CT borough hires engineering firm for development hub, roadway

ANDREAS YILMA

NAUGATUCK — The Board of Mayor and Burgesses has hired national engineering firm Kleinfelder Northeast for $437,273 to work on the design for the Parcel A and B major development hub, roadway and site improvement concept.

Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said work is underway and he wants the borough to stay well ahead of the state and its engineering team.

Borough officials already had chosen Kleinfelder for work on stormwater and sanitary sewer upgrades.

Richter & Cegan, an Avon-based landscape architecture and planning firm, is collaborating with Kleinfelder to work on the streetscape portion of the project.

The roughly $14.8 million downtown project will address Church and Maple streets, the Maple Street bridge and the intersection near Water Street. Of the money spent, $9.2 million will come from the borough’s American Rescue Plan Act funds with a good portion of the work expected to be finished in the fall of 2024.

The town has also recently received $6 million through the Department of Economic and Community Development’s Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant Program to aide with the development projects of Parcels A and B.

Earlier last year, borough board chose Pennrose, a real estate development company from Philadelphia, and the Cloud Co. from Hartford to develop 7.75 acres at the corner of Maple Street and Old Firehouse Road, also known as Parcel B for the borough’s proposed mixed use residential and commercial development.

The project will connect the existing downtown area to the development project on Parcel B.

Parcel B adjoins the Waterbury Branch Line to the location of the new train platform, which is being relocated by the state Department of Transportation. The DOT has allotted funding for the relocation of the Naugatuck train station from Water Street near The Station Restaurant to Parcel B.

The borough board also last year chose Bridgeport-based Corvus Capital Partners as the developer for Parcel A, or the Naugatuck Event Center at 6 Rubber Ave.

Kleinfelder Project Manager Nicholas Keenan said this is a conceptual phase. Work is expected to begin in the spring of 2024.

“This is kind of laying the groundwork so we can have this really ambitious and successful final design and get us into construction,” Keenan said.

Kleinfelder Senior Program Manager Neil Kulikauskas added, “This is really key to tying that in and making it all work efficiently.”

Hess and Kulikaukas said they would like to keep DOT on schedule for the rail project.

“We’ve already started survey work and with this approval, we’ll jump into the rest of the data gathering, the further coordination,” Kulikaukas said. “So once we have DOT’s preliminary design and Pennrose’s preliminary design, we’ll be able to formalize our preliminary design, and that way all parties can move forward to final design and construction.”

The borough, Pennrose, Cloud Co. and Corvus are ready to start work next year. DOT wants to begin in the spring of 2025, Hess said.

“We are all pushing them in many ways to expedite and get on our schedule,” he said.

Can offshore wind withstand market storm? And what does it mean for Connecticut?

Greg Smith

Spotted off the coast of Waterford on Friday was L/B Jill, a massive vessel with 300-foot legs that support a raised platform and will be used to support work at South Fork Wind, an offshore wind farm under construction off Long Island.

The 12-turbine project, which will generate enough electricity to power 70,000 homes, is one of three offshore wind farms developed by Danish wind company Ørsted and Eversource expected to use the newly reconstructed Admiral Harold E. Shear State Pier in New London as an assembly and staging area.

Ørsted said all three projects remain on course in the face of struggles in the offshore wind industry. Price increases because of soaring inflation and supply chain bottlenecks have led to delays and attempts to renegotiate contracts in some long-planned projects along the East Coast.

Eversource, Connecticut’s largest energy supplier, announced in May it was divesting itself of its stake in offshore wind assets, including a 50% stake in the $300 million redevelopment of State Pier in New London.

Citing “affordability concerns,” Rhode Island Energy, that state’s largest utility company, earlier this month opted not to enter into a power purchase agreement from a planned offshore wind farm called Revolution Wind 2, another joint proposal from Ørsted and Eversource ― submitted before Eversource announced its exit from offshore wind.

Reuters recently reported that shares in Siemens Energy had fallen because of issues with its wind division Siemens Gamesa and problems with onshore turbines and delays in production of some of its offshore wind turbine parts. The turbine parts arriving at State Pier, however, have no known problems.

Ørsted, in a statement, said it was “assessing our options” for Revolution Wind 2, the wind farm planned for federal waters off the coast of Rhode Island that was likely to make use of State Pier. The wind farm would be situated near Revolution Wind, another planned offshore wind farm that will supply Connecticut and Rhode Island with electricity from as many as 100 offshore wind turbines. That project appears to be on track for federal approval later this year.

Revolution Wind is among at least three planned offshore wind farms developed by Ørsted and Eversource that will use a newly upgraded State Pier in New London ― reconstructed to the tune of $300 million ― and accommodate massive wind turbine parts. Ørsted has yet to officially take over the projects after Eversource’s exit from the offshore wind projects.

Revolution Wind is slated to supply 304 megawatts of electricity to Connecticut and 400 megawatts to Rhode Island, powering an estimated 350,000 homes.

State Pier has already hosted shipments of wind turbine components for Ørsted’s South Fork Wind. New London will also be the hub for Sunrise Wind, a 924-megawatt project to supply power to New York.

“We are confident that State Pier will continue to be a vital hub for the offshore wind industry while also positioning the port to serve a broader range of industries and cargo than ever before,” Ørsted said in a statement in response to questions from The Day.

Officials from the Connecticut Port Authority also expressed confidence that the $300 million investment in State Pier makes sense despite some of the struggles for the offshore wind at the moment.

Connecticut Port Authority’s Interim Executive Director Ulysses B. Hammond said the partnership with Ørsted and Eversource was key in the redevelopment of State Pier to accommodate not only the massive wind turbine components but to secure a more productive future for what had traditionally been an underutilized port.

