- Public Meeting and Extension of Public Comment for the Bridgeport Municipal Airport Improvements, Stratford
- Pachaug State Forest Prescribed Burns, Griswold, Voluntown
- NEW! Stony Brook North and South Transmission Main Rehabilitation, Montville and Bozrah
- NEW! Nathan Hale Inn, University of Connecticut, Storrs
Special Notices
These are notices of State actions with potential environmental importance that are required to be posted by special legislation or are posted at the request of State agencies.
The Following Special Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.
1. Notice of Availability Long Island Sound Blue Plan
The Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) hereby gives notice that a draft of the Long Island Sound Blue Plan, together with the Long Island Sound Resource and Use Inventory and other supporting documents, are available for public review and comment.
The Blue Plan is a marine spatial planning process for Long Island Sound that was authorized by Section 25-157t of the Connecticut General Statutes (Connecticut Public Act 15-66). The intent of the Blue Plan is to plan and account for both the existing human uses of the Sound and the habitats and natural resources needed for marine life to thrive in the Sound. Doing so will help ensure that: (a) the existing human uses and the habitats and natural resources and features of the Sound are protected and (b) any new and existing uses of the Sound will be compatible with each other and with the Sound’s habitats and natural resources.
The Blue Plan will not create new regulations; rather it will provide greater clarity and guidance for how decisions will be made under specified existing regulatory programs. The Blue Plan's policies will provide the basis for existing permit programs identified by statute to achieve clearer and more certain protection of the economic, cultural, and ecological values of Long Island Sound, including existing traditional human uses and ecologically significant areas. As such, the Blue Plan will serve as a guide to show what the applicable state and local permit decision-making processes will consider and be based upon. This will provide new and better insight for stakeholders and applicants up-front.
The draft Blue Plan, together with the complete Long Island Sound Resource and Use Inventory and additional supporting and background information is available at http://www.ct.gov/deep/lisblueplan and in hard copy upon request to the address below.
INFORMATION REQUESTS/PUBLIC COMMENT
The success of the Blue Plan depends on the involvement of the general public and all stakeholders to make sure the Plan reflects the knowledge, perspectives, and needs of everyone whose lives are touched by Long Island Sound. Interested parties are invited to review and comment on the draft Blue Plan and any other Blue Plan-related topics. Please submit written comments to LIS Blue Plan, Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106-5127 or by email to DEEP.BluePlanLIS@ct.gov on or before June 21, 2019.
Questions may be directed to David Blatt at (860) 424-3610 or to DEEP.BluePlanLIS@ct.gov.
/s/Brian P. Thompson, Director
Land & Water Resources Division
Bureau of Water Protection & Land Reuse
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request an accommodation contact us at (860) 418-5910 or deep.accommodations@ct.gov
"Scoping" is for projects 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.
1. Notice of Scoping for Bridgeport Municipal Airport Improvements
Municipality where proposed project might be located: Stratford
Address of project location: 1000 Great Meadow Road
Project Description: The Department of Economic and Community Development is proposing to provide financial assistance to the City of Bridgeport as a 47% match to a private investment to assist in the construction of the Phase I improvements at the Bridgeport Municipal/ Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR) in the Town of Stratford. The proposed project is intended to initiate commercial airline service to BDR. The mid-range airline service along the U.S. eastern seaboard is expected to start in 2020, with approximately 5 to 8 flights daily. The proposed aircraft fleet is quieter than many corporate aircraft currently operating at the airport today. The capacity of the aircraft is approximately 100 to 150 passengers.
The proposed project will include improvements to the airport’s taxiways, runways, parking lots, construction of an approximate 20,000 sf terminal building to be used as a holding area and support space for office, ticketing, freight, baggage, and concessions. The project may also include the rehabilitation of an existing 8,000 sf existing abandoned structure to be reused as an operations center. This proposed project is consistent with the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) approved by the FAA in 2009.
The project developer will be providing the matching funds needed to complete the project. The necessary financial commitments and assurances will be in place prior to any State funding disbursement.
Project Maps: Click here to view a location map of the project area. Click here to view a site plan.
Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on Monday, April 8, 2019.
There will be a public Scoping Meeting for this project on:
Date: Monday, April 1, 2019
Time: 5:00 PM
Place: Margaret Morton Government Center, Conference Rooms A&B
999 Broad Street, Bridgeport, CT 06605
For any questions regarding this venue, please contact the Front Desk: 203-332-3042
If you have any questions about the Scoping Meeting, or other questions regarding this project, contact:
Name: Christine Marques
Agency: Department of Economic and Community Development
Office: Office of Capital Projects
Address: 450 Columbus Blvd, Hartford, CT 06103
Phone: (860) 500-2350
Email: Christine.marques@ct.gov
1. Post-Scoping Notice for Pachaug State Forest Prescribed Burns
Project Title: Prescribed burns Pachaug State Forest
Municipalities where project will be located: Griswold and Voluntown
CEPA Determination: On December 18, 2018 the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) published a Notice of Scoping to solicit public comments for this project in the Environmental Monitor. DEEP has taken those comments into consideration and has concluded that the project does not require the preparation of Environmental Impact Evaluation under CEPA.
The agency’s conclusion is documented in a Memo of Findings and Determination and Environmental Checklist.
