City councilors agreed Tuesday to buy a former gas station at the entrance to Rockwell Park for $185,000 as part of a package that includes snagging $150,000 in federal stimulus funds to clean up contamination on the site.
The 316 Park St. property needs the costly cleanup to remove wastes that have leaked from underground fuel tanks in years past.
Robyn Bugbee, the city’s grants coordinator who has spearheaded a five-year effort to purchase and clean up the site, said the work has reached “a pretty exciting stage” where the end is in sight.
The council endorsed the deal on a 4-1 vote, with Republican Ken Cockayne in opposition. It merely ratified terms already agreed on back in 2006.
Cockayne said the property will enhance the entrance to Rockwell Park, but the price is too high. He said prices in 2006 were higher than they are now.
“This was dumped in our lap,” Cockayne said.
Mayor Art Ward said he agreed, but pointed out that the city backed the terms four years ago and shouldn’t undermine the deal at this point. Click here for the full story.
*****
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Showing posts with label brownfields. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brownfields. Show all posts
August 3, 2010
City councilors meet for special session today
First, the city appears ready to buy the decrepit gas station at the entrance to Rockwell Park -- at 316 Park St. -- for $185,000. It's part of a brownfields cleanup deal. Details to follow.
Second, there's an executive session slated "to discuss negotiations for relocation" of the McDonald's restaurant in the middle of the former mall property.
One of the odd things about the site is that McDonald's owns the land on which it sits. It's not part of the overall 17 acres that belongs to the city. Moving it elsewhere is considered a crucial step in the revitalization process.
I know absolutely nothing about what's under discussion. But with luck, perhaps we'll get some light shining on that, too.
*****
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
February 23, 2010
Box factory cleanup creeps forward
Turning the former Mills box factory site into a municipal parking lot, a project that attracted the first federal stimulus money to Bristol last spring, is about to take another crucial step toward completion.
Robyn Bugbee, the city’s grants administrator, said the city will hire an expert to create the final remediation plan for the polluted site on School Street in May. It is seeking proposals next month. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
*******
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
September 23, 2009
No delay on box factory cleanup, city says
City leaders said Wednesday they’re not putting off the cleanup of a polluted parcel downtown.
The federal stimulus cash that City Hall plans to tap to help clean up a contaminated former box factory site downtown doesn’t require the work to be done for nearly three more years.
But city officials said Wednesday they expect to be finished long before the deadline.
By springtime, the city should be able to begin to do “the dig and haul” that would remove most of the polluted soil on the School Street parcel, according to Robyn Bugbee, the city’s grants administrator.
Bugbee said that neither the city nor the Environmental Protection Agency has any desire “to sit around” and wait to get the work done.
To meet the federal guidelines governing a $345,000 brownfields grant is that the remediation of the polluted site has to be completed by August 2012.
That doesn’t mean that a proposed municipal parking lot on the site will be finished, however. The lot requires additional funding. There is no set timetable to complete it, officials said.
The Board of Finance backed the project this week on a 7-2 vote – with only Roald Erling and Mark Peterson voting against it – despite some misgivings about the way the economy is heading.
The city aims next to solicit proposals from engineering firms that are capable of overseeing the entire remediation process so that a single licensed environmental professional can handle the entire job, Bugbee said.
By March, she said, the city will have used stimulus cash to hire a firm, conduct activities to involve the community, enroll in a voluntary state remediation program and secure EPA and state Department of Environmental Protection approvals to start the work itself.
The federal government rules require each of those steps be done by next August, she said, a year after the city formally received its grant money. It got official notice only on August 22, months after it heard informally at a press conference held by the EPA on the site.
City officials plan to spend the federal stimulus cash first, then dip into the $268,000 in municipal matching funds required to complete the job that fiscal overseers approved.
The 50 to 75-space parking lot will take extra money that’s not allocated yet.
The remediation effort, though, will involve at least some pavement.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka said that some areas of the site will need to be capped with asphalt to prevent water from reaching the ground beneath, where it could perhaps carry contaminants into the stream that runs through the property.
It’s possible that most of the site will wind up with a layer of pavement, officials said, even before a parking lot is built. It would serve only as a sub-layer for the eventual parking lot, however.
Bugbee said it’s important to get the cleanup underway as early as possible in case the city finds something unexpected when it starts digging out polluted soil.
An early start, she said, ensures there is plenty of time to cope with any unanticipated problems without worrying about the three-year deadline to use the stimulus cash.
The box factory site has been the subject of a number of environmental studies over the past decade that have generally laid out what’s in the ground that needs to be removed.
Bugbee said that “the dirty dirt” there will be scooped out and hauled away in keeping with environmental protocol.
Other sections of the lot will be paved, Veselka said.
The factory itself burned in a spectacular fire about 12 years ago. The city wound up taking the property for back taxes a year later and razing what was left of the buildings on it.
Ultimately, the area is expected to provide parking for the neighboring Board of Education, the Imagine Nation museum across the street and nearby businesses, including Mafale’s Plaza.
Bugbee said some bus parking will be included to help the museum
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The federal stimulus cash that City Hall plans to tap to help clean up a contaminated former box factory site downtown doesn’t require the work to be done for nearly three more years.
But city officials said Wednesday they expect to be finished long before the deadline.
By springtime, the city should be able to begin to do “the dig and haul” that would remove most of the polluted soil on the School Street parcel, according to Robyn Bugbee, the city’s grants administrator.
Bugbee said that neither the city nor the Environmental Protection Agency has any desire “to sit around” and wait to get the work done.
To meet the federal guidelines governing a $345,000 brownfields grant is that the remediation of the polluted site has to be completed by August 2012.
That doesn’t mean that a proposed municipal parking lot on the site will be finished, however. The lot requires additional funding. There is no set timetable to complete it, officials said.
The Board of Finance backed the project this week on a 7-2 vote – with only Roald Erling and Mark Peterson voting against it – despite some misgivings about the way the economy is heading.
The city aims next to solicit proposals from engineering firms that are capable of overseeing the entire remediation process so that a single licensed environmental professional can handle the entire job, Bugbee said.
By March, she said, the city will have used stimulus cash to hire a firm, conduct activities to involve the community, enroll in a voluntary state remediation program and secure EPA and state Department of Environmental Protection approvals to start the work itself.
The federal government rules require each of those steps be done by next August, she said, a year after the city formally received its grant money. It got official notice only on August 22, months after it heard informally at a press conference held by the EPA on the site.
City officials plan to spend the federal stimulus cash first, then dip into the $268,000 in municipal matching funds required to complete the job that fiscal overseers approved.
The 50 to 75-space parking lot will take extra money that’s not allocated yet.
The remediation effort, though, will involve at least some pavement.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka said that some areas of the site will need to be capped with asphalt to prevent water from reaching the ground beneath, where it could perhaps carry contaminants into the stream that runs through the property.
It’s possible that most of the site will wind up with a layer of pavement, officials said, even before a parking lot is built. It would serve only as a sub-layer for the eventual parking lot, however.
Bugbee said it’s important to get the cleanup underway as early as possible in case the city finds something unexpected when it starts digging out polluted soil.
An early start, she said, ensures there is plenty of time to cope with any unanticipated problems without worrying about the three-year deadline to use the stimulus cash.
The box factory site has been the subject of a number of environmental studies over the past decade that have generally laid out what’s in the ground that needs to be removed.
Bugbee said that “the dirty dirt” there will be scooped out and hauled away in keeping with environmental protocol.
Other sections of the lot will be paved, Veselka said.
The factory itself burned in a spectacular fire about 12 years ago. The city wound up taking the property for back taxes a year later and razing what was left of the buildings on it.
Ultimately, the area is expected to provide parking for the neighboring Board of Education, the Imagine Nation museum across the street and nearby businesses, including Mafale’s Plaza.
Bugbee said some bus parking will be included to help the museum
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City: No delay on box factory cleanup
City leaders said Wednesday they’re not putting off the cleanup of a polluted parcel downtown.
The federal stimulus cash that City Hall plans to tap to help clean up a contaminated former box factory site downtown don’t require the work to be done for nearly three more years.
But city officials said Wednesday they expect to be finished long before the deadline.
By springtime, the city should be able to begin to do “the dig and haul” that would remove most of the polluted soil on the School Street parcel, according to Robyn Bugbee, the city’s grants administrator.
