Biden teams with East Coast governors to boost offshore wind

MATTHEW DALY

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Thursday launched a formal partnership with 11 East Coast governors to boost the growing offshore wind industry, a key element of President Joe Biden's plan for climate change.

Biden, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and other top administration officials met with governors, wind industry officials and labor leaders Thursday at the White House. The session focused on ways to expand important segments of the offshore industry, including manufacturing facilities, ports and workforce training and development.

“Together we’re stepping up. We’re about to build a better America,'' Biden said. “It's not just about the future. It’s about right now.''

The partnership comprises governors of both parties from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Missing from the compact is Virginia, where Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has moved to withdraw the state from a regional carbon-limiting initiative meant to combat climate change.

Spokesperson Macaulay Porter said Youngkin supports the offshore wind industry, and his administration has participated in calls with the White House on the topic.

“The commonwealth is already a leader in offshore wind, and the Youngkin administration is focused on ... this emerging sector in a way that is consistent with promoting jobs for Virginia and its right-to-work philosophy,'' Porter said, referring to a state policy that promotes a worker’s right not to be required to join a labor union.

Youngkin is “fully committed to Virginia’s current offshore wind project" and will continue to support any future project "that meets Virginia’s economic needs and protects ratepayers from high energy costs,'' Porter said.

In working with states and the private sector, the White House said it will “provide Americans with cleaner and cheaper energy, create good-paying jobs and invest billions in new American energy supply chains,'' including construction of wind turbines, shipbuilding and servicing.

Biden has set a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030, enough to provide electricity to 10 million homes, support 77,000 jobs and spur $12 billion per year in private investment in offshore wind. Offshore wind is a key component in the Democratic president's plan to make the nation’s electric grid carbon free by 2035.

The Biden administration has approved two large-scale wind projects, Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts and South Fork Wind off New York and Rhode Island. Both are under construction with union labor. The Interior Department has begun reviews of another 10 offshore projects that, if approved, would produce 22 gigawatts of clean energy.

Danish wind developer Orsted signed a project labor agreement last month with a national union representing 3 million people in the building trades to construct the company’s U.S. offshore wind farms with an American union workforce. Orsted currently has six offshore projects in five states.

A national agreement signed with North America’s Building Trades Unions covers contractors working on those projects and future ones, with no termination date on the project labor agreement. It sets the terms and conditions for union workers to build offshore wind farms, with targets to ensure a diverse workforce. It contains provisions for training to ensure they can construct the complex infrastructure, which costs billions of dollars.

“We recognize that states are huge players here,'' said David Hayes, a White House climate adviser. With a formal partnership, the Biden administration can “work with the governors on policies going forward and help ensure that there is an American-made supply chain for this brand-new industry,'' Hayes said.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said he and other East Coast governors “are united with our regional and federal partners not just by geography but by a shared commitment to clean and affordable energy, economic opportunity and a future in which all community members are shielded from the worsening impacts of climate change.''

The federal-state collaboration comes as the Biden administration has announced a plan to conduct up to seven offshore wind auctions by 2025, including one held last month off North Carolina and earlier this year in a coastal area known as the New York Bight. Other sales are expected in the Gulf of Maine, the central Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as offshore in California and Oregon.

Environmental and clean energy groups hailed the federal-state collaboration.

“Today, there are just seven offshore wind turbines in the United States, and we’re going to need a lot more, done responsibly, to meet our clean energy goals,'' said Diane Hoskins, campaign director for the conservation group Oceana. She called for "strong safeguards for marine life to avoid, minimize and mitigate the impacts of offshore wind.''

Heather Zichal, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, an industry group, said wind energy developers support the federal-state initiative. “Clear and predictable permitting for offshore wind is essential to recognizing its potential, and there is still work to do,'' Zichal said.

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Washington and Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Va., contributed to this story.

5 developers make pitch for prime Middletown riverfront property

Cassandra Day

MIDDLETOWN — After launching a request for proposals two years ago, the city is poised to examine five applications from developers with ideas for reusing three plots near the riverfront — an area considered a “cornerstone for redevelopment.”

The city chose the architecture and urban design firm Cooper Robertson to come up a master plan for developing the Connecticut River shoreline at and near Harbor Park after months of public input and brainstorming sessions. It will be revealed to the public early next month.

Officials are looking for a multiuse design with public spaces, apartments, retail and other components, Acting Director of Economic and Community Development Bobbye Knoll Peterson said.

“We really want it to be a place where there’s access for the public and mixed-use for the city. It is in the heart of our downtown,” she said. “We need to make sure that any project that fits in with the aesthetics downtown. Middletown’s Main Street is incredibly special, and we want to make sure that we are working with a developer that understands that and our goal for moving forward.”

