Norwalk's $5.1M drainage improvement project is ‘close to 50% done' on Heather and Lockwood Lanes
NORWALK – Less than a year after the groundbreaking
on a $5.1 million storm drainage improvements project, the state-funded
work to address flooding in a Norwalk neighborhood is almost halfway to
the finish line, city officials say.
“We’re about close to 50% done,” said Vanessa
Valadares, Norwalk’s
chief of operations and public works, on the project to improve the Heather
Lane and Lockwood Lane area. “We started this project last year in September,
and we’re going to be finishing by December.”
Covering about 55 acres of city property, the project is
focused on upgrading
storm drainage on a few streets in a Norwalk neighborhood that has
been overwhelmed by flooding issues. In addition to Heather and Lockwood Lanes,
the project is addressing storm drainage on George Avenue, Woodcrest Road,
Jackson Drive, Bissell Road, Cory Lane and Katy Lane, according to Valadares.
The project, which started on Lockwood Lane and will end on
Katy Lane, involves installing 55 catch basins and 32 manholes, replacing pipes
and disconnecting the neighborhood’s combined stormwater sewer system.
“Construction-wise, I feel the project is actually going
very well,” Valadares said. “And I’m grateful that the residents understand
that there’s a lot of disruption in the residential neighborhood. Of course,
it’s a challenge for people who live there on a daily basis to have the
machines around, but they have been very comprehensive about it and they
understand that after we are done, it will be a big improvement for the
neighborhood.”
Neighborhood residents had complained
to Norwalk’s Public Works for years about the constant issue of
flooding on their properties.
“What we do here in Norwalk is we try to monitor it and map
all the flooding complaints that we receive during a major storm,” Valadares
said. “And we do that through residents calling customer service. We keep track
of it throughout different events. … Based on that, we are able to identify
what areas are prone to more flooding.”
On Heather Lane, the most damage came from floodwaters that
went into residents’ basements, Valadares said.
“There were pictures of what (residents) submitted to us
with a lot of damages to private properties,” she said. “Luckily, we were able
to get this project designed."
The city received $5.1
million in state funding in October 2023 to address the flooding
issues, and it broke ground for the project last July.
Of $5.1 million, a total of $3.7 million is for construction
work while the remaining funds were for design, inspection and contingency
costs, according to Valadares.
Public Works plans to revisit the neighborhood next year
after the project is completed to repave the roads, Valadares said.
The Heather and Lockwood Lanes project is among the city’s
biggest storm drainage improvement projects in the past few years, she said.
Norwalk also recently celebrated the completion of the $10.2
million Dreamy
Hollow Neighborhood project, which focused on improving storm drainage and
sanitary sewer lines to improve flooding in the neighborhood by over 22%.
“It’s quite impressive that in two years we’ve invested in
drainage improvement in the city,” Valadares said.
Tilcon temporarily scraps plans for Plainville quarry expansion to address concerns
PLAINVILLE— Tilcon Connecticut has temporarily
withdrawn its application for a zone change needed to expand one of its
quarries.
The construction company currently has about half of its
468-acre operation in the northeast part of town and is looking to expand by 83
acres, according to the April 8 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting
minutes.
The company’s primary material is basalt which comes out of
the two quarries in town, including on the south side of New Britain Avenue,
said Tom Daly of SLR Consulting, at the April 8 meeting. Daly, who represents
Tilcon, added that the basalt, which is crushed and used for road base,
construction material, and all of Tilcon’s concrete material, is
“extremely durable and exceeds all DOT standards."
On Feb. 25, Tilcon filed an application for a zone
change from a residential zone to a "quarry industrial" zone for
properties on Nike Road, Loon Lake Road and Metacomet Road. This would
allow for the additional industrial and quarrying activity, according to
Plainville Town Planner Evan Breining.
Tilcon sent a May 6 letter to
the Planning and Zoning Commission to “formally withdraw, without
prejudice, the Tilcon Connecticut application.”
The company said it made the decision to withdraw the
application so experts can address many of the public comments and concerns
brought to the commission on April 8. According to the meeting minutes, some of
these concerns included the environmental, wildlife and human impact of the
expansion; destruction of roads and wetlands; and groundwater issues due to the
blasting.
