The NVCOG published the winter edition of the Regional Brownfields Partnership of West Central CT newsletter