“State Pier is poised to become a premier break bulk and heavy-lift terminal,” Hammond said. “There will be few ports like it when completed this fall.”

Critics of the project point to its spiraling costs that for the moment, at least, restricts the use of the port to a single company and a single use.

Hammond said port operator Gateway will also be a major reason for the future activity at State Pier. Gateway, Hammond said, is part of the Enstructure family of companies, that owns and operates an integrated network of marine terminals and logistics assets along the East Coast, Gulf Coast and inland river system ― 21 terminals in all. Hammond said the company has an extensive reach in marketing the port for additional customers and uses.

Ørsted has a 10-year lease for use of State Pier, and the amount of the port authority’s lease payments ― $2 million per year ― is not impacted by changes in Ørsted’s projects. The state does stand to gain revenues if Ørsted secures new power purchase agreements with the state and extends that lease.

Power purchase agreements, which help fund the construction of offshore wind projects, are made with utility companies and funded by ratepayers.

Ørsted might also decide to sublease the property during lulls in activity. Hammond said it makes sense to market the property to other offshore wind developers along with national and international commercial break bulk and heavy-lift cargo interests.

Rhode Island Energy has an existing agreement with Ørsted for the 30-megawatt Block Island Wind Farm, which is the first operational offshore wind farm in the country. The company is also upgrading transmission lines to support Revolution Wind.

Rhode Island has an ambitious goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2023. Connecticut contracted for 304 megawatts from Revolution Wind in 2018 and another 804 megawatts from Park City Wind, pitched by Avingrid ― parent of United illuminating and Iberdrola. Park City Wind is attempting to renegotiate with the state because of increased costs.

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, just this week, released two draft requests for proposals for new large-scale zero-carbon electricity resources, including offshore wind.

The bids are due by Jan. 31, 2024.

In the face of energy price spikes linked to global fuel markets and geopolitical events, DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said in a statement, “Investing in cost-competitive zero carbon energy is critical to make our energy supply more affordable, reliable, and clean, and will build on the important work the Lamont Administration and legislature have undertaken to address energy costs and grow Connecticut’s clean economy and workforce.”

A shortage of engineers is slowing down work at DOT, officials say

Donato Davis

A shortage of engineers is complicating the state Department of Transportation’s efforts to upgrade and repair Connecticut’s roads and bridges, officials told the CT Mirror.

Although officials gave varying estimates as to how many jobs need to be filled in the department in coming years — from 10% to more than 40% of the ideal workforce — they agreed that hiring is a top priority.

“We did lose a large number of senior engineers, senior maintainers,” DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said at a press conference last month. “The reduction in staffing has caused some projects to slow down, so it caused us to prioritize projects. What hasn’t happened is it hasn’t led to any reduction in inspection and repairs.”

“We are only about 200 engineers short right now out of around 1,200 to 1,300 that we’re supposed to have,” he continued. “We’re doing better, but we still need a lot more. The problem for us here in Connecticut is we don’t graduate enough engineers in this state. So, the past couple years … we started to look outside Connecticut where we can attract people to move to Connecticut to work for the DOT.”

Connecticut colleges had only 191 civil engineering graduates in 2020 and 2021, state data show. The major with the most graduates was psychology. The University of Connecticut’s 2022 Undergraduate Student Outcome report shows that the top five employers for UConn engineering graduates last year were private corporations: Electric Boat, Pratt & Whitney, Travelers, Cigna and Lockheed Martin.

Eucalitto said that given the circumstances, the DOT has been trying to recruit new engineers from outside the state and work with corporations to make up for the 400-500 total vacancies created during the mass retirements of 2022 and for the retirements to come in the future.

Travis Woodward, supervising engineer at the DOT and president of CSEA SEIU Local 2001, a union that represents 25,000 active and retired public employees, said current hiring practices at the Department of Administrative Services (the agency in charge of hiring state employees) are “archaic” and are not efficient enough to meet the workforce demands of the DOT.

“DAS continues to take anywhere from seven to 13 months to hire somebody. They’ve gotten that down; they pulled it down to couple months or half a year, but that’s still way too much when our competition is the private sector,” Woodward said.

“If you were to look at our entry level positions … it has the wrong salary range built in because of DAS’s archaic hiring regulations.”

Eucalitto said more retirements are on the way and the work to fill vacancies within the department will continue.

“We have about 900 retirements over the next three years coming up. Even though we had a huge retirement surge, we have a lot more retirements coming … even if we fill every position today, we still need to be recruiting for the next three to four years,” Eucalitto said.

But though the DOT is having problems hiring new employees, and with more retirements on the way, Woodward said that the DOT would need to hire approximately 500 new employees to reduce the department’s dependence on private companies. He also admitted that the gap between the supply and demand for engineers will pose some challenges, but he is confident that the department will be able to bridge this gap.

“I think it’s possible, and I think that this administration, especially our current commissioner and our current legislature, have done more for DOT and hiring than at least the previous 20 years of administrations,” Woodward said. “They’re making the right actions, but more needs to be done, and we need to clear out those hurdles to hiring.”

Josh Morgan, a spokesperson at the DOT, and Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, a co-chair of the state Transportation Committee, shared Woodward’s optimism in the state’s hiring abilities, despite the circumstances.

“I know that they’re struggling to recruit new engineers into the department. That’s not just a Connecticut DOT issue, though, that’s a national issue,” Lemar said. “There’s a series of jobs that are important. We lost a lot of experience with a wave of retirements that happened in state service, and it’s going to take a while to fill in those gaps. But I have confidence in Commissioner Eucalitto that they’re aggressively out there recruiting new people into those positions.”

“We are working statewide with the DAS to streamline the hiring process to try to make it quicker for people to apply and hear back,” Morgan said.