Bugbee said that neither the city nor the Environmental Protection Agency has any desire “to sit around” and wait to get the work done.
To meet the federal guidelines governing a $345,000 brownfields grant is that the remediation of the polluted site has to be completed by August 2012.
That doesn’t mean that a proposed municipal parking lot on the site will be finished, however. The lot requires additional funding. There is no set timetable to complete it, officials said.
More to come later.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The federal stimulus cash that City Hall plans to tap to help clean up a contaminated former box factory site downtown don’t require the work to be done for nearly three more years.
But city officials said Wednesday they expect to be finished long before the deadline.
By springtime, the city should be able to begin to do “the dig and haul” that would remove most of the polluted soil on the School Street parcel, according to Robyn Bugbee, the city’s grants administrator.
Bugbee said that neither the city nor the Environmental Protection Agency has any desire “to sit around” and wait to get the work done.
To meet the federal guidelines governing a $345,000 brownfields grant is that the remediation of the polluted site has to be completed by August 2012.
That doesn’t mean that a proposed municipal parking lot on the site will be finished, however. The lot requires additional funding. There is no set timetable to complete it, officials said.
More to come later.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Box factory cleanup backed but lagging
Note: If you're interested in this story, please check the blog later today for a more detailed -- and accurate -- account of the project's timeline and the city's plans.
The first federal stimulus cash to come to Bristol – to help clean up the former H.J. Mills box factory site – has yet to create a single job.
And officials are no hurry to get a shovel ready to finish work on it.
The bulk of the cleanup project won’t take place until at least springtime – partly to ensure the city has enough money in its coffers to pay its share of the tab – and a planned parking lot on the property may not happen for years.
The $613,000 project to clean up the polluted School Street parcel – where a municipal parking may someday be built – isn’t completely on hold, however.
The Board of Finance backed the project Tuesday on a 7-2 vote – with only Roald Erling and Mark Peterson opposing it – despite some misgivings.
The city’s grants administrator, Robyn Bugbee, said the city can hire an engineering firm to come up with the detailed plans needed, seek ways to get the public more involved and line up the required state and federal approvals.
By the time all of that is done, the finance board could take another look in March and decide whether Bristol can afford the $268,000 in municipal funds required to match the $345,000 the federal Environmental Protection Agency is handing over from the stimulus package.
While it’s likely the city will move ahead with the cleanup in the spring, it’s less clear the parking lot will be constructed soon. The lot would have between 50 and 75 spaces.
That could wait “a year or two” if the economy remains poor, Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski said.
The finance chief said the city will have “a better idea what kind of costs we have” by springtime and can decide then what it needs to do to cope.
Erling, vice chairman of the nine-member finance board, said that given the need to make sure pollution doesn’t leach into the stream that cuts through the property, he figures costs will rise after engineers take a hard look at the project.
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman joined an array of local, state and federal officials at the site last May to announce the brownfields funding that would help with the cleanup.
“There couldn’t be a better economic stimulus project than these brownfields grants,” said Lieberman.
But one of the aims of the stimulus program – to get shovels in the ground and put people to work – hasn’t happened on the School Street site so far.
On the other hand, Lieberman said cleanups are a good “long-term investment in economic growth,” which may still prove true.
The site has been blighted for more than two decades. Following a major fire a decade ago that destroyed the factory building, the property has been a weed-filled eyesore owned by the city.
After announcing the funding last spring, Lieberman said he loves to see the results of government investment.
“I can’t wait to come back to Bristol,” to see the finished project, Lieberman said during his visit.
He may have to wait awhile.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The first federal stimulus cash to come to Bristol – to help clean up the former H.J. Mills box factory site – has yet to create a single job.
And officials are no hurry to get a shovel ready to finish work on it.
The bulk of the cleanup project won’t take place until at least springtime – partly to ensure the city has enough money in its coffers to pay its share of the tab – and a planned parking lot on the property may not happen for years.
The $613,000 project to clean up the polluted School Street parcel – where a municipal parking may someday be built – isn’t completely on hold, however.
The Board of Finance backed the project Tuesday on a 7-2 vote – with only Roald Erling and Mark Peterson opposing it – despite some misgivings.
