Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Brownfield Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Winchester moves forward with DECD brownfield assessment; Meadow Street parking lot included
Summary
The town and regional council received a $200,000 DECD assessment grant to study the former Sun Chief site and an adjacent Meadow Street parking lot; staff expects to issue an RFP in roughly two months and begin fieldwork this year if closing documents proceed on schedule.
Town planning staff told the commission the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) awarded a $200,000 assessment grant to study a former Sun Chief building parcel and an adjacent Meadow Street parking lot that the town is evaluating as a brownfield redevelopment and parking solution.
Staff said the grant will fund assessment work and conceptual site planning for both parcels. Most of the assessment work will focus on the larger Sun Chief parcel (about nine acres) because it has greater redevelopment and tax‑base potential, but the RFP will cover both properties so the team can develop a remedial action plan that accounts for differential contamination across each site. Staff explained that some areas of a lot may be clean enough for landscaping while other areas may require remediation before utilities, paving or lighting are installed; the assessment and conceptual design will identify those distinctions and cost estimates.
Staff reported the financial assistance agreement has been signed and final closing documents are pending a letter of opinion from counsel; once those legal items are complete, DECD will finalize the award and the town can release the RFP. Staff estimated two months to get the RFP out and another two months to start fieldwork, with the goal of completing assessment work before winter.
Ending: Staff will forward closing documents to DECD once counsel provides the opinion, release an RFP for assessment and conceptual design, and report back to the commission on consultant responses and a timeline for remedial planning.
