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Commission approves referral to common council for acquisition of 493 Connecticut Ave for WPCA pump station
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to refer the city's planned acquisition of 493 Connecticut Avenue to the Common Council. The property was identified as a relocation site for a pump station destroyed in flooding; WPCA will fund the acquisition and FEMA funding prospects drove the choice of a site outside the 100-year floodplain.
The Planning and Zoning Commission on April 2 voted to approve a referral to the Common Council for the voluntary acquisition of 493 Connecticut Avenue for construction of a replacement sanitary sewage pump station.
Ralph Cole, representing the Norwalk Water Pollution Control Authority, told the commission the existing Killer Brook pump station suffered catastrophic flood damage during August 2024 storm events and must be rebuilt elsewhere. The current station lies in a FEMA-designated floodway and under high-voltage Eversource transmission lines, which limits constructability and makes rebuilds in place ineligible for FEMA reimbursement. Cole said an adjacent parcel at 493 Connecticut Avenue is outside the hundred-year floodplain and would allow the city to pursue FEMA funds for rebuilding, avoid Eversource height and safety restrictions, and reduce overall constructability challenges.
Commissioners asked about ownership, site impacts and whether the building on 493 would need removal. Cole said the property is owned by Eversource and is being negotiated for voluntary purchase; the council previously authorized eminent domain as a backstop if negotiations fail. He said portions of the existing building on the site could be removed or repurposed, but detailed design work remains to determine final layout. Staff told the commission the WPCA will fund the acquisition and that the council and WPCA had already approved acquisition and funding in separate actions.
Commission discussion emphasized urgency: the existing station’s failure increases operational costs for temporary pumping and creates health risks if it fails again. Commissioners pressed on constructability, FEMA funding eligibility (the new site would be outside the horizontal and vertical components of the 100-year floodplain), and whether alternatives on the Eversource-owned parcel could be made feasible. Staff said prior efforts over several years to resolve the location with Eversource had not produced a constructible plan and that recent estimates for rebuilding at the Eversource location rose significantly (from about $5 million to $9 million based on the record).
Commissioner Taping moved to approve the referral; Commissioner Darius seconded. The commission conducted a roll-call vote: the motion passed with one recorded no vote (Miss Langalis), the remainder voting yes. The referral will proceed to the Common Council for final acquisition approval and any required funding actions by the WPCA.
Staff said the city is pursuing voluntary acquisition price negotiations and requested additional appraisal work from both sides; they expect to advance discussions within 30 days. The commission recorded that the WPCA will fund the acquisition and that title would be held by the city as is customary for WPCA infrastructure sites.
