East Windsor will appeal Siting Council's decision to grant 150-acre expansion to solar array
EAST WINDSOR — The town is appealing the Connecticut Siting
Council's recent decision to grant an expansion
to an existing solar project in town.
On March 5, the Siting Council approved the expansion of the
Gravel Pit Solar array, which will utilize an additional 150 acres of land to
generate an additional 30 megawatts of power.
Last week, the Board of Selectmen asked the town attorney to
draft an appeal.
"The Town of East Windsor strongly opposed this
expansion," said First Selectman Jason Bowsza in a statement, citing
a petition signed by more than 2,300 people.
"Despite these efforts, the Council once again declined
to meaningfully consider the cumulative impact that repeated large-scale
renewable energy developments are having on the Town of East Windsor,"
Bowsza said. "As has been the case in many previous decisions, municipal
concerns and local planning considerations were given limited weight in the
final outcome."
The petition claims that East Windsor "already hosts
nearly 25% of Connecticut’s large-scale solar generation" and that the
town is the "most heavily burdened town in the state and home to the
largest concentration of utility-scale solar in New England."
The Siting Council, in its decision, said the expansion
would achieve "additional renewable generation capacity efficiently and
cost-effectively while minimizing environmental and construction
impacts."
According to Gravel Pit Solar, the expansion would bring
power to approximately 4,500 homes in the area.
State Rep. Carol Hall, R-Enfield, wrote Gov. Ned Lamont last
week, asking him to visit East Windsor and tour the solar array "to see
firsthand the significant impact the massive solar array farms are having on
our local landscape, community character, and nuisance noise that continues to
emit from these facilities most of the day."
"I believe it is vital for you to witness first-hand
the growing tension between our state’s renewable energy goals and certain
towns being asked to take on an unfair burden of these massive solar
installations," Hall wrote in her letter.
State Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, also wrote to
Lamont, asking him to visit the site with him and other elected officials
and for a moratorium of activity at the site "until resident concerns
can be vetted."
"My colleagues and I testified to the Siting Council
noting the project's continuing impact on residents' daily lives, from
disturbing noises to threats to public safety," Anwar said in his letter.
"This is not an instance of limited opposition. It is public opinion in
East Windsor that this project is not right for the community."
Major exit ramp on I-84 in Hartford to be closed to night traffic for two months
HARTFORD — A major exit ramp on Interstate 84 in the
Hartford area will be closed to traffic at night starting March 23.
Exit 51, which takes motorists from I-84 eastbound to
Interstate 91 northbound, will not be accessible Monday through Friday from
9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for a planned $5.5 million bridge rehabilitation
construction project.
The work includes bridge deck repairs, parapet improvements,
joint removal, substructure repairs and paving, the
state’s Department of Transportation said.
Motorists will be detoured through the area, the department
said. Work is expected to continue through the spring season, with the exit
ramp reopening at night on May 29. The entire project is expected to be
completed by the end of November.
The bridge, which was built in 1990, is known as the “I-84
Flyover Bridge.”
“The primary purpose of this project is to address the
operational, safety and preventative maintenance concerns as well as to
evaluate and if necessary, improve the structural integrity of the bridge to a
'state of good repair' extending its useful service life,” the
department said.
Berlin to replace Glen Street bridge this spring
Claudio S. Hilario
BERLIN — A bridge on Glen Street over the Mattabesset River
will be replaced beginning this spring, a project town officials say is needed
because of the structure’s condition.
Public Works Director Mike Ahern said the bridge needs to be
replaced after earlier repairs were made to keep it safe.
“Its condition is the primary reason for the replacement
project,” Ahern told the Herald. “One half of the bridge required emergency
repairs in 2022 to stabilize the flow path through the metal culvert section
until the full project was designed and bid.”
Construction is expected to begin in April. During most of
the construction period, Glen Street will be closed to through traffic. Drivers
will be directed to use detours around the area.
“The work on the bridge will begin in mid-April and be
substantially complete by the end of 2026,” Ahern said. “The detour will be in
place for almost the entire construction period.”
