Connecticut State Council on Environmental Quality

train passing wetlands

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

March 3, 2009
Scoping Notices
 
    1. Improvements to the Route 7/15 Interchange - Norwalk
Environmental Impact Evaluations
  
   1. Southern Connecticut State University 2015 Campus Plan Update - New Haven and Hamden
State Land Transfers
  
   1. NEW ! 833 Main St. Windham (Willimantic)
The next issue will be published on March 17, 2009.
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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.

1. Notice of Scoping for Improvements to the Route 7/15 Interchange

Municipality where proposed project is located: Norwalk 

Project Description: Improvements to the Route 7/15 Interchange to provide complete traffic movement between Routes 7 and 15. 

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:  March 6, 2008.

There will be a Public Scoping Meeting for this project on:

          DATE :  Wednesday, February 25, 2009

TIME:   7:00 pm   

PLACE: The Norwalk City Hall    

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

Name: Mr. Edgar T. Hurle - Transportation Planning Director
Agency: State of Connecticut Department of Transportation
Address: 2800 Berlin Turnpike
Newington, CT 06131
Fax: 860-594-3377
E-Mail: Edgar.Hurle@po.state.ct.us

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

Name: Mr. Keith T. Hall - Transportation Supervising Planner
Agency: State of Connecticut Department of Transportation
Address: 2800 Berlin Turnpike
Newington, CT 06131
Phone: 860-594-2926
Fax: 860-594-3028
E-Mail:

The agency expects to release an Environmental Impact Evaluation for this project, for public review and comment, in the spring of 2010.

 
EIE Notices
The following Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) has been completed and is available for review and comment in this edition. 

1. Notice of EIE for the Southern Connecticut State University 2015 Campus Plan Update

Municipalities where project is proposed: New Haven and Hamden

Address of Project Location: 501 Crescent Street, New Haven

Project Description: The Board of Trustees for the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) proposes to implement a program of improvements to the SCSU campus (the “Proposed Action”). These improvements have been released as part of an approved 2015 Campus Plan Update in 2004 and a subsequent alternative development plan in 2008. The primary goals and objectives of the improvement program are to:
Renovate, upgrade, replace, and expand existing facilities;
Relocate functions in existing or new facilities in coordination with the SCSU’s space utilization study;
Unify and consolidate core uses of the campus;
Utilize existing resources, building on existing strengths, and reinforcing the positive image of the University, community, and state; and
Development strategy that establishes need, priority, schedule, and cost effective solutions to the University’s and existing and future needs.

The Campus Plan would be implemented through various projects on campus providing new or renovated academic, administrative, athletic and residential space, new parking garages, landscaping, new quadrangles, linkage of exterior spaces throughout the campus, and demolition of some existing structures.

To implement the improvements, the 2004 Plan and the 2008 Alternative are being proposed as part of this EIE.  The 2008 Alternative is considered the Preferred Alternative for the purposes of this EIE, although both the 2004 and 2008 development alternatives are considered.

Project Figures:

Figures (high resolution)
 Lower Resolution
Low Resolution(180kb)
Low Resolution(180kb)
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Low Resolution(180kb)

Comments on this EIE will be accepted until the close of business on: March 20, 2009 (4:30PM)

The public can view a copy of this EIE at:

  • CT Department of Public Works website under "Public Notice" https://www.ct.gov/dpw
  • SCSU Buley Campus Library, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven
  • New Haven City Clerk’s Office, 200 Orange Street, New Haven

  • New Haven Main Branch Free Public Library, 133 Elm Street, New Haven

  • Hamden Town Clerk’s Office, 2750 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden

  • Hamden Miller Memorial Central Library, 2901 Dixwell Ave, Hamden

  • CSUS Offices, 39 Woodland Street, Hartford

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

There is a public hearing scheduled for this EIE on:

DATE: Thursday, March 5, 2009

TIME: 7:00 PM

PLACE: SCSU Michael J. Adanti Student Center Theater (Plaza Level)

NOTES: Doors open at 6:30 pm.  The hearing will conclude at the end of public comments.

DIRECTIONS: http://www.southernct.edu/aboutscsu/map/

Send your comments about this EIE to:

Name:
Title:
Keith Epstein, AIA
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Planning and Technical Services
Agency: Connecticut State University System
Address: 39 Woodland Street
Hartford,Connecticut  06105
E-Mail:
Fax:
(860) 493-0059

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

Name:
Jeff Bolton, Supervising Environmental Analyst
Agency: Department of Public Works
Address: 165 Capitol Avenue, Room 275
E-Mail:
Phone: (860) 713-5706

Other information: SCSU's Website

   
State Land Transfer Notices
The following state land transfer is posted for public notice or comment in this edition.

1. NOTICE OF PROPOSED LAND TRANSFER - Windham (Willimantic)

Complete Address of Property: 833 Main Street, Windham (Willimantic, Connecticut


Commonly used name of property or other identifying information: Nathan Hale Hall, formerly Nathan Hale Hotel

Number of acres to be transferred: 0.5

Click to view map of property general location (3.5 MB)

Click to view map of property boundary (1.7 MB)


Description of Property

Below is some general information about the property.  It should not be considered a complete description of the property and should not be relied upon for making decisions.

Brief Description of Historical and Current Uses: The site consists of a one and five story brick building containing a gross square footage of 27,845 SF plus 4,000 SF basement.  It was built as a hotel in 1926, converted by the State to a college dormitory for Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) in 1969, and last used as storage and offices by the University.  It has been unoccupied since 2001.

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 to view aerial view of property

Click to view photographs of property

The Locational Guide Map of the Connecticut Conservation and Development Policies Plan for Connecticut identifies the property as being in the following category(ies):
 Regional Center
Neighborhood Conservation Area
Growth Area
 Rural Community Center
 Rural Area
 Conservation Area
 Preservation Area
 Existing Preserved Open Space

The property is in the following municipal zone(s):

Not zoned
Residential
Industrial
 Commercial
 Institutional
 Other:  Downtown Business District
 Not known


Special features of the property, if known: Within the Main Street Historic District (National Register of Historic Places)

Value of property, if known: $375,000.00
If checked, value is not known.

Type of Sale or Transfer:

Sale or transfer of property in fee

Sale or transfer of partial interest in the property (such as an easement).  Description of interest:

Proposed recipient, if known: Unknown

Proposed use by property recipient, if known: Unknown

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 State has deemed the property surplus, since the property is no longer needed for ECSU use and no re-use proposals were received by other State agencies.

Comments from the public are welcome and will be accepted until the close of business on April 2, 2009

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:

Name:

Patrick O'Brien

Title:

 Planning Specialist

Agency:

Office of Policy and Management

Address:

 450 Capitol Avenue MS#52 ASP
Hartford, CT 06106-1379

E-Mail:

*E-Mail submissions are preferred.

Additional information, if any: 

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.


To find out if this proposed transfer is the subject of further notices, check future editions of the Environmental Monitor.  Sign up for e-alerts to receive a reminder e-mail on publication dates.

 
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Copyright 2006, Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality