Connecticut State Council on Environmental Quality

Environmental Monitor

July 17, 2018

  
  1.  Marlborough Town Center Water System, Phase 3, Marlborough
  2.  Sprague Emergency Interconnection between Norwich and Sprague Water Systems
  1.  University of Connecticut Main Campus Parking Replacement Project, Mansfield
  2.  East Lyme Well 1A Raw Water Main and Well 6 Treatment Improvement Project, East Lyme
  1.  Old Lyme Coastal Wastewater Management Project, Old Lyme.
  2.  POST-EIE PROJECT CANCELLATION Orange Railroad Station, Orange
  1.  Twenty-five Sigourney Street, Hartford
  2.  NEW! Former University of Connecticut Greater Hartford Campus, West Hartford
The next edition of the Environmental Monitor will be published on August 7, 2018.
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Notices in the Environmental Monitor are written by the sponsoring agencies and are published unedited. Questions about the content of any notice should be directed to the sponsoring agency.
 
Scoping Notices

"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.
 The following Scoping Notices have been submitted for review and comment.
1. Notice of Scoping for Marlborough Town Center Water System Phase Three

Municipality where proposed project might be located: Marlborough

Address of Possible Project Location: North Main Street and Jones Hollow Road

Project Description: The town of Marlborough is utilizing the remainder of a 2016 Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) Grant to fund the proposed construction of 900 feet of 8” water main on Jones Hollow Road and 200 feet of 12” water main on North Main Street, including service lines and associated appurtenances.  This water main construction is Phase 3 of a multi-phase water main extension project that also was funded by the 2016 STEAP Grant.  It will be serviced by the Marlborough Municipal Water System. The proposed water main is intended to provide a reliable supply of safe drinking water to critical facilities such as the Marlborough Medical Center and Fire Department, as well as the Town Hall and allow for the consolidation of additional small public water systems that serve several existing businesses in the area. 

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:  July 20, 2018.

Any person can 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 June 29, 2018.

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

Name: Mr. Eric McPhee
Agency:

Department of Public Health

Drinking Water Section
Address:  
410 Capitol Avenue, MS #12DWS

PO Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308
Fax: 860-509-7359
E-Mail: DPH.SourceProtection@ct.gov

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

Name: Patricia Bisacky
Agency:

Department of Public Health

Drinking Water Section
Address:  
410 Capitol Avenue, MS #12DWS

PO Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308
Phone: 860-509-7333
Fax: 860-509-7359
E-Mail: Patricia.Bisacky@ct.gov
2. Notice of Scoping for Emergency Interconnection Between Norwich Public Utilities and Sprague Water & Sewer Authority Water Systems

Municipalities where proposed project might be located: Norwich and Sprague

Addresses of Possible Project Location:#10 Baltic Road (Route 97), Norwich to #186 Main Street (Route 97), Sprague

Project Description:  The City of Norwich (City) is receiving financial assistance from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program to extend the City’s existing drinking water distribution main to provide an emergency interconnection to Sprague Water & Sewer Authority (SWSA).  The proposed project is intended to provide adequate water supply to SWSA’s customers in the event of a public drinking water supply emergency.

The project comprises the installation of 12-inch diameter water main and other miscellaneous appurtenances starting from the existing terminus of Norwich Public Utility’s (NPU) distribution main at 10 Baltic Road (Route 97) in Norwich and extends northwesterly along Route 97 to the interconnection point with SWSA’s distribution main at 186 Main Street (Route 97) in Sprague. The water main will primarily be installed approximately 4 feet below the existing paved roadway with one bridge crossing at Byron Brook. The water main has been minimally sized to meet the demands for domestic water use for the intended service area and provide fire protection.

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:  August 3, 2018.

Any person can 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 July 13, 2018.

