PRESS RELEASE: Public Meeting to Discuss Woodbury Route 6 Corridor Study

For Immediate Release: February 5, 2025

Contact:
Richard Donovan
Transportation Planning Director
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
203-757-0535
rdonovan@nvcogct.gov

Public Meeting to Discuss Woodbury Route 6 Corridor Study

Woodbury, CT – The Town of Woodbury, AECOM, and the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) invite the community to a hybrid public meeting to update residents on the status of the Woodbury Route 6 Corridor Study. The purpose of the study is to develop actionable concepts to improve safety, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, while supporting economic development and access to the Town’s historic districts.

The meeting will be held on February 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM at Woodbury Senior Community Center (281 Main Street South, Woodbury, CT). For those unable to join in person, please join using the Zoom link at https://bit.ly/woodbury-rt6. Individuals can listen to the meeting by calling +1 929 205 6099 and entering the Meeting ID when prompted: 898 4662 0463.

The meeting will include a public presentation of the current conditions assessment, along with the next steps as the project moves into looking at future conditions and recommendations.

Visit the Woodbury Route 6 Corridor Study project page to learn more at https://nvcogct.gov/woodbury-rt6.

For language assistance or other accommodations, contact NVCOG at least five business days prior to the meeting at info@nvcogct.gov or call 203-757-0535.

PUBLIC NOTICE: Woodbury Route 6 Corridor Study Public Meeting

The Town of Woodbury, AECOM, and the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments will hold a hybrid public meeting Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM to update residents on the status of the Woodbury Route 6 Corridor Study. The meeting will be held at Woodbury Senior Community Center (281 Main Street South, Woodbury, CT).

For those unable to join in person, please join using the Zoom link at https://bit.ly/woodbury-rt6. Individuals can listen to the meeting by calling +1 929 205 6099 and entering the Meeting ID when prompted: 898 4662 0463. The meeting will include a public presentation of the current conditions assessment, along with next steps as the project moves into looking at future conditions and recommendations.

Visit the Woodbury Route 6 Corridor Study project page to learn more at https://nvcogct.gov/woodbury-rt6.

For language assistance or other accommodation, contact NVCOG at least five business days prior to the meeting at info@nvcogct.gov.

Sustainability Spotlight: NVCOG Stormwater & MS4 Resources

The NVCOG has launched an updated series of webpages to help municipal staff navigate requirements and resources on stormwater management. Flooding due to runoff is one of the largest climate change impacts in Connecticut, and eighteen of the nineteen municipalities in our region are required to comply with the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permit.

This refreshed online hub has something new for all municipal staff working on MS4 requirements. Learn more about the webpages below.

Staff have also advocated with regulators to improve the MS4 permit, incorporated rain gardens and other green infrastructure into projects and worked directly with municipalities to bring them into compliance.

Properly managed stormwater can prevent property damage and injuries, pollution, and costly flood cleanups. Municipalities are encouraged to avail themselves of these updated resources.

Rain Garden adjacent to a permeable parking lot along Route 34 in Derby, CT. These are cost-efficient depressions in the landscape that typically include native plants or trees and a mulch layer or ground cover. This includes curb cuts for stormwater runoff.

PRESS RELEASE: EPA’s Suspension of NVCOG’s Revolving Loan Fund Award Threatens Critical Housing and Economic Development Projects

Contact:  
Desira Blanchard
Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments     
203-489-0353
dblanchard@nvcogct.gov

EPA’s Suspension of NVCOG’s Revolving Loan Fund Award Threatens Critical Housing and Economic Development Projects

[Waterbury, CT] – On January 28, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in response to executive orders issued by President Trump, suspended the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments’ (NVCOG) Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) 2022 Award in the amount of $8,661,808. This abrupt decision jeopardizes and threatens to derail vital private real estate development deals, housing initiatives, and regional economic revitalization efforts across the region.

NVCOG’s RLF program offers low-interest loans and subgrants for cleaning up and redeveloping contaminated brownfields, playing a key role in transforming neglected properties into vibrant residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. Since 2005 the Revolving Loan Fund program has funded 42 Brownfield projects that are anticipated to leverage $350 million in non-federal investments. With its suspension, municipalities and developers alike are left facing stalled projects, financial uncertainty, and scrambling to find alternative funding sources.

“This decision strikes a devastating blow to Connecticut’s private developers, municipalities, businesses, and the residents who rely on these critical projects for housing and community growth,” said Rick Dunne, Executive Director of NVCOG. “This sudden action, made without prior notice or dialogue, not only halts progress but actively sets back years of work in revitalizing our communities.”

The suspension of the RLF 2022 Award directly disrupts ongoing housing projects and denies municipalities access to critical loans and grants necessary for redevelopment efforts. Private developers who have invested time and resources into these projects are now facing an uncertain future, with financial gaps that could derail years of planning.

The impact of the EPA’s decision is far-reaching across the NVCOG region, affecting multiple projects that were set to receive funding. These include:

• 501 East Main Street, Ansonia
• 17-19 Henry Healey Drive, Ansonia
• 40 West Street, Bristol
• 0 Maple Street, Naugatuck
• 226 Rubber Avenue, Naugatuck
• 0/280 Elm Street, Naugatuck
• 113/125 Canal Street, Shelton
• 281 Canal Street, Shelton
• 359 Mill Street, Waterbury
• 170 Freight Street, Waterbury
• 698 South Main Street, Waterbury
• 835 Main Street, Waterbury
• 272 River Street, Waterbury

NVCOG is calling on the state’s federal delegation and local officials to advocate for immediate reinstatement of the RLF 2022 Awards nationwide to prevent economic fallout and further setbacks in housing development.