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July 20, 2021

 

Scoping Notice

  1. Notice of Scoping for Avery Park Revitalization Initiative – Woodland Springs Phase II, Stafford Springs.
  2. NEW! Notice of Scoping for Cedar Point Multifamily Development, Newington.
  3. NEW! Notice of Scoping for Deming Road Multifamily Housing, Berlin.

Scoping Notice - Post-Scoping Notice (Need More Time)

    No notice for additional time has been submitted for publication in this edition.

Post-Scoping Notice

    No Post-Scoping Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.

Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE)

  1. Notice of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) for City of Bridgeport Facilities Planning for East Side and West Side Wastewater Treatment Plants, Bridgeport.
  2. Final Environmental Assessment for the Connecticut Army National Guard Readiness Center, Putnam.

Agency Record of Decision

    No Record of Decision has been submitted for publication in this edition.

OPM Determination of Adequacy

    No Determination of Adequacy Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.

State Land Transfer

    No State Land Transfer Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.

 

The next edition of the Environmental Monitor will be published on August 3, 2021.
 
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Notices in the Environmental Monitor are written and formatted by the sponsoring agencies and are published unedited. Questions about the content of any notice should be directed to the sponsoring agency.

Inquiries and requests to view or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to the sponsoring state agency.



Scoping Notice

"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. Read More


The following Scoping Notices have been submitted for publication in this edition.

1. Notice of Scoping for Avery Park Revitalization Initiative – Woodland Springs Phase II

Address: 55 Woodland Springs Drive

Municipality: Stafford Springs, CT

Project Description:
Avery Park Revitalization Initiative - Woodland Springs Phase II, is planned with 79 single bedroom units of new housing for elderly and disabled residents on a partially developed 40 acre parcel of land located at 87 West Stafford Road in Stafford, CT.  This is the second phase of a two-phase project.  Woodland Springs Phase I was built in 2018 and also includes 79 one-bedroom units for elderly and disabled residents.   The scope of work for Phase II will include the new construction of two multi-story apartment buildings and multiple cottage-style apartment buildings along with all necessary site and utility work. The new housing will use energy and resource efficient materials, engineering, and construction methods, and is being designed with 100% ADA accessibility in mind.  

This project is urgently needed.  Residents will be moved from the 40 + year old, 110 unit complex at Avery Park Apartments at 85 and 91 West Street which is rapidly deteriorating and presenting unsafe, unsanitary and hazardous conditions to an elderly and disabled population.  The Housing Authority of the Town of Stafford plans for the existing Avery Park Apartments site include future renovations or redevelopment in order to increase the availability of affordable housing units for the town.

The Woodland Springs Phase II project is slated to receive federal HOME funds through the Department of Housing and will meet stringent environmental requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  The site has not been identified to contain any critical habitat or endangered species or archeological significance.   The State Historic Preservation Office has determined that no historic properties will be effected and the project has received local approvals from the Town of Stafford Planning & Zoning and the Inland Wetlands Commission.   


Project Maps:

Click here to view a Vicinity Map of the project area. 

Click here to view a Site Plan of the entire project area (see highlighted areas – Phase I (existing) & Phase II (proposed)) (MA-1).

Click here to view the Proposed Phase II Site Layout Plan (LA-1). 

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: Thursday, August 5th, 2021

Any person may 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 July 16th, 2021.

Written comments and/or requests for a public scoping meeting should be sent to:

Name:  JaCinta Frazier 
Agency: Department of Housing
Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106
E-Mail: DOH.CEPA@ct.gov

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

Name:  JaCinta Frazier 
Agency: Department of Housing
Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106
E-Mail: DOH.CEPA@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:

Name: Randi Pincus, Staff Attorney
Agency: Department of Housing
Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106
E-Mail: Randi.Pincus@ct.gov

What Happens Next: The sponsoring agency will make a determination whether to proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) or that the project does not require the preparation of an EIE under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). A Post-Scoping Notice of its decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.


2. Notice of Scoping for Cedar Point Multifamily Development

Address: 550 Cedar Street

Municipality: Newington

Project Description:

The proposed project is a multifamily residential development for 108 family housing units on a 7.75 acre site.  Phase I consists of 72 units within 2 three-story garden style buildings and a one-story clubhouse.  Phase II will consist of 36 units within a third three-story garden style building and will be completed at a later date.  The site is on a previously developed parcel of land and all buildings have been demolished.  The State Office of Historic Preservation has determined that no historic properties have been or will be affected.   A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment has indicated soil contamination from previous industrial uses and the site will be fully remediated with a soil mitigation plan. The development will be serviced by public utilities, emergency providers, retail/commercial facilities, and public transportation.

The project is part of a transit-oriented development and has a CTfastrak station nearby.  The project conforms to the Connecticut Conservation & Development Plan as it is conceptualized to achieve high density uses that appeal to tenants wishing to have public transportation options and within walking distance to goods, services, and employment.    Piper Brook is located about 400 feet to the west of the site and its floodplain limits do not encroach the site.  Work in the upland wetlands area has full approvals from the Conservation Commission of the Town of Newington and the project has received all local planning and zoning approvals.

