CT Construction Digest Wednesday February 21, 2024
STAMFORD — A developer looking to build an extended-stay hotel in Stamford’s downtown argues that 25 off-site parking spaces would be more than enough to accommodate guests, but the city’s zoning regulations need to be changed before it’s allowed.
Tullamore LLC, which is affiliated with Greenwich-based Wellbuilt Company, has requested the text change as part of a proposal to build a 10-story, 99-room hotel with ground-floor restaurant space at the site of what is now a parking lot alongside Curley’s Diner.
Currently, Stamford’s zoning regulations require there to be 0.5 parking spaces per room for regular hotels that are within 500 feet of a public garage in the Center City Zoning District and 0.75 spaces per room for extended-stay hotels.
Wellbuilt wants the Zoning Board to be able to reduce the required parking spaces to 0.25 per room — or one space for every four rooms — for hotels with fewer than 100 rooms in total.
The Planning Board recently voted 3-2 to recommend that the Zoning Board approve the text change as well as Wellbuilt’s proposed site plan.
Raymond Mazzeo of Redniss & Mead laid out Wellbuilt’s applications at a Planning Board meeting last week. Theresa Dell, the chair of the board, asked Mazzeo how the developer decided to propose a reduction from 0.75 to 0.25 — which she said seemed like “quite a jump.”
“It is, and that was supported by our research” of hotels in Stamford and other cities, Mazzeo said. “I mean, really, we would go to zero if we could because we don’t think it’s necessary. ... Across the country, you have urban hotels that don’t have their own parking and rely on the city infrastructure, and it works fine.”
Mazzeo said the developer has been in talks with the city about guests potentially using the public Bell Street Garage. It has also had discussions with the operators of the private parking garages for the office buildings at 1010 and 1055 Washington Boulevard.
A study commissioned by WellBuilt found that either one of the private garages “has much more empty parking than the proposed hotel would ever need to accommodate hotel patrons and employees.”
Mazzeo described office garages, which sit empty at night, as “untapped resources” in the city’s downtown.
“The idea is that we don’t need much more parking, if any, in our downtown. We have plenty,” Mazzeo said. “We just need to start using it more efficiently.”
But some Planning Board members were concerned that the developer didn’t yet have a contract with either of the private garages.
“Can you clarify ... what agreement you’ve made with these buildings?” asked board member Michael Buccino.
“We just have a high-level understanding,” said Lisa Feinberg, an attorney representing Wellbuilt. “They said, ‘Sure, we are completely open to that.'”
“So why don’t you guys move forward and sign a contract?” Buccino asked.
“We’re in the very beginning of an approval process,” Feinberg said.
She said at least one of the garages “is absolutely going to work,” and Mazzeo said securing a location would be a condition of approval.
Vice Chair Jay Tepper was still concerned.
“It would seem to me, when it comes time to go on before the Planning Board, that you’d have something locked in, that we would have a more definite knowledge of what parking spaces would be available,” Tepper said.
But board member Jennifer Godzeno called it a chicken-and-egg situation.
“If the development is not approved, then it doesn’t make sense for them to sign in ink to rent a certain number of parking spaces,” she said. “But we know that there are several thousand parking spaces that are underutilized in the downtown.”
Buccino said he was having trouble supporting a change to the city’s regulations without a broader plan for making spaces in private garages available to non-tenants and marketing their availability.
“Approving something ... for the future and all other applications without actually having those spaces available, to me, it just seems like we’re a little bit ahead of ourselves,” he said.
Dell, Godzeno and Michael Totilo voted to recommend the text change. Buccino and Tepper dissented.
Many of the hotel’s guests would likely come from Stamford’s train station either by foot or ride-hailing, Mazzeo told the board.
The hotel’s lobby would be situated toward the back of the site, and the restaurant would be at the front facing Columbus Park. In between the lobby and the restaurant would be a covered courtyard for drop-offs and pick-ups.