“Given that Tilcon Connecticut has maintained compliance
with all local, state, and federal regulations, Tilcon Connecticut submits that
such claims and allegations are inaccurate. Nevertheless, since the claims were
made, those claims, whether with or without foundation, warrant review by
Tilcon Connecticut,” Tilcon said in the letter.
The company asked that the notice be “read into the
record" and a hearing planned for May 13 be "closed.” The company
added that though the process will take time, they do plan to address the
community’s concerns at a later date.
Pfizer plans to demolish obsolete building complex in Groton City
Kimberly Drelich
Groton — Pfizer plans to demolish a vacant 80,000-square
foot facility, the Building 185 Complex, on its western campus at 445 Eastern
Point Road.
Pfizer said in a statement that the building is obsolete and
serves no further useful purpose, with demolition planned for later this year.
The closed facility includes a decommissioned legacy
fermentation plant, two floors of laboratory space, a limited manufacturing
area and office and machinery room space, according to a description from
engineering firm Fuss & O'Neill included in Pfizer's demolition permit
application.
Fuss & O'Neill representatives wrote in the application
that despite a year of marketing the building complex, it "has failed to
attract interest due to its limited market appeal and lack of operational
purpose," and demolition is the only viable option.
"Renovation is not a practical solution, as the
building's constrained size and location cannot accommodate the extensive
upgrades required to meet Pfizer's current campus needs," they wrote.
Along with removing the building complex, Pfizer plans to
regrade the site to blend in with the adjacent land.
City Planner Leslie Creane said the city's Planning and
Zoning Commission will hear Pfizer's Coastal Area Management application for
the demolition at its May 20 meeting.
City Mayor Keith Hedrick said Building 185 is being torn
down as part of a plan Pfizer put into place 20 years ago. He said he has been
told the company plans to remain in Groton for the long-term.
Last year, The Day reported the company's plans to renovate
or add to six of its buildings.
Groton Tax Assessor Mary Gardner said Pfizer annually pays
$180,000 in taxes for the Building 185 Complex. If the company demolishes the
complex by October, it will no longer have to pay taxes on it in July 2026.
Pfizer, the town's second largest taxpayer, pays about $7.9 million in taxes
annually.
She said the company is upgrading labs and adding new
machinery and equipment to its campus.
Environmental stewardship permit sought
Pfizer also is applying for a stewardship permit from the
state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for the company's
164.5-acre research and development site in Groton, comprised of a 55.1-acre
West Campus and a 109.4-acre East Campus, according to the DEEP.
The West Campus has 11 buildings, including an emergency
response department, offices and a powerhouse, and "was the primary
location of the historical manufacturing activities by Pfizer and other
companies." Pfizer conducted manufacturing there from 1946 to 2007,
according to a fact sheet from the DEEP.
The East Campus has 15 buildings, including offices,
research and development laboratories, pilot-scale product development
facilities, and storage space, the DEEP stated. Historically, the site was
largely residential, but it also housed a former gas station, automotive repair
shop, the city's former Public Works garage, a rail line and parts of a golf
course.
Pfizer said investigations between 2010 and 2016 found
potential areas of contamination on its site.
The contaminants are primarily a limited number of volatile
organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, extractable total
petroleum hydrocarbons, PCBs, ammonia, cyanide and metals, according to the
DEEP.
Through DEEP's Voluntary Cleanup Program, Pfizer said it
implemented a remedial action plan which called for the excavation of impacted
soils and installation of engineered controls. Pfizer said it completed
environmental cleanup activities.
According to an April 22 stewardship permit presentation,
Pfizer's actions include PCB and metals soil removal, installation of soil
caps, ongoing inspections and groundwater monitoring on the West Campus, as
well as removal of soil impacted by mercury on the East Campus.
Pfizer said the permit, which the DEEP has tentatively
decided to issue, ensures the state that Pfizer will remain responsible for
future obligations, including groundwater monitoring, inspection of protective
covers and financial commitments.