Repairing and upgrading the nation’s infrastructure has been a top priority of the Biden administration, but according to a 2022 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Connecticut’s infrastructure has been given an overall grade of C; with bridges graded at a C, and roads graded at a D-.

Lemar also said that despite the issues the department has been facing, maintenance of roads and bridges in the state has continued, and their conditions have improved since the release of the ASCE report.

“What you’ve seen in those two grades is an improvement over the last number of years,” Lemar said. “We’re investing the federal dollars that we receive and our state bonding dollars to addressing some of the backlog of deteriorated roads and bridges that we have across the state. I feel confident with the administration that we’ve got at the DOT right now.

“I think we’re all laser-focused on drawing down every available federal dollar to address this backlog, to make sure our roads and bridges are safe and traversable and up to modern standards,” he added. “You’d hate to be in a position where you’re declining dollars because you don’t have the capacity to do the work. We’re not at that stage yet. But I think we risk that if we can’t get more folks into state service.”

Reports by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics in 2020 rated 67% of the state’s roads in acceptable condition (second-worst in New England and seventh-worst nationwide). Another report by the Federal Highway Administration states that out of the more than 4,000 bridges within the state, 231 of them are in poor condition — the majority of which are in Fairfield County.

But the Department of Transportation does not intend to change the state’s bridge inspection program.

In an email, Morgan wrote, “We are proud of our bridge repair and rehabilitation program and the significant progress we have made … As part of our asset management strategy, we continually inspect, identify, and address deficient elements of our infrastructure.”

Bridgeport seeks $25M for PSEG-owned, closed power plant

BRIDGEPORT — Between municipal offices and vacant land awaiting redevelopment, the city owns hundreds of properties.

Should it add a massive, abandoned coal-burning power plant to that real estate portfolio?

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.

The coal-fired plant went off-line in 2021 as part of a deal initiated under former Mayor Bill Finch and continued by Ganim following his election in 2015 to allow construction of an adjacent natural gas-run facility.

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.

Thomas Gaudett, a top Ganim aide, confirmed the request is to finance acquiring the old power plant, take it down and "move the ball forward" for future redevelopment, most likely putting the site out to bid in the future to any interested private entities. He emphasized that Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat like Ganim and Finch, has advised the city he "wants action on PSEG (the site)."

David Bednarz, senior press secretary for Lamont, in a statement earlier this month to Hearst Connecticut Media said his boss has met with Ganim and the mayor's staff over the future of the plant property.

"And he shares their enthusiasm for converting it into a location that promotes vibrancy, walkability and livability, whether it be through retail, housing, mixed-use office space, an expanded marina or other types of developments of this nature," Bednarz wrote. "The governor's office remains in contact with Bridgeport officials to discuss this vision and looks forward to a continued collaboration."

Applications for the Community Investment Fund are reviewed by a 21-member board of legislators and other state officials. Like other state borrowing, that group's recommendations have to be approved by the governor-chaired state bond commission.

State Rep. Antonio Felipe has a seat on the CIF board along with fellow Bridgeport legislator and Democrat Senator Marilyn Moore. Felipe also represents the South End. He called the Ganim administration's $25 million request "absolutely a good use of the fund."

"I'm not sure how it will be received among the rest of the board, especially being such a high number from one municipality," he cautioned.

Moore, who is among a trio of Democrats challenging Ganim's re-election this year, was hesitant to comment on the application before reviewing it. 

“I would have to know, 'Okay, you acquire it. What's the plan for the land after?'" Moore said.  

In recent months the city has received mixed results from prior requests for investment fund money. Ganim's administration on the second try received around $4 million dollars to help private developer Anthony Stewart complete his over-budget Honey Locust Square commercial project in the East End. But separate applications for $100 million to help revitalize two abandoned, municipally-owned downtown theaters and around $8 million to clean up the also city-owned AGI rubber company lot in the East Side were shot down.

"The applications that have come from the city have scored very low for content, completion and accuracy," Moore said, adding they seem to be done at "the last minute." 

Some question if Ganim's election-year effort — he is running for a third consecutive four year term — to acquire the ex-power plant is premature because, technically, there is no detailed vision currently for what to do with the prime but contaminated waterfront site.

 As reported a year ago, the local regional planning organization — the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments — received $400,000 in mostly federal dollars to undertake a study of future uses of that property.

Matthew Fulda, MetroCOG's executive director, said that, following a lengthier-than-expected competitive process to select a consultant from among 12 applicants, Bergman Associates and three sub-consultants were recently hired to help craft potential redevelopment scenarios. He noted the selection committee included representatives from his organization, PSEG, Bridgeport City Hall and the South End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone civic group.

"What we're trying to do is work toward a plan that will enable development to happen at a pace that it wouldn't have been able to had the plan not been done beforehand," Fulda said. "There's a lot to take in and analyze and think about."

He said the study, which will include community engagement, will take 12 to 15 months to complete. 

Asked about Bridgeport's $25 million request of the state, Fulda said, "We are partnering with the city and PSEG on this study. I would say we are moving forward with the understanding that PSEG at this time is the property owner."

"What the city is doing through the CIF fund is being done through the city," Fulda continued. "It's not being done through MetroCOG. It's not an application we assisted in."

And does PSEG even want to sell the plant or does the New Jersey-based company have some ideas for its reuse? After its opening in 2019, the company sold the adjacent gas-powered plant last year. The company maintains ownership of the coal plant.

PSEG in a statement said it "remains committed to working with the South End community, the city and state on economically viable options for future use of the site. However, we do not comment or speculate on future business plans."

Gaudett would not rule out the city's legally taking the privately owned property through the sometimes-controversial eminent domain process.

