Council authorizes municipal brownfield grant application to remediate Peck Lane site, council votes unanimously

The Town Council voted unanimously on March 23 to authorize the town to apply for a Municipal Brownfield Grant (Round 23) on behalf of Waterbury Button Company for property at 1855 Peck Lane.

Reading the resolution into the record, Councilor Wolf presented Resolution 032326-01 authorizing application for a grant of $2,932,150 to the Connecticut Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development. Town staff (Mr. Martelli) explained the site contains PCB contamination from a previous operator; remediation would be required to stabilize the property and remove environmental hazards. The town would act as a fiduciary pass-through for state funds and would not incur direct remediation costs; Waterbury Button — a tenant that has operated on the site since 2000 and has been in business since 1812 — would hold the remediation contracts and, contingent on the grant and remediation, would purchase the property from the current owner for $1.

Martelli said the town has done similar pass-through arrangements for other projects and that there is precedent for municipal co-applicants. He told the council that the owner is prepared to escrow monthly rent (about $12,000) to contribute toward remediation and that Waterbury Button currently employs 40 people with plans to add more if the property is stabilized. Councilors asked clarifying questions about ownership, the scope of contamination, operations during remediation and the town's administrative role; staff said the contamination is concentrated in a wooded portion of the site and the business can continue operating while remediation focuses on the contaminated portion.

A councilor moved, another seconded, and the motion passed unanimously; the resolution authorizes the town manager to execute necessary documents for the grant application and, if awarded, the assistance agreement with the state.