CT Construction Digest Friday May 9, 2025
Norwalk's $5.1M drainage improvement project is ‘close to 50% done' on Heather and Lockwood Lanes
NORWALK – Less than a year after the groundbreaking on a $5.1 million storm drainage improvements project, the state-funded work to address flooding in a Norwalk neighborhood is almost halfway to the finish line, city officials say.
“We’re about close to 50% done,” said Vanessa Valadares, Norwalk’s chief of operations and public works, on the project to improve the Heather Lane and Lockwood Lane area. “We started this project last year in September, and we’re going to be finishing by December.”
Covering about 55 acres of city property, the project is focused on upgrading storm drainage on a few streets in a Norwalk neighborhood that has been overwhelmed by flooding issues. In addition to Heather and Lockwood Lanes, the project is addressing storm drainage on George Avenue, Woodcrest Road, Jackson Drive, Bissell Road, Cory Lane and Katy Lane, according to Valadares.
The project, which started on Lockwood Lane and will end on Katy Lane, involves installing 55 catch basins and 32 manholes, replacing pipes and disconnecting the neighborhood’s combined stormwater sewer system.
“Construction-wise, I feel the project is actually going very well,” Valadares said. “And I’m grateful that the residents understand that there’s a lot of disruption in the residential neighborhood. Of course, it’s a challenge for people who live there on a daily basis to have the machines around, but they have been very comprehensive about it and they understand that after we are done, it will be a big improvement for the neighborhood.”
Neighborhood residents had complained to Norwalk’s Public Works for years about the constant issue of flooding on their properties.
“What we do here in Norwalk is we try to monitor it and map all the flooding complaints that we receive during a major storm,” Valadares said. “And we do that through residents calling customer service. We keep track of it throughout different events. … Based on that, we are able to identify what areas are prone to more flooding.”
On Heather Lane, the most damage came from floodwaters that went into residents’ basements, Valadares said.
“There were pictures of what (residents) submitted to us with a lot of damages to private properties,” she said. “Luckily, we were able to get this project designed."
The city received $5.1 million in state funding in October 2023 to address the flooding issues, and it broke ground for the project last July.
Of $5.1 million, a total of $3.7 million is for construction work while the remaining funds were for design, inspection and contingency costs, according to Valadares.
Public Works plans to revisit the neighborhood next year after the project is completed to repave the roads, Valadares said.
The Heather and Lockwood Lanes project is among the city’s biggest storm drainage improvement projects in the past few years, she said.
Norwalk also recently celebrated the completion of the $10.2 million Dreamy Hollow Neighborhood project, which focused on improving storm drainage and sanitary sewer lines to improve flooding in the neighborhood by over 22%.
“It’s quite impressive that in two years we’ve invested in drainage improvement in the city,” Valadares said.
Tilcon temporarily scraps plans for Plainville quarry expansion to address concerns
PLAINVILLE— Tilcon Connecticut has temporarily withdrawn its application for a zone change needed to expand one of its quarries.
The construction company currently has about half of its 468-acre operation in the northeast part of town and is looking to expand by 83 acres, according to the April 8 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting minutes.
The company’s primary material is basalt which comes out of the two quarries in town, including on the south side of New Britain Avenue, said Tom Daly of SLR Consulting, at the April 8 meeting. Daly, who represents Tilcon, added that the basalt, which is crushed and used for road base, construction material, and all of Tilcon’s concrete material, is “extremely durable and exceeds all DOT standards."
On Feb. 25, Tilcon filed an application for a zone change from a residential zone to a "quarry industrial" zone for properties on Nike Road, Loon Lake Road and Metacomet Road. This would allow for the additional industrial and quarrying activity, according to Plainville Town Planner Evan Breining.
Tilcon sent a May 6 letter to the Planning and Zoning Commission to “formally withdraw, without prejudice, the Tilcon Connecticut application.”
The company said it made the decision to withdraw the application so experts can address many of the public comments and concerns brought to the commission on April 8. According to the meeting minutes, some of these concerns included the environmental, wildlife and human impact of the expansion; destruction of roads and wetlands; and groundwater issues due to the blasting.
“Given that Tilcon Connecticut has maintained compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations, Tilcon Connecticut submits that such claims and allegations are inaccurate. Nevertheless, since the claims were made, those claims, whether with or without foundation, warrant review by Tilcon Connecticut,” Tilcon said in the letter.
The company asked that the notice be “read into the record" and a hearing planned for May 13 be "closed.” The company added that though the process will take time, they do plan to address the community’s concerns at a later date.
Pfizer plans to demolish obsolete building complex in Groton City
Kimberly Drelich
Groton — Pfizer plans to demolish a vacant 80,000-square foot facility, the Building 185 Complex, on its western campus at 445 Eastern Point Road.
Pfizer said in a statement that the building is obsolete and serves no further useful purpose, with demolition planned for later this year.
The closed facility includes a decommissioned legacy fermentation plant, two floors of laboratory space, a limited manufacturing area and office and machinery room space, according to a description from engineering firm Fuss & O'Neill included in Pfizer's demolition permit application.
Fuss & O'Neill representatives wrote in the application that despite a year of marketing the building complex, it "has failed to attract interest due to its limited market appeal and lack of operational purpose," and demolition is the only viable option.
"Renovation is not a practical solution, as the building's constrained size and location cannot accommodate the extensive upgrades required to meet Pfizer's current campus needs," they wrote.
Along with removing the building complex, Pfizer plans to regrade the site to blend in with the adjacent land.
City Planner Leslie Creane said the city's Planning and Zoning Commission will hear Pfizer's Coastal Area Management application for the demolition at its May 20 meeting.
City Mayor Keith Hedrick said Building 185 is being torn down as part of a plan Pfizer put into place 20 years ago. He said he has been told the company plans to remain in Groton for the long-term.
Last year, The Day reported the company's plans to renovate or add to six of its buildings.
Groton Tax Assessor Mary Gardner said Pfizer annually pays $180,000 in taxes for the Building 185 Complex. If the company demolishes the complex by October, it will no longer have to pay taxes on it in July 2026. Pfizer, the town's second largest taxpayer, pays about $7.9 million in taxes annually.
She said the company is upgrading labs and adding new machinery and equipment to its campus.
Environmental stewardship permit sought
Pfizer also is applying for a stewardship permit from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for the company's 164.5-acre research and development site in Groton, comprised of a 55.1-acre West Campus and a 109.4-acre East Campus, according to the DEEP.
The West Campus has 11 buildings, including an emergency response department, offices and a powerhouse, and "was the primary location of the historical manufacturing activities by Pfizer and other companies." Pfizer conducted manufacturing there from 1946 to 2007, according to a fact sheet from the DEEP.
The East Campus has 15 buildings, including offices, research and development laboratories, pilot-scale product development facilities, and storage space, the DEEP stated. Historically, the site was largely residential, but it also housed a former gas station, automotive repair shop, the city's former Public Works garage, a rail line and parts of a golf course.
Pfizer said investigations between 2010 and 2016 found potential areas of contamination on its site.
The contaminants are primarily a limited number of volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, extractable total petroleum hydrocarbons, PCBs, ammonia, cyanide and metals, according to the DEEP.
Through DEEP's Voluntary Cleanup Program, Pfizer said it implemented a remedial action plan which called for the excavation of impacted soils and installation of engineered controls. Pfizer said it completed environmental cleanup activities.
According to an April 22 stewardship permit presentation, Pfizer's actions include PCB and metals soil removal, installation of soil caps, ongoing inspections and groundwater monitoring on the West Campus, as well as removal of soil impacted by mercury on the East Campus.
Pfizer said the permit, which the DEEP has tentatively decided to issue, ensures the state that Pfizer will remain responsible for future obligations, including groundwater monitoring, inspection of protective covers and financial commitments.
According to the DEEP, the permit requires Pfizer to follow a work schedule, submit annual progress reports, evaluate firehouse practices, continue long-term groundwater and surface water monitoring, and maintain and monitor the PCB engineered control area and the capped areas. Pfizer also must investigate and remediate, if needed, three remaining areas of concern and a solid waste management unit. Two areas of concern will be analyzed after Building 185 is demolished.
Pfizer said once the administrative filings are complete, the Groton property will be restricted to commercial or industrial use. Pfizer said that if a future owner wants to release those restrictions, the state would require additional remediation to meet the standards for residential or unrestricted use of the property.
"At the current time, we have no plans to redevelop this area," Pfizer said.
'We don't want you here:' Plainfield residents oppose waste processing plant: What's next?
People came out in droves to oppose the proposed waste processing plant in Plainfield presented at an informational meeting May 7.
The plant, which would be located on Norwich Road and Black Hill Road, would use sorting and gasification technology to convert garbage into renewable electricity and natural gas. It is being developed by SMART Technology Systems, LLC.
The public opposed the project for a number of reasons, stating that the facility would cause nearby property values to drop, create extra traffic, damage the rural character of the area and cause health conditions such as asthma and COPD.
“Bottom line, we don’t want you here,” Erland Bragg, who lives one mile from the proposed project’s site, said to the developers of the facility.
Karla Desjardins, chairwoman of the Plainfield Planning and Zoning Commission, said the developers did not do their research when they proposed their project in Plainfield.
“As chairman of the planning and zoning commission, I participate in the plan of conservation and development,” Desjardins said. “And in that plan, it very clearly states that the area of Plainfield from the Trolley Trail down Black Hill to the Canterbury line is not to be developed for commercial or industrial.”
What the developers said
The developers said the facility would be an asset to Plainfield. They said the project would provide new tax revenue, which would reduce the town’s mill rate and lower taxes for other property owners.
Another benefit pitched by the developers is that the facility would add up to 160 long-term jobs to Plainfield. They also contended that the project would not have negative effects on the environment.
“I just wanted to explain to you, this is not your grandfather’s mass burn facility in Connecticut, it’s completely different technology,” said Rick Audette, project director for O&G Industries, one of the developers’ partners.
What happens next
In order for the project to be built, several permits will need to be approved by both the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) as well as the Connecticut Siting Council.
Bill Corvo, manager at SMART Technology Systems, hopes the permits will be approved later this year, with construction beginning as soon as permitting is complete. Including the permitting and construction processes, SMART Technology Systems anticipates the plant to be operational in 2028 or 2029.
There are currently no plans to have another public informational meeting like the one that took place on May 7. However, there will be public hearings in the future, where members of the public can express their concerns about the project in front of the CT DEEP as well as the Connecticut Siting Council. The dates for those public hearings have not been finalized yet.
To fight the projects, Plainfield residents can meet with their elected officials and speak at the public hearings in front of the CT DEEP and the Connecticut Siting Council. Despite what Desjardins said, Corvo believes the facility still has a chance to be built.
"We've had extensive experience as a group of developers working with a variety of state agencies, including the Connecticut Siting Council," Corvo said. "That is a viable methodology to move forward with this project."
CT road-marking company expands into New York with acquisition
AConnecticut-based road-marking company has expanded into upstate and western New York with the purchase of a pavement-marking business.
Safety Marking LLC, headquartered at 255 Hancock Ave., in Bridgeport, has bought Straight Line Industries Inc., of Cohoes, New York.
"The business is a natural geographic fit for SMC and we look forward to partnering with Rick and his team to strengthen our operations across the region," said Mark Kelly, Safety Marketing’s founder and CEO.
Rick Fremont, Straight Line’s founder, will continue to lead the company’s day-to-day operations, according to Highview Capital LLC, a California private equity firm that owns Safety Marking.
Safety Marking, founded by Kelly in 1973, was purchased by Highview Capital in August 2023 for an undisclosed sum. The deal was aimed at helping Safety Marking grow organically and through acquisitions.
Straight Line was founded more than 30 years ago, Highview said.