Construction Firm Acquires 198 Acres in Killingly; Warehouse Development Eyed

By Andrew Larson

Douglas Construction has purchased 198 acres off Route 6 at 605 Providence Pike and 200 Hubbard Hill Road in Killingly, after acquiring another large parcel in the town earlier this year. 

The two properties in the recent sale sold for $1.6 million, according to Ron Lyman, CEO of Westbrook-based Lyman Real Estate Brokerage & Development.

Lyman broker Carolyn Trotta represented the buyer and seller.

Douglas Construction has obtained a zoning change from Rural Development to Planned Commercial for the 177-acre property.

The company plans to develop the property, situated along the Interstate 395 corridor, for warehousing and distribution. 

The parcel at 200 Hubbard Hill Road is zoned for rural development. 

Douglas Construction also bought roughly 58 acres on Hartford Pike in March.

Douglas Construction was founded in 1957 and is based in Smithfield, R.I. The company has built projects in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, and other parts of the Northeast.

Lyme and Old Lyme residents will vote on $57 million schools’ project on Election Day

Carrie Czerwinski

Old Lyme—On Election Day, residents in Lyme and Old Lyme will be voting on an almost $58 million dollar school bonding project.

The referendum will ask residents to approve or reject a request for $57,550,000 in bonds, with a state reimbursement of $9,775,000, to renovate and update four schools in the consolidated school district, for a net cost to taxpayers of $47,775,000.

According to the Region 18 website, current enrollment in the consolidated school district is 1,300 students, and projections show that by 2031, that number will increase almost 30% to 1,673, requiring more space to accommodate the growing population of students.

If the bonding is approved, Mile Creek School, Lyme School, Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School and Center School, all renovated between 18 and 20 years ago, will receive updated heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems.

At Mile Creek School, which was last renovated in 2002, nine new classrooms would be added, and all four schools would be brought into compliance with current building codes.

All schools are compliant with building codes from when they were last renovated, but, as Superintendent Ian Neviaser explained on Monday, codes have changed since 2002 when Lyme School and Mile Creek School were renovated, and 2004, when Center School was renovated.

“When these schools were done 20 years ago, it was unheard of to even have the doors locked. Since then we’ve added a lot of safety protocols-- safety adjustments-- to our schools. We obviously now have locked doors,” he said, explaining that current best practices are to have a clear line of sight from the person remotely unlocking the door to the front door.

Center School is the only one of the four schools that has a direct line of sight.

Additionally, fire suppression at Lyme School and Mile Creek would be improved, including potentially adding a sprinkler system at Mile Creek.

Neviaser stressed that the $57.5 million figure was a “not to exceed,” figure, meaning that costs could be lower. He stated that if school enrollment projections decrease, for example, fewer classrooms would be added to Mile Creek.

Additionally, cost savings may be realized if materials and labor costs remain the same or decrease. Almost $2.5 million of the estimate is budgeted for cost escalation, and a contingency fund of approximately $8 million is also included in the package.

Estimates prepared by the Old Lyme Finance Department and the Lyme Board of Finance , show a potential tax increase for property owners.

If town budgets remain the same, residents could see an average increase on their taxes over the next 25 years due to the school bonding. Old Lyme residents could see a $112.43 per year increase on their property taxes for every $70,000 of assessed value. In Lyme, that increase could be $87.71 per year per $70,000 in assessed value.

The numbers are estimated yearly averages over the term of repayment, which is still to be determined, but is typically between 20-25 years.

A presentation by Neviaser shows those estimates may not come to fruition as they do not include a $618,850 reduction in debt payments for other district projects, including the 2010 renovation of the high school, beginning in 2023-24.

The tax impact may also be lower if the full $57.5 million is not used. Neviaser said the tax estimates are highly dependent on numerous factors including how the bond is structured, interest rates, and the term of the bond, as well as town spending, property values and grand list revenue, and the fact the Board of Education budget is only part of each town’s budget.

If approved, construction on the project would begin in the fall of 2023, with Center School and Lyme School completed in mid-2024, Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School completed in mid-2025, and Mile Creek School tentatively completed in August 2025.

On Election Day, registered voters in Old Lyme will vote on the referendum at the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School gymnasium, and Lyme voters will vote at the Lyme Town Hall from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Taxpayers with more than $1,000 of property on the town’s grand list, who are not registered voters, can also vote in the referendum. Old Lyme property owners can vote at the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School cafeteria, and Lyme taxpayers can vote at the Lyme library, both from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Developer proposes housing and restaurants for former UConn property in West Hartford

Michael Walsh

WEST HARTFORD — The owners of the former University of Connecticut property have submitted preliminary plans that envision a mixed-use development, including multi-family housing, retail, restaurants and more.

