Stratford celebrates milestone in contamination cleanup — 'Take a lesson from Raymark'

Jarrod Wardwell

STRATFORD — The Environmental Protection Agency's New England administrator took a screwdriver to a public health advisory sign on the Broad Street bridge Monday to signal the end of a toxic soil cleanup in part of Ferry Creek.

A cluster of local, state and federal officials watched as David Cash unfastened the bridge's metal sign. For years, it had ordered the public not to enter the creek because of the health hazards tied to chemicals in the water, but on Monday, officials said the water is safe for use.

"To me, this represents the concerns, the worries, the anxiety of a community that's living in the middle of this kind of hazardous waste site," Cash said on the bridge Monday. "'It says 'Do not wade, play or otherwise come in contact' with the sediments in this creek.' I'm just trying to imagine — I'm a parent, and I know that parents all over this community, this would just make them feel so anxious, so what we are doing today is removing that kind of anxiety."

A one-third mile stretch of the creek, now clean, had held some of the contaminated soil that the since-defunct Raymark Industries had dumped across Stratford while manufacturing automotive brake products before shutting down in 1989. Since September 2020, an EPA-led project has removed about 95,000 cubic yards of the contaminated soil from the creek and 28 properties of commercial and open space, including roughly 9,000 in Ferry Creek, according to the agency.

A cubic yard of soil is the amount that can fit in a theoretical three-foot by three-foot box. A commercial dump truck can typically haul about 10-14 cubic yards of dirt.

The contingent of public officials toured the site of the EPA's cleanup project headquarters at 300 Ferry Boulevard Monday before walking through the lot where the agency is preparing to bury and contain the contaminants at the site of the former Raybestos Memorial Field on Frog Pond Lane. The turnout in Stratford featured U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes, Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick, members of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers and a pair of state representatives in Democrat Joe Gresko and Republican Laura Dancho.

Blumenthal said Stratford could be an example of environmental cleanup efforts and that prevention was preferable to remediation.

"We should take a lesson from Raymark, which has become synonymous with environmental catastrophe — Pay now or pay later. Prevent it or pay for it," Blumenthal said. "And the costs are astronomical when we fail to respect the environment."

Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick said ongoing remediation would eventually spur economic development on several of the contaminated properties once their respective projects are complete. She said the town plans to redevelop the site of the former Raybestos Memorial Field and the town also envisions a turf field for soccer and lacrosse and courts for tennis and pickleball at East Broadway and Ferry Boulevard, she said.

"There's so many more things that are going to be happening for Stratford, but we can see it as we look down Ferry Boulevard," she said. "And businesses are booming. This is productive reuse."

Despite the cleanup progress, EPA environmental engineer Jim DiLorenzo, who is managing the project, said at least 65,000 more cubic yards of Raymark contaminated soil are still in the ground.

He said construction crews plan to finish another 5,000 cubic yards by June on the EPA's Ferry Creek Boulevard headquarters, in addition to some wetlands and open space on Lockwood Avenue. DiLorenzo said the agency will seal off another 50,000 cubic yards from the site of the former Morgan Francis, including a smaller eighth-mile stretch of Ferry Creek, in the summer or fall of 2025, which will take between a year and 18 months. He said the project team will spend another few years excavating along Shore Road starting in 2026. 

DiLorenzo said the EPA would decide later this year whether to launch two additional projects that would remove an undetermined amount of additional contaminated soil from former municipal landfill space and some wetlands between Broad Street and the Lordship neighborhood.

City Council upholds mayor's veto seeking $25M for Meriden senior center project

Mary Ellen Godin

MERIDEN — Several of Mayor Kevin Scarpati's budget vetoes were upheld during a meeting of the City Council this week, including his veto of the Capital Improvement Plan over its lack of $25 million in funding for a new senior center and health department.

 Scarpati also used his veto power in regard to the $222.4 million operating budget to add a police service technician to monitor parking violations, to eliminate a $25,000 stipend for an existing department head to be designated as deputy city manager, and to increase hangar fees at the municipal airport.

In each case, the 12-member City Council did not have the two-thirds majority needed to override the vetoes.

The council did override Scarpati's veto of funding for the Puerto Rican Festival.