Project Map and Site Plan:

Click here to view a Vicinity Map for the project area. 
Click here to view a Site Plan of the project.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: Thursday, August 19, 2021.  

Any person may 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, July 30, 2021. 

Written comments and/or requests for a public scoping meeting should be sent to

Name: JaCinta Frazier

Agency: Department of Housing

Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106

E-Mail: DOH.CEPA@ct.gov

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

Name: JaCinta Frazier

Agency: Department of Housing

Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106

E-Mail: DOH.CEPA@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:

Name: Randi Pincus, Staff Attorney

Agency: Department of Housing

Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106

E-Mail: Randi.Pincus@ct.gov

What Happens Next: The sponsoring agency will make a determination whether to proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) or that the project does not require the preparation of an EIE under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). A Post-Scoping Notice of its decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.


3. Notice of Scoping for Deming Road Multifamily Housing

Addresses0, 823, 833 Deming Road

Municipality: Berlin

Project Description:

The proposed project is a multifamily residential development with 20% affordable housing and 80% market-rate housing on an 11.3 acre site on Deming Road in Berlin.  The development will include 88 apartment units (44 1-bedrooms, 44 2-bedrooms), a clubhouse, outdoor recreational spaces, and parking.  The site is located in a primarily residential area and will be serviced by public utilities, emergency providers, retail/commercial facilities, public transportation, and recreation areas.  The property is currently occupied by two existing houses which will be demolished for the development.  The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has determined that no historic properties will be affected.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has approved the project’s protective measures for a population of Easter Box Turtles within the wetlands at the eastern edge of the site.  The project scope does not include any activities within the wetlands and does not have any direct impact to the wetlands.  Indirect impacts will be managed by sediment and erosion control measures during construction and on-site stormwater management systems in the long term. 

Farmland Soils Maps shows that the site contains over 5 acres of combined prime farmland soils and statewide farmland soils although the site is primarily wooded and there are no farming activities at this site.  The project has received all local planning and zoning approvals and approval from the Town of Berlin Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission.  

Project Maps:

Click here to view a Vicinity Map for the project area. 

Click here to view a Site Plan of the project.

Click here to view the Sediment and Erosion Control Plan for the project. 

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: Thursday, August 19, 2021.

Any person may 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, July 30, 2021.

Written comments and/or requests for a public scoping meeting should be sent to:

Name: JaCinta Frazier 

Agency: Department of Housing

Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106

E-Mail: DOH.CEPA@ct.gov

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

Name: JaCinta Frazier

Agency: Department of Housing

Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106

E-Mail: DOH.CEPA@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:

Name: Randi Pincus, Staff Attorney

Agency: Department of Housing

Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106

E-Mail: Randi.Pincus@ct.gov

What Happens Next: The sponsoring agency will make a determination whether to proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) or that the project does not require the preparation of an EIE under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). A Post-Scoping Notice of its decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.


Scoping Notice - Post-Scoping Notice (Need More Time)

If an agency is unable to publish a Post-Scoping Notice within six months after the comment period for scoping, the agency will publish an update with an action status and an estimate as to when a Post-Scoping Notice will be published. Such an update will be published by the agency at six-month intervals until the Post-Scoping Notice is published. Read More


No notice for additional time has been submitted for publication in this edition.


Post-Scoping Notice

A Post-Scoping Notice is the determination by a sponsoring agency, after publication of a Scoping Notice and consideration of comments received, whether an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) needs to be prepared for a proposed State action. Read More


No Post-Scoping Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.


EIE Notice

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)Read More 


The following EIE Notices have been submitted for publication in this edition.

1. Notice of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) for City of Bridgeport Facilities Planning for East Side and West Side Wastewater Treatment Plants

Addresses of Possible Project Locations:  East Side WPCF, 695 Seaview Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06607 and West Side WPCF, 205 Botswick Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06607

Municipality where proposed action is to be located: Bridgeport

Project Description: The scoping notice for this project was published in the October 6, 2020 edition of the Environmental Monitor and a virtual public scoping meeting was held on October 29, 2020. The post scoping notice for this project was published January 5, 2021.

The City of Bridgeport owns and operates two wastewater treatment plants that serve the combined sewer overflow (CSO) community, where both sanitary sewage and stormwater are carried in a single pipe. The wastewater treatment plants are the subject of Administrative Order AOWRMU19001 issued by DEEP on March 1, 2019. In response to this order, a facilities plan was submitted to DEEP on November 24, 2020. Through the Council on Environmental Quality website, the engineering report was submitted for scoping and post-scoping, and a Public Hearing was held. Based on the engineering report, comments received during scoping and post-scoping, and comments from the public hearing, an environmental impact evaluation was completed.  

Updates will be made to two wastewater treatment plants (the 13.9-acre West Side plant and the 8.3-acre East Side plant) in southern Bridgeport to bring the facilities into compliance with public safety and environmental health compliance. Work will include the retention and retrofitting of much of the existing facilities, as well as the construction of new buildings, and demolition of several buildings and structures on the sites which will occur entirely within the current parcel boundary. Following local and state approvals of the concepts, the design phase is expected to start Spring 2021 with completion of both plants expected by October 2028.

The City of Bridgeport is already under an enforcement action to upgrade both wastewater treatment plants. The enforcement will be updated to memorialize the schedule of the treatment plant upgrades.

Project Map: Map of Project Area

The public can view a copy of this EIE here.

Scoping Notice and Post Scoping Notice: The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection published a Scoping Notice on October 6, 2020 and a Post-Scoping Notice on January 5, 2021 for the proposed project in the Environmental Monitor.

Comments on this EIE will be accepted until the close of business onFriday, July 23, 2021

A public hearing may be requested by 25 persons or by an association having more than 25 members within 10 days of this notice's publication, June 18, 2021. If you have questions about a public hearing, or other questions about this project, contact Ms. Straut, as directed below.

 

Send your written comments via email about this EIE to:

Name: Ann Straut, Sanitary Engineer 3

Agency: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

E-Mail: ann.straut@ct.gov

If you have questions about this EIE, or similar matters, please contact:

Name: Ann Straut, Sanitary Engineer 3

Agency: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Address: 79 Elm Street, Hartford CT 06106

E-Mail: ann.straut@ct.gov


What happens next: 
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will review the comments received and may conduct further environmental study and analysis or amend the evaluation. DEEP will prepare responses to the substantive issues raised in review of and comment on the EIE and any supplemental materials or amendments. Those responses and all supplemental materials and comments shall be made available in a "Record of Decision" which will appear in the Environmental Monitor for public inspection.


2. Final Environmental Assessment for the Connecticut Readiness Center in Putnam, CT
Connecticut Army National Guard/Connecticut Military Department

Municipalities where the Proposed Action might be located:  Putnam, CT

Address of Proposed Action Location:  376 and 390 Pomfret Street (Route 44) 

Project Description: The Connecticut Army National Guard (CTARNG) proposes to approve the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) which evaluates the potential environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic impacts of creating a new Readiness Center in the town of Putnam, CT to support the CTARNG 643rd Military Police. The Putnam Readiness Center (PRC) will consist of an assembly hall for Guardsmen to utilize, along with equipment storage areas and parking lots. These facilities will restore the training, administrative, and logistical requirements the CTARNG has lacked in northeast Connecticut for over a decade.

The PRC is planned to be constructed on land owned by the State of Connecticut and previously occupied by the John N. Dempsey Center. The Proposed Action for the PRC includes an approximately 45,000 square foot Readiness Center, a parking lot for the CTARNG organization and two privately-owned vehicle parking lots.

Project MapExisting Location and Proposed Action  figures are attached.

Scoping Notice: The CTARNG published a Scoping Notice on April 16, 2019 for the proposed project in the Environmental Monitor.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: August 20, 2021.

The public can view a copy of this EIE  click here or at the locations listed below, where it will be available from: July 1, 2021

·    CTARNG Public Affairs Office, 360 Broad Street, Hartford, CT 06105

·    Putnam Public Library, 225 Kennedy Drive, Putnam, CT 06260

If a public hearing is requested by 25 or more individuals, or by an association that represents 25 or more members, the sponsoring agency shall schedule a hearing.  Such requests must be made by: July 16, 2021.

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

Name: Mr. Robert Dollak, Environmental Program Manager

Agency:

Connecticut Military Department/Connecticut Army National Guard

Address:

360 Broad Street, Hartford CT 06105

Phone:

(860) 524-4945

E-Mail:

robert.f.dollak.nfg@mail.mil

If you have questions about this project, contact:

Name:

Mr. Robert Dollak, Environmental Program Manager

Agency:

Connecticut Military Department/Connecticut Army National Guard

Address:

360 Broad Street, Hartford CT 06105

Phone:

(860) 524-4945

E-Mail:

robert.f.dollak.nfg@mail.mil

What happens next: The CTARNG will review the comments received and may conduct further environmental study and analysis or amend the evaluation. The CTARNG will prepare responses to the substantive issues raised in review of and comment on the EIE/EA and any supplemental materials or amendments. Those responses and all supplemental materials and comments shall be made available in a "Record of Decision" which will appear in the Environmental Monitor for public inspection.


Agency Record of Decision

After an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) is developed, an agency will prepare a concise public record of decision, which takes into consideration the agency’s findings in the EIE, and any comments received on that evaluation. Read More 


No Record of Decision Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.


OPM's Determination of Adequacy

After an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) is developed. the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) will determine if the EIE is adequate. If not, OPM will specify the areas of inadequacy with reference to CEPA or the CEPA regulations and specify the corrective action required. Read More 


No Determination of Adequacy Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.


State Land Transfer Notice

Connecticut General Statutes Section 4b-47 requires public notice of most proposed sales and transfers of state-owned lands. The public has an opportunity to comment on any such proposed transfer. Each notice includes an address where comments should be sent. Read more about the process


No State Land Transfer Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.


 

CEPA Project Inventory

The Office of Policy and Management (OPM) maintains a list of projects they have entered the CEPA process. It shows each project's status. The inventory can be found here.


CEQ Contact Information

All inquiries and requests of the Council should be sent electronically to: peter.hearn@ct.gov.


 

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