More Tweed New Haven airport neighbors may get soundproofing help

Mark Zaretsky

NEW HAVEN — A second noise study to determine which neighbors of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport will qualify for soundproofing paid for largely by the federal government is nearly complete, Tweed New Haven Airport Authority Executive Director Sean Scanlon said.

“It’s almost over,” Scanlon said. “It started last fall when Avelo (Airlines) started” flying out of Tweed, he said. “I’m expecting the results of that in about a month or so” and then “it has to be verified.”

The subcontractor doing the study is HMMH, the same consultant that did the original study, Scanlon said.

The five-phase initial noise mitigation project began with a Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study in 2011 for the area closest to Tweed New Haven Regional Airport.

The noise study — done long before the arrival of Avelo — identified a total of 184 homes in New Haven and East Haven that have outdoor noise levels that might be high enough to qualify for federally-funded noise mitigation measures.

Not all of the homeowners chose to participate, however. Construction began with a 10-house pilot project in 2016 and then continued with an additional 12 homes in summer 2017.

Scanlon said he did not yet know how many more properties might be included in future rounds of work as a result of the new study.

Additional homes are likely to qualify, however, now that the arrival of Avelo, which currently flies to and from 13 destinations from Tweed — soon to be 14 when it begins flying to Wilmington, N.C., on June 30 — has raised the level of activity.

A number of Tweed neighbors have complained about noise from takeoffs and landings in recent months, including occasional noise early in the morning or late at night after incoming flights are delayed by weather.

Avelo, which announced plans to make Tweed its first East Coast base on May 6, 2021, currently flies to 13 destinations, including six in Florida — Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach and Sarasota-Bradenton — plus Chicago’s Midway International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Raleigh-Durham, Nashville, Savannah, Ga.-Hilton Head, S.C.; Charleston, S.C.; and Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Scanlon said there will be “two upcoming opportunities for people to get money for noise mitigation.” One will be through the FAA’s main program and one will be through the $5 million community benefits package that Avports, Tweed’s contract operator, and the authority committed to.

“We said that $3 million of the $5 million is going to go to homes that are affected by noise but are not contiguous to the airport,” including homes that are outside the federally funded area “but are in areas that are contiguous to that zone,” Scanlon said.

Norwalk to hold first public hearing on 1,300-unit apartment complex

Richard Chumney

NORWALK — City residents will get their first chance later this week to weigh in on plans to build a massive new apartment complex just north of the Merritt Parkway.

The Norwalk Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to hold a virtual public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday for a proposed 1,300-unit mixed-use residential development.

Building & Land Technology, a Stamford-based firm responsible for more than a dozen similar commercial and residential properties across Fairfield County, is aiming to build the apartments on largely vacant swath of land west of Glover Avenue.

Dubbed “North Seven,” the proposed development would be sandwiched between the Danbury Line spur of Metro-North and the Route 7 highway extension. In addition to apartments, some of the buildings would include ground-level space for retail, cafes and fitness centers.

The upcoming public hearing — a crucial step in the commission’s approval process during which residents can voice support or opposition for a project — will mark the the final stages of what has been a lengthy process for BLT.

When the firm originally announced the project in early 2020, it aimed to break ground by 2021. At the time, David Waters, the firm’s general counsel, said the construction work would begin at the southern end of Glover Avenue before moving north over several years.

But the sheer size of the project, which would rank among the largest residential developments in the city’s history, prompted officials to painstakingly comb through nearly every detail of the proposal, leading to an unusually-long approval process.

“This project both delights us and frightens us,” Louis Schulman, the commission chairperson, said last fall. “The scale is a little bit frightening but it holds, it seems to me, a lot of potential impacts for the city if we can get it right. And I think to get it right means taking our time.”

According to plans filed with the city, the firm is proposing to construct seven buildings that will tower between five and 15 stories. Most of the structures would contain about 200 apartments and some would feature a parking garage.

A centrally-located “town square” for residents to gather is also planned for the project, as well as an about two-acre park on the northern portion of the property that has access to the Norwalk River Valley Trail.

BLT is seeking the commission’s approval to amend zoning rules and to create a master plan to guide North Seven’s overall design and development. The firm has said it intends to construct the complex in multiple phases over several years.

“There are several applications that are part of this project, including text amendments, map amendments and a special permit application,” Steve Kleppin, the city’s planning and zoning director, wrote in a memo to commission members last week.

If approved, BLT would be required to return to the commission to get additional approval to build each individual building. Kleppin wrote that the arrangement would allow the commission to regulate the project’s development as it advances.

“Should you look favorably on the comprehensive proposal, subsequent Site Plan applications would follow,” he wrote.

New Britain demolishes three downtown buildings; makes way for new apartments

Robert Storace

New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart and several city economic leaders attended a Wednesday afternoon ceremony celebrating the demolition of three downtown buildings -- including the former home of Amato's Toy and Hobby -- that will make way for a new mixed-use apartment development that will feature 114 residential units.

The city began demolition of the Dakille, Amato’s and Liberty Tax buildings, which were decaying and sat at the corner of Main Street and Columbus Boulevard, city officials said.

Prominent New Britain developer Avner Krohn, of Jasko Development, is leading the apartment development project that will include studio and two-bedroom apartments. It will also contain about 6,000 square feet of first-floor retail and restaurant space. Amenities will include an outdoor terrace, dog washing area, gym, and bike storage. The project is estimated to be completed by the end of 2023.

The new apartment building will complement “The Brit,” which is currently being developed by Krohn on an adjacent site along Main and Bank streets.

Mayor Stewart said as "the city continues to experience a metamorphosis, we remain committed to supporting responsible development projects like this that further the revitalization of New Britain into once again a thriving economic hub.”