"It's a last resort but it's on the table," he said. "We are not trying to be adversarial with them. Our first option is to work collaboratively with them."

If the city does go the eminent domain route, the power plant would join other efforts currently in the preliminary stages. The City Council recently approved buying or taking much smaller but still prominent blighted sites in the South End and in the Hollow neighborhood owned by New York City-based businessman Albert Gad.

Kelvin Ayala is a Bridgeport businessman and activist who was part of a group that unsuccessfully sought the MetroCOG contract for analyzing the plant's possible futures. He called the Ganim administration's request for CIF aid an "embarrassment" given there are as yet no plans for the property and the costs of taking the structure down and environmental clean-up are unknown,

Eventually state dollars might be required, Ayala said, but it is far too soon to take that step.

City Councilman Scott Burns also has reservations. Burns is co-chairman of the local legislative body's economic development and budget committees and said the Ganim administration at the last minute sought and received council approval to submit the $25 million CIF application. 

"Why now?" Burns asked of the plant ownership push. "I just felt there were too many unanswered questions."

Burns said while the $25 million request of the CIF board is not as "pie in the sky" as the previously rejected application for $100 million for the downtown theaters, if Bridgeport assumes responsibility for the old industrial facility, it comes off of the tax rolls until a new private entity does something with it. 

PSEG pays around $1.1 million in annual combined real estate and personal property taxes.

But City Councilman Tyler Mack of the South End said he would like to see the city obtain the $25 million.

"I just know something needs to be done and we need to make steps forward instead of staying in the stagnant situation we’ve been in," Mack said.

Kevin Moore, head of the South End NRZ, confirmed that group supports the $25 million grant request too. But, he added, it was "hard to say at this stage" if redevelopment of the coal plant will move forward faster under municipal ownership.

"I think a lot of that is going to depend on the outcome of what the findings are with the (MetroCOG) planning and reuse study, " Moore said. "It's going to be an incredibly expensive endeavor. Whether the city can in fact win the grant and have enough funds to do something meaningful with the site is yet to be seen. Obviously it’s the interest of the South End NRZ to see the site reused in some way that provides a benefit to the community.”

Dan Onofrio is president of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. His downtown office looks out on the PSEG plant. He called it a "tremendous" economic opportunity for the city and region.

"It's out my window," Onofrio said. "I think everyone's anxious, now that it's been decommissioned, to take that thing down. ... Having the city involved, whether they purchase it or not, is a benefit to the whole project in general. Having them be aggressive with the future of the site I think is a good thing."

Bridgeport battle over Testo's apartments moves to next stage as developers consider next move

Brian Lockhart

BRIDGEPORT — Since they moved to the city in 2021, Omar and Jilian Genao have been neighbors of Testo's restaurant on Madison Avenue in the North End.

And that also meant watching nervously over the past few days as workers tore that building and some neighboring vacant homes down to make way for a four story, 177-unit apartment complex with underground parking that the couple, other residents, politicians and activists have spent weeks fighting.

So when Bridgeport's zoning director Paul Boucher on Thursday announced he had revoked the project's permit based on a law department review which identified deficiencies in the approval process, the Genaos breathed a little easier. But just a little.

"Right now it's a positive step. But it's only a step," Omar Genao said Friday. "We know we still got a long way to go. We got to make sure the community is still being heard."

Meanwhile those on the opposing side of the land-use fight are figuring out their next move.

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.

Boucher's order does not impact the latter and more of the restaurant was razed Friday. But the loss of a valid zoning permit negates the foundation approval, Boucher emphasized Thursday.

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.

"He purchased a fully approved project. He's not at fault," Guedes insisted Thursday, adding there was around $10 million already invested in it.

 Giacobbe declined comment Friday and Testa could not be reached.

Meanwhile Guedes is being represented by attorneys Russo and Rizio, the same legal firm which submitted the initial zoning application for the apartments in late 2021. Guedes has repeatedly, including Thursday, argued that the city cannot issue and then rescind permits and has threatened a multi-million lawsuit were that to take place.

"No matter how they spin it, they're the ones that issued the permits," Guedes said Thursday. "If there was any kind of screw up, it was the city's. There's culpability on their part. They can't just issue permits and say, 'Oh, we made a mistake.'"

Attorney Chris Russo on Friday said the firm is reviewing the legal opinion and Boucher's order and had no comment.

Before heading to court the permit revocation must be appealed to Bridgeport's zoning board of appeals, a volunteer group appointed by the mayor and City Council.

It was Mayor Joe Ganim who in early May asked municipal lawyers to review the Testo's zoning permit. Neighbors and council members from that North End neighborhood had assumed the development would require a public hearing and vote of the zoning commission, another land-use board also chosen by the mayor and council.

When fencing and a sign advertising the coming apartments were erected around Testo's in the spring, Hearst Connecticut Newspapers approached the city about the project's status and was advised by Ganim's office that it had already been approved because it met the site's zoning rules. No public hearing or zoning commission action was required, the city had said then.

The resulting public outcry led Ganim just a few days later to order the law department to second-guess the zoning department.

As reported Thursday, that analysis essentially concluded that a combination of the applicants' failure to follow all the required steps, some after-the-fact changes to the plan, and the zoning officials' failure to enforce some of the rules voided the permit.

Complicating the situation is the fact this is a mayoral election year. Ganim is seeking a third consecutive four-year term and may face three rival Democrats in a September primary. He has been accused of taking this unusual action to help secure North End votes. 

"It's a political game," one of those opponents, John Gomes, who used to support the mayor politically and work for the administration, said Friday. Gomes in late June joined a protest at Testo's and last week on social media alleged, "This administration knows they cannot stop the project or win a lawsuit in court against this project."

He reiterated that claim Friday that this is a temporary reprieve for Testo's neighbors but the city will lose, if not before the ZBA then in state superior court, and the apartments will get built.

Another mayoral contender, Lamond Daniels, also commented Friday, calling the situation "shameful." Daniels is employed by Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling but formerly worked for Ganim's predecessor, Democrat Bill Finch. It was while Finch was in office that Testa and Giacobbe in 2013 obtained a rare zoning change from the then-zoning commission for their Madison Avenue restaurant that set the stage for the apartment proposal years later. 

"This is the typical political shell game we've come to expect from this administration," Daniels said in a statement. "It's going to waste precious taxpayer dollars and it's why voters are so fed up with the status quo. Here's the reality — with zoning already approved, this is simply a political sham that is likely to be overturned on appeal."

Former Democratic state Rep. Christopher Caruso, one of the more vocal critics of the issuance of the zoning permit, said Friday that any of the mayor's opponents would have acted similarly if they held that office.

"The fact is the neighborhood organized and demanded a legal opinion among other things and the city responded," Caruso said. "The clear message is when people organize and fight for their neighborhood, good things happen."

He added Thursday's legal opinion from the city "appears to be well thought out and reveals a number of zoning deficiencies."

Democratic state Sen. Marilyn Moore, who came close to ousting Ganim in 2019 and is seeking a re-match, represents the North End in the Connecticut General Assembly. On Friday Moore said the law department's review revealed concerning problems within the zoning office.

"Look at the process. How far this developer got in putting this up and no one did check and balance," Moore said. "I blame the administration and I'm grateful to the people who stood up. If they hadn't, nobody would have gone deeper into the process."

She said she wonders if there are other projects underway that were improperly approved by city officials "but nobody complained, so nobody looked."

Thomas Gaudett, Ganim's deputy chief of staff, denied that the results of the review of the Testo's apartments mean a similar audit should be undertaken of other zoning approvals granted over the last couple of years.

Gaudett argued it was a "pretty complex situation" in part because Testa and Giacobbe had submitted their application for the apartments right before a Jan. 1, 2022 change in zoning regulations which would have placed more restrictive limits on what they could do with their properties.

Complex enough that municipal attorneys also consulted with the Berchem Moses private law firm in Milford, according to the opinion. The mayor's office Friday said the invoice for those services has not been received so the additional cost of the outside legal advice was not yet available.

"You have a unique set of facts and circumstances that led to specific problems with this project," Gaudett continued Thursday, adding, "Zoning is approving applications every day and almost none of them are of great public concern like this one." 

Gaudett also defended municipal zoning staffers.

"What the city attorneys found is the zoning department, in an effort to be economic development friendly, tends to help developers cure problems throughout the application process. That clearly happened here," he said.

For example, there is a revelation in Boucher's zoning revocation order that this past January his office temporarily rescinded the permit for the housing at Testo's over a specific paperwork/maps issue. After that matter was rectified, the permit was re-issued in April.

Guedes himself in the past has complained about how burdensome building in Bridgeport can be and how long it can take to obtain approvals. And Gaudett has been involved for the past few years helping to implement a new online permitting process to help allay such complaints.

Caruso said Bridgeport's municipal land-use and building employees are not supposed to "grease the skids" for developers.

"That's not their job," he said Friday. "Their job is to accept applications, review them to see if they fall within legal parameters, and then act accordingly. They're not there to make it easier for an applicant to come in and do something. That’s not their role.” 

In his own press release Thursday announcing the results of the law department's review and the zoning permit revocation, Ganim, who has portrayed himself and his administration as development friendly, sought to offer a cooperative path forward.

"It is my sincere hope that the developer of this property will work collaboratively with the city to propose a project that is both proper under the new zoning regulations and better suited for this quiet residential neighborhood," the mayor said. "I am confident that there is a way forward that can accommodate a new development of that site while preserving the quality of life for the residents that live in that community.” 

Hugh Scott has been watching the controversy surrounding Testo's because he owns property less than a mile away on Madison Avenue — the former Stop & Shop supermarket. Scott recently tried to get the zoning commission to approve his proposal to convert the building, which has been vacant since 2012 and which he purchased in 2021 for $4 million, for self-storage. Despite his arguments that it would have little impact on the surrounding residential neighborhood, some of the same critics, like Caruso and Ganim, targeted Scott's application. It was rejected by the zoning board May 30. Scott subsequently filed a pending lawsuit this month.

Scott recently warned that revoking the Testo's permit would create a dangerous precedent and scare away other investors from the city.

On Friday he said he had not read the legal opinion but that the Ganim administration sends mixed messages when it comes to economic development. He noted that city officials are in the process of seeking City Council permission to acquire, through sale or seizing through eminent domain, blighted buildings in the South End — the Warnaco factory — and in the Hollow neighborhood that New York-based owner Albert Gad has left untouched for years.

"It's not lost on me that representatives of the city and the public are in opposition to development at Testo's and Stop & Shop because they don't want development there," Scott said. "While at the same time the city is pursuing eminent domain on Warnaco because there isn't development on the property. So which is it? The message is very vague."

What do Testo's neighbors want to see built instead of the apartments? The new zoning regulations allow for a shorter, three-story building, with commercial tenants on the first floor, housing on the upper floors, and with no minimum parking requirements.

 Omar Genao on Friday was not prepared to talk about what ifs.

"We haven't crossed that bridge yet," he said. "That's going to involve the community. At the end of the day this is a community effort."

