- NEW! Public Meeting and Extension of Public Comment for the Bridgeport Municipal Airport Improvements, Stratford
- NEW! Pachaug State Forest Prescribed Burns, Griswold, Voluntown
- Resilient Bridgeport, Bridgeport
- Parcels on Waterfront, Albia, Alabama, and Edgemere Streets, New Haven
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.
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 EIE for Resilient Bridgeport: Rebuild By Design and National Disaster Resilience Projects
Municipality where project is proposed: Bridgeport
Address of Possible Project Location: South End of Bridgeport, CT
Project Description: The State of Connecticut’s Department of Housing (CTDOH) is the recipient of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) disaster recover grant funding and is the “Responsible Entity,” as that term is defined by HUD regulations at 24 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 58.2(a)(7)(i). CTDOH has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) for the proposed Resilient Bridgeport: National Disaster Resilience and Rebuild by Design projects (Proposed Action). The disaster recovery grants are under HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) National Disaster Resilience (NDR) and Rebuild by Design (RBD) programs as part of HUD’s response to the devastation following Superstorm Sandy. The Proposed Action consists of three projects located within the South End of Bridgeport, Connecticut—the RBD Pilot Project at the former Marina Village public housing site, a Flood Risk Reduction Project on the east side of the South End, and a Resilience Center—that together would provide stormwater management, dry evacuation routes (dry egress), a coastal flood defense system, and resiliency education to the community.
The Connecticut Environmental Policy Act establishes environmental policy for the State of Connecticut and requires an EIE for any state action that could affect the natural environment. In addition, the Proposed Action is considered a “major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment”; therefore, it must comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). As such, this EIE will jointly serve as an EIS and will meet NEPA requirements. CTDOH has prepared this Draft EIS/EIE in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality’s Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and HUD’s Environmental Review Procedures for Entities Assuming HUD Environmental Responsibilities (24 CFR 58). Scoping for the Draft EIS / EIE formally began on February 27, 2018 when the Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS was published in the Connecticut Environmental Monitor, which commenced a 30-day comment period to solicit public and agency input that lasted through March 28, 2018 and included a public scoping hearing on March 14, 2018.
The study area is situated within the South End neighborhood of the City of Bridgeport (see linked Figures 1 and 2), a peninsula of the Connecticut coastal region located between Cedar Creek, the Long Island Sound, and Bridgeport Harbor. Overall, the study area is a cross section of the residential, institutional, utility, and recreational uses that define the South End neighborhood, all of which are susceptible to acute and chronic flooding conditions due to a combination of inadequate stormwater infrastructure in the area and its coastal location.
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to create a more resilient South End community, support its long-term viability, and improve health and safety for the community’s vulnerable populations. The principal targeted outcomes follow:
- Lower the risk of acute and chronic flooding.
- Provide dry egress during emergencies.
- Educate the public about flood risks and sea level rise.
The Proposed Action will deliver additional benefits to the community, potentially unlocking development or public realm opportunities, enhancing connectivity between the South End and downtown Bridgeport (located north of the railroad and I-95), improving existing open space amenities, building up the resilience of local energy systems, and leveraging public investment in ongoing resiliency efforts through coordination with local stakeholders.
Project Maps:
Figure 2 – Project Location Map
Comments on this EIE will be accepted until the close of business on: March 18, 2019. The comment period for the CEPA was extended to the end of the 45-day NEPA comment period, which commenced on February 1, 2019 with the publication of the notice in the Federal Register.
The public can view a copy of this EIE at:
Bridgeport City Hall
45 Lyon Terrace
Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 576-7081
Bridgeport Public Library Main Branch
925 Broad Street
Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 576-7400
Bridgeport Public Library Black Rock Branch
2705 Fairfield Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06605
(203) 576-7025
University of Bridgeport Magnus Wahlstrom Library
126 Park Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 576-2388
Project Document Website at the Connecticut Department of Housing:
https://www.ct.gov/doh/cwp/view.asp?a=4513&q=588726
Project Documents Direct Links:
DEIS / EIE Document Appendices
There will be a public informational workshop for this EIE on:
DATE: February 26, 2019
TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
PLACE: Schelfhaudt Gallery (84 Iranistan Avenue, Bridgeport, CT)
NOTES: This hearing serves as the public hearing required under NEPA. The public hearing will be followed by a design workshop where the public can provide further input into the design of the Resilient Bridgeport projects. The snow date for the public hearing and workshop is February 28, 2019.
Additional information about this project can be found online at:
https://www.ct.gov/doh/cwp/view.asp?a=4513&q=588726 and www.resilientbridgeport.com
Send your comments about this EIE to:
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Name: |
Rebecca French, Director of Resilience |
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Agency: |
Connecticut Department of Housing |
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Address: |
505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106 |
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E-Mail: |
Rebecca.French@ct.gov |
If you have questions about the public hearing, or where you can review this EIE, or similar matters, please contact:
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Name: |
Rebecca French, Director of Resilience |
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Agency: |
Connecticut Department of Housing |
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Address: |
505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106 |
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E-Mail: |
Rebecca.French@ct.gov |
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Phone: |
860-270-8231 |
Other information: N/A