The plans, submitted to the town's Design Review Advisory Committee by property owners West Hartford 1 LLC along with their associates, show an intent to build on both the 1700 Asylum Ave. and 1800 Asylum Ave. properties that are separated by Trout Brook Drive. The submission indicates the development team also includes Newman Architects, BL Companies and Alter & Pearson LLC.

Representatives for West Hartford 1 LLC declined to comment on the project Wednesday.

The property has been vacant since 2017 after UConn moved its West Hartford campus to downtown Hartford. The China-based company Ideanomics bought the property and previously had plans to build a technology village at the site. After those plans fell through, the company sold the property to West Hartford 1 LLC last December.

The preliminary plans submitted to the town by West Hartford 1 LLC mention building a combination of various uses on the property, including multi-family residential housing, townhouses, boutique retail, restaurants, medical office building, a research laboratory, an organic neighborhood market and public use town park areas with walking trails.

“They’re in the very early stages," Town Manager Rick Ledwith said. "They’ve got a couple of different designs they are considering."

The presentation by the development group — which will have its initial study session with the Design Review Advisory Committee on Thursday — shows there's just under 58 acres of land between the two properties.

The side east of Trout Brook Drive, which now consists of a parking lot and baseball fields, contains about 24 acres of land and is designated as a multi-family housing site. The west side of Trout Brook Drive — where UConn's former buildings are located — contains 33 acres of land. Developers plan to focus mostly on retail and other use buildings on that side with some residential buildings possibly in the mix, according to their submission. Both properties contain acres of wetlands.

The developers presented several options in their submission, with one being marked as their preferred option. That option proposes four five-story housing units, three four-story housing units and a clubhouse on the east side of Trout Brook Drive.

On the west side of Trout Brook Drive, the developers are proposing a variety of buildings with different uses, including an organic market, multiple townhouses, multiple three-story buildings that combine retail, housing and restaurants, a parking structure, a three-story research laboratory building and a three-story medical office. There would also be areas designated for the public to use as a town park.

Other proposed versions of the two properties show no residential housing on the west side and smaller residential offerings on the east side of Trout Brook Drive.

Ledwith said Thusday's meeting with the design board will be the first of many that will help formulate a final proposal.

“Right now we are interested in working with them and exploring their options and finding the best fit for the town," Ledwith said. "It’s early and we’ll work closely with them and [the Design Review Advisory Committee], so this will change I’m sure."

Quinnipiac University neighbors don't want campus zone change to planned development district

Chatwan Mongkol

HAMDEN — Neighbors are fine with Quinnipiac University’s new construction projects, but not under a planned development district, calling such a move an “overreach.”

Town residents for the first time Tuesday night had a chance to comment on the university's proposal for a PDD, a zoning tool the Planning and Zoning Commission recently passed to assist Quinnipiac's expansion and other future developments.

Quinnipiac is looking to rezone the entirety of its Mt. Carmel campus and some of its nearby properties to a PDD while planning to build a new residence hall and two academic buildings to form a “South Quad.”

While university affiliates supported the application, highlighting past town partnerships, positive effects the projects would bring to local businesses and benefits to the students, some town residents said the problem is with the PDD.

Hamden-based attorney John Parese said the PDD is too “radical” because Quinnipiac’s proposal can be completed through a normal zoning process, especially when the university’s five-year plan doesn’t identify any other project.

“I hope you’ll agree that the ventures proposed by this applicant are unnecessary, excessive and a profound overreach of the university,” he said during his 19-minute remark.

Parese pointed out the technicality and objectivity of how the PDD was written, including a part that states the commission “may” hold a public hearing on the final site development plan, instead of requiring it. 

In a nutshell, Parese said the zoning commission is considering letting Quinnipiac write its own standards and regulations through allowing the zone change — as developers can design beyond bulk-written zoning rules with a PDD.

“PDDs are intended to encourage economic growth by bringing new businesses into town, new developments or support the expansion of the existing businesses and industries,” Parese said. “Not to provide a flourishing, not-for-profit entity a license to create its own rules.”

Other residents who spoke against the PDD echoed the lack of certainty in the process.

“This is taking a gamble on the new regulations, in which we don’t have any idea what the pitfalls are,” said town resident Elaine Dove.

Calvin DeMarsilis, another resident, said the scope of the PDD “is just too vague,” and that allowing this would destroy the neighborhood, citing the maximum building height of proposed bulk standards between 35-60 feet.