Cars would pull into a driveway on the left side of the building to enter the courtyard. They would then continue to a driveway on the right side of the building to exit to the street. The property’s right side would also have a “pedestrian corridor” connecting the Summer Street parking garage to West Park Place.
Mazzeo said that under the city’s current regulations, the restaurant wouldn’t be required to provide parking. But patrons would be able to use public parking garages or on-street parking.
“The developer thought (a hotel and restaurant) was the right use for this space, particularly with the size of the property really not lending itself to a ton of parking and certainly not structured parking,” Mazzeo said about the roughly 12,000-square-foot site. “One of the thoughts, apart from market factors, was that a hotel use really lends itself better to offsite parking” than a residential use.
“But it will take some amendments to the regulations to get there,” he said.
Mazzeo said the developer has been in touch with two different companies, Mint House and Locale, about potentially operating the hotel.
Curley’s Diner owner Maria Aposporos previously told The Stamford Advocate that she thought the hotel was a good idea and that it could bring more business to the diner.
New Fairfield beach house project estimates go more than $1M over budget, town engineer says
NEW FAIRFIELD — One of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act-funded projects has hit a financial roadblock.
The New Fairfield Town Park beach house reconstruction project — for which $700,000 in ARPA money was allocated — has come in over budget, town engineer Antonio Iadarola told the Board of Selectmen during its Feb. 2 meeting.
Replacing the existing structure — a more-than-50-year-old building with changing room facilities, restrooms, a lifeguard office and first aid room — was one of 10 projects for which New Fairfield voters approved $4.1 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds in October 2022.
Iadarola told the Board of Selectmen nearly all regulatory compliance approvals needed for the project have been secured, but the $700,000 in ARPA funds and $98,276 in town capital allocated for the project fall short of the estimated cost to complete it.
After receiving a $2.8 million estimate last fall, Iadarola said changes were made that lowered it to approximately $1.8 million. He said he sought estimates elsewhere, but they still came in at least $1 million over budget.
“We’re not the only municipality dealing with an over-budget issue on very small municipal projects. Municipal projects under 5,000 square-feet are all pretty much coming in over budget,” Iadarola said, noting that an overabundance of projects, as well as inflation-induced cost increases, are likely to blame.
After bringing the “major budget issue” to the attention of First Selectwoman Melissa Lindsey, he said officials decided to finish the design of the project, put it out to bid and find a funding solution later.
“Once we have a realistic number … we would have some discussions about alternative ways to fund the shortfall,” Iadarola told the selectmen.
He said Lindsey also had him cut back the scope of the project, which still calls for a structure around the same size as the current beach house.
Iadarola said the building would have a small kitchenette area, medical office and some cold storage in the basement. It would also — unlike the current beach house — be fully ADA-accessible, according to Iadarola, noting the inclusion of a ground-level handicapped bathroom.
“Other than that, the building would serve the same purpose (with) no add-ons,” he said, adding that the new beach house would be “architecturally pleasing” and complement neighboring homes in the area.
Downtown sewer improvements
The most costly of the town’s 10 ARPA projects is a $1.6 million sewer project aimed at addressing the lack of sewer and water infrastructure in the center of town through the design and permitting of a connection from New Fairfield’s downtown commercial zone to Danbury’s regional wastewater treatment plant.
Town officials have said the sewer project would also support the future environmental health of the town, as the septic systems serving businesses in New Fairfield’s downtown pose environmental concerns, and the aging septic systems put Ball Pond Brook — which passes through the commercial zone — at risk of contamination.
Iadarola said the project specifically looks to provide a sewer system for the downtown business district, as well as the nearby 55+ residential living communities.
“More importantly, it is totally designed to accommodate the flows that come out of our … schools and other public buildings … which are all under the original septic system,” he said, noting that the project would be done in three phases.
Iadarola said the first phase would focus on providing sewers for the business district, as well as building a primary pump station in the center of town and a force main that “takes that flow and brings it to the collection system in Danbury.”
With no objections from the Water Pollution Control Authority regarding the system layout, Iadarola said the town plans to move into “full design-development” before putting the project out to bid.
