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Willington EDC moves to pursue state grants and property-inventory work to unlock development
Summary
EDC staff reported Willington is eligible for the Connecticut Community Investment Fund and plans to pursue a fire-station capital grant and later a planning grant to study utility extensions, a developable-properties inventory, and other measures to attract commercial development.
Staff told the commission that Willington was mistakenly listed as ineligible for the state's Community Investment Fund (CIF) but that the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) confirmed Willington is eligible. The CIF includes planning grants (up to $250,000) and capital grants with no stated cap; staff said the town will focus on a fire-station capital application this round and may pursue a planning-study application in a later round.
Why it matters: staff said a planning study and infrastructure analysis (water, sewer, connectivity) would help identify gaps and costs that currently limit development, particularly in areas by Route 84 and highway exits where larger parcels exist but access or utilities are constrained.
Key proposals and next steps: staff proposed assembling a developable-properties inventory to identify parcels with commercial potential (examples cited include parcels near the FedEx site and the Bernini parcel). The commission also discussed privately meeting with major property owners to discuss perceived barriers (wetlands delineation, utility access, brokers) in a less public setting to encourage candid conversation.
Grants and funding context: staff described the CIF as a "no-match, no-cap" grant program for qualifying projects and said Willington will re-submit or submit applications in the next funding round; a previously submitted fire-station application will be heard later this year. The commission also discussed RPT regional grant funding tied to a Tri-Town animal-control regionalization effort that would phase grant funding roughly 75%/50%/25% over three years and allow shared operations centered in Stafford.
Infrastructure notes: members raised a village sidewalk grant but cautioned that sidewalk construction could disturb a private cistern and fire-suppression valves located under the sidewalk; staff said they are coordinating with the grantor and property owners to avoid assuming liability or triggering costly betterments.
Regulatory items: members noted Planning & Zoning will open a hearing July 7 on a proposed 10,000-square-foot truck wash with a ~3,000-square-foot storage building; truck traffic would be routed to Polster Road under the current plan.
Ending: staff will pursue CIF guidance, prepare the developable-properties inventory and follow up on infrastructure details; the commission expects further updates after grant deadlines and the upcoming PZC hearing.
