August 4, 2020

Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA ) Project Inventory now available

All submissions to the Council should be sent electronically to: peter.hearn@ct.gov.

Scoping Notice

1. Notice of Scoping, with a new link to the virtual public meeting, for Old Farms Road Realignment and Improvements , Avon.

Scoping Notice - Post-Scoping Notice (Need More Time)
 
   No notice for additional time has been submitted for publication in this edition.
 
Post-Scoping Notice

1. NEW! Post-Scoping Notice for Major Rehabilitation or Replacement of Bridge No. 01349 (William Cribari Memorial Bridge): Route 136 over Saugatuck River, Westport.

Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE)
 
    No EIE Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.
 
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

1. NEW!  Notice of Proposed Land Transfer for 90 McDonnell Road, Watertown.

The next edition of the Environmental Monitor will be published on August 18, 2020.
 
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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 

 1. Notice of Scoping for Old Farms Road Realignment and Improvements

Municipality where proposed action might be located: Avon

Address of possible location: Old Farms Road

Project Description: The Town of Avon has received funding from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP) to improve the safety conditions without drastically changing the rural character of Old Farms Road. The proposed project will be approximately 3,205 feet, extending from at 3-way tee intersection at Thompson Road, continuing north with a slight turn to the west to a proposed 3-way intersection with Scoville Road, then continuing north to a high point and then gradually curved to the east, where the proposed alignment ends at the current alignment terminus. The proposed alignment will provide a safer pedestrian environment, safer driving environment, and minimal additional right of way requirements, avoidance of wetland resources, ease of construction /maintenance of traffic and reasonable construction cost. This proposed new alignment will be constructed conforming to the Town of Avon and CTDOT “Urban Collector” guidelines and was endorsed as the preferred alignment by the Avon Town Council. 

Project Map: Click Here to view an aerial map of the project area showing the proposed realignment.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: August 7, 2020

There will be a virtual Public Scoping Meeting for this proposed action: 

DATE: July 22, 2020

TIME: 6:30 PM

PLACE: Virtual Meeting

NOTES: Participants can join the virtual Public Scoping Meeting through the following link:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7048447185480454414

Individuals with limited internet access can listen to the meeting by calling 1-562-247-8422 and entering the Participant Code when prompted: 379-397-901.

Any meeting updates and the registration link, as well as meeting materials, a comment form, information on accessing the meeting, and a recording of the meeting after July 24 can be found at:

https://www.avonct.gov/engineering-sewer-and-gis-department/pages/old-farms-road

Persons with hearing and/or speech disabilities may dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS).  Language assistance may be requested by contacting the Department’s Language Assistance Call Line (860) 594-2109.  Requests should be made at least 5 business days prior to the meeting. Language assistance is provided at no cost to the public and efforts will be made to respond to timely requests for assistance.

Persons with limited internet access or similar needs may request by July 15, 2020 that project information be mailed to them by contacting:

Mr. Lawrence Baril, Town Engineer

60 West Main Street, Building # 7 - Second Floor

Avon, CT 06001

Phone: 860-409-4378

Email: lbaril@avonct.gov  

A project webpage is available which contains pertinent information about the project and contains a link to the upcoming virtual Public Scoping Meeting event. The webpage will remain available throughout the 16-day comment period following the meeting and can be found athttps://www.avonct.gov/engineering-sewer-and-gis-department/pages/old-farms-road

When the recording of the virtual public meeting is uploaded, you can find it in the list of DOT virtual public meetings here:  https://portal.ct.gov/dot/general/CTDOT-VPIM-Library

Written comments (email preferred) should be sent to:

Name: Kevin Fleming

Agency: Connecticut Department of Transportation, Office of Environmental Planning

Address: 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06131

E-Mail: dot.EnvironmentalPlanning@ct.gov

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

Name: Lawrence Baril, Town Engineer

Agency: Town of Avon, Engineering, Sewer and GIS Department

Address: 60 West Main Street, Building #7 - Second Floor, Avon, CT 06001

Phone: (860) 409-4378

Fax: (860) 409-4364

E-Mail: lbaril@avonct.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: Ms. Alice M. Sexton

Agency: Connecticut Department of Transportation, Office of Legal Services

Address: 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06131

Phone: (860) 594-3045

E-Mail: Alice.Sexton@ct.gov

What Happens Next: CTDOT 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 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

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

1. Post-Scoping Notice for Major Rehabilitation or Replacement of Bridge No. 01349 (William Cribari Memorial Bridge): Route 136 over Saugatuck River

Municipality where it would be located: Westport

CEPA Determination:  On May 17, 2016, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) published a Notice of Scoping to solicit public comments for this proposed action in the Environmental Monitor.

A public scoping meeting was held on June 15, 2016 at the Westport Town Hall Auditorium.   Several comments were received at the Public Scoping Meeting and during the public comment period. After consideration of the comments, CTDOT formed a Project Advisory Committee (PAC), consisting of various community organizations, in order to obtain critical input from a range of perspectives, help identify any community concerns, and help identify any potential alternatives.  Since this time, CTDOT has determined to proceed with the preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE). Comments will be addressed within the EIE. 

CTDOT's webpage for the project, which contains project press releases, PAC information, information regarding project meetings, and various project documents/ reports, can be accessed by clicking here.    

 Agency contact:

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

Agency contact:

Name: Ms. Alice M. Sexton

Agency: Connecticut Department of Transportation, Offices of Legal Services

Address: 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT, 06131

Phone: (860) 594-3045

E-Mail: Alice.Sexton@ct.gov

 What Happens Next: CTDOT expects the proposed action to go forward, and the EIE will be published in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.  Currently, it is expected that the EIE will be circulated for public review and appear in the Environmental Monitor in early 2021.

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 

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 

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 

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. 

Property Transfer Step I

1. Notice of Proposed Land Transfer for 90 McDonnell Road in Watertown

Complete Address of Property: 90 McDonnell Road, Watertown, CT 06795

Commonly used name of property or other identifying information: Watertown GIS Parcel ID 131A 95 16A

Number of acres to be transferred: 1.389

Click to view map 

Click to view assessors card

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: 2,432 SF single story ranch style residential home, formally used as a Department of Developmental Services Group Home.

The property to be transferred contains the following:

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

Special features of the property, if known: 2,432 SF single story residential home with 4 bedrooms/2.5 bathrooms. Attached 1-2 car garage.

Value of property, if known: Town appraised value of the property is $299,200.00

Type of Sale or Transfer:

Proposed recipient, if known: Unknown

Proposed use by property recipient, if known: Unknown however the property is zoned for residential use only.

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

Reason the State of Connecticut is proposing to transfer this property: Property is no longer in use or needed for use for this program. No other State agency has claimed an interest in the use of this property.

Comments from the public are welcome and will be accepted until the close of business on September 4, 2020.

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 Hinsch
  
Agency: Office of Policy and Management
  
Address: 450 Capitol Ave, Hartford, CT 06106
    
E-Mail: paul.hinsch@ct.gov with a cc to shane.mallory@ct.gov

*E-Mail submissions are preferred. 

(Comments from state agencies must be on agency letterhead and signed by agency head.  Scanned copies 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 Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) elects to conduct a review of the property (see #3).
2. If public comments are received, the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) 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 DEEP elects to conduct a review of the property (see #3). 
3. If DEEP elects to conduct a further review of the property, it may submit to OPM 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.  OPM 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 Environmental Monitor publication dates.

The Office of Policy and Management maintains a list of projects the have entered the CEPA process. It shows each project's status. The inventory can be found at ftp://ftp.ct.gov/opm/CEPA/CEPA%20Project%20Inventory.xlsx .