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ENVIRONMENTAL MONITOR
The official site for project information under
the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act

December 3, 2002
Scoping Notices
NEW! Steele Brook Flood Control Project (Watertown)
Environmental Impact Evaluations available for review and comment
NEW! Osborn Expansion at the Osborn Correctional Institution (Somers)
Extension of Runway 18-36, Waterbury/Oxford Airport (Oxford/Middlebury)
3  Island Brook Flood Project (Bridgeport)
4  Graduate Student Apartments and Downtown Master Plan Project (Storrs)
The next issue will be published on December 17, 2002.
Subscribe to e-alerts for The Environmental Monitor.

Scoping Notices

Scoping Notices have been issued for the following state projects.  These projects are in the earliest stages of planning.  At the scoping stage, detailed information on a project's design, alternatives, and environmental impacts does not yet exist.  Sponsoring agencies are asking for comments from other agencies and from the public as to the scope of alternatives and environmental impacts that should be considered for further study.  Send your comments to the contact person listed for the project by the date indicated.

4. Notice of Scoping for Steele Brook Flood Control Project

Municipality where proposed project would be located: Watertown

Address of Possible Project Location: Steele Brook, downstream of French Street, northeast of Main Street (Routes 63 & 73)

Project Description: EIE will analyze possible improvements to a half mile segment of Steele Brook beginning about 2,000 feet downstream of French Street.  Both channel improvements with environmental enhancements and dike/floodwall options with a pump station will be considered.  The purpose of the project is to provide relief from frequent flooding of the Watertown Plaza retail area and the adjacent Knight Street industrial area.

Project Map:  Click here to view a map of the project area.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on:  January 7, 2003

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.

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

Name: Edward Hemstreet
Agency: Department of Environmental Protection
Inland Water Resources Division
Address: 79 Elm Street, Third Floor
Hartford, Connecticut  06106
Fax: (860) 424-4075
E-Mail: edward.hemstreet@po.state.ct.us

If you have questions about a public scoping meeting, or other questions about scoping for this project, contact:

Name: Frederick Riese
Agency:
Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Environmental Review
Address: 79 Elm Street, Third Floor
Hartford, Connecticut  06106
Phone: (860) 424-4110
Fax: (860) 424-4053
E-Mail: frederick.riese@po.state.ct.us

The agency expects to release an Environmental Impact Evaluation for this project, for public review and comment, in late summer 2003.

Other information: This project is a joint undertaking of the Department of Environmental Protection, acting through the Inland Water Resources Division, and the Town of Watertown.


EIE Notices

The following Environmental Impact Evaluations have been completed by state agencies and are available for review and comment. 

2.  EIE Notice for the Osborn Expansion at the Osborn Correctional Institution

Municipality where project is proposed: Somers, Connecticut

Project Description: The proposed action is the construction of a 720-bed Level 4 correctional facility that would be connected by a corridor to the existing Osborn Correctional Institution (CI) and to the Northern CI, and an additional parking area for approximately 130-spaces.  The expansion would consist of six housing units, each containing 30 double bunked cells on each of the two floors.  In addition to cell space, the units would contain inmate support space, staff, support and program areas, and direct control stations and systems. 

Project Map(s):  Click here to view a map of the project area.

Comments on this EIE will be accepted until the close of business on: January 16, 2003

The public can view a copy of this EIE at:

Town of Somers, Town Clerk, Somers Town Hall, 600 Main Street, Somers, CT

Somers Public Library, 51 Ninth District Road, Somers, CT

Town of Enfield, Town Clerk, Enfield Town Hall, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, CT

Enfield Public Library, Central Library, 104 Middle Road, Enfield, CT

Enfield Public Library, Pearl Street Library, 159 Pearl Street, Enfield, CT

Connecticut Department of Public Works, 165 Capitol Avenue, Room 275, Hartford, CT

There is a public hearing scheduled for this EIE on:

DATE: Tuesday, January 7, 2003

TIME: 7:00 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM)

PLACE: Somers Town Hall auditorium, 600 Main Street, Somers, CT

Written comments or exhibits must be reproducible in black and white and on paper not to exceed 8 ½" x 11" in size. These written statements or exhibits will be made a part of the administrative record and oral statements at the public hearing will be considered in the same manner.