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

Name: Mr. Eric McPhee
Agency:

Department of Public Health
Drinking Water Section
Address:   410 Capitol Avenue, MS #12DWS

PO Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308
Fax: 860-509-7359
E-Mail: DPH.SourceProtection@ct.gov

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

Name: Patricia Bisacky
Agency:

Department of Public Health
Drinking Water Section
Address:   410 Capitol Avenue, MS #12DWS

PO Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308
Phone: 860-509-7333
Fax: 860-509-7359
E-Mail: Patricia.Bisacky@ct.gov
 
Post-Scoping Notices: Environmental Impact Evaluation Not Required
 
This category is required by the October 2010 revision of the Generic Environmental Classification Document for State Agencies. A notice is published here if the sponsoring agency, after publication of a scoping notice and consideration of comments received, has determined that an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) does not need to be prepared for the proposed project.
The following Post-Scoping Notices have been submitted for publication in this edition.

1. Post-Scoping Notice for Main Campus Parking Replacements Project

Municipality where project will be located:   Mansfield

CEPA Determination:   On November 21, 2017 , the University of Connecticut published a  Notice of Scoping in the  Environmental Monitor  to solicit public comments for the proposed Main Campus Parking Replacements Project.  A public scoping meeting was held on December 7, 2017, and comments were accepted through December 22, 2017.  During the scoping period, the University of Connecticut received comments from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Town of Mansfield.  The University of Connecticut has taken those comments into consideration and has concluded that the project does not require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation under CEPA.

The agency’s conclusion is documented in a  Memorandum  of Findings and Determination . 

If you have questions about the project, you can contact the agency at :

Name :

Paul Ferri, Environmental Compliance Professional

Agency :

University of Connecticut, Office of Environmental Policy

Address :

31 LeDoyt Road, U-Box 3055, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3055

Phone :

(860) 486-9295

Fax:

(860) 486-5477

E-Mail:

paul.ferri@uconn.edu

What happens next:   The University of Connecticut expects the project to go forward.  This is expected to be the final notice of the project published in the  Environmental Monitor .

2. Post-Scoping Notice for East Lyme Well 1A Raw Water Main and Well 6 Treatment Improvement Project

Municipality where project will be located:  East Lyme

CEPA Determination:  On May 8, 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 comments provided by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) dated June 8, 2018, 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 the Town of East Lyme 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:

 Mr. Eric McPhee

Department of Public Health
Drinking Water Section

410 Capitol Avenue, MS #12DWS
PO Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308

Phone:

 860-509-7333

Fax:

 860-509-7359

E-Mail:

 dph.sourceprotection@ct.gov


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).

The following EIE Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.
1. EIE Notice for Coastal Wastewater Management Project. Town of Old Lyme (Sound View Beach Association and Miscellaneous Town Area B)

Project Title: Coastal Wastewater Management Project. Town of Old Lyme.

Municipality where project is proposed: Old Lyme

Addresses of Possible Project Locations: Sound View Beach Community and Miscellaneous Town Area B (MTA-B) located along Route 156 in Old Lyme.  

Project Description:

The Town of Old Lyme (Old Lyme) retained an independent engineering firm to perform detailed evaluations of local and regional wastewater management alternatives for Sound View Beach Association and Miscellaneous Town Area B (MTA-B). Old Lyme and three chartered beach communities, including Miami Beach Association (MBA), Old Colony Beach Club Association (OCBCA) and Old Lyme Shores Beach Association (OLSBA) have expressed a desire to implement a coordinated solution to address the wastewater management needs identified in this area of Old Lyme.

The engineering evaluation identified a gravity sewer system as the most cost effective and technically feasible solution to address wastewater management needs within Sound View and MTA-B on a long term basis. Wastewater from these two areas would be collected via gravity pipes and conveyed to a shared pump station and force main. It is currently envisioned that the centralized pump station will be located within Sound View. This pump station would be shared by the Town of Old Lyme and chartered beach associations. From the shared pump station, the wastewater flows from Sound View, MTA-B and chartered beach associations would be transported via a force main pipe through the Towns of East Lyme and Waterford for final treatment at the New London Water Pollution Control Facility. 

The engineering evaluation recommended performing additional groundwater monitoring within the Hawks Nest Beach Community.  The additional groundwater monitoring program will allow the Town to more accurately define groundwater quality conditions and wastewater management needs within this community.  It is anticipated that the additional monitoring program will be implemented during the course of two years, starting in 2018.  The results of the additional groundwater monitoring program will be used to generate a wastewater management recommendation for this beach community.

This CEPA process started with the issuance of a Scoping Notice that was published in the Environmental Monitor available on the Council on Environmental Quality’s website on July 22, 2014 for the Beach Associations, as well as for the Town Sub-Areas. 

Project Document:  Environmental Impact Evaluation for Coastal Wastewater Management Plan

Project Map: Coastal Municipal Wastewater Project Map

Comments on this EIE will be accepted until the close of business on:  Friday, August 3, 2018.

The public can view a copy of this EIE at:

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Bureau of Water Protection & Land Reuse 2nd Floor

79 Elm Street, Hartford CT 06106

Or

Town Clerk's Office

Old Lyme Town Hall

52 Lyme Street

Old Lyme, CT 06371

Any person can ask the sponsoring agency to hold a Public Hearing on this EIE by sending such a request to the address below. If a meeting is requested by 25 or more individuals the sponsoring agency shall schedule a public hearing. Such requests must be made by Friday, June 29, 2018.

To request a public hearing, or to comment on this EIE, please contact:

Name: Carlos Esguerra
Agency: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Address: 79 Elm Street, Hartford CT 06106
Fax:   860-424-4067
E-Mail: carlos.esguerra@ct.gov

 

If you have any questions on where you can review this EIE, or other questions about the project, please contact:

Name: Carlos Esguerra
Agency: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Address: 79 Elm Street, Hartford CT 06106
E-Mail: carlos.esguerra@ct.gov
Phone: 860-424-3756

 

NOTES:  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Please contact us at (860) 418-5910 or deep.accomodations@ct.gov if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint.  Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number- 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any hearing, program, or event. 

2. Post-EIE, Notice of Cancellation of Orange Railroad Station Project

Municipality where project was proposed: Orange, Connecticut

Project History: The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) originally proposed to construct a new commuter railroad station along the New Haven Line in Orange, Connecticut through a public-private partnership agreement that would have included a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) component constructed by a private developer.  An Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) was published and subsequently noticed in the Environmental Monitor on May 16, 2017. A public hearing for the EIE was conducted on June 20, 2017. 

Since that time, however, CTDOT has determined that it is not in a financial position to participate in the project as proposed in the EIE, and is canceling the project.  If CTDOT were to initiate the project again in the future, an updated environmental analysis and public scoping process would take place at that time, as appropriate.  CTDOT's conclusion, as stated above, can be found in the Memo of Findings and Determination.     

Any questions can be directed to:

Name: Kevin Fleming, Transportation Planner II

Agency: Connecticut Department of Transportation, Bureau of Policy and Planning

Address: 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06131

E-Mail: Kevin.Fleming@ct.gov

Phone: (860) 594-2924

 
State Land Transfer Notices
 
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.
The following State Land Transfer Notice has been submitted for notice in this edition.
1. Notice of Proposed Land Transfer, Hartford

 

Complete Address of Property: 25 Sigourney Street, Hartford, CT 06106

Commonly used name of property or other identifying information: N/A

Number of acres to be transferred: 2.39 acres

 

Click to view map of property location

 

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.  If only a portion of a property is proposed for transfer, the description pertains only to the portion being transferred.

Brief Description of Historical and Current Uses: 17-story office building built in 1986, with 863 parking spaces and a gross building area of 467,000 square feet.  Currently not in use.

The property to be transferred contains the following:

 Structures:  
       Buildings in use      x    Buildings not in use   
       No Structures 
 Other Features:    Wooded land    Nonagricultural fields    Active agriculture
   x  Paved areas    Ponds, streams, other water, wetlands
 Water Supply:   x  Public water supply    On-site well    Unknown
 Waste Disposal:    x  Served by sewers    On-site septic system    Unknown
 
 

The property is in the following municipal zone:

     Residential     Industrial   Commercial         Institutional
 x  Other:  Multi-Use Mix District
   Not zoned      Not known


Special features of the property, if known: None

Value of property, if known:

  x     If checked, value is not known.


