Quinnipiac proposes single-span pedestrian bridge; Hamden panel presses on wetlands protections and erosion controls

Quinnipiac University representatives told the Town of Hamden Planning Commission that they plan to replace a partially collapsed timber pedestrian bridge on the Mount Carmel campus with a roughly 20-foot clear-span fiber-reinforced polymer structure and that the work is intended to avoid permanent disturbance to the stream and adjacent wetlands.

Howard Fromer, representing Quinnipiac and Jacobson and Associates, said the proposed superstructure will sit on short abutments set at or just above the stream channel and that the design intentionally avoids altering the channel grade. "There is no permanent disturbance in the water course. There is no permanent disturbance in the wetlands," Fromer said during the commission's April meeting, adding that erosion-control measures and a planting plan are included in the drawings.

The project is sited on the single stream that runs through the portion of campus bounded by Hogan, Mount Carmel and New Road, just east of the library and south of the wellness center, Fromer said. The plan uses an open-grate deck to allow water and sunlight to pass through and includes a planting scheme of plug-type wetland species recommended by a wetland soil scientist. Fromer also reported that he contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was told the Corps would not require a permit for the work.

Commissioners concentrated their questions on construction impacts and site-specific details. George Schneider asked whether a prior stream cleanout had occurred at the bridge location; Fromer said he was not familiar with that cleanout and offered to annotate plans to help establish the past work'and the precise location. Kirk Shadel pressed about discharge points for underdrain pipes that daylight near the stream and asked how those outlets would be kept inside the project's sediment- and erosion-control limits; Fromer said erosion controls should be wrapped around the ends of those pipes and acknowledged that the primary erosion risk would occur during construction.

Commissioners also sought detail on the abutments and how much concrete the work would require. Fromer estimated the concrete footings would total roughly 8 cubic yards and described the sequence of excavation, footing placement, stem wall pours and backfilling. He said existing stone-and-masonry abutments appear shallow and that any masonry within the excavation limits would be removed, while stone that helps protect the banks would be left in place when possible.

On materials and maintenance, Fromer said the university selected an open-grate deck and that university maintenance would remove snow from the bridge as it has on the existing structure. Commissioners urged a maintenance note to discourage plowing snow directly into the watercourse. The design is based on a 50-year design storm for this less-than-one-square-mile watershed; staff and the applicant cited the town's 2024 stormwater quality manual and the DOT Drainage Manual (2000) as relevant guidance.

Fromer said Quinnipiac hopes to construct the bridge later this year, with a likely window of September through November and a one- to two-month build time. Commissioners asked the applicant to confirm plant species suitability and the project team said the wetland soil scientist could be asked to attend the next meeting or provide written responses for the commission.

After discussion, the commission moved to table related applications for further consideration at the public hearing and to schedule a site inspection as part of the review process. The commission will also follow up on clarifications the applicant agreed to provide, including more detail on the drain outlets and the planting-species selection.