Bridgeport revokes zoning approval for 177-unit apartment building at former Testo's site

Brian Lockhart

BRIDGEPORT — Workers in recent days began tearing down Testo's, the landmark Italian restaurant and catering hall on Madison Avenue in the North End formerly co-owned by longtime Bridgeport Democratic Party chief Mario Testa.

Before Thursday, that building and three adjacent vacant homes were to be the site for out-of-town developer Amit Lakhotia's and his local contractor, John Guedes' 177-unit market rate housing complex. Their application for a four-story structure with underground parking was initially submitted in December 2021 to avoid more restrictive city-wide zoning rules that took effect Jan. 1, 2022.

Now that plan is in limbo.

The city's zoning chief, Paul Boucher, on Thursday revoked the permit his department issued for the housing last October prior to Lakhotia's involvement, when Testa and his nephew, Ralph Giacobbe, were still the restaurant's owners and Testo's was still open. Zoning officials have said they informally gave the plans their blessing in March of last year, but the authorization was not entered into the computer system until the fall when the required fee was paid to the city.

As a result of his decision, Boucher in his order noted that the permit Guedes received from the building department on May 17 to construct a foundation for the apartments would also be declared "null and void."

Boucher wrote he based his actions on a long-awaited, 29-page legal opinion Bridgeport's law department issued earlier in the day after a couple weeks of delays. That document, according to Boucher, identified a handful of problems with the initial 2022 zoning authorization.

Specifically municipal lawyers, after consulting with outside counsel, advised Boucher that: Not all of the required plan reviews were undertaken; that three of the lots — Testo's at 1773 Madison Ave. and two vacant homes at 1843 and 1849 Madison Ave. included in the $3.5 million sale to Lakhotia— had not been first combined into one parcel; and a fourth home at 1861 Madison Ave. that Giacobbe sold to Lakhotia for $224,358 for the same project was never granted a necessary variance to meet the zoning regulations governing the other three pieces of land. 

The zoning permit revocation can be appealed to Bridgeport's zoning board of appeals, a volunteer group appointed by the mayor and City Council. If denied by that entity, the next step would be court.

Mayor Joe Ganim, who nearly three months ago asked the municipal legal office to scrutinize zoning officials' green-lighting last year of the apartments, said in a statement Thursday, "It is my sincere hope that the developer of this property will work collaboratively with the city to propose a project that is both proper under the new zoning regulations and better suited for this quiet residential neighborhood. I am confident that there is a way forward that can accommodate a new development of that site while preserving the quality of life for the residents that live in that community.” 

That remains to be seen. The new zoning rules governing that land call for a shorter, three-story building, but with commercial on the first floor, residential on the remaining two, and no on-site parking.

Still, Thursday's news was celebrated by City Council members Jeanette Herron and Aikeem Boyd, who represent that Madison Avenue neighborhood on Bridgeport's all-Democrat legislative body and were among the chorus of critics calling on Ganim to intervene in the project.

“Today is a victory for the residents of our district," they said in a joint statement. "The legal opinion (and) zoning official’s revocation of the zoning approval are the result of their strong and persistent advocacy over the past several months. This is an example of the power that people can have when they stand together for the best interest of their neighborhood."

They also thanked Ganim for "hearing our concerns." Boyd in particular had argued that close Ganim political ally Testa was "lining his pockets on the backs of my constituents" by selling Testo's for $3.5 million to Lakhotia. 

Facing significant pressure over his administration's initial approval of the 177-unit complex, the lack of a public hearing and the size of the development, Ganim in early May took the unusual step of directing municipal lawyers to scrutinize the zoning process. The mayor, also a Democrat, is running for another four-year term and Boyd and Herron are also up for re-election.

Thursday's conclusion of that legal review was telegraphed over a week ago. Shortly after the building department on July 17 OK'd demolition permits for contractor John Guedes to raze Testo's and the adjacent homes, Boucher rushed out a letter temporarily revoking the March 2022 zoning permit over unspecified "serious questions and reservations."

Meanwhile Guedes began the tear-down of the buildings, which continued this week.

There are potential significant consequences to Thursday's turn of events.

Guedes has repeatedly stated the law department would find nothing to place the zoning permit in jeopardy and, were the city to stop the previously approved project, "There will be a multi-million dollar lawsuit against them."

On Thursday, Guedes, who in the past has been praised by Ganim for his housing developments underway downtown, said he had not had a chance to read Boucher's order but the situation is "gonna be a mess."

"No matter how they spin it, they're the ones that issued the permits," Guedes said. "If there was any kind of screw up, it was the city's. There's culpability on their part. They can't just issue permits and say, 'Oh, we made a mistake.'"

He added probably "about $10 million" has already been invested in building the apartments and that Lakhotia purchased Testo's and the adjacent homes based on the zoning authorization.

"He purchased a fully approved project," said Guedes, who has been acting as the developer's spokesperson. "He's not at fault."

In the short term Thursday's decisions by the law department and Boucher may help Ganim politically ahead of a September party primary in which he could face three other Democrats for his job — Lamond Daniels, John Gomes and state Sen. Marilyn Moore. The North End, which is part of Moore's legislative district, will be a key source of votes in that race. Gomes participated in a protest at the former Testo's against the housing complex. 

On the other hand, revoking a months-old permit that municipal officials, Ganim's office included, previously publicly stated was properly approved, as well as the subsequent foundation permit, potentially raises some thorny questions for the administration. How reliable is Bridgeport's zoning staff and the economic development department they answer to, and have other permits been properly issued?

For instance, Boucher's order Thursday notes that in January 2023 the zoning permit for the Testo's apartments was temporarily rescinded after it was discovered there was no paperwork in the initial submission showing whether the lots at 1773, 1843 and 1849 had been consolidated into one parcel. That might have been an opportunity to kill the project, but the permit was instead again green-lit in mid-March after that issue was rectified.