The council set the tax rate at 36.21 mills in the first district with an additional 2.20 mills in the second district, which receives municipal trash collection. The motor vehicle tax rate is capped by the state at 32.46 mills. A mill is one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value.

Under the approved tax rate, the owner of a home in the first district with an appraised value of $250,000 would be $6,336.75 in taxes annually.

The council's 7-5 vote to override Scarpati's veto of the Capital Improvement Plan came up one vote short of a two-thirds majority, sustaining the veto and rejecting the overall plan due to its lack of funding for the senior center and health department building project. The mayor does not have line-item veto power over the Capital Improvement Plan. Scarpati instructed councilors to vote again on the plan next week, this time including funding for the senior center, or he would again veto the CIP until a compromise can be reached.

Scarpati had proposed bonding $25 million but the council will choose its own bonding amount when it meets again next week. The Capital Improvement Plan has no impact on this year's mill rate, finance officials said. 

The only item overridden by the City Council was Scarpati's veto of $18,000 for the Puerto Rican Festival because it was promised to festival organizers by prior city manager Tim Coon. Scarpati referred to it as "poor communication."

The council upheld the addition of $17,000 for a police service technician to monitor parking violations throughout the city and enforce parking bans in the winter. Scarpati argued that although the projected revenue is a negative in the first year, there would be improvements in subsequent years. Additionally, a uniformed officer's presence downtown could improve public safety. 

Majority Leader Sonya Jelks disagreed with Scarpati's veto of the council's vote to add a $25,000 stipend into the city manager's budget to get assistance from a designated department head.

"There is not enough time for our city manager to do some of the more strategic things the city needs...like funding projects," Jelks said. "It's a process that other cities use to help the city manager expand reach. We can all recognize we are a little stymied right now. This is only a $25,000 stipend."

Democratic Councilor and Deputy Mayor Bruce Fontanella disagreed with Jelks stating "giving a department head $25,000 doesn't give a department head more time."

If someone has time to give to the city manager, the added duty should be included in their job description, Fontanella continued. 

Most councilors agreed with We the People Councilor Bob Williams that the matter should be reviewed after the city has hired a new city manager. Jelks withdrew her motion with the understanding it can be raised again later. 

Scarpati also included a proposal to increase hangar fees at the Meriden-Markham Airport for an additional $13,000 in revenue. Jelks and acting City Manager Emily Holland disagreed stating the rent increase should follow the opening of four new hangars next May. 

Scarpati argued that hangar rental hadn't increased in five years, there is a 30-pilot waiting list for hangars, and construction delays could postpone an opening.

"We've given them many years of no increase and we're well below other airports," Scarpati said. 

There were no objections to Scarpati's proposed reductions to planned water and sewer rate hikes.  

The proposed new senior center and health department complex at 116 Cook Ave. was the topic of most of the budget meeting, with nearly all councilors acknowledging support of the project. The cost for the two buildings is estimated at $45.5 million and Scarpati proposed $25 million to get the project shovel-ready for potential state and federal grant funding. 

Republican City Councilor Dan Brunet said he was surprised to see the mayor's $25 million addition to the CIP appear in the veto letter. Brunet opposed the measure because the city is still paying $13 million for a library renovation, approved $5 million for a new emergency dispatch center and he feared the bonding costs will become excessive. 

"At $25 million, this is one of the biggest projects we've ever seen," Brunet said. 

There are an estimated 300 seniors using the existing center on West Main Street out of 17,700 who are eligible, Brunet said. 

"We can refurbish the senior center and refurbish the health center," Brunet said. "What are we doing to future city councils? This is an opulent campus and more than we need."

Scarpati fired back that perhaps the fact that in the current location, "there is no recreational space and it's a reminder that it used to be a department store," keeps seniors away.  

"We heard from the (study) committee and the contractor," Scarpati said. "This isn't comparable to a $17 million Southington Library, and a $13 million library. It's not one building, it's two buildings with outdoor space."

The city has $2 million in state funds to demolish the existing vacant building at 116 Cook Ave., and is putting it out to bid. Lea Crown, director of Health and Human Services, submitted a petition signed by 66 seniors in support of a new facility.  Before the meeting, several speakers spoke in support of the new center with one speaker reminding council members the seniors "have paid taxes all their lives."

