The ongoing effort to remove thousands of truck loads of toxic waste buried across town by the defunct Raymark Industries is now expected to cost around $140 million, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That figure is up from the $95 million the agency originally estimated seven years ago it would take to dig up and consolidate the polluted soil, Jim DiLorenzo, an environmental engineer who is leading the yearslong project, announced at a recent public meeting. As of July, the agency has spent $64 million to clean up nearly two dozen properties where Raymark, an automotive parts manufacturer, dumped waste decades ago contaminated with cancer-causing agents such as asbestos, lead and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs. DiLorenzo said it will likely take up to an additional $40 million to complete the project. But he said the agency has already secured those funds as part of the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed into law in 2021.

https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/epa-raymark-waste-cleanup-costs-stratford-18271039.php?src=rdctpdensecp

This proposal, called Alternative 26, includes plans to smooth traffic flow off Main Avenue by adding new exits and entrance ramps that connect to both Route 7 and the Merritt. Additionally, proposed improvements to the Route 15 and Main Avenue ramps would address the substandard acceleration lanes, steep changes in grade, sharp curves and limited sight distance in an effort to increase safety. These factors contribute to a high number of crashes on the Merritt Parkway. On Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. in the community room at City Hall, the public is invited to weigh in on the latest Route 7/Merritt interchange plans.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/route-7-15-interchange-merritt-parkway-improvement-18271885.php

A contract for engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill to design a roundabout at the intersection of Shippan Avenue, Harbor Drive and Magee Avenue is headed to the Board of Representatives for a vote, after the board’s transportation committee unanimously approved it Wednesday night. The contract includes the road redesign, as well as an analysis of the area’s drainage system. It would cost the city $470,440. The contract was revised earlier this month to include drainage analysis after Watkins brought forward constituent concerns about frequent flooding in the area, according to a city memo. The project would now feature drainage work, in addition to the road redesign — the addition of drainage analysis also increased the contract’s fee from an earlier assessment of $308,000. If the contract is approved by the Board of Representatives, the design process will move forward. If the design is feasible, Petise said there are multiple state programs that could provide funding for the construction project. An estimate of the project’s total cost would come after the designs are done.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/stamford-shippan-point-roundabout-18257609.php

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced plans to increase protections for workers facing extreme heat, as temperatures across the U.S. soar and large swaths of the country face heat advisories. Biden asked the U.S. Department of Labor to issue its first hazard alert for heat, which will give employers information on how to protect workers and inform workers of their rights under federal law. The DOL also will up its enforcement of heat safety violations by increasing its inspections in industries like construction and agriculture. The U.S. lacks a federal standard on workplace heat safety, but Biden said OSHA continues to work on a rule. Advocacy groups, like the National Council of Occupational Safety and Health, have called for a national standard protecting workers from climate change’s effects, including smoke, heat stress and severe weather events, like wildfires — as the country continues to deal with extreme heat and air pollution from wildfires in Canada and the western U.S.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/biden-steps-protect-workers-extreme-heat/689373/

Officials have delayed the $86 million renovation of three public elementary schools – Hindley, Holmes and Royle – by a year, pointing to a lack of participation and high cost estimates from contractors. The $86 million estimated budget includes renovations to libraries, classrooms, offices, parking lots and fields, removing portable classrooms and replacing the roofs at the three elementary schools. In May, the committee invited contractors to bid in “packages,” meaning they could bid on specific renovations like plumbing, flooring and demolition, rather than taking on all of them. But at this week’s meeting, staff from O&G/AP – a construction management company contracted by the town – said they received less than three bids for several packages, despite inviting about 240 companies to participate.

Committee Delays $86M Darien Elementary School Renovations by a Year

Developer 3 Squared LLC has applied for a special exception and site plan approval for the 21-unit project on the .43-acre lot at 365 Crown St. Partners include Nicholas Martino and Louis Roy Evjen of Southington and Isaac Shweky of Cheshire, according to state business records. The vacant lot is currently owned by the Curtis Home, which operates a nursing home across the street. The ZBA will discuss the project when it meets on Tuesday. The proposed development comes just as city officials are discussing a possible moratorium on new housing units while Meriden Public Schools completes an enrollment study. The possible moratorium was raised at a recent City Council Economic Development Housing and Zoning Committee and tabled. The enrollment study should be completed by mid-August. It wasn’t clear Friday how the proposed moratorium would impact the newest housing proposal, as the ZBA meets next week without a moratorium on the books.

https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Meriden/Meriden-News/Partnership-plans-apartments-for-Crown-Street.html

The Oxford-based developer behind the proposed 152-unit apartment complex on River Road has been given the greenlight to move forward with the project. The Planning and Zoning Commission recently approved initial plans from B-WIZZ to develop the four-building complex at 453 River Road. The developers must return with final detailed development plans once they receive approvals from the state traffic authority and complete layout and architectural designs. But the vote marks a key step in the project, which was first proposed more than a year ago. The vacant property, which was previously partially zoned commercial but changed to residential as a part of the approval, sits across the street from Cumberland Farms, Hook Line and Sinker and the entrance to Jordan Avenue.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/shelton-zoning-oks-152-unit-apartment-river-road-18263171.php

After only one application was received to develop 118 acres of town-owned property, the Request for Proposals call remains open until September, an official said. Proposals for the sale and development of Mountainside Drive, located off of Wallens Hill Road, are now due by Sept. 22. Town officials said that any proposal should focus on providing residential homes that will grow Winsted’s grand list and provide housing for “key demographics,” including but not limited to seniors and first-time homebuyers. Winsted will favor proposals that include amenities, such as playground space, tennis or pickleball courts, a pool, walking trails, bocce courts and other outdoor recreation spaces and facilities, Kelly said. Questions on the RFP can be submitted until Aug. 15, with responses from the town by Aug. 31.

https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/winsted-invites-second-round-proposals-18259963.php

The zoning application was originally submitted in December 2021 by then-Testo’s owners Mario Testa, longtime head of the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee and ally of Mayor Joe Ganim, and his nephew Ralph Giacobbe. And the apartment plan was drawn up by Bridgeport-based contractor John Guedes, well-know for his work in Shelton and some under-construction downtown Bridgeport housing projects, like the conversion of the former Holiday Inn into apartments. Then, after the Testo’s application was formally approved last October, the sale of the restaurant and the adjacent homes to Amit Lakhotia was announced in late November. That $3.5 million deal closed in early April. Guedes remained involved as the contractor and got a foundation permit in mid-May and his demolition approvals last week. It is not clear whether the revocation of the zoning authorization from last October will put Testa and Giacobbe at legal risk. Guedes has repeatedly stated their deal with Lakhotia, for whom he has been acting as a spokesman, was contingent on that zoning approval being in place.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/bridgeport-testos-apartments-north-end-madison-ave-18266833.php

Mayor Joe Ganim’s administration is seeking $25 million from the state to purchase — or, if it comes to it, seize through eminent domain — and demolish the PSEG-owned facility at 1 Atlantic St. in the South End. Those unfamiliar with the massive industrial harborfront property will likely at least recognize its red and white striped smokestack that has become a landmark visible from I-95, the Metro-North train line and Long Island Sound. Earlier this summer the city submitted its application for $25 million from the highly competitive Community Investment Fund. The legislature established that pot of money and process in 2021 to target dollars specifically for projects/needs in under-served and marginalized Connecticut communities.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/bridgeport-pseg-coal-plant-18264500.php