With Lindsey concerned about potential funding for the project, Iadarola said they plan to get the project “somewhat shovel-ready” and determine what funding opportunities exist to support the first phase of the work “if the town decides that it’s absolutely necessary.”
Community center feasibility study
Iadarola also discussed the ARPA-funded $25,000 study to explore developing a community center that provides public gathering space, programming and services.
So far, Iadarola said officials have determined what programs could go into the center and its ideal size — between 20,000 and 22,000 square feet.
The next step would be to get feedback from the public and revise the project based on that input, he said. The town would then look at about three potential sites for the center and develop a project that could go to voters, he said.
Stormwater drainage project
While the town has addressed drainage problems affecting public and private property “little by little” over the years, Iadarola said the stormwater drainage project for which $150,000 in ARPA funds were allocated aims to address an issue “of a much greater magnitude.”
“This is a significant drainage issue … on Arden Avenue in the lower Ball Pond drainage basin,” he said, noting that it also affects Merlin Avenue and runs through the Ore Hill Road area.
Iadarola said one of the problems associated with the drainage issue is “significant erosion” that’s led to the loss of several trees and creation of a roughly 20-foot-wide and approximately 12-foot-deep ravine off Arden Avenue.
“The most important thing is all the sediment that’s been dislodged ultimately ends up in Putnam Lake,” he said, noting that the town could potentially face mandates or other legal issues because of it and is “trying to take a responsible approach.”
With $30,000 in capital funding to start the design process, Iadarola said the $150,000 in ARPA funding will be used to secure properties and “a significant number of easements” needed to make stormwater drainage improvements — a lot of which will need to be done on private property.
“We’re well on our way in executing this project,” said Iadarola, noting that the town has started talking to property owners — including one looking to donate some land, which the town is considering.
Iadarola said the town should decide in next month how to move forward.
In addition to finishing the design, he said next steps would include holding a town meeting for approval of the purchase of easements and properties for the work. After that, Iadarola said the project would be positioned for future funding.
Iadarola said construction cost estimates would come in the next phase.
Other projects
The other ARPA projects New Fairfield voters approved included $615,000 for public safety improvements, $455,000 for renovations to the Company A firehouse, $265,000 for pandemic premium pay for public health and safety personnel, $150,000 for small business grants, $65,000 for a fire marshal vehicle and $25,000 for an emergency housing fund.
“The communication radios are being looked at carefully. We have the subcommittee (meeting) more regularly and have started our consultant to come out and get that started,” Lindsey said at the selectmen meeting, adding that security improvements to municipal buildings are also moving forward.
“The cameras and security parts in Town Hall and the annex and all the town buildings have been ordered, so we’re just waiting on those,” she said.
Construction of $70M cutting-edge, first in CT, proton therapy cancer facility to begin in spring
Construction of a cutting-edge cancer center in Connecticut is scheduled to begin this spring at 932 Northrop Road in Wallingford, town officials say.
Joe Mirra, the town's Economic Development Commission chairman, said Tuesday that representatives of Hartford Healthcare and Yale New Haven Health System have told him construction of the 25,000 square foot Connecticut Proton Therapy Center should start in March or April. The two healthcare organizations, which are among Connecticut's largest, are developing the facility as part of a joint venture.
The state Office of Health Strategy approved the joint application for the center in 2022. Costs are estimated at $70 million for the facility, which will be the first of its kind in the state.
"It's extremely important to the community, the state and the region," Mirra said of the radiation-type therapy. "In most cases, you have to go to Boston or New York City for this type of care. And for some it becomes a regular commute if you can't afford the cost of a hotel room."
"We are on track to break ground in the coming months and scheduled to begin treating patients in 2026," officials with the two healthcare organization said through a joint statement released last week. "We remain fully committed to the Connecticut Proton Therapy Center. Like many projects nationwide, the Proton Center was delayed by the pandemic."