Thomas Gaudett, Ganim's deputy chief of staff, in an interview Thursday said it is not a matter of zoning staffers not knowing what they are doing.

"What the city attorneys found is the zoning department in an effort to be economic development friendly tends to help developers cure problems through the application process. That clearly happened here," Gaudett said. "(Boucher) is not thinking about how to kill projects. He's thinking about how to move business forward."

It remains to be seen how Thursday's turn of events will affect future projects, particularly what kind of precedent will it set for the city to revoke an approval following an extensive legal review.

“You’ve got a pretty complex situation here," Gaudett said, arguing the Testo's case is a unique one.

The controversy dates back to December 2021 when Testa and Giacobbe submitted plans to the zoning department for the 177-unit, four-story apartment complex with underground parking. The structure was designed by Guedes.

Hearst Connecticut Media reported on those plans in early January 2022. It was explained at the time that, with new, more restrictive city wide zoning regulations taking effect Jan. 1 of that year, Testo, Giacobbe and their attorney, Raymond Rizio, sought to obtain a permit under the expiring zoning rules.

“Since the new zoning code took effect January 1, 2022, all proposals submitted after this date are being reviewed under the new code,” William Coleman, deputy director of economic development, said at the time. “Proposals submitted prior to this date are being reviewed under the previous code. As was expected, a number of property owners submitted proposals prior to the new code’s effective date.”

Initially the zoning department had said those plans were approved in March, 2022.

Giacobbe had in January, 2022 denied he and his uncle, the long-time head of Bridgeport's Democratic Party and a close Ganim ally, were selling Testo's anytime soon, as did their land use attorney, Raymond Rizio.

"They run a very successful business,” Rizio had said in January 2022. “They’re just preserving their rights should any opportunity or something happen down the road.”

By late last November that opportunity had arrived. It was announced that Lakhotia, who has received some positive attention for his projects in New Britain, would be buying the restaurant and building the apartments.

Testo's closed after this past New Year's Eve's festivities and the $3.5 million sale to Lakhotia was finalized April 3. By early May chain link fencing with a sign advertising the coming redevelopment was installed around the property. Subsequently Hearst reported that, contrary to some assumptions that such a large project automatically required a public hearing and vote of the zoning commission, that was not the case.

"The project was submitted to the zoning office toward the end of 2021," Ganim's office said in a statement at that point. "It was submitted under the old zoning code in effect at that time. As it was in full compliance with the requirements of that code as pertained to that site, it was approved."

Just a few days later, in response to mounting opposition from some in the North End, including former state Rep. Christopher Caruso, retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez, and Boyd and Herron, the mayor announced Bridgeport's legal office would review the zoning approval.

The opinion was initially expected in late June, then last week.

Winsted invites second round of proposals for 118-acre Mountainside Drive property

Emily M. Olson

WINSTED — 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.

"The Town of Winchester has re-issued its Mountainside Drive RFP document," said Town Manager Josh Kelly. "The prior issuance only received one response that has been deemed to be incomplete. We are asking that firm to submit a more through response and are inviting all other firms to consider entering their own proposal."

The town-owned property was approved for development nearly 20 years ago. Kelly and the Board of Selectmen first asked for proposals in July. 

Proposals for the sale and development of Mountainside Drive, located off of Wallens Hill Road, are now due by Sept. 22. According to Kelly, the property was being developed as a subdivision around 2004, and has been vacant ever since; utilities already have been connected to a portion of the lot. 

"The town now seeks a firm interested in purchasing the property and creating a community of high-quality housing and amenities on the lot," Kelly said.

The right candidate, he said, will present a proposal that is "the most responsible and advantageous to the town .... the quality of the property development plan, experience and capability of the prospective purchaser/developer, and the proposed financial benefits for the town are among the evaluation criteria."

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. RFPs must be submitted by 9 a.m. Sept. 22; for more information, email Josh Kelly at townmanager@townofwinchester.org.

Sealed and marked proposals can be mailed to Winchester Town Hall, 338 Main St., Winsted, CT 06098. The RFP document for Mountainside Drive can be found at https://rb.gy/jsqua.

Shelton approves 152-unit 'luxury' apartment complex on River Road

Richard Chumney

SHELTON — 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 commission also agreed to authorize a Planned Development District for the nearly 10-acre site. 

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. 

“We’re very pleased,” said attorney Dominick Thomas, who represents the developers. “I think it is a very good project.” 

The project calls for the construction of four separate four-story buildings — each with 38 “luxury” apartments — and a 5,500-square-foot clubhouse. Each of the apartment buildings are planned to be 11,800 square feet, according to architectural plans. 

The commission agreed that the developer should designate 20 of the units, or about 13 percent of the apartments, as affordable. That figure is less than the recommendations in the city's affordable housing plan for a development this size, which was approved after the project was proposed. 

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.

The site is bounded by residential housing to the north, residential and commercial to the south, commercial to the east and Coram Road to the west. Site plans show there will be access to the complex from River Road as well as from Coram Road.

A four member majority of the six-member body supported the plan, but the project was opposed by commissioner James Tickey and commission Chair Virginia Harger. Harger said she believes the portion of the property that runs along River Road should remain zoned for commercial uses.  

“I am against turning this into a residential use entirely,” she said. “I thought that the rear of the property should be the part that should stay residential.”  

Meanwhile, Tickey said he was concerned about the density associated with the housing development, which will feature 64 one-bedroom and 88 two-bedroom units, as well as a potential increase in traffic around the site. 

He noted the commission has approved several development projects along the River Road corridor in recent years, including plans for the Great River Water Club along the Housatonic River, which developers hope to expand, and a 100-unit apartment complex on Petremont Lane that is now under construction. 

