Manchester has received an application from a national, multi-state cannabis operator to open a dispensary at the former Friendly’s restaurant on Buckland Street. The Planning and Economic Development Department received an application from Curaleaf on July 5 for a retail marijuana dispensary in the former eatery at 240 Buckland St. No substantial exterior changes are proposed to the property or 4,322-square-foot building, other than new paint and signage. The parking configuration, which includes 81 standard and four accessible spaces, isn’t proposed to change, either. Staff are reviewing the application before it heads to the Planning and Zoning Commission for consideration.

Curaleaf proposes cannabis dispensary at former Friendly’s in Manchester

Even after praising the way Bethel has developed its downtown, experts say the town could further enhance accessibility for pedestrians. One recommendation is the construction of a pedestrian bridge connecting the east side of Bethel’s train station and the west side of the tracks. An over-the-tracks pedestrian bridge, which has been an idea for at least a decade, was one of the topics discussed during and after a recent transit-oriented community walk through downtown Bethel. In addition to highlighting the town’s successful transit-oriented development, the audit walk through Bethel was designed to open people’s eyes to potential areas of improvement — such as the need for the pedestrian bridge over the train tracks. There was also a recommendation to convert some industrial land into multi-family housing.

https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Pedestrian-bridge-crossing-Bethel-s-train-17313018.php?t=6965a10d35&src=nthplocal

A Los Angeles-based business aviation company is preparing for taking off with a multi-phase project development project at Waterbury-Oxford Airport that will created hundreds of construction jobs and 202 permanent aviation jobs. “The goal is to grow nationally, on both coasts and in between,” Hand said. Clay Lacy Aviation has signed a 30-year lease with the Connecticut Airport Authority. Ultimately, when all three phases are completed, there will be 202 direct or permanent jobs created, he said. An additional 420 construction jobs will created during the three phases. The first phase of what will ultimately be a $40 million expansion by the company at the airport includes a 40,000 square foot hangar and 5,000 square feet of office space, Hand said. It is expected to be open before the winter of 2023, he said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Waterbury-Oxford-Airport-to-get-40-million-17316014.php

The operator of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport has applied for city approval to add 507 additional on-site parking spaces, which would raise the parking capacity at Tweed from the current 927 spaces to 1,434 spaces. Avports, LLC’s application for the 54.7 percent increase in parking capacity would help accommodate the continued growth of Avelo Airlines, which has gone from an initial six Florida destinations last November to 14 destinations today. While maps submitted to the City Plan Commission appear to show that all of the additional parking is on the New Haven side of the airport, which is owned by New Haven but located partially in East Haven, East Haven Town Attorney Michael Luzzi said the town was informed of the application.

https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Tweed-New-Haven-seeks-507-more-on-site-parking-17315346.php?src=nhrhpdesecp

Eversource will pay $1.6 million to Operation Fuel, which helps low-income ratepayers, and $200,000 to the attorney general’s office for consumer education and enforcement, Tong said. The state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in December fined Eversource $1.8 million for failing to disclose whether marketing materials for gas connections were paid for by shareholders, ratepayers or both, in violation of Connecticut law. Tong opened an investigation following a report in August 2021 by columnist Kevin Rennie of The Hartford Courant about notices from Eversource claiming homeowners in South Windsor would be unable to connect to natural gas when their road was resurfaced due to a “paving moratorium.” PURA calculated the fine as $500 for each of the 3,594 people who received marketing materials that did not include required advertising disclosures.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/connecticut-attorney-general-fines-eversource-1-8-million-over-accusations-utility-deceptively-marketed-natural-gas-connections/ar-AAZKjHS?cvid=fbccff9fa17b45aea62c2887c79c07e3