The council has to set a new bonding cost next week, and Scarpati again has the authority to veto the plan overall. Once set, the city can finalize and select designs and vote again on either the full project or a scaled-back version.  

Eric Bedner

ENFIELD — The massive $250 million proposal to transform the Enfield Square mall into a hub of retail, housing, and hotels hinges on state funding that might have to come from several sources. But the existing small businesses in the mall will likely be forced to find new homes if the project comes to fruition.

 Nebraska-based Woodsonia Acquisitions announced Monday that it has entered into an agreement with New York-based Namdar Realty Group to transfer ownership of the dilapidated mall, but is seeking at least $20 million from the state to help cover construction costs for its grand plans.

Enfield leaders voted unanimously on Monday to apply for state funding through the Community Investment Fund, or CIF, which has never allocated so much — $20 million — for an individual project.

Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Enfield, said that he's hopeful the mixed-use proposal for the prime piece of real estate will spark more interest from state leaders, including Gov. Ned Lamont and the Department of Economic and Community Development.

"At least at this point in time, the administration is well aware of the town's efforts," Kissel said. "That doesn't mean that it's not going to be a very heavy lift to try to get the state funding that they're hoping for, but it's certainly worth a good college try."

If the entire $20 million doesn't come from CIF, there are other options, he said, such as by combining funding through low- or no-interest loans, DECD programs, or bonding.

"There may be other ways to cobble together some kind of funding for this project," Kissel said. "I understand that Governor Lamont looks favorably upon mixed-use development, and if he looks favorably upon this project, there might be other avenues that can be pursued to make this a reality. It’s exciting, but I’m not saying that it’s not a heavy lift."

"We really are excited," Rep. Carol Hall, R-Enfield, said, noting that Woodsonia has routinely revitalized malls throughout the country that were previously owned by Namdar.

"They've got a history there with lots of great experience with redevelopment of these kinds of blighted, old malls," she said. "So, that's really great news."

Like Kissel, Hall is optimistic Lamont will be a proponent of the project.

"It couldn't fit nicer into the governor's playbook," she said. "We're really hopeful that they'll take a really serious look at this."

Unlike with some other CIF allocations that help to pay to clear properties, Woodsonia's request would actually bring in revenue for the state.

"We see it as a win-win all around," Hall said. "I'm thrilled. I think the plan is a beautiful plan."

While some Enfield taxpayers may scoff at giving a large corporation tax breaks that the Town Council voted unanimously to approve on Monday, Hall said that if Namdar remained the owner of the property, it would likely continue to deteriorate, resulting in less and less in property taxes as time went on.

As part of the agreement with the town, property taxes on the new development — dubbed Enfield Marketplace  — would be frozen for 10 years at roughly $7.3 million.

"We would be getting virtually nothing in 10 years in taxes on that" if Namdar remained the owner, she said. "You're going to have huge revenues when the freeze is over, which only helps taxpayers. ... It's certainly going to ease the burden on the residents of Enfield."

While lawmakers are optimistic about the potential of Enfield Marketplace, the future of small businesses currently occupying parts of the mall may be in jeopardy.

Bryan LeBlanc, owner of Haven Games and Hobbies, said that some business owners, including himself, have been in the process of moving to other locations within the mall.

He said that he's aware of three business owners who have signed leases within the previous three months, when negotiations to sell the mall were ongoing and secretive.

"I just sank $15,000 into fixtures that is nonrefundable, nonreturnable," LeBlanc said, adding that he was supposed to move his business into its new location on June 1. "We were told absolutely none of this" regarding the specifics of the mall sale.

Considering Namdar was offering seemingly competitive lease prices, tenants are not likely to find similarly affordable leases in Enfield.

"As a small business owner, we're not going to find even comparable rent to what we're paying here," LeBlanc said. "Now, small business owners are stuck having to go out of their way to try to find new locations, most of them paying a significant higher amount than what we're paying right now."

To find roughly the same amount of space in Enfield would cost almost twice as much as what he's paying in the mall, LeBlanc said, which is not financially feasible.

His business is "absolutely" at risk of folding, he said. "This is the first time that Haven Games and Hobbies may not be a thing, and that's terrifying."

While LeBlanc said, "I absolutely love what they're planning to do with the location," small businesses like his might end up being collateral damage. "To have that as a sacrifice of all the small businesses here in the mall, that's not OK."