Send your comments about this EIE to:

Name: David Elliott
Agency: Department of Correction
Address: 24 Wolcott Hill Road
Wethersfield, Connecticut  06109
Phone: (860) 692-7554
Fax: (860) 692-7556
E-Mail: david.elliott@po.state.ct.us

If you have questions about the public hearing, or where you can review this EIE, or similar matters, please contact:

Name: Jeff Bolton
Agency: Department of Public Works
Address: 165 Capitol Ave., Room 275
Hartford, Connecticut  06106
Phone: (860) 713-5707
Fax:    (860) 713-7250
E-Mail: jeffrey.bolton@po.state.ct.us

OR

Name: Don Ouillette
Agency: Department of Public Works
Address: 165 Capitol Ave., Room 460
Hartford, Connecticut  06106
Phone: (860) 713-5931
Fax:    (860) 713-7270
E-Mail: donald.ouillette@po.state.ct.us

 

3. EIE Notice for the Extension of Runway 18-36, Waterbury/Oxford Airport

Municipalities where project is located: Oxford and Middlebury

Project Description: The Proposed Action would extend Runway 18-36 to 5,800 feet from an existing 5,000 feet. It would be extended on the north end by 300 feet and the south end by 500 feet. Displaced thresholds will be placed at the termini of the existing runway. The current allowable landing length of 5,000 feet will not change. The takeoff lengths will increase from the current 5,000 feet to 5,500 feet in the northerly direction and 5,300 feet in the southerly direction. This will allow corporate jets that currently use the airport to take off with additional weight. Existing Taxiway A (which parallels Runway 18-36 to the west) will be extended to both ends of the new runway extensions. Taxiway B (which parallels the runway to the east) will be extended on the north end to the new runway end.

Project Map: CLICK HERE

Comments on the EIE will be accepted until the close of business on: Wednesday, January 15, 2003.

Copies of the EIE are available for public review at:

Town Clerk’s Office
Town of Oxford
486 Oxford Road
Oxford, Connecticut

Town Clerk’s Office
Town of Middlebury
1212 Whittemore Road
Middlebury, Connecticut

Oxford Public Library
486 Oxford Road
Oxford, Connecticut

Middlebury Public Library
Crest Road
Middlebury, Connecticut

Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley
20 East Main Street – Suite 303
Waterbury, CT

Connecticut State Library
231 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut

There is a public hearing scheduled for this EIE on:

DATE:   Monday, December 16, 2002

TIME:   7:00 PM

PLACE:  Oxford Center School, 1 Great Hill Road, Oxford, Connecticut

Written Comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: Wednesday, January 15, 2003.

Written comments or exhibits must be reproducible in black and white and on paper not to exceed 8 ½" x 11" in size. These written statements or exhibits will be made a part of the administrative record and oral statements at the public hearing will be considered in the same manner.

Please send comments regarding this EIE to: Mr. Edgar T. Hurle, Director of Environmental Planning, Connecticut Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 317546, Newington, Connecticut 06131-7546, or email to: Edgar.Hurle@po.state.ct.us


4. EIE Notice for Island Brook Flood Project

Municipality where project is proposed: Bridgeport

Project Location: Lake Forest Dam on southeast shore of Lake Forest, and along Island Brook from the Dam to the confluence of Island Brook and the Pequonnock River.

Project Description: Alteration to Lake Forest Dam to safely pass the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) which is equivalent to 33" of rain in a 24-hour period.  Improvements to Island Brook consist of five culvert replacements; two new culverts; construction of a tidal wetland shelf at the confluence with the Pequonnock River; wetland creation; minor modifications to channel alignment; addition of point deflectors, riffles and pools; and clean-up of all debris in the stream channel.  The effect of these improvements will be to increase the capacity of the channel to safely pass the 100-year flood flows while adding environmental enhancements to the corridor.

Project Map:  Click here to view a map of the project area.

Comments on this EIE will be accepted until the close of business on: December 20, 2002

The public can view a copy of this EIE at: the office of the Bridgeport Town Clerk, Room 124, 45 Lyon Terrace, Bridgeport or at the Department of Environmental Protection, Inland Water Resources Division, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT.

There is a public hearing scheduled for this EIE on:

DATE: December 11, 2002

TIME: 7:00 PM

PLACE: City Council Chambers, 45 Lyon Terrace, Bridgeport

Send your comments about this EIE to:

Name: Alphonse Letendre
Agency: DEP - Inland Water Resources Division
Address: 79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106
E-Mail: alphonse.letendre@po.state.ct.us

If you have questions about the public hearing, or where you can review this EIE, or similar matters, please contact:

Name: Alphonse Letendre
Agency: DEP - Inland Water Resources Division
Address: 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106
E-Mail: alphonse.letendre@po.state.ct.us
Phone: 860-424-3976

or, if unavailable, contact:

Name: Frederick Riese
Agency: DEP - Office of Environmental Review
Address: 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106
E-Mail: frederick.riese@po.state.ct.us
Phone: 860-424-4110



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Copyright 2002, Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality