CT highway, local roadways to get $175 million facelift

Grace Duffield

NEW CANAAN — With sounds of traffic whizzing by on the Merritt Parkway, the district’s chairman of the General Assembly Transportation Committee, state Sen. Will Haskell, highlighted $175 million on infrastructure spending that would soon improve the area.

Haskell, state Sen. Bob Duff and Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling stressed the importance of transit to the economy as they spoke in a commuter lot near the parkway.

“It is time to bring our roads, bridges and highways into the 21st century,” Haskell said.

According to two easels with charts outlining where the money goes, $61 million would be for resurfacing the parkway; $98 million to target safety improvements to I-95; $14.8 million for the reconstruction of East Avenue Bridge in Norwalk; and more than $1.5 million for local town roads in Norwalk, Darien and New Canaan.

Of this money, Haskell said he is particularly looking forward to seeing the parkway resurfacing project completed.

It has been in the works for 25 years, which “is literally as old as I am,” he said. The construction has been driving “our constituents crazy.” Area residents will appreciate having the project completed, so construction is not slowing traffic, Haskell added.

The project will widen the parkway in some areas and provide emergency breakdown lanes and narrower medians between Westport and New Canaan.

Although the project is not adding a third lane, traffic should move “a little bit better,” Haskell said. “... Too many constituents spend their mornings and afternoons looking at the tail pipe ahead of them.”

Duff said improvements between Norwalk and New Canaan will help get “people between Point A and Point B in a more reliable and consistent manner.”

The aid for local town roads includes $906,875 for Norwalk, $341,348 for Darien and $331,787 for New Canaan.

The politicians emphasized the links between the economy and transportation.

“We know that Fairfield County is the economic lifeblood of our state and the parkway, I-95, and Metro-North are literally the arteries in and out of New York,” Duff said. “People are frustrated because they sit in traffic a lot, and we want people to know we are working hard to make improvements.”

Rilling said he has learned firsthand that “when someone is considering moving a business in Norwalk, or Fairfield County area, one of the things first and foremost on their minds is infrastructure, transportation,” and whether their employees “can get to work.”

Scinto's latest development expected to bring NY manufacturer to Shelton

Brian Gioiele

SHELTON — A New York-based manufacturer is one step closer to moving its headquarters to Shelton, according to developer Robert Scinto.

The Planning and Zoning Commission, at its meeting last week, approved Scinto’s plan for new construction at the corner of Waterview Drive and Constitution Boulevard, which, when finished, is expected to house an as-of-yet unnamed international manufacturing firm.

Scinto was granted approval on his request to change the already approved Planned Development District for the 11.1-acre site.

The project is a modification of a 2002 approval for an 8-story, 231,000-square-foot office building with 700 parking spaces. Those plans have since changed, Scinto said. His present proposal calls for an 80,000-square-foot building to house a Manhattan manufacturer.

Scinto declined to name the company, but said if the application was approved, the firm would generate jobs. The development could be completed in 12 to 16 months, he said.

“This will be a beautiful building, a real asset to the town,” said Scinto, owner and founder of R.D. Scinto, Inc., one of the largest privately held commercial real estate corporations in the state.

In all, Scinto has 4.2 million square feet of space in 53 buildings, many of which are in Shelton. His office spaces in and out of Shelton remain 98 percent occupied.

He said he never moved ahead with the original plan for the site due to “economic conditions.

“This project represents new jobs,” he added. “The company is relocating its corporate headquarters from Manhattan to come to Shelton. This is a wonderful opportunity for the state of Connecticut and the city of Shelton.”

Scinto said 44 percent of the new structure would be for storing the company’s products, which he says is “large equipment.” The remaining space would be used for executive office space and research and development.

Scinto said the company comes with 15 employees but plans to expand to 30 by the end of the first year. He said the company has stated it will have about 70 employees by the end of the 10-year lease.