The search is for entities interested in purchasing and developing a combined 3.5-acre parcel at 60 Dingwall Drive, two adjacent sites, including the parking lot of 222 Main St., behind the police station; and 195 DeKoven Drive, owned by Attention To Detail Realty. The developer would have to negotiate with the latter on a purchase price.

The city received two applications from its initial request for proposals two years ago, however, one deal fell through and the other proposal was deemed unsuitable, Economic Development Coordinator Thomas Marano said. One proposed a mixed-use complex with apartments, retail, offices and more.

The walking bridge extension is part of the state Department of Transportation work on removing Route 9 stop lights downtown, Peterson said.

Another proposed housing for the 55 and older or nearly retired population, Marano said.

Since the original request for qualifications was sent out in March 2020, when the pandemic began, Mayor Ben Florsheim said, some changes have occurred.

“A lot changed on the ground in terms of the reality in terms of bringing that to fruition, in terms of what the market is interested in based on some of the steps the city has taken since that time, such as the master plan being complete,” he explained.

The area is one prized throughout the region, Florsheim said.

“I’m really impressed with the caliber of the applicants. Both the development community and the city are in a very strong position to make the most of this site, a prime site in Connecticut and New England, not just Middletown.”

The city recently received five requests, which will be reviewed by a group consisting of the mayor, Peterson, Acting Chief of Staff Alice Diaz, Director of Land Use Marek Kozikowski, Middlesex County Chamber of President Larry McHugh, Deputy Mayor Vincent Loffredo and Council Minority Leader Phil Pessina, who is on the Economic Development Commission.

Members hope to complete interviews of the candidates within the next few weeks.

These developers are “very well-financed and good groups with a lot of experience. It’s a transformational project for downtown,” Marano said.

“I’m incredibly pleased with the five plans put forward,” Peterson said. “The working group has a big job ahead of them to really dig into what is going to meet our needs in the best way.”

The pedestrian connection to the waterfront was lost when Route 9 was constructed, but it is a key component of the city’s vision, Peterson said. The city prides itself on its walkability with a vibrant downtown area full of shops, restaurants and other attractions.

During highway construction, access to the Miller and Bridge streets neighborhood was reduced, which resulted in lower property values and dangerous access via a dangerous exit, the mayor said. Florsheim hopes changes to Route 9 will remedy that situation.

One aspect that keeps the mayor up at night is how to sustain new elements for the next generation, he said.

“My challenge, from where I sit, is we’ve got a lot going on,” he said. “It’s a good problem to have, but it's a lot of different projects to manage …”

Downtown living is key to urban renewal, Peterson said. “Seeing this increase after years of work is really exciting.”

New housing such as the apartments at Broad and Main streets, hearkens back to a time when the area was full of activity and Middletown was a commercial hub based on its proximity to the Connecticut River.

People “have memories of when the site — now a parking lot — was a residential neighborhood,” the mayor said. “That was an era when downtowns across the country looked very different from what they do now.

“A lot of lessons have been learned about the disconnection … people want to live in walkable communities, with access to amenities and Middletown is really well-positioned to offer a variety of different lifestyles,” Florsheim said, citing the city slogan, “It’s all here.”

“I feel great that so much progress has been able to be made,” he added. “It’s a big responsibility that we make sure we get it all right.”

The master plan will be unveiled at City Hall July 2 at 10 a.m., followed at noon by guided tours of the affected areas. The bus will depart from Harbor Park. There will also be a live stream on the city’s website. For information, visit middletownct.gov.

Plainville votes not to move forward with grant application to support school renovations

BRIAN M. JOHNSON

PLAINVILLE – Citing inflated costs, a majority of the Town Council voted not to move forward with a grant application to support renovations at the Middle School of Plainville this year.

The Middle School of Plainville is the only school in Plainville which has not been renovated in recent years. Superintendent of Schools Steve LePage had supported renovations to address a variety of concerns with the building.

Ultimately, Republican town councilors Kathy Pugliese, Deb Tompkins, Joe Catanzaro and Jacob Rocco voted not to move forward with the project this year. Republican David Underwood said that it should be up to voters and Democrats Rosemary Morante and Chris Wazorko were for the school renovation.

Town Council Chair Kathy Pugliese said that the project would have cost $58.7 million according to Construction Solutions Group, LLC due to the escalating costs of materials. There would have been a possibility for the state to reimburse up to 65.7 percent of the project.

“The majority of Republicans felt that 59 million was too much to take on right now,” said Pugliese. “With escalating costs and inflation, it has become prohibitively expensive.”

Pugliese said that she may be open to looking into alternative plans down the road. But, with recession fears looming, a majority of town council members didn’t want to make the financial commitment.

“Right now, the town is in a strong financial position,” she said. “Our fund balance is healthy. But, this would have been a 20 year commitment.”

Wazorko said that he felt like some of his fellow councilors may have “misunderstood” the vote. In his mind, the vote was to leave a “placeholder” with the state in order to secure the grant. Construction, he said, was not likely to begin for another 18 months to two years.

“If we were to put shovels in the ground next week, I would agree that now is not the best time,” he said. “But, in 18 months or two years, I think we might be looking at a better economic outlook.”

Wazorko said that he doubted that the project costs would go down within this time frame. However, with the state grant potentially offsetting it, he said that the project would be more like $24 million for the town. He said that the he felt that there could have been room to negotiate waivers to remove some renovation requirements, like changing the size of classrooms.

“I think we could have got the project down to $20 million,” he said.

Wazorko said that he “anxiously awaits an alternative plan” from his fellow councilors.

“I’m disappointed that they voted no without an alternative plan,” he said. “Doing nothing is not an option. We’ve put some capital investments off for the last 5 to 10 years because we were operating under the assumption that we would be doing a renovate like new with this school. We need a plan; we need something.”

LePage said that he was “extremely disappointed by the decision.” He said that he had spent a year working on the project and was not expecting the no vote.

“I can understand the sticker shock – the expenses went from a projected $35 million to $59 million,” he said. “But, while I expect prices will normalize, I think it is unlikely that they will come back down to where they were a year ago.”

LePage said that he felt tow town’s Debt Service budget of $4.4 million could absorb the costs without a large impact to taxpayers, especially with other projects such as the Linden Street School coming off it.

“I’m pretty fiscally conservative, but this is something that needs to be done,” said LePage.

LePage said that areas of concern with the Middle School of Plainville include a leaking roof, a state required HVAC upgrade and the lack of a secure vestibule at the school entrance. While the doors do lock, the building lacks the additional security that the town’s other schools have. The school gym, he said, is a “sweatbox” and he has received many complaints about it.

“I don’t believe that this was a good decision in the long run,” he said. “The next application we can do is a year away and we now won’t be able to qualify for a renovation grant. We will now have to piecemeal out the projects.”

DOT explains proposed Route 82 roundabouts to skeptical Norwich residents

Claire Bessette 

Norwich — The first phase of a planned Route 82 reconstruction would create three roundabouts from the Asylum Street intersection to Dunham Street and install a median divider along West Main Street, with construction slated to start in 2025.

A second phase and three more roundabouts are planned for construction in 2026, state Department of Transportation project officials told about 50 Norwich residents, city leaders and business owners at an informational meeting Thursday in the Kelly Middle School auditorium. The DOT first proposed the plan in 2015 and has made few changes since then, despite complaints from city leaders and business owners who face losing their buildings to eminent domain takings to make way for the roadway changes.

Businesses again voiced their opposition Thursday. Mark Grader, owner of Grader Jewelers, what he called a three-generation family business at 561 W. Main St., sent a long letter to Mayor Peter Nystrom hours before Thursday’s DOT informational meeting on the project. He also read it aloud at the meeting.

“I am opposed to the taking of my building by eminent domain for the purpose of the roundabout at the intersection of Dunham Street and Route 82,” Grader said. “I believe that the roundabout project is excessive both monetarily and in overall concept. I do not believe that a roundabout at the Dunham Street area is needed.”

DOT officials said Phase 1 is estimated to cost $20 million, and Phase 2 is pegged at $25 million.

Phase 1 would require the taking of five businesses, including three at the Asylum Street intersection. Four more business closures are anticipated in Phase 2.

Steven Cohen, owner of property at 684 W. Main St. — where he tore down a long-vacant building — at the New London Turnpike intersection, a property slated for acquisition, questioned several aspects of the project, including whether the DOT considered adding left-turn lanes at each red light. DOT officials responded that the left signals would not be adequate.

Cohen also asked the DOT to try doing Phase 1 and then waiting 15 to 20 years to see how it works before trying Phase 2.

Dennis McDonald, property agent in the DOT Rights-of-Way unit, said negotiations would take place with property owners, with financial compensation offers made before eminent domain proceedings. He said business compensation would include relocation costs.

Paul Agranovitch, owner of Norwich Universal Discount Liquors, called the roundabouts "the nuclear option" to fix the safety issues on Route 82 and asked officials to consider left-turn lanes.