If you have questions about the project, please contact:
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Name: |
Emery Gluck |
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Agency: |
CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |
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Address: |
Cockaponset State Forest, 18 Ranger Road, Haddam CT 06438 |
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Phone: |
880-345-8522 |
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E-Mail: |
Emery.Gluck@ct.gov |
What happens next: DEEP expects the project to go forward. This is expected to be the final notice of the project to be published in the Environmental Monitor.
2. Post-Scoping Notice for Stony Brook North and South Transmission Main Rehabilitation
Municipalities where project will be located: Montville and Bozrah
CEPA Determination:On September 18, 2018, the Department of Public Health (DPH) published a Notice of Scoping to solicit public comments for this project in the Environmental Monitor.
Based on the DPH’s environmental assessment of this project which includes a review of comments provided by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) dated October 18, 2018 and a response to the DEEP comments from Norwich Public Utilities dated March 13, 2019, it has been determined that the project does not require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) under CEPA. The DPH will coordinate with Norwich Public Utilities to ensure that the recommendations received during the Scoping period are implemented.
The agency's conclusion is documented in a Memorandum of Findings and Determination and an Environmental Assessment Summary.
If you have questions about the project, you can contact the agency at:
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Name: |
Mr. Eric McPhee |
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Agency: |
Department of Public Health
Drinking Water Section
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Address: |
410 Capitol Avenue, MS #12DWS
PO Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308
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Phone: |
860-509-7333 |
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Fax: |
860-509-7359 |
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E-Mail: |
DPH.SourceProtection@ct.gov |
Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to the sponsoring State Agency:
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Name: |
Mr. Av Harris |
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Agency: |
Department of Public Health |
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Address: |
410 Capitol Avenue, MS #13CMN Hartford, CT 06134-0308 |
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E-Mail: |
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Phone: |
860-509-7286 |
What happens next:
The DPH expects the project to go forward. This is expected to be the final notice of the project to be published in the Environmental Monitor.
After Scoping, an agency that wishes to undertake an action that could significantly affect the environment must produce, for public review and comment, a detailed written evaluation of the expected environmental impacts. This is called an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE).
1. Notice of Proposed Land Transfer of the Nathan Hale Inn on the University of Connecticut Storrs Campus
Complete Address of Property: The Nathan Hale Inn, 855 Bolton Road, Storrs, CT
Number of acres to be transferred: 2.405 acres of developed land (via a ground lease), containing an existing building (via a fee transfer). Click to view map of property.
Description of Property: Existing multi-story hotel building and associated developed land, including parking areas, sidewalks and driveways, within the University of Connecticut campus.
Brief Description of Historical and Current Uses: The building and site have been continuously used as an on-campus hotel through a ground lease with the University for close to 20 years. Having continuously owned the land, the University acquired the hotel building in 2015 under a right of first refusal when the previous private owner sought to sell it.
The property to be transferred contains the following:
Buildings in use
Buildings not in use
Wooded land
Nonagricultural fields
Active agriculture
Paved areas
Ponds, streams or other water
Water Supply:
| Public water supply |
On-site well |
Unknown |
Waste Disposal:
| Served by sewers |
On-site septic system |
Unknown |
Click for aerial view of property
The property is in the following municipal zone
Not zoned
Residential
Industrial
Commercial
Institutional
Other:
Not known
Value of property: $8,300,000
Links to other available information:
Type of Sale or Transfer:
Sale of existing building in fee and ground lease of underlying UConn land
Sale or transfer of partial interest in the property (such as an easement).
Proposed recipient, if known: GSCT Owner LLC
Proposed use by property recipient: No change in use
The agency is proposing to transfer the property with the following restrictions on future uses:
If checked, the state is not currently proposing restrictions on future uses.
Reason the State of Connecticut is proposing to transfer this property: The University has determined that it is in the best interest of the University community to transfer the hotel building to an owner experienced in hotels, while remaining in control of the underlying land.
Comments from the public are welcome and will be accepted until the close of business on: May 3, 2019.
Comments may include information that you have about significant natural resources or recreation resources on the property, as well as your recommendations for means to preserve such resources.
Written comments* should be sent to:
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Name: |
Paul Hinsch |
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Agency: |
Office of Policy and Management |
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Address: |
450 Capitol Avenue MS#52 ASP |
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Hartford, CT 06106-1379 |
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E-Mail: |
paul.hinsch@ct.gov |
*E-Mail submissions are preferred.
What Happens Next
When this comment period closes, the proposed land transfer can take one of three tracks:
1. If no public comments are received, the sale or transfer can proceed with no further public comment and no further notices in the Environmental Monitor, unless the Department of Environmental Protection elects to conduct a review of the property (see #3).
2. If public comments are received, the Office of Policy and Management will respond to those comments. The comments and responses will be published in the Environmental Monitor. Fifteen days after publication of the comments and responses, the proposed sale or transfer can proceed, unless the Department of Environmental Protection elects to conduct a review of the property (see #3).
3. If the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) elects to conduct a further review of the property, it may submit to the Office of Policy and Management a report with recommendations for preserving all or part of the property. The report and recommendations will be published in the Environmental Monitor, and there will be a 30-day public comment period. The DEP will publish its responses to any comments received and its final recommendation about the property in the Environmental Monitor. The Office of Policy and Management will then make the final determination as to the ultimate disposition of the property, and will publish that determination in the Environmental Monitor. Fifteen days after publication of that final determination, the sale or transfer can proceed.
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