and not industrial.”
Ferrari’s first electric vehicle met with market skepticism
The nearby Briarwood Falls Condo
Association also has put together a petition signed by 45 residents of
the 55-and-over community to “Stop Amazon Distribution Center from Locating to
Killingly.”
“Amazon has proposed to establish a Level 1 distribution
center 1/2 mile from Grouse Court and Mockingbird Dr. This proposal will
adversely impact our environment, traffic noise on I-395 and the Briarwood
Falls community,” the petition states.
Killingly resident Lynn Geiger presented that petition to
the Planning & Zoning Commission on behalf of Briarwood Falls.
“We’d like to stop this Amazon distribution center and all
distribution centers from locating on this proposed site, which is located
right in back of my house,” Geiger said. “Our homeowners will be directly
impacted with what they call in the industry high disturbance noise day and
night … If a lithium fire breaks out, our homes will be directly involved in
that tragedy. We will be forever living on high alert, and this is an
unacceptable burden for our community.”
Danielson’s Jennifer Bryant also opposed the proposal,
citing concern about a disturbance to the ecosystem.
“There are many of us that live very close to those areas
that are going to be impacted by that traffic, the noise, all of the other
disturbances that come with it including pollution,” Bryant said. “Consider all
townspeople as they evaluate these projects and not just those that live away
from where the center of the impact is going to take place.”
Dayville’s Ida Berris said she is “completely opposed to
this project.”
“When you’re talking tons of trucks, there’s no way that
it’s not going to impact our atmosphere,
our water quality, our way of life, our rural environment,” she said.
Killingly resident Dr. Robert Carlson said that, if Project
Husky were to go through, “the noise pollution will be horrendous 24/7.”
“Trucks breaking off the highway, trucks entering the
highway, accelerating up the highway, going down Gauthier (Ave) and up Knox
(Ave) to get on and off I-395 – it’ll be literally in those folks’ backyard.
There are thousands of us who live within fairly close proximity,” Carlson
said. “I take great umbrage with the fact that this is not a residential area.
It is to all of us who live here. The light pollution is going to be
horrendous. I like looking at the stars. They’re going to be gone with the
light pollution from this monstrosity of 1.3 million square feet.”
“These HVAC things on the roof of this monstrosity will be
humming away,” he added. “I just plead with you to think about those of us who
live here in town rather than those of us who are trying to put this down the
throat of us. I assume we’re considered to be relatively rural Rubes, but we’re
not and we’re very concerned with what’s going on.”
Dayville’s Russ Daniels said among his concerns are the
environment and possible runoff from the building and contamination from the
430 tractor trailer parking spots and 900 parking spots for employees. He also
expressed concerns about the added traffic to the area.
“I’ve lived here for 20 years now, and this is by far the
worst proposal I have ever seen Killingly make. I’m surprised we’re even
considering this,” Daniels said. “The people … haven’t thought all the issues
through.”
Dayville’s Al Dufresne expressed concerns about watershed
impacts.
“One of my biggest concerns with this project is the scale
of industrial development being proposed directly within sensitive headwater
areas tied to the Mashentuck Brook watershed system. Once a project of this
size is built, the hydrology of the site is permanently changed. This proposal
involves extremely large impervious surfaces, roofing, pavement, truck courts,
loading areas, and supporting infrastructure. All which is dramatically
increased runoff volume and natural groundwater recharge patterns,” Dufresne
said.
Dufresne also expressed concern about soil testing,
infiltration assumptions, groundwater conditions, and long-term stormwater
performance.
“My mom and dad have our family property on Westcott Road.
We have about 40 acres there and we had another 117 acres. The town, in the
past, wanted to rezone it commercially and we didn’t want that. We wanted to
keep it woodlands. Amazon doesn’t have enough money in the world to buy that
property off my parents. It’ll never be a commercial or an industrial zone.
We’ll fight it to the end.”
There were, however, people who spoke in favor of the
proposal. Steve Dana, a Brooklyn resident, who is building in Killingly, said
he supports Project Husky.
“I believe that most of the unheard silent majority in this
town feel as I do and have remained silent so far. Being loud with your opinion
doesn’t make it right,” Dana said. “I only wish that the anti (proposal) didn’t
leave after like at the last meeting after expressing their opinions because
they would have heard a clear and thorough response to the answers to every
single concern that was brought up: safety, lights, sight line, traffic,
sewage, water. The parcel in question has been zoned commercial for years for a
reason.”
“The developer for [the] Husky Parcel has shown, in my
opinion, great response to the citizens and the board concerns such as leaving
access for the town to the undeveloped property, putting in their own septic,
reducing the number of bridges in the entrance and exit, altering the original
entrance and exit from two lanes doubly to one double lane entrance and exit.”
