New London officials outline next steps for 43 Hempstead Street cleanup; neighborhood presses for access to documents

Director Felix Reyes told the City Council on Jan. 6 that the city has secured EPA funding and prepared a remedial action plan for cleanup of 43 Hempstead Street, but the state’s review and additional funding remain requirements before contractors can begin work.

The presentation, delivered with consultant Tom Bombardier, summarized testing, cleanup estimates and a timeline that officials said could lead to bidding “early this year” and a construction start in late summer or early fall 2025 if funding is available. Residents from the adjacent Freedom Trail neighborhood urged continued involvement and asked that technical documents be posted online.

The council heard that the remedial action plan prepared by the city’s environmental consultants must be accepted by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (referred to at the meeting as “state deep”) before the city can put bid specifications to market. Director Reyes said the consultant has produced estimates and “put bids” and that the team expects to have bid specifications completed in a few months. Reyes said, “Mr. Bombry has that going out to bid sometime in February. So we’re not too far off.”

Residents and neighborhood representatives attending the meeting pressed for clearer public access to project documents. Lydia Blaisdell Brunner, who identified herself as a resident and as part of the Freedom Trail Neighborhood Association, said the ABCA remedial action plan runs 73 pages and “it’s very hard to read.” She said the neighborhood’s concept drawings for the park should be considered in planning and asked whether an environmental use restriction might limit features such as a pavilion. “The big takeaway is that there’s polluted fill on the site going down 4 feet,” she told the council, and she asked that documents and schedule updates be posted digitally rather than available only in a physical repository at City Hall.

City staff described the project’s long regulatory history: the timeline in meeting materials traces property use back to the 1800s, notes an unsuccessful attempt to secure government funding in 2018 and records a renewed cleanup effort beginning in 2020. Officials said the city has so far provided a $123,000 match toward cleanup funding and that additional funding obstacles remain, though staff described them as solvable.

Council members and staff invited residents to a community session with the environmental consultant scheduled for Monday, Jan. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Public Library of New London. Several councilors asked staff to work on posting project documents and schedule updates online to improve neighborhood access.

No formal vote or ordinance was taken on Jan. 6; the presentation served as an informational update and a public notice step aligned with EPA requirements. Officials described the next procedural step as state approval of the remedial action plan, after which the city can advertise for bids and pursue contractor selection. Council and staff described the project’s current implementation risk as contingent on state review and on securing the remaining funding.

Votes at a glance from the Jan. 6 meeting (routine minutes approvals): The council approved the special meeting minutes of Dec. 16, 2024, and the regular meeting minutes of Dec. 16, 2024; both motions were moved, seconded and carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Details and context: The city identified VHB as the project consultant that prepared the remedial action plan and estimates; the plan was described in meeting materials as an ABCA remedial action plan (a form used in the state/EPA process). Residents asked whether an environmental use restriction on the parcel could affect green-space amenities. Staff said they aim to complete bid specifications and go to market in early 2025, with a construction start in late summer or early fall if state approval and funding alignment occur.

For follow-up: staff and the consultant will present at the neighborhood meeting on Jan. 13; council members requested a web link or an online repository for the ABCA, the 2021 assessment report and schedule updates so the neighborhood can review documents outside City Hall hours.