1) Notice of Scoping for the Berlin TOD Boulevard Project

Municipality where proposed project might be located: Berlin

Address of Possible Project Location: 889 and 903 Farmington Avenue, Berlin

Project Description: The Department of Economic and Community Development (CT DECD) will be administering a grant to the Town of Berlin for the development of a boulevard from Farmington Avenue to the Berlin Train Station. The boulevard will be constructed on parts of the Town owned sites at 889 and 903 Farmington Avenue and will connect to the Berlin Train Station site through property owned by the State of Connecticut. The boulevard was originally funded by a Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) Grant in 2014 and was intended to provide a second means of access and egress Train Station and to the Berlin Steel site to the north of the Train Station. The Connecticut Department of Transportation significantly expanded parking at the Train Station to accommodate the increased demand expected to be generated by the CTrail Hartford commuter rail line. The Berlin Station is now accessed only via the private Depot Road that is shared with Berlin Steel and the boulevard will provide a second means to access both the Train Station and Berlin Steel properties.

The Town recently entered into an agreement with Newport Realty Group (Newport) to sell four properties at 861, 889, 903 and 913 Farmington Avenue (less the portion of 889 and 903 Farmington Avenue reserved for the boulevard).  Newport will be developing these parcels into a transit-oriented development (TOD) that includes development of 19,000 square feet of commercial space and 76 market rate apartment units. Newport also plans to retain and renovate the existing building at 861 Farmington Avenue.  The proposed boulevard will now also serve the privately-funded TOD project in addition to providing access to the Train Station and the Berlin Steel site.  The scope and the cost of the boulevard project has expanded since 2014 when the STEAP grant was awarded, to accommodate the proposed private TOD-development.  It may be noted that the Berlin Steel site that can be accessed via the boulevard is also being targeted by the Town for a potential future TOD project. 

The boulevard right-of-way will be 68 feet in width. The pavement width will be designed to accommodate two travel lanes plus diagonal parking. The boulevard will also include sidewalks and streetscape amenities.  Underground utilities will be constructed including sanitary sewer, water, storm drainage, natural gas and electric.  The boulevard construction may be phased to accommodate the phased construction of the TOD development.  The Town will be in charge of the maintenance of the boulevard except for the sidewalks.  Newport will take up the responsibility of sidewalk maintenance once the boulevard is built-out as part of the Purchase and Sales agreement with the Town of Berlin.

Apart from the STEAP grant, the boulevard project could be funded from other state and local programs/funding sources.

Project Maps:  Click here to view a map of the project area. Click here to view a site plan of the proposed project.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on:  Thursday, November 7, 2019

Any person can ask the sponsoring agency to hold a Public Scoping Meeting by sending such a request to the address below.  If a meeting is requested by 25 or more individuals, or by an association that represents 25 or more members, the sponsoring agency shall schedule a Public Scoping Meeting.  Such requests must be made by Friday, October 18, 2019.

Written comments and/or requests for a Public Scoping Meeting should be sent to:

If you have questions about the the scoping for this project, contact:

What Happens Next: The agency will make a determination whether to proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation or a Post-Scoping Notice within six months. The decision will appear in the Environmental Monitor.