“I do think it would overload the street system,” Tickey said. 

Garden-style apartments planned for Crown St. in Meriden

Mary Ellen Godin

MERIDEN — A development partnership is seeking permission from the Zoning Board of Appeals to build 21 garden-style apartments on a vacant lot along Crown Street. 

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. There were no further details on the cost, the size of the units and number of bedrooms.

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. A letter from the school board to the ZBA was read at last month’s meeting.

“We tabled it,” said EDHZ Committee Chairman Michael Rohde. “The BOE has contracted with a consultant to do a study on housing in Meriden and issue a report. We wanted to wait and see what it said before we took it up again.”

The Record-Journal has filed a request for the letter under Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act. Councilors said the Board of Education expressed concerns about the number of new apartments in the planning pipeline bringing more students, particularly those with high needs, into the district.

“I understand there is a sensitivity to affordable housing,” Rohde said. “A case can be made we have enough.”

Support and opposition for the proposed moratorium fell along party lines at last week’s committee meeting, with most Democratic councilors opposed to the idea, or taking a wait and see approach to it. Republican and We the People Party councilors supported the measure.

Conservative members of the council — Minority Leader Dan Brunet, Deputy Leader Michael Carabetta, Bob Williams Jr. and Ray Ouellet — were listed as the presenters of the resolution for the proposed moratorium.

During last week’s discussion, Brunet described the proposal as an “effort to address concerns” related to recently built housing developments and others that have been approved that he said have been conveyed by the Board of Education, other councilors and members of the public.

Brunet said he thinks it is the council’s responsibility to pause approving any new housing developments until after the data has been collected and reviewed by city staff.

But Democrat Majority Leader Sonya Jelks called the proposal premature and wanted to wait for more information before voting.

“I do not act without information,” Jelks said, describing the moratorium as being based on thoughts and theories at this point.

During the discussion, the topic of affordable housing came up, as well as the fact that the percentage of housing in Meriden that is considered affordable is well above that of surrounding communities, including Wallingford and North Haven.

Jelks said Meriden “should not be doing what everyone else is doing. Meriden should be doing what’s right … we should only do what’s best for our citizens.”

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.

Rohde described the proposed building lot as rather steep, without a lot of room for green space.

He would rather see the former children’s home and portable buildings razed for an elderly apartment development.

“They have all the services available and quite a bit of acreage,” Rohde said.

“They should take down the old building and portables and build assisted living units or senior apartments. That’s a steep lot that goes all the way to the railroad tracks.”

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

Sophia Muce,

DARIEN – 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.  

While the Hindley, Holmes and Royle Building Committee originally planned to start renovating and replacing the roofs at all three schools this summer and finish construction by August 2025, the members decided on Wednesday to delay construction to next year, as many potential contractors said they are overworked and understaffed.

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.

“The public bidding process that we underwent, it resulted in a much lower participation than expected, especially in our key trades,” said David Cravanzola, ​​assistant vice president of O&G/AP. “And the direct reflection there was lower participation, higher numbers, higher variance from our budget.”

Cravanzola said he reached out to about 150 of the companies that were invited to bid to better understand the low participation. Those who answered, he said, complained of workload, timing and staffing issues.

“With the market as busy as it is right now, there were some issues with people feeling that they couldn’t commit to the work because of their current manpower and getting that manpower down to Darien,” Cravanzola said.

Lorel Purcell, a preconstruction manager with O&G/AP, said the one-year delay could actually benefit the town by allowing the building committee more time to request additional funding if needed and look for potential cost savings.

But Purcell also noted a downside to delaying – contractors may increase the cost of labor, equipment and material in response to market changes.

“We will be delaying the construction, so some bidders may see that as additional labor percentages,” Purcell said. “So there may be a risk of potential escalation costs in the rebid as well.”

She said several contractors have already warned her of a 3 percent increase in labor costs from their original bids, given the delay. The only alternative for staying on schedule, she added, is to accept the higher bids.

“I think this approach gives the building committee the total story of what the project is going to cost,” Purcell said.

Building committee co-Chair Jill McCammon said she understood the benefits of rebidding in October but asked O&G/AP staff for assurance that there would be no further delays.

“Obviously, we can’t choose to do this in October and then have it happen again,” she said. “What level of confidence do you all have?”

Cravanzola said a few companies have informed O&G/AP that they plan to bid in October.

The building committee members, school district staff and First Selectman Monica McNally ultimately agreed that the yearlong delay was the right solution for the town, elementary students and school staff.

“The way the schedule works out with rebidding it is probably most helpful to the school system,” said Darien Schools Superintendent Alan Addley. “And if we have to wait just another year, essentially, to get what we need, then that’s what we have to do.” 

Holmes Elementary School Principal Paula Bleakley agreed that waiting a year made the most sense, but told committee members they needed to keep parents and staff informed throughout the process.

“What I’m very aware of, and I’m sure everyone else is, is just how the community will respond to the delay and just making sure we’re super clear about how we communicate what the delay is and why,” she said. “So, I just think that’s an important thing to take into consideration.”

McNally thanked the building committee and acknowledged potential frustrations with the delay.

“I know this is a disappointment, but we’re going to work through it, and we’re gonna come out with a great product,” McNally said. “And I am convinced that the team that you’ve hired will make sure that this next phase goes smoothly.”

Under the new timeline, construction at Hindley, Holmes and Royle elementary schools would begin in spring 2024 and finish by August 2026. O&G/AP staff said their next step is to contact bidders to ensure their participation. 

The building committee decided to reconvene on Aug. 16 to hear a progress report from O&G/AP, and then again on Sept. 9 to decide which packages they will rebid.