“You got a 60-foot building in your backyard, how does that feel for residents who walk in the residential area?” he said.

Quinnipiac's current proposed PDD has a maximum height of 56 feet, according to a staff report.

Meanwhile, zoners themselves also previously had questioned the PDD process and the authority they would have down the line, though they were the ones who approved the new regulations. 

Bernard Pellegrino, an attorney representing Quinnipiac, said there are “misconceptions” around what the PDD is and he’s prepared for a “rebuttal” to address all zoning concerns in the next meeting set for on Nov. 15.

PDD regulations were passed in July, aiming to be “an alternative zoning approach” for developers who look for flexibility for projects or sites that are difficult. 

It allows them to build beyond rules and standards written in bulk for locations in mixed-use, urban zones and properties that are owned or operated by colleges and universities.

To execute a project under the PDD rules, it’s a multistep process. The site must be at least 4 acres — Quinnipiac’s proposed PDD is 223.19 acres.

A developer first must go before the PZC for a zone change petition and an initial development plan, with a required public hearing; Quinnipiac is in this process. 

If approved, it then has to submit a final detailed development plan to the commission for a review. In this stage, the commission may hold a public hearing if there is a significant change to the initially approved plan.

The Tuesday zoning meeting was heated as nearly 30 speakers formed a line to speak, with half in favor and half speaking out against the application — to the point a Quinnipiac administrator shouted “it’s been 17 minutes” during Parese’s 19-minute opposing remark.

“I mean, I listen to six hours of myth commercials from Quinnipiac, ‘that’s just great, that’s fantastic,’” DeMarsilis said. “And then when one of our people goes a little long, somebody from Quinnipiac busts and yells how long he’s been talking. This is absurd.”

The “myth commercials” DeMarsilis referred to were hours of the meeting on Sept. 27 Quinnipiac spent on presenting its plans — both the proposed PDD and the initial development plan for three new buildings.

Other concerns mentioned during the hearing were the potential environmental impact to Sleeping Giant State Park, safety and traffic. Residents spoke of the problems anecdotally, highlighting alleged accidents they have witnessed and alleged traffic violations on New Road and Mt. Carmel intersections. 

They believed the new projects would bring more traffic and worsen the problems.

A lieutenant from the Hamden Police Department, Quinnipiac Public Safety Chief Tony Reyes and acting Fire Chief Jeffrey Naples, who all spoke in support of the university, said the projects would provide safety for the students, as well as keep them on well-maintained facilities on campus, thus, reducing off-campus issues.

The university also submitted a traffic analysis from Bubaris Traffic Associates saying the additions would have “a minimal, insignificant” impact on existing traffic.

“Partnership is not about perfection,” Reyes said. “And I know that you’ll hear from people that have had difficult experiences as a by-product of our presence in Hamden. … It’s about being present, it’s about being accountable.”

He vowed the university would continue to be reachable and accountable regarding safety and off-campus housing concerns.

Joining the public in voicing support for the PDD and the new buildings was Mayor Lauren Garrett, who highlighted Quinnipiac’s involvement in town with scholarships for local youth, community events and volunteer work by students.

She said she has called Quinnipiac with complaints about student housing and other issues, and the university has been “incredibly responsive.”

“QU is the largest employer in Hamden,” Garrett said. “When people have jobs, they give in taxes. That’s pretty important.”

Representatives from both Hamden and Greater New Haven chambers of commerce said the university has been “immensely” beneficial to Hamden and regional businesses in attracting foot traffic to the area.

Quinnipiac faculty members, deans and students echoed the need for new academic spaces on campus because of how the university has grown. The university hasn’t built a standalone building since the 1990s.

Following concerns from zoners last month about the size of the PDD, the university has removed 10 properties off the map, reducing the size by 36.51 acres. 

Town officials also were concerned about involvement of local businesses and underrepresented minorities in the capital projects. Quinnipiac officials said the university has been committed to diversity in the hiring process, and it also depends on the contractors to build on the challenge.

Stamford schools looking at $742M price tag to replace and renovate school buildings

Ignacio Laguarda

STAMFORD — The plan to fix Stamford's school buildings will take 20 years and cost the city roughly $742 million.

Those were the figures presented by architectural firm SLAM Collaborative during a meeting of the school department's Long Term Facilities  Committee last week.

The numbers represent an increase from the total price tag of $540 million presented in February for a plan that previously called for a 12-year timeline.

But since then, there have been plenty of developments.

One of the biggest changes came in May when the state General Assembly passed a budgetary bill that included provisions to increase the reimbursement share Stamford receives for school construction projects. 

One provision granted an 80 percent state refund rate for a new Westhill High School. Another increased the state's contribution for school contributions to 60 percent for the next 25 years, much higher than the 20 percent rate the city received previously.

In all, the state is expected to fund about $766 million of the school department's 20-year plan.

“When we first created the master facilities plan, I want to remind you that we really didn’t understand what the funding source was going to be," Superintendent Tamu Lucero said during the meeting. 

She later added, "A lot has changed. Things have gotten a lot better."

But those two major shifts didn't dramatically decrease all of the projected costs of the district-wide facilities plan from February since officials had set an expected reimbursement rate of 95 percent for Westhill and an 80 percent refund for a new south Stamford school.

Another major influence on the projected price tag was the rise in the inflation rate this year. Kemp Morhardt, principal at SLAM, said the company increased the dollar amount in the February report by 20 percent to account for the current increase in prices.

Kemp said the plan was expanded from 12 years to 20 years to level out the yearly spending the city would have to dedicate to the project.

"Given inflation, the numbers were getting unmanageably high year over year," he said during the meeting.

Yearly city spending on the plan would fall under $50 million for the duration of the timeline, only eclipsing that amount in fiscal year 2034-35. Most of the years, the yearly spending won't top $40 million, data show.

The full plan calls for closing four schools — Dolan and Cloonan middle schools, Toquam Magnet Elementary School and KT Murphy Elementary School — while expanding Roxbury and Westover Magnet elementary schools into K-8 facilities, and building a new K-8 Hart Magnet Elementary School at the current location of Cloonan.

Murphy would close in 2028, followed by Toquam in 2030, Cloonan in 2033 and Dolan in 2035.

An additional K-8 school would be created in south Stamford, using the campus of Murphy for students in grades five through eight, and a building on Lockwood Avenue to house kindergarten through fourth grade.

The plan calls for improvements to all other school buildings, with major renovations planned for Turn of River Middle School and Stamford High School.

Sandy Dennies, Stamford's director of administration, said the Stamford Board of Education would meet with the Board of Finance on Nov. 2 to go over the city bonding detailed in the master plan.

"There's a lot to consider, but I think that moving out the project to a 20-year project and looking at the bonding requirements that Kemp has put together, I think this is a very doable plan," she said.

Taco Bell, new hotel coming to Frontage Road in East Haven

Austin Mirmina

EAST HAVEN —  Folks looking for a bite or a room for the night will have some more options in town, after the Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans for two new businesses less than two miles apart on Frontage Road.

An application for a 2,100-square-foot Taco Bell restaurant was approved by the PZC in June. The Mexican-inspired fast food chain will occupy a vacant, one-story building at 95 Frontage Road, the site of a former car wash, property records show.

Taco Bell will join Wendy's and Dunkin' as the only fast-food eateries on Frontage Road.

The PZC also recently approved modified plans for a new, four-story, 17,713-square-foot hotel at 30 Frontage Road. 

The application, submitted by Berlin-based Darbar LLC, proposes to demolish the existing 70-room, two-story Quality Inn motel and replace it with a Home2 Suites by Hilton. The new hotel will have 33 additional guest rooms and a renovated swimming pool and parking lot, according to the plans.

Construction for the Taco Bell is expected to begin next month, Zoning Enforcement Officer Joseph Budrow said. Work on the hotel project will begin in 2023, with construction expected to take about one year, according to Gary Desai of Darbar LLC.

Economic Development Commission Chairwoman Lorrie Maiorano said the new hotel would be a "face lift" for the 50-year-old motel property.

Located a short distance from New Haven and Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, the proposed hotel also would be a valuable revenue source for the town, Maiorano added.

"It’s a hop, skip, and a jump away from New Haven, so it's going to be a great opportunity for folks who need a stay when potentially a lot of other places around are full," Maiorano said. 

The PZC originally approved plans for a 107-room hotel at the same location in January 2020, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic halted the project, according to the commission's meeting minutes. The PZC recently put the project back into motion when it approved a new prototype for the hotel building with four fewer guest rooms, among other changes.

Home2 Suites by Hilton is an all-suite, extended-stay hotel featuring stylish accommodations and flexible guest room designs, the company wrote in a news release. Launched in 2011, Home2 Suites is one of the fastest growing brands in Hilton’s history, achieving its 500th hotel opening last year, according to the release.

The addition of a more modern hotel in the heart of a busy commercial district on Frontage Road will be "great for that area," Mayor Joseph Carfora said.

"Anything for improvement on Frontage Road or anywhere in town, we’re in favor of it," he added.