When the new facility begins operating, cancer patients will be treated with a highly targeted radiological proton therapy rather than X-rays. The high energy beam of protons is used to treat many solid cancer tumors, including tumors of the brain and central nervous system, eye, gastrointestinal tract, head and neck, liver, lung, prostate, spine, as wells as some breast tumors, according to the application approved by the state Office of Health Strategy.
That type of therapy is now available only at a few facilities in the Northeast, outside of Connecticut, officials with the joint venture have said.
"We are proud and excited to bring this innovative and life-changing therapy to the state, creating a destination for state-of-the art cancer care," the statement form the joint venture read in part.
The Connecticut Proton Therapy Center was approved by state health care regulators in April 2022.
Angela Mattie, a professor of management and medical sciences at Quinnipiac University, said the collaborative effort between Yale New Haven Health and Hartford Healthcare "is a real benefit to patients that can only lead to better outcomes."
"Because of where this facility will be located, essentially in the center of the state, it will increase access to a high level of healthcare," Mattie said. "Patients who are in their most vulnerable and sickest state will no longer have to travel long distances for care."
She said that the development of the Proton Therapy Center will only burnish the state's reputation.
"The one thing we have in this state is outstanding healthcare," Mattie said. "Having a facility like this will create a tremendous amount of intellectual capital that will only grow going forward because it will allow both organizations to continue to attract the best talent going forward."
Mirra said with the addition of the Proton Therapy Center in Wallingford, "I can foresee the town and surrounding communities becoming a significant medical hub." And surrounding businesses will really benefit from the increased activity in town.
Port authority board members push back on Lamont’s merger proposal
John Penney
New London ― A bill proposed this month by Gov. Ned Lamont would rename the Connecticut Port Authority and essentially absorb the group into the state’s airport authority.
The bill calls for identifying the port authority as the “Connecticut Maritime Authority” and making it a subsidiary of the airport group, according to a copy of the act provided to The Day on Tuesday.
The prospect of a consolidation between the two quasi-public agencies was first raised in September and received lukewarm receptions from both groups’ boards of directors.
The bill language characterizes the change in the port authority’s title and function as a succession.
Under the proposed new management system, the airport authority’s board would also serve as the new maritime authority’s board of directors. The airport authority’s executive director would also serve as chief administrative officer for the new maritime group.
The port authority's current 16-member board, which includes the mayors of New London, Bridgeport and New Haven – all home to deep-water ports – would shrink to 12 members.
The CAA, formed in 2011, is responsible for overseeing operations at Bradley International Airport and the state’s five general aviation airports: Danielson, Groton-New London, Hartford-Brainard, Waterbury-Oxford and Windham.
The Connecticut Port Authority was created in 2014 to manage ports previously under the management of the state Department of Transportation. The port authority is overseeing a $300 million upgrade aimed at transforming its State Pier terminal into an offshore wind component staging and assembly site.
Under Lamont’s proposal, the “assets, revenues and resources” of the maritime authority – along with any liabilities, financial losses or expenses — would remain separate from the airport group, though the two groups would share staff and other administrative resources.
During a port authority board of directors meeting on Tuesday in a conference room at Fort Trumbull State Park, several members vehemently spoke out against the proposal.
“Maybe I’m short-sighted, but I don’t see the benefit,” board Vice-Chairman Grant Westerson said, adding the proposed change ran the risk of diluting his group’s core mission of marketing and coordinating the development of the state’s ports and maritime economy.
Board Chairman David Kooris said the port authority has always been challenged by its small size as the CAA’s approximately 160 direct employees far outnumber the port authority's handful of paid staff members.
He said the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee will likely hold a public hearing on the governor’s bill by March 15 with details on the proposal to be “fleshed out” in the coming weeks.
Kooris said the state legislature's shorted session means the proposal would need to be acted on by May 8. He also urged fellow board members to brainstorm ways to “tweak” the current port authority system in case Lamont’s bill fizzles.
“I’m totally opposed to a merger,” member John Johnson said. “We’ve done a fabulous job with this leadership and the State Pier. The future is all in front of us and it’s rosy.”