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 Final 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. A notice of EIE was published for the Draft EIS / EIE in the Connecticut Environmental Monitor on January 8, 2019. Following the publication of the notice of availability of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register on February 1, 2019, a public hearing was held on February 26, 2019, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the University of Bridgeport Arts & Humanities Building, Schelfhaudt Gallery (84 Iranistan Avenue, Bridgeport, CT). The public hearing was followed by a design workshop. Comments on the Draft EIS / EIE were recorded at the hearing. Those who do did not wish to voice their comments publicly were offered an opportunity to provide a private written or verbal comment at the meeting, or to submit comments at any point during the public comment period that ended March 18, 2019 through the Resilient Bridgeport website (www.ResilientBridgeport.com) or by mail or email. Public comments received during the comment period are responded to in Appendix H of the Final EIS / EIE.

The study area for the Proposed Action 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.

The Final EIS includes a Preferred Alternative, a response to public comments on the DEIS, and a draft Programmatic Agreement to resolve adverse effects to historic resources from the Proposed Action as part of the Section 106 process being done in coordination with the NEPA process. In response to public comment from residents, state agencies and the State Historic Preservation Office and feedback from property owners in the project area on the DEIS, the Final EIS Preferred Alternative (Alternative 1) for the north-south section of the alignment of the coastal flood defense system of the Flood Risk Reduction project closely follows the Eastern alignment option in the Draft EIS. The Preferred Alternative avoids an impact to the William Bishop Cottage Development Historic District along Main Street and of the alternatives evaluated in the Final EIS provides the largest area of flood protection and dry egress to the study area.

The Final EIS will be published in the Federal Register on September 6, 2019, starting a 30-day public comment period ending on October 7, 2019.

In addition to the linked access to the FEIS provided below, the public can also view a copy of this FEIS at the following locations on or after September 6, 2019:

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

203-576-2388