Type of Sale or Transfer:

  x 

 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:

  x    If checked, the state is not currently proposing restrictions on future uses. 

Reason the State of Connecticut is proposing to transfer this property: No longer meets the State's needs.

Comments from the public are welcome and will be accepted until the close of business on July 19, 2018.

Comments may include (but are not limited to) information you might 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:

Paul F. Hinsch

Agency:

Office of Policy and Management

Bureau of Assets Management

Address:

450 Capitol Avenue

Hartford, CT 06106-1379

E-Mail:

Paul.Hinsch@ct.gov

*E-Mail submissions are preferred. 

Send copies of comments to:

Name:

Shane Mallory

Agency:

Department of Administrative Services

Leasing & Property Transfer Unit

Address:

450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 1402

Hartford, CT 06103

E-Mail:

Shane.Mallory@ct.gov

(Comments from state agencies must be on agency letterhead and signed by agency head.  Scanned copies are preferred.)

What Happens Next?

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 Environmental Monitor publication dates.

 

2. NOTICE OF PROPOSED LAND TRANSFER OF THE FORMER UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT GREATER HARTFORD CAMPUS

Complete Address of Property: 1700 and 1800 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT

Number of acres to be transferred:  57.46 acres, total. 1700 and 1800 Asylum Avenue consist of 23.56 acres and 33.9 acres, respectively.

Click to view map of property location

Description of Property

Brief Description of Historical and Current Uses: Before 1964 the property was undeveloped.  It was acquired by the State for the University of Connecticut. The University of Connecticut operated its Greater Hartford campus on the property from the mid-1960’s until the fall of 2017 when the campus moved to downtown Hartford. UConn Law School shared the campus from 1964-1984.

 

The 1700 Asylum Avenue location consists of parking for the campus.  It also includes recreational ball fields leased to the Town of West Hartford. 

 

The five buildings and main portion of the campus are located at 1800 Asylum Avenue. Currently all of the buildings are vacant and unused except that the UConn Agricultural Extension Center’s Hartford County office currently operates in the small building at 1800 Asylum Avenue (The “IT Center” shown on Figure 2 below).  That function will be relocated by the fall of 2018.

 

The property to be transferred contains the following:

x    Buildings in use
 x  Buildings not in use
   Wooded land
   Nonagricultural fields
   Active agriculture
 x  Paved areas
 x  Ponds, streams or other water
 Water Supply: 
  x   Public water supply   
       On-site well   
       Unknown
 Waste Disposal:   x  Served by sewers    On-site septic system    Unknown


Click to view aerial view of property

The property is in the following municipal zone

   Not Zoned
 x   Residential
   Industrial
   Commercial
   Institutional
   Other:
   Not known

 

Special features of the property: 1800 Asylum Avenue includes four academic/education buildings and a facilities support building (approx. 193,000 square feet, total).

 

Value of property: The University of Connecticut and the proposed recipient entered into a purchase and sale agreement for a sale price of $5.2 million.  

 

Links to other available information: Additional information about the property can be found at the University’s web site.  The link is: http://updc.uconn.edu/west-hartford/ 

 

Type of Sale or Transfer:

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

 

Proposed recipient, if known: Seven Stars Cloud Group, Inc.

Proposed use by property recipient: The University has been informed by the proposed recipient that intends to use the property for office use, likely using some or all of the existing buildings. 

The agency is proposing to transfer the property with the following restrictions on future uses:

  x   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 of Connecticut has relocated its Greater Hartford campus operations from the West Hartford location to its new facilities in Downtown Hartford. The University has no further use for the property.

Comments from the public are welcome and will be accepted until the close of business on:

August 16, 2018

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:

Paul Hinsch

Agency:

Office of Policy and Management

Address:

450 Capitol Avenue MS#52 ASP

Hartford, CT 06106-1379

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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