The original plans, approved in 2002, included 700 parking spaces. This plan, with one tenant and much less square footage, has 236 spaces.

Sewer extension, sidewalks in Ledyard’s plan for rescue funds

Kevin Gorden

Ledyard — Town officials propose spending the more than $4.3 million the town is receiving in American Rescue Plan funding on a sewer project, sidewalk, computer software and more.

The money is part of the overall $1.7 trillion federal package President Joe Biden signed in March of this year to help states and municipalities deal with public health and economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ledyard Mayor Fred Allyn III and Bill Saums, chairman of the Town Council's Finance Committee, unveiled a proposal to the council that totals more than $3.8 million and includes money for extensive sewer line extensions and improvements that town officials have discussed for a long time.

"This is something we've been working on for at least 15 years, and probably decades before that," said Saums. "The improvements will provide for more economic development in town, as well as increase housing density, and provide more potential customers for local businesses."

Some $1.2 million would be spent to extend sewer lines from the Bill Library to Ledyard High School. The line would be installed underneath a planned multi-modal trail. The proposal includes $612,000 to extend sewer lines from the intersection of routes 214 and 117 in Ledyard Center to where Route 117 and the Colonel Ledyard Highway meet. A third and final phase of the sewer line work would replace the current 3-inch wide pipe from the high school to Pennywise Lane and replace it with 6-inch pipe to reduce a bottleneck in the system. That would cost an estimated $950,000.

Allyn said as much as 50% of the library-high school project may be offset by grants from the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

"If we get as much as $1 million dollars through DECD, that will free up a substantial amount of ARP funds for other projects," said Allyn.

The list submitted by Allyn and Saums also calls for $225,000 for new steel ribbon guardrails on Sandy Hollow Road, to prevent motor vehicles from driving into the nearby reservoir.

"In the last 10 years, we've actually had only one vehicle veer into the reservoir," said Saums. "We've talked to Groton Utilities to see if they'd cover the cost, since they own the reservoir, but they've declined."

Other suggested projects include funding for computer software that improves budget information available online on the town's website, new sidewalks that fill in a couple of gaps along Route 117 near Holdridge's Nursery, and the pouring of a new concrete floor in the pole barn on the lower town green, where the successful summertime Farmer's Market is held.

"This year's farmers market had very few complaints," said Town Council chairman Linda Davis, "But the ones we did get was regarding the unpaved floor. People with wheelchairs, strollers, and especially those with walkers found it difficult to maneuver."

The food pantry also located on the lower green would receive some upgrades, under the proposed ARP funding list. Wi-Fi coverage will be added there, as well as some new vinyl siding. The Wi-Fi would also cover the upper pavilion on the town green.

The town would set aside $100,000 to boost the Housing Rehab Grant program. It provides revolving loans to eligible low-income residents for home improvements. The money is paid back when the house is sold. There is currently a backlog of about 17 applicants for the program, according to Allyn.

Officials stressed the list of potential projects released to the Town Council is by no means final.

"These are ideas that have come from Town Hall," said Davis. "If anyone else has ideas, we'll certainly entertain them. We'll also have to have a discussion on process — how we'll have to approve these spending ideas, and how they fit in with the budget process. That's for another day."

Potential projects not on the list suggested by Saums include lead abatement for the historic Nathan Lester House, upgrades to the Highlands area water system, and work on a Regional Water System Interconnection Plan that would connect the town's water system on Route 12 to Norwich Public Utilities lines though Poquetanuck Cove in Preston.

Fellow Councilor Andra Ingalls suggested the project list include work for the Route 12 corridor in Gales Ferry, such as new sidewalks. Davis agreed.

"My initial reaction was the list was heavily weighted toward Ledyard Center, and nothing for Gales Ferry. It's something we have to consider," she said.

Ledyard has until the end of 2024 to finalize spending proposals and sign any necessary contracts with developers. All work must be completed by the end of 2026.