The bipartisan infrastructure law that Congress passed in 2021 gave $8 billion to the Department of Energy, or DOE, to support the development of at least four regional “hubs” for clean hydrogen, which is seen as a promising alternative fuel to fossil fuels for a variety of industries. And while DOE has yet to begin soliciting proposals, or even to define what a “hub” is, governments and businesses all over the U.S. are already coming together to vie for the funding. In some parts of the country, where hydrogen is already a part of the economy, it might look like converting existing infrastructure and industries to cleaner processes. But in the Northeast, it means building something totally new. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the agreement between her state, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey to jointly apply for the DOE funding in March. The press release named 40 additional partners, including hydrogen technology companies, utilities, and universities, that will contribute to the vision of a northeast hydrogen hub.

https://grist.org/energy/the-northeast-is-poised-to-become-a-hydrogen-hub/

The New Jersey-based development company behind the Merritt 8 Corporate Park is aiming to build a 129-unit apartment complex on the same site. Mountain Development Corporation is seeking the town’s approval to construct the four-story building on a largely-undeveloped plot of land off Hawley Lane, according to an application submitted to the town. The application is currently before the Stratford Inland Wetlands Commission, a seven-member board charged with determining whether construction projects adhere to local environmental regulations. Kelly Kerrigan, Stratford’s environmental conservation superintendent, said the commission could vote on the application as soon as Wednesday. If approved, the proposal would then move to the zoning commission. Municipalities can only deny 8-30g applications if the project would cause a substantial health or safety concern. Developers, meanwhile, can only take advantage of the law if less than 10 percent of a municipality’s housing units are designated by deed as affordable.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Developer-seeks-Stratford-s-OK-for-129-17312611.php

The Greenwich Hospital administration considered and then rejected several alternate sites for its proposed upgraded cancer facility, in part because of parking, its formal application spells out.
The hospital is seeking to build a 56,000-square-foot Smilow Cancer Center near the main hospital, which is raising concerns in the neighborhood. An earlier plan was voted down by the town’s Planning & Zoning Commission in 2021. The formal application also lays out a timetable should town approvals be granted. The hospital administration says site work could take place from the summer to the winter of 2023, including blasting and excavation for the underground garage. The construction work would take place in 2024, with the building frame mostly completed in that year. Interior work would be accomplished in 2025, with an expected completion time in summer 2025. The project needs a zoning change as well as a special permit from the town Planning and Zoning Commission, which has not yet scheduled a hearing on the project.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Greenwich-Hospital-rejected-several-site-options-17313119.php

City and project leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the planned City Hall renovations Thursday. Following the ceremony, which saw city leaders don hard hats and dig with shovels, Mayor Jeff Caggiano gathered architectural renderings for the new city hall and spoke of the history and importance of the project. He was joined by representatives from “D’Amato and Downs A Joint Venture” and QA+M Architecture and Studio Q. Ray Rogozinski, director of public works and lead project manager, thanked all those who supported and helped plan the renovation project, including city staff and construction leaders. He said that the new city hall will better serve residents. Tony D’Amato, of D’Amato Construction, recalled his former service on the city council during which, he said, he engaged in early discussions about what to do with City Hall. Former City Councilor David Mills, who attended the groundbreaking, had suggested Memorial Boulevard, where D’Amato is currently working on renovating the arts magnet school.

http://www.bristolpress.com/BP-Bristol+News/407186/city-hall-renovations-kicked-off-with-a-ceremony-thursday

With excavators and a bulldozer standing by, the developer planning apartments at the long-abandoned Ames headquarters in Rocky Hill has begun environmental remediation after buying the property for $2.3 million. Rocky Hill struggled for years to find a major retailer or office management company interested in reusing the 250,000-square-foot building after Ames went out of business in 2002. “A lot of people in Rocky Hill have memories from here — so many people worked at Ames,” said Marotta, who spent a summer after high school as a data entry clerk in a third-floor office. Hamden-based Belfonti Companies LLC this month paid $2.3 million for the property, and plans to build 213 apartments — one of the largest new residential projects in central Connecticut. Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration last year put $500,000 toward the environmental cleanup of the 1965 building and surrounding property. Marotta said the public-private partnership nature of the new development was key to starting progress.

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-connecticut-rocky-hill-ames-20220716-qsbs2qgmabdcxgkdyqespuqhqq-story.html