The city’s grants administrator, Robyn Bugbee, said the city can hire an engineering firm to come up with the detailed plans needed, seek ways to get the public more involved and line up the required state and federal approvals.
By the time all of that is done, the finance board could take another look in March and decide whether Bristol can afford the $268,000 in municipal funds required to match the $345,000 the federal Environmental Protection Agency is handing over from the stimulus package.
While it’s likely the city will move ahead with the cleanup in the spring, it’s less clear the parking lot will be constructed soon. The lot would have between 50 and 75 spaces.
That could wait “a year or two” if the economy remains poor, Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski said.
The finance chief said the city will have “a better idea what kind of costs we have” by springtime and can decide then what it needs to do to cope.
Erling, vice chairman of the nine-member finance board, said that given the need to make sure pollution doesn’t leach into the stream that cuts through the property, he figures costs will rise after engineers take a hard look at the project.
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman joined an array of local, state and federal officials at the site last May to announce the brownfields funding that would help with the cleanup.
“There couldn’t be a better economic stimulus project than these brownfields grants,” said Lieberman.
But one of the aims of the stimulus program – to get shovels in the ground and put people to work – hasn’t happened on the School Street site so far.
On the other hand, Lieberman said cleanups are a good “long-term investment in economic growth,” which may still prove true.
The site has been blighted for more than two decades. Following a major fire a decade ago that destroyed the factory building, the property has been a weed-filled eyesore owned by the city.
After announcing the funding last spring, Lieberman said he loves to see the results of government investment.
“I can’t wait to come back to Bristol,” to see the finished project, Lieberman said during his visit.
He may have to wait awhile.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 20, 2009
Stimulus cash may pay for ex-gas station cleanup
A former gas station at the entrance to Rockwell Park may get a $150,000 environmental cleanup with money allocated by the federal government to stimulate the economy.
The 316 Park St. property needs the costly cleanup to remove wastes that have leaked from underground fuel tanks in years past.
The Valley Council of Governments’ regional brownfields partnership has already helped the city pay for studies to find out what needs to be done to clean up the privately owned site. It is now considering a final allocation to carry out the work, city officials said.
“That’s really good news,” said Edward Krawiecki, Jr, an assistant city attorney.
The city has long eyed the property for inclusion in neighboring Rockwell Park. It’s an eyesore that detracts badly from the newly overhauled entrance to the historic park, officials said.
But efforts to purchase the site have fallen short because the city has repeatedly said it won’t take ownership of the property until it is cleaned up.
The regional brownfields program recently got $1 million in stimulus funds to begin tackling projects on its 26-town list.
Krawiecki said Bristol has a good shot at the money because it has already invested $7 million or more to overhaul Rockwell Park and has been working on the gas station issue for years.
The city has a letter of intent from the property owners to sell the site with any costs absorbed by city taxpayers taken off the selling price.
The property is owned by Vincent Nemeragut of Easton. Its appraised value is $215,200, which doesn’t take into account the necessity of an environmental remediation.
He bought the 1960 gas station a decade ago for $110,000. It closed about five years ago.
The city is spending millions to spruce up Rockwell Park in a bid to pump life back into the West End park that used to serve thousands of working class families. It had fallen into disrepair and was little used until recently, when improvements to its playground and a new skatepark began drawing crowds again.
By purchasing the gas station and a house at 15 Dutton Ave., the city aims to open up the entrance to the park more, to make it more visible and attractive from Park Street.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The 316 Park St. property needs the costly cleanup to remove wastes that have leaked from underground fuel tanks in years past.
The Valley Council of Governments’ regional brownfields partnership has already helped the city pay for studies to find out what needs to be done to clean up the privately owned site. It is now considering a final allocation to carry out the work, city officials said.
“That’s really good news,” said Edward Krawiecki, Jr, an assistant city attorney.
The city has long eyed the property for inclusion in neighboring Rockwell Park. It’s an eyesore that detracts badly from the newly overhauled entrance to the historic park, officials said.
But efforts to purchase the site have fallen short because the city has repeatedly said it won’t take ownership of the property until it is cleaned up.
The regional brownfields program recently got $1 million in stimulus funds to begin tackling projects on its 26-town list.
Krawiecki said Bristol has a good shot at the money because it has already invested $7 million or more to overhaul Rockwell Park and has been working on the gas station issue for years.
The city has a letter of intent from the property owners to sell the site with any costs absorbed by city taxpayers taken off the selling price.
The property is owned by Vincent Nemeragut of Easton. Its appraised value is $215,200, which doesn’t take into account the necessity of an environmental remediation.
He bought the 1960 gas station a decade ago for $110,000. It closed about five years ago.
The city is spending millions to spruce up Rockwell Park in a bid to pump life back into the West End park that used to serve thousands of working class families. It had fallen into disrepair and was little used until recently, when improvements to its playground and a new skatepark began drawing crowds again.
By purchasing the gas station and a house at 15 Dutton Ave., the city aims to open up the entrance to the park more, to make it more visible and attractive from Park Street.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
October 22, 2008
City seeks grants for former box factory site cleanup
Press release from the mayor's office this afternoon:
Mayor Arthur J. Ward today announced that the City of Bristol will apply for two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Cleanup Grants for up to $200,000 each. These grants will help fund the clean up of commingled hazardous substances and petroleum contamination on the Former H.J. Mills Property located at 149-151 Church Street in Bristol, CT.
Mayor Ward has requested that a public information meeting be held at 5:30 pm on Monday, October 27, 2008 in City Hall Council Chambers at 111 North Main Street. The purpose of the meeting is to provide information regarding the applications and to receive public comment.
Drafts of each grant application will be available for public viewing and written public comment from Monday, October 27, 2008 to Monday, November 10, 2008. The applications may be viewed at the Bristol Development Authority (111 North Main Street), the Bristol Public Library (5 Main Street), or at the Manross Public Library (260 Central Street). Those planning to view the applications at the Bristol Development Authority must make an appointment by calling 860-584-6185. The applications will be located in the Reference Room for those wishing to view the applications at the Bristol Public Library. Those planning to view the applications at Manross Public Library may request them at the Main Desk. All written comments regarding the applications must be submitted to the Bristol Development Authority at 111 North Main Street by 4:30 pm on November 10, 2008.
“The City is focused on seeking grant funds to assess and clean up local Brownfields sites,” said Ward. “If awarded these grants, the City can bring the Former H.J. Mills Property back to productive reuse that will benefit the neighborhood and be a step towards the revitalization of our downtown area.”
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
March 28, 2008
Gavlick property eyed for cleanup
Officials are pushing for help to clean up the massive old mill property off Terryville Avenue that once housed a New Departure factory.Mayor Art Ward said that state economic development officials have expressed support for the idea of cleaning up the old mill site as well as the former J.H. Sessions factory on Riverside Avenue.
“There’s a ton of potential there,” Ward said.
The 7.3-acre site, which is technically on Franklin Street, is owned by the Stratford-based Gavlick Realty Co., which paid off a $251,000 back tax bill on the site in 2003.
Some of the old mill buildings are in pretty good shape while others are shabby, with their windows shattered and trees growing up around them.
Even so, officials said, there’s hope that the site could become a thriving enterprise again.
Roger Bergeron, a vice president of Pan Am Railways, pointed out that tracks still stretch into the complex from the little-used rail line that runs along the back of the buildings. He said they could be used again.
In addition, he said, the old buildings have high roofs of the sort that many companies are looking for so they can load and unload material easily.
Ward said that the Connecticut Development Authority and other state agencies are interested in the idea of cleaning up the site so that it could become a source of jobs and taxes again.
Getting state dollars to fund the cleanup “would prove invaluable,” Ward said.
New Departure manufactured ball bearings on the site from the early 1900s into the 1960s, records show. It had a foundry on the site.
Back in 2005, General Motors, the successor to New Departure, agreed to pay for for the cleanup of the site, where oil and PCBs were leaking into North Creek. It isn’t clear how much work GM did on the site or what remains to be done.
During last fall’s municipal campaign, city Councilor Mike Rimcoski said a major environmental problem still exists on the property.
"We've got a big problem there," Rimcoski said, and will need federal cleanup help to deal with it.
Until that’s done, Rimcoski said, "We can't touch it."
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)