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Committee presses administration for sequencing and costs on Baldwin Park and transfer‑station relocation
Summary
Committee members requested a clear sequencing plan for a proposed $1 million FY27 design appropriation and a $10 million FY28 allocation for Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, and asked how transfer‑station relocation and Arch Street task‑force work will be coordinated so Parks & Rec operations can be moved off valuable waterfront land.
The budget committee examined a package of waterfront and park projects that the administration says will free up waterfront land and create public amenities if sequenced correctly.
Chair introduced the Baldwin Park item and said the FY27 book contains a proposed $1,000,000 appropriation with a further $10,000,000 slated for FY28. The administration said the $1,000,000 would update plans and that the larger FY28 sum covers later phases of construction and rehabilitation. "In this year's budget, there's a proposed allocation of 1000000 dollars followed by $10,000,000 in '28," the Chair noted.
First Selectman Fred Camillo said the central challenge is relocating Parks & Rec operations and the transfer station so the town can restore harbor views and reconfigure the waterfront. He told the committee that relocating trucks and operations from the water would be costly and that transfer‑station funding has been a long‑standing impediment. "We're parking trucks on one of the most expensive pieces of land... and we're changing oil," Camillo said, arguing relocation would open valuable opportunities for waterfront use.
Committee members asked whether the transfer station costs and the building demolition sequence are aligned with the Holly Hill redesign and whether demolition could occur before updated designs are complete; administration agreed sequencing needs clarification and said they will return with a plan after consulting DPW. Committee members also asked about foundation interest in funding building renovations; Camillo said several foundations have expressed interest and that public‑private partnerships could lower the town’s net cost for the building component, though relocation costs for the transfer station are unlikely to attract donations.
Why it matters: the administration suggested that moving municipal operations off the waterfront would reclaim high‑value land and allow civic and commercial uses, but committee members emphasized that demolition, relocation and design work must be sequenced to avoid stranded assets or paying demolition before replacement operations are serviceable.
Next steps: administration will coordinate with DPW to produce a sequence of actions (phasing, immediate low‑cost steps and later capital investments) for committee review before Decision Day.
