Fairfield’s Holland Hill school project comes in under budget 

Katrina Koerting

FAIRFIELD — The Holland Hill School expansion project has officially come to a close with the dissolution of the building committee this week.

“I’m proud to announce the Holland Hill project is completed,” Jason Li, the building committee chairman, told the selectmen in his final report on Monday.

The committee was established in early 2016 to oversee the elementary school expansion project, which brought the enrollment capacity from a little more than 300 up to 504, removing the need for the portable classrooms.

Town bodies approved $18.5 million for the project in 2017 and broke ground in 2018. The presentation at the time said the work would add five classrooms, along with a new general music room, new lockers for fourth and fifth graders in the addition, special education resource rooms, a larger kitchen area and a new performance platform/instrumental music classroom space.

It also expanded the central office area to allow for controlled visitor access and a nursing office. Under the project, all of the toilets are now compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. All existing lockers were replaced and a new gym floor installed, according to previous reports.

On Monday, Li said the work also expanded the north parking lot and added new furniture. It installed a new HVAC system so that there is fresh air and air conditioning throughout the building. There are also new electrical, firs and gas lines, as well as new serving lines in the cafeteria.

“We were fortunate enough we got this project done before the COVID pandemic hit,” he said.

He said they plan on returning $115,000 to the town with the project coming in under budget and getting everything included on the initial charge.

Li said all of the systems are online now and the town has taken control of the building.

The selectmen commended Li and the committee on the project, all of the members’ hardwork and getting it done under budget.

Selectman Thomas Flynn also suggested the town commemorate the late Harry Ackley and Thomas Quinn, who both served on the building committee and were influential in the project’s success.

“Mr. Ackley has done everything for the town, but Mr. Quinn, as it related to building committees, chaired so many of them and did so much for the students of this town,” he said. “There might be something appropriate there to honor those two men.”

Li also credited Quinn for everything he’s done and said the Parent Teacher Association established a garden there in his memory.

Possibility of adding train station back on Newington officials' radar

Erica Drzewiecki

NEWINGTON – A train stop and all that it brings is back on the town’s radar, after an inquiry from the new town planner reignited the flame and elected officials’ interest.

Renata Bertotti, who was hired as Newington’s Town Planner in Nov. 2020, brought together members of the Town Plan & Zoning Commission (TPZ) and Town Council Tuesday night to find out more about this alleged train station proposal, which was on the back burner for years.

Old concerns and enthusiasm both came to light, along with divisions on location and scope.

“My approaching you all with this was honestly trying to get to the bottom of it,” Bertotti told elected officials. “I received a couple inquiries from residents asking for updates and I never could give them any because I didn’t have any.”

The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) also contacted her in hopes of doing a site study ahead of the project, but Bertotti was uncertain as to what specific site was chosen.

“From my recollection the council was very split on where the location should be,” Mayor Beth DelBuono said of discussions a few years back regarding the project.

The Council and TPZ did approve Transit Village Design District (TVDD) regulations in Aug. 2019 for a 64-acre site along 565 Cedar St., which the State Department of Transportation had been considering for a new stop along Amtrak’s Hartford-New Haven line.

“The state felt Cedar Street made more sense in terms of its location in relation to other stations,” the mayor recalled. “From my perspective the Newington Junction, West Hill area made a lot of sense. It gives us opportunities to develop that as a historical district; to make it more walk-able, so people can come and visit. I see why Cedar Street is attractive as well. I think the biggest thing we need to figure out is, is the state willing to do one or the other or are they decided on one location.”

The answer to that and other questions will be obtained before Newington can move forward.

TPZ Chairman Domenico Pane also leaned toward Newington Junction as a better location, but emphasized the right decision would be the one that’s best for Newington.

“I like the fact it’s more of a community station,” he said of the Junction site. “It’s walking distance to a tremendous amount of people in Newington and the southern end of West Hartford.

On the other hand, Pane added, the Cedar St. site was preferred by the DOT for its proximity to I-84 for commuters, but would require costly environmental remediation.

“What station would be in the best interest of Newington citizens, not necessarily State of Connecticut?” he asked.

New town councilor Mitch Page urged fellow elected officials to “think big.”

“If we think creatively, innovatively and through a lens of abundance we can create a lot of mixed use, retail, housing for young people…create energy and get a lot of money coming in to stabilize our tax base,” Page said. “We need to be brave and courageous…the Cedar Street site made sense then and it makes sense now.”

Deputy Mayor Gail Budrejko was not as privy to the possibility of this grand-scale development.

“Part of the issue for me is the scale,” Budrejko said. “I don’t think this station should be a magnet for surrounding towns to just come and park and leave. I think it should also be attractive.”

In a letter sent to the Council beforehand and in his address at the meeting, State Rep. Gary Turco cautioned elected officials on shifting their support for the station’s location, pointing to a 2018 DOT study that concluded the Cedar St. site was better suited than the Junction.

“Some of those reasons include a more viable construction site, potential for economic development and strategic access to highways and Central Connecticut State University,” Turco said. “The DOT’s support of the proposed site is essential to move the project forward. Funding needs to be secured within the State of Connecticut’s budget and will most likely include federal grants. Without the DOT’s support for the site location, the project will not move forward.”

Turco went on to share how Newington residents might benefit from the train station and surrounding development and promised to help the town open lines of communication with DOT to discuss ideas.

Town officials are now hoping to meet with the DOT to get answers to their questions before returning to the table.

“I appreciate the open dialogue tonight. I’m hopeful we can work with the DOT to get what we feel is best for the Town of Newington,” DelBuono said, going on to address how the project’s parameters may have changed since last discussed. “I think we are doing our due diligence to ask, ‘is the vision that was right years ago still the vision that is right for Newington and its residents?’”

Do bridges on your commute need repair? What New London County inspection data tells us.

Matt Grahn

When the torrential rains of Tropical Storm Ida caused widespread flooding across Norwich last summer, city officials watched with concern as the engorged Yantic River threw itself against the Sherman Street Bridge.

While the river didn’t go over the banks, the bridge was blocked off due to the force of the water hitting it.

“It’s very telling of its condition, or lack of at this point,” Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom said.

The Sherman Street Bridge is one of 23 bridges in New London County rated in poor condition, according to U.S. Department of Transportation National Bridge Inspection data. Forty-five, including many of the 23, are rated on a separate scale as being in need of repair or corrective action.

See the data yourself:New London, Connecticut bridge inspections

Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments Executive Director Jim Butler said most of the bridges in the area - there are 445 total bridges in the county - are in safe and decent shape, as bridges are inspected regularly based on state and national regulations.

State-owned bridges, from Gold Star to Mohegan-Pequot

In terms of state-owned bridges, locals in New London County rely on the Gold Star Bridge for travel. Butler said there has been recent work on the southbound span of the bridge, which was mostly funded by the Let's Go CT program during the Dannel Malloy administration, and that the twin span will be upgraded in the coming years.

Pedestrian access on the Gold Star Bridge is a concern for Butler, as it’s important for people who might choose to walk, or people who don’t have an automobile. Such access has been placed on the southbound bridge, and he wants the state to study if something on the northbound bridge would be needed.

“It’s pretty scary if you’re running or walking up there, and you hear someone yell ‘bike’!” Butler said.

Another one of the local state-owned bridges that people are concerned with is the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge, which straddles the Montville and Preston town lines.

While there are aspects of the bridge that have a low score, including deteriorated pier and abutment protection and approach guardrail ends, the bridge overall is considered to be in fair condition.

Butler said the bridge needs new spans, as the existing ones can’t be widened to accommodate four lanes of traffic. Montville Mayor Ron McDaniel said this expansion would help prevent car crashes that cause shutdowns of “the only other major bridge across the Thames." It's a lengthy detour to cross the river by the Gold Star Bridge, or get to the other side by traveling further north.

The state Department of Transportation looked at the bridge for an environmental impact statement over 10 years ago, Butler said, when the nearby Preston Riverwalk plans were first proposed. Improvements to that bridge were part of a three-part plan to improve the flow of traffic to that area and the casinos.

“(The Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments) has consistently reminded DOT of the need for the bridge, should the Mohegan-owned Preston Riverwalk site be developed,” Butler said.

Butler also wants pedestrian access on the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge.

Norwich bridges, including Sherman Street

Municipally-owned bridges are also of concern. In Norwich, the Sherman Street Bridge was found to be in poor condition, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation data, and the city has been working on replacing it, with the project going out to bid on Dec. 22 and work expected to start in the spring.

Katherine Rattan, Transportation Program Manager for the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, said the project is set to cost $14 million, with the cost burden, as The Bulletin reported in 2019, being 80% federal funds, 10% state funds, and 10% city funds. 

Right now, a section of the bridge is closed to limit traffic.

Long mentioned that there will also be work coming for the bridge over Trading Cove Brook, which is shared by Montville. That work is related to the surface of the bridge, but the structure is in good shape. The city is also thinking about culvert replacements, as some have been inspected, like bridges.

The city has also worked on some bridges in the recent past, including the Sunnyside St. Bridge, which was reconstructed in the 2020 construction season. Before that, there was a replacement on the bridge on Pleasant St. by Otrobando Ave.

As for state-owned bridges in Norwich, Long said there was work on the Scotland Road Bridge in 2019 and the state will work on Lawler Lane over I-395, set to cost 5 million. 

Between those two, Nystrom said the one on Scotland Road was in worse shape, which is why it was an around-the-clock project to get it done before the school year that year.

“All of these are important to the infrastructure,” Nystrom said. “You can’t lose sight of them.”

Butler also said the Sherman St. Bridge has been a priority for the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments. That will be a big project, he said, with rerouting and traffic disruptions, though the city has worked with the state to accommodate important vehicles like ambulances and school buses.

Beyond these bridges, there are others in the area that locals would like to see receive attention.

Back in February, State Senator Cathy Osten wrote a letter to Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Congressman Joe Courtney that other local bridges were in need of funds, including the raising of the Groton Long Point Bridge over Palmer’s Cove, and the rehabilitation of Lantern Hill Bridge in Ledyard and the rebuilding of the Wiftford Brook and Mystic River bridge.

“Any of those local bridges that need to get done, need to get done,” Osten said.

When will these bridges see repairs?

While the Sherman Street Bridge awaits a construction contract - after the December bidding process began - officials in the region put together plans for spans in poor condition.

Kafi Rouse, the communications director for the Connecticut Department of Transportation stated the department is planning the rehabilitation projects for the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge, and a project scope would be released in the next several weeks.

Rattan said the group recently went through the capital plan process with the state Department of Transportation. Along with the Gold Star, Rattan said the Council of Governments is focusing on bridges at I-84 in East Lyme, Old Lyme River Road, the Sherman St. Bridge, Beaver Brook Road in Franklin, and Beebe Cove in Groton, among others. Rattan said much of this is funded through various kinds of state and federal funds, including funds from the National Highway Performance Program, and the Surface Transportation Program from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. 

For some of the other bridges in Montville, McDaniel said he wants to prioritize items on the town’s bridge program in the event funding becomes available, but it's still a matter of seeing how the money will get moved, and the wait for a funding opportunity, like an EDA grant or something similar.

On Dec. 17, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal’s office announced Connecticut is slated to receive $655 million for the first year of funding of five from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Included is funding for bridge repair.

Panel proposes $13.8M senior center for Windsor Locks

Susan Danseyar

WINDSOR LOCKS — A town committee formed to work a plan for the new senior center  Monday issued its final report, which proposes a 17,550-square-foot building on Spring Street at an estimated cost of $13.8 million.

Senior Center Study Committee Chairman Mike Rosadini shared an extensive report during the selectmen’s meeting, providing an overview of numerous steps the committee took over the past two years.

The site subcommittee began by looking at more than 36 properties for the new senior center, he said, narrowing them down to three until determining in May 2021 that the best location is the 3- to 4-acre property at 491-519 Spring St.

In June 2020, the town hired Jacunski Humes Architects LLC of Berlin to conduct a space-needs assessment and site evaluations. Rosadini said the study committee worked with Jacunski Humes and first produced plans for a 25,270-square-foot facility before the plan evolved to its current proposal, a 31% decrease in size for $13,872,644.

Brian Humes, representing the architectural firm, also provided an extensive overview of Humes Architects’ work on the project. He said the town would be saving $94,112 on the project if the senior center and new police station were built on the Spring Street property concurrently.

Humes’ presentation included drawings showing a brick building surrounded by plantings. The name on the canopy above the center’s main entrance is Center for Active Living, which reflects that the facility is not just for seniors but also a reflection of the recreational activities that will take place inside and outside the facility.

Selectman Scott A. Storms, who served on the 15-member study committee, said he’s comfortable with the incredible job the members did in a relatively short period of time.

“The final report is excellent,” he said, adding that it’s time for the town to move forward with the next steps and share the report with the public.

Selectman Jonathan Savino suggested moving forward with getting residents’ reactions and scheduling a public hearing, town meeting and ultimately a referendum to approve the funding.

The selectmen will meet with the Board of Finance Jan. 25 to discuss the price. Copies of the reports by the study committee and Jacunski Humes will be available at the library and senior center for the public to review.