Residents asked questions about traffic diverted on side streets, the history of plans to improve the roadway and how snow plowing would be done. One questioned traffic crash data cited by DOT officials.

Resident Shiela Hayes asked why DOT did not move utilities underground, calling it a safety investment. But DOT officials said it would be cost prohibitive, at $18 million for the entire length of the project, verses $850,000 to relocate utility poles and lines as necessary.

DOT officials led off Thursday’s meeting with a 50-minute presentation on the project, with a five-person presentation team, including Mark Lenters, an engineer with the planning and engineering firm Kimley-Horn, which has offices throughout the country, a national roundabouts expert. DOT Project Manager Scott Bushee said Lenters has certified that Route 82 is suitable for the series of roundabouts proposed.

Lenters said the proposed project is not a new concept, with the spacing of roundabouts depending on existing conditions and intersections.

Bushee said Phase 1 is at the 30% design point, while Phase 2 is remains in a conceptual design stage.

Bushee described current problems with the busy Route 82 strip, nicknamed “Crash Alley.” He described multiple unsignaled business driveways, some businesses with more than one curb cut. In one section, seven traffic lights are spaced closely together.

Videos projected on a large screen showed vehicles trying to turn out of driveways having difficult times getting “a gap” in traffic. Left-turning drivers must have gaps in three lanes to get out. He pointed out one truck waiting at a green light to turn left. Finally, the driver gave up and turned when the light turned red.

“Everybody has a point of tolerance, when they give up and start taking gaps they wouldn’t otherwise take,” Bushee said.

He said the road has an average of 100 crashes per year, 40 with injuries. Bushee said 60% of the crashes occur at the traffic signals. There also are an average of 15 bicycle and pedestrian crashes.

“Those are your friends, your neighbors,” Bushee said. “We need a safety improvement.”

He described the plan to eliminate left turns with a median divider. The roadway would be reduced from four to two lanes, what DOT presenters called “a road diet.” By eliminating frequent traffic lights, a person’s travel time through the improved section is expected to be cut by 25%. Drivers wanting to turn left would drive to the next roundabout and make a complete circle to get to the opposite lane to turn right into the business or street.

Pedestrians would have all new sidewalks, and cyclists would have a 5-foot shoulder.

Michael Laurice, project engineer, described Phase 1 as having three single-lane roundabouts and one temporary red light at the Dunham Street intersection. The roundabouts would have an inner circle area to accommodate large trucks, buses and firetrucks. Construction of Phase 1 is planned to start in spring of 2025 and be completed in fall of 2026. Phase 2 would begin in 2027.

Laurice reviewed each proposed roundabout, which would require relocation of some bus shelters and entrances. At the Dunham Street in Phase 1, a red light would remain but with a U-turn lane. The intersection would be converted into a true roundabout in Phase 2, Laurice said.

Bushee said in repeated meetings with Norwich officials over the years, local representatives asked for ways to reduce traffic disruptions during construction. He said ways to do that include moving utilities early in the project, working on one intersection at a time, getting it mostly completed before tearing up the next portion.

DOT will appoint a community-business liaison to receive feedback from business owners and residents and to alert businesses when construction is expected to reach that business. City officials have asked to consider as much night work as possible. Bushee called night work “a delicate balance” because there are residents in the area.

Milling, paving, concrete pouring and curb work could be done at night.

Road closures on the side streets at the Route 82 intersections for two weeks at a time would help speed up the project, with traffic rerouted along the grid network of other side streets during the temporary closures.

Bushee said a separate public information meeting will be held in advance of the second phase.

East Hartford construction supply company expands to Midwest

Andrew Larson

East Hartford-based NEFCO, a family-owned and operated construction supply company, is expanding its reach to the Midwest with the acquisition of Jiffy Fastening Systems, the company announced Wednesday.

NEFCO’s purchase of the Lexington, Kentucky-based company marks its sixth acquisition since 2017.

Jiffy, founded in 1967, supplies products to mechanical, electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors throughout Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana, including Sharp products and power tools. In addition to its headquarters in Lexington, the company has branches in Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio.

The acquisition furthers NEFCO’s “commitment to be the national leader” in Sharp products, according to NEFCO President & CEO Matthew Gelles.

“Through this partnership, NEFCO will expand its presence into the Midwest and service contractors in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and West Virginia,” Gelles said.

Jiffy is led by three brothers, who will continue in their roles, the announcement says. 

NEFCO has 16 locations along the East Coast and provides products and services to contractors stretching from Maine to Florida.