Town officials say they are relieved a proposed solar facility on South Road has been denied for its potential adverse environmental effect after they questioned whether the property would eventually be returned to its current agricultural use. The Connecticut Siting Council on March 14 denied a petition by Santa Fuel Inc. to build and operate a facility spanning 22.1 acres on property the company would have rented at 159 South Road. In its ruling, the council said there would be “a substantial adverse environmental effect associated with the construction, maintenance, and operation” of the 3.85-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric generating facility. Several communities such as East Windsor are appealing decisions made by the Siting Council or weighing whether to appeal, as Fairfield officials are currently discussing.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/somers-ct-solar-power-siting-council-19301768.php

Grove Court is receiving a $6.8 million state grant for various improvements, the second round of financing in the past few months to finance a series of substantial upgrades to the affordable housing complex. The state-funded complex received $2 million in August for other extensive repairs. That was in addition to $3 million in federal dollars for the same projects. The funding, through DOH, is part of a total of $13.8 million in financing for the creation of 139 housing units, including 116 total affordable units for low- and moderate-income renters. Along with $7.8 million in financing from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the expanded affordable housing is expected to generate more than $18.5 million in private investments, according to state officials.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/ct-vernon-grove-court-affordable-housing-19303675.php

A project to “lower” the highway system through Hartford that is expected to take some 25 years to complete got a $2 million boost from the U.S. Department of Transportation last week. The grant funding will enable preliminary engineering, environmental documentation, and public outreach for the River Gateway portion of the Greater Hartford Mobility Study. River Gateway would lower and cap a portion of Interstate 91, redesign the Whitehead Highway and Pulaski Circle, and create a new pedestrian bridge over the Connecticut River. DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said the $2 million from the federal government is merely to start design phases and community outreach. The project itself has no specific timeline.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/capitalregion/article/hartford-ct-highway-i-91-federal-grant-dot-19196630.php

City officials are back to the drawing board after rejecting two requests for proposals from Cornerstone Realty and Industrial Realty Group, a Los Angeles-based developer, to redevelop the former Anamet factory site at 698 South Main St. City officials said Anamet, a 17-acre brownfield site, including a 180,000-square-foot high bay building, is crucial to revitalizing the South End. The Anamet site is owned by 698 South Main St. Inc., which was set up by the city to hold the property. Local city officials and experts said the time and development of such sites are not cut and dry, mainly due to their complexity, as contaminants can be found at later stages and the risk and liability of such sites. To date, $9.5 million has been received for work toward its rehabilitation, most of which has been spent, Hyde said. It will cost another estimated $5 million to clean up and remediate the site.

https://www.rep-am.com/localnews/2024/03/19/waterbury-rejects-developers-plan-for-former-anamet-factory-site/

Instead of cars whizzing through the waterfront area on multi-lane highways, traffic specialists envision two-way streets, walkways, roundabouts and even a pedestrian “Bridge of Roses” over the Yantic River. The City Council on Monday viewed concepts from a downtown Norwich mobility study that tackled how to fix the 1970s road patterns that raced traffic through Norwich on multi-lane roads with giant speedway signs overhead. Joseph Balskus and Daniel Amutz of VHB Engineers proposed dramatic changes to transform the Norwich Harbor area. The Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments received a $212,500 grant from the state Department of Transportation, with the City of Norwich adding $37,500, to pay for the Chelsea Harbor/Downtown Norwich Mobility Study. Retired SCCOG Executive Director James Butler is managing the project that encompasses the waterfront area, downtown entrances from West Main-Route 82 and East Main-Route 2. Balskus said the group has not yet worked out cost estimates for any of the options. City Manager John Salomone suggested the project could be done in phases, with the Water Street-Chelsea Harbor Drive changes first.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20240319/traffic-study-envisions-dramatic-transformation-of-norwich-waterfront-downtown-roads/

A Pennsylvania-based transportation company is in the midst of a $25 million expansion on Aircraft Road. A. Duie Pyle Inc. opened a regional facility in town in 2001 and company leaders say the expansion project was designed to build on the existing site, including construction of a two-deck parking garage to maximize space on the property, as well as a neighboring property acquired for the project. The Planning & Zoning Commission approved the business’ site plan application for the project last April. The expansion consists of building the two-story parking deck with spaces for 189 vehicles, building a new 16,477 fleet maintenance garage and expanding the current “less than truckload” or LTL terminal by 14,600 square feet. Pyle partnered hired Kratzert Jones & Associates and Geis Construction, the same civil engineering and general contractor team for this project that the company used on its original building project in 2001.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/recordjournal/article/southington-trucking-expansion-pyle-18885756.php

Aquarion Water Company and its contractors were recently working overnight near her home to replace 2,000 feet of aged water mains under Greenwich Avenue, but the light and the sound, she said, have kept Santos and some of her neighbors from sleeping. When crews come to work at night, Santos said, the engines of large trucks rumble, saws whir to cut through the asphalt and excavators dig out dirt to access the pipes. Debris fills the air and light towers brighten up the dark Avenue as well as homes above. The water main replacement project started last month and is expected to continue into the summer, Aquarion officials said on March 14. The project area stretches from Elm Street to Grigg Street, with crews working in different areas as they replace the old pipes and then go back to transfer water service. Aquarion and its contractors said the work hours are dictated to them by the Department of Public Works so they said they would speak to DPW about adjusting the work plan to include some day time work and street closures.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/greenwich-avenue-nighttime-road-work-noise-19204886.php

The town’s plans to build a new community center, bringing its senior center, one library branch, and teen center together into one complex, are moving forward. On Tuesday, the town announced it had selected GWWO Architects to design the new building, which will be located at 100 Mayflower St. at the site of the former St. Brigid School. The town purchased the property in 2021 for $3 million. Previously, the town estimated that the total cost of building the community center could cost around $66.4 million. The town is currently laying out funding in its capital improvement plan for the building, with proposals to eventually use $55 million in bond funds for the construction of the building, which is expected to begin in 2025.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/westhartford/article/west-hartford-ct-elmwood-community-center-library-19264100.php

Motorists heading to the Merwin Meadows area will face intermittent closures on Lovers Lane on Monday and Tuesday due to work on a bridge replacement project, the town of Wilton announced. The entire bridge replacement project is expected to be completed this summer. A temporary bridge, allowing one lane of alternating traffic, was installed last year on Lovers Lane to start the replacement project. For the construction — estimated at $2.7 million to $2.8 million in 2020 — the town will be responsible for 20 percent of the cost, with federal funds paying the remaining 80 percent.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/wilton-lovers-lane-merwin-meadows-closure-bridge-19022472.php

On a platform suspended nearly 40 feet above New Haven Harbor, Gov. Ned Lamont got a first-hand look Monday at the latest piece of machinery designed to help the state meet its ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The cargo mover, built by the German firm Sennebogen, is the largest machine of its kind to run entirely on electric power, according to the manufacturer. It was installed by Gateway in December utilizing a $3.1 million in state grants, replacing an older diesel-powered crane that belched carbon dioxide and other smog-forming pollutants into the air. New Haven is one of only three ports in the country equipped with the newest Sennebogen machines. The total $7.5 million cost of the all-electric mover included infrastructure upgrades that allowed Gateway to draw enough power for the machines’ 500 kilowatt motor, which uses enough electricity to power several hundred homes.

https://www.nhregister.com/connecticut/article/ct-gateway-terminal-sennebogen-all-electric-crane-19169327.php