Killingly resident Kevin Olsen also spoke in support of
Project Husky.
“This is a well thought out and developed plan that
represents the best possible opportunity for the town,” Olsen said. “If we just
consider the facts of the proposal such as does the zoning allow for such a
business? The answer is yes.”
Olsen said the property is large enough to allow for the
required setbacks and said most people wouldn’t see or hear the building
because of topography and vegetation. He added that the plan allows for almost
300 acres of open space and the project is good for the tax base and for the
residents of Killingly.
“Owners who have a right to develop their properties. They
have paid taxes for generations and I know that some people would like to keep
it as forest, but it’s not theirs. They don’t pay the taxes. They call it our
forest. Unless they own it directly or unless it is owned by the town, the
state or the federal government, it’s privately held with tax and insurance
being paid every year.”
Tighe & Bond completed
a second third-party engineering review of the Project Husky site plan
application. The technical evaluation was conducted to assess general
conformance with the town of Killingly Zoning Regulations, according to a memo
to Ann-Marie L. Aubrey, director of Planning and Development for Killingly.
Among the topics Tighe & Bond reviewed included the
stormwater management report, traffic impact study and evaluation of site sound
emissions and traffic volume information. Tighe & Bond said issues are
“satisfactorily addressed.”
Tom Cody,
attorney at the firm of Robinson & Cole,
speaking on behalf of the Minnesota-based Ryan Companies said at last week’s
Planning & Zoning meeting, “we were pleased that the majority of the
comments that had been initially raised were noted as being satisfactorily
addressed.”
“There are a number of items that do require additional sort
of notes and details added to the site plan application. And the applicant is
working on all of that and will be submitting probably within the next week a
revised set of plans that include all of those various notes and details that
were flagged in those Tighe & Bond comments.”
Cody said the plan has consolidated driveways to a single
access point on Westcott Road and that information was presented to the
Planning & Zoning Commission Tim Andurko from Langan Engineering.
A public hearing for the town’s Inland Wetlands Commission
regarding the proposed warehouses and distribution center will be on June 1,
according to Cody.
Mark Vertucci a senior transportation engineer with Fuss
& O’Neill presented a study area to include four additional intersections
near the proposal and reiterated that Tighe & Bond found operations at
these intersections to be acceptable.
“We went out and conducted additional traffic counts
capacity analysis and what we found is those intersections are operating
acceptably today, and they will continue to do so upon inclusion of the traffic
from the warehouse distribution center,” Vertucci said.
Planning & Zoning member John Sarantopoulos voiced
his concerns about the project.
“You’re going to have noise, pollution. It’s going to upset
the whole community. I think that’s more of a concern than your reconfiguration
of that access road leading into the facility,” Sarantopoulos said.
CT to study nuclear industry workforce needs
A new state law requires Connecticut to assess the workforce
needed to support a potential advanced nuclear energy industry, as policymakers
continue exploring whether advanced nuclear technologies could play a future
role in the state’s energy mix.
Gov. Ned Lamont on May 22 signed Public Act 26-46, which directs the Connecticut
Council for Advancing Nuclear Energy Development to study the skilled labor
needs associated with advanced nuclear energy projects.
The council must identify the types of workers that would be
needed to support future projects, including engineers, technicians and skilled
trades workers, and determine whether Connecticut’s existing education and
training programs could meet that demand. The law also requires recommendations
for workforce development, recruitment and training strategies.
The measure does not authorize construction of a nuclear
facility, provide funding for a reactor project, or change the state’s energy
procurement policies. Instead, the legislation is intended to ensure
Connecticut is prepared if advanced nuclear technologies become commercially
viable and attract investment here.
It builds on efforts launched last year when lawmakers
created the Connecticut Council for Advancing Nuclear Energy Development as
part of a broader energy package. The 18-member council is now the state’s
primary advisory body on advanced nuclear energy issues and is charged with
studying potential economic, regulatory, workforce and infrastructure
considerations associated with the emerging industry.
It was created due to Lamont’s and other state policymakers’
growing interest in advanced nuclear technologies, such as modular reactors
that are designed to be smaller, more flexible and potentially less expensive
than traditional nuclear power plants.
Connecticut’s interest in the sector comes amid concerns
about rising electricity demand, grid reliability and the challenge of meeting
climate goals while maintaining access to carbon-free power sources.
The state is home to the 2,100-megawatt Millstone Power
Station in Waterford, the region’s only operating nuclear power plant and one
of the largest generators of carbon-free electricity in New England.