Local drivers will be able to use nearby roads and emergency
responders will plan routes using the detour map provided by the town.
According to project documents filed with the town’s Inland
Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, the existing bridge will be removed and
replaced with a twin pre-cast concrete box culvert system designed to improve
drainage and reduce flooding risk.
The project calls for a northerly 20-foot-span culvert with
an 8-foot rise and a southerly 20-foot-span culvert with a 5.5-foot rise,
serving as an overflow opening.
The new structure will also improve the roadway. Plans call
for a minimum roadway width of 29 feet, including two 12-foot travel lanes and
a 5-foot shoulder. The bridge will include a metal rail system that meets
current safety standards.
Officials say the improvements are expected to prevent
flooding on roadways during major storms. The design will also provide
additional space between stormwater levels and the bridge structure during a
100-year storm event.
In the weeks leading up to construction, residents may
notice several types of preparation work in the area.
“Tree removal started last week,” Ahern said.
Additional early work will include surveying, utility
mark-outs, installation of detour signs and the arrival of contractor equipment
and materials.
The project is located in a residential neighborhood. Nearby
residents will likely notice daytime construction activity once work begins.
Demolition of the existing bridge and excavation for the new structure may
create noise and increased truck traffic in the area.
Funding for the project comes primarily from federal and
state sources, Ahern said.
“This is being funded under the Federal Local Bridge Program
administered by the CT Department of Transportation,” he added.
Under the program, the project will be paid for through a
reimbursement process with 80% federal funding and 20% state funding.
New Haven will pursue acquisition of former English Station power plant after alders approve
NEW HAVEN —The city will move forward with acquisition
of the former English Station power plant site in the Mill River off Grand
Avenue to eventually build a park and outdoor pool.
The Board of Alders approved the
plan, which calls
for New Haven to acquire the former United Illuminating plant and Ball Island,
the contaminated 8.6-acre island it is built on, either through a negotiated
sale or eminent domain, Monday night via a voice vote.
Six or seven alders voted against the measure, according to
two alders who spoke in opposition to the plan prior to the vote.
"I cannot vote for a grand vision that prioritizes
speed over ... the safety and well-being of the people," said Fair Haven
Alder Frank Redente Jr., D-15, prior to voting.
Redente said afterward, "I feel like we've done our due
diligence," but the city still doesn't know how much cleanup of the site
will cost. "It's still being litigated. We don't know what we're getting
in for," he said.
"I don't want to say that I'm not in favor of a park
there ... but it doesn't smell right," Redente said. He said he knew of at
least six alders who voted against the measure.
One of them, Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller, D-14, who said
she worked with the mother of Hill Alder Angel Hubbard, D-3, more than 20 years
ago to close down English Station, said, "I would love for this site to be
cleaned up. I think we all would love for it to be cleaned up."
Her problem was with the process "to sell this to the
community rather than to find out what the community wants," Miller said.
"That process didn't happen. So I can support a plan that I have heard
from many of my constituents that this is not what the people want."
Miller said she knew of a total of "six or seven"
alders who opposed the acquisition measure.
East Rock Alder Anna Festa, D-10, said that "as much as
I want to support the acquisition of this property, I think there's still too
many outstanding questions," including price and where the money would
come from, as well as the total cost of remediation.
"I'm not ready to vote on this item yet until those
questions are answered," she said.
Hill/City Point/Downtown Alder Carmen Rodriguez, D-6,
chairwoman of the board's Community Development Committee, pointed out that the
committee voted to support the acquisition after hearing public testimony.
The alders' approval came with an amendment put forward by
Democratic Majority Leader Richard Furlow, D-27, to establish an acquisition
working group which will include both alders and representatives of Mayor
Justin Elicker's administration
"I urge colleagues to support this project as
amended," Furlow said, pointing out that the question at hand was simply
whether to acquire the property, While the vote authorized the use of eminent
domain if necessary, it did not authorize either details of the development or
the price of acquisition, which come later, he said.
Morris Cove Alder Leland Moore, D-18, also spoke against the
measure.
"While I support" acquisition, "I have
concerns about the ultimate costs," said Moore. So "at this time,
absent any additional information ... I am opposed."
Among those who spoke in favor were Hubbard, who said it
let's the city "have a seat at the table," and Westville Alder Adam
Marchand, D-25, who said that in its current state, the English Station
property "is not producing anything productive for the community. We want
to change that," he said.
The acquisition scenario was laid out in a Jan. 9 letter and
proposed order from Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli
to Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers, seeking the alders' approval
to obtain Ball Island, which the state has expressed willingness to remediate.
The order authorizes the city to enter into negotiations
with the owners, Paramount View Millennium, LLC and Haven River Properties,
LLC, to purchase the property, which the city wants to name "Park at Mill
River."
But it contains this additional language:
"BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that if it is not possible to
negotiate the terms and conditions of a mutually acceptable conveyance with the
owners of the English Station Parcels, then the mayor is hereby authorized to
direct the filing of eminent domain proceedings by the city in order to obtain
fee simple title to the English Station Parcels, in accordance with the
authority granted by, and the requirements set forth in, the City of New
Haven’s Charter and the Connecticut General Statutes."
Representatives of the two owners have not responded to
requests for comment.
Elicker has said his goal is to reach agreement for a
negotiated purchase of the property and he still hopes to do that.
"First of all, the goal is NOT to have to use eminent
domain and we're negotiating with the owner in good faith," Elicker said
in January. Eminent domain "is in my view a tool that should be used very
sparingly and should be used only as a last resort" and for a very
important public purpose.
United Illuminating operated English Station as a coal- and
oil-fired power plant from 1929 until 1992. The site is contaminated with
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a known carcinogen, heavy metals, and other
contaminants, state Attorney General William Tong's office has said.
According to the administration's cover letter to the
alders, "The new Park at Mill River will feature the city’s first outdoor
public swimming and aquatics facility as well as new opportunities for active
and passive outdoor recreation in an unparalleled coastal environment."
City officials have shared conceptual plans for the park --
which are only concepts and could change -- at two public meetings.
The New York City-based Roxanne and Henry Brandt
Foundation has
expressed interest in contributing up to $10 million toward the project, the
New Haven Independent reported.
Funding for the acquisition is anticipated to come out of a
Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Urban Act grant,
which was awarded to the City for Mill River district initiatives, and accepted
by the Board of Alders on September 3, 2024, the letter to the alders states.
Revolution Wind nears completion, State Pier in New London still bustling
Greg Smith
New London — Revolution
Wind, the offshore wind project off the coast of Rhode Island, may be
nearly completed, but it hasn’t stymied activity at New London’s State Pier
where its components were marshaled.
Danish company Ørsted, which partnered with Global
Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables on the Revolution Wind project,
recently announced that Revolution Wind started delivering power to the New
England electrical grid and will be scaling up in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, State Pier still remains crowded with offshore
wind components — 400-ton power generating nacelles, blades nearly as long as a
football field and towers that will stand 800 feet above the water once
assembled. The components are eventually bound for New York’s Sunrise Wind, an Ørsted project situated
in the federal lease area south of Martha’s Vineyard that is projected to be
operational by 2027.
Construction on Sunrise Wind is already well underway
despite delays — including a government-ordered shutdown in December that
halted five offshore wind projects under construction and prolonged the
completion of Revolution Wind. All projects have since resumed construction.
Ørsted says Revolution Wind is 90% completed with 60 of the
project’s turbines fully installed. Ørsted reports that 44 of the 84 turbine
foundations for Sunrise Wind are installed to date and turbines are expected to
be installed in the near future. Sunrise is a 924-megawatt project expected to
supply power to 600,000 homes in New York.
Connecticut Port Authority Executive Director Michael
O’Connor said the pier is active now, but the port authority has already been
looking ahead for uses of the newly renovated pier and its potential to host
cargo other than offshore wind components.
The Connecticut Port Authority owns the pier, which is
managed by Enstructure. Ørsted has a 10-year-lease on the pier with options to
extend the lease and sublease to other companies.
“Today it's pretty full. We've been regularly receiving two
to three shipments a month. I expect that to continue at the same pace through
the middle of next year,” O’Connor said.
But what happens in the near future at State Pier remains
uncertain. O’Connor said he’s not so sure anyone is racing to approve new
offshore projects at this moment. The port authority continues to explore other
uses for the facility, which he said can accept an array of cargo and is
situated close to a freight rail line. O’Connor said he envisions a dual use
for the pier, which would allow an offshore wind company to work alongside
another company.
“We're in the exploration phase right now," O'Connor
said.
The only hurdle in negotiating with a company looking to
move cargo through the pier is the uncertainty of the timeline for Sunrise Wind
because of the possibility of another delay in construction. He said he expects
that there will be more clarity in the coming months.
“Working together with our partners, we'll figure out what
might be the best use of the available space at the pier," O'Connor said.
Revolution Wind's announcement of it producing power last
week was hailed as a landmark achievement. When it is fully operational,
Revolution Wind is projected to supply 704 megawatts of power, enough to light
up 350,000 homes. Both Rhode Island and Connecticut have 20-year power purchase
agreements — Connecticut for a 304-megawatt share of the power.
ISO New England, the nonprofit organization that runs the
New England electric grid, reports that as of March, wind energy accounted for
7% of New England’s electricity.
Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement that Revolution Wind is
“key to diversifying our energy supply and lowering utility costs for families
and businesses.”
“I congratulate the project’s developer and the many skilled
Connecticut workers who’ve made Revolution Wind possible on achieving its first
power deliveries to the grid,” Lamont said.
Katie Dykes, the commissioner of the Connecticut Department
of Energy and Environmental Protection, predicts that offshore wind will
eventually save money on electrical bills.
“As we’ve seen from the harsh winter we’ve had, and the
impacts to fossil fuel prices as a result of the Iran war, having diverse
sources of stable, reliable power that both perform strongly in the winter and
are insulated from geopolitical events is beneficial to Connecticut
ratepayers,” she said. “These first power deliveries are an important
milestone, with greater benefits yet to come as the project heads to completion
and full operation later this year.”
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, said the cost of
this new locally generated power, at 9 cents per kilowatt hour, "is far
less than the average of 30 cents per kWh in our region.”
“Crucially, because this wind energy is directly transmitted
off the coast of New England, its price will not be at the mercy of uncertain
global energy markets,” Courtney said in a statement.
Electric Boat redevelopment, student housing project near UConn seek $8.25M in tax relief
A Connecticut Innovations committee this week will consider
approving up to $8.25 million in sales and use tax exemptions tied to a major
Electric Boat redevelopment project in Waterford and a large off-campus student
housing development near the University of Connecticut.
The quasi-public agency’s loan committee is scheduled to
vote Wednesday on two proposals under the state’s Connecticut Sales & Use
Tax Relief Program, which allows certain economic development projects to
receive exemptions from the state’s 6.35% sales tax on capital equipment and
construction materials, up to a specified amount.
The largest request would provide up to $5 million in sales
and use tax exemptions for General Dynamics Electric Boat, tied to the renovation and
repurposing of the former Crystal Mall property at 850 Hartford Turnpike in
Waterford.
Electric Boat, the Groton-based submarine manufacturer owned
by General Dynamics, acquired
the mall property last year and has begun shutting down most of its retail
operations as it prepares to convert the site into office and support space.
The company plans to use the property for engineering,
training and software development functions, eventually housing several
thousand workers, including some relocated from Groton and New London and
others hired to support the Navy’s Virginia- and Columbia-class submarine
programs.
The proposed tax exemption would apply to construction
materials and other purchases associated with the redevelopment project.
The committee will also consider approving up to $3.25
million in sales and use tax exemptions for The Mark at Mansfield LLC, the
developer of a large off-campus student housing complex near UConn’s Storrs
campus.
The project, known as The Mark Mansfield, is planned
to include about 1,350 student beds across several parcels near North
Eagleville Road, along with about 7,000 square feet of retail space.