According to the DEEP, the permit requires Pfizer to follow
a work schedule, submit annual progress reports, evaluate firehouse practices,
continue long-term groundwater and surface water monitoring, and maintain and
monitor the PCB engineered control area and the capped areas. Pfizer also must
investigate and remediate, if needed, three remaining areas of concern and a
solid waste management unit. Two areas of concern will be analyzed after
Building 185 is demolished.
Pfizer said once the administrative filings are complete,
the Groton property will be restricted to commercial or industrial use. Pfizer
said that if a future owner wants to release those restrictions, the state
would require additional remediation to meet the standards for residential or
unrestricted use of the property.
"At the current time, we have no plans to redevelop
this area," Pfizer said.
'We don't want you here:' Plainfield residents oppose waste processing plant: What's next?
People came out in droves to oppose the proposed waste processing plant in Plainfield presented at an informational meeting May 7.
The plant, which would be located on Norwich Road and Black
Hill Road, would use sorting and gasification technology to convert garbage
into renewable electricity and natural gas. It is being developed by SMART
Technology Systems, LLC.
The public opposed the project for a number of reasons,
stating that the facility would cause nearby property values to drop, create
extra traffic, damage the rural character of the area and cause health
conditions such as asthma and COPD.
“Bottom line, we don’t want you here,” Erland Bragg, who
lives one mile from the proposed project’s site, said to the developers of the
facility.
Karla Desjardins, chairwoman of the Plainfield Planning and
Zoning Commission, said the developers did not do their research when they
proposed their project in Plainfield.
“As chairman of the planning and zoning commission, I
participate in the plan of conservation and development,” Desjardins said. “And
in that plan, it very clearly states that the area of Plainfield from the
Trolley Trail down Black Hill to the Canterbury line is not to be developed for
commercial or industrial.”
What the developers said
The developers said the facility would be an asset to
Plainfield. They said the project would provide new tax revenue, which would
reduce the town’s mill rate and lower taxes for other property owners.
Another benefit pitched by the developers is that the
facility would add up to 160 long-term jobs to Plainfield. They also contended
that the project would not have negative effects on the environment.
“I just wanted to explain to you, this is not your
grandfather’s mass burn facility in Connecticut, it’s completely different
technology,” said Rick Audette, project director for O&G Industries, one of
the developers’ partners.
What happens next
In order for the project to be built, several permits will
need to be approved by both the Connecticut Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) as well as the Connecticut Siting Council.
Bill Corvo, manager at SMART Technology Systems, hopes the
permits will be approved later this year, with construction beginning as soon
as permitting is complete. Including the permitting and construction processes,
SMART Technology Systems anticipates the plant to be operational in 2028 or
2029.
There are currently no plans to have another public
informational meeting like the one that took place on May 7. However, there
will be public hearings in the future, where members of the public can express
their concerns about the project in front of the CT DEEP as well as the
Connecticut Siting Council. The dates for those public hearings have not been
finalized yet.
To fight the projects, Plainfield residents can meet with
their elected officials and speak at the public hearings in front of the CT
DEEP and the Connecticut Siting Council. Despite what Desjardins said, Corvo
believes the facility still has a chance to be built.
"We've had extensive experience as a group of
developers working with a variety of state agencies, including the Connecticut
Siting Council," Corvo said. "That is a viable methodology to move
forward with this project."
CT road-marking company expands into New York with acquisition
AConnecticut-based road-marking company has expanded into
upstate and western New York with the purchase of a pavement-marking business.
Safety Marking LLC, headquartered at 255 Hancock Ave., in
Bridgeport, has bought Straight Line Industries Inc., of Cohoes, New York.
"The business is a natural geographic fit for SMC and
we look forward to partnering with Rick and his team to strengthen our
operations across the region," said Mark Kelly, Safety Marketing’s founder
and CEO.
Rick Fremont, Straight Line’s founder, will continue to lead
the company’s day-to-day operations, according to Highview Capital LLC, a
California private equity firm that owns Safety Marking.
Safety Marking, founded by Kelly in 1973, was purchased by
Highview Capital in August 2023 for an undisclosed sum. The deal was aimed at
helping Safety Marking grow organically and through acquisitions.
Straight Line was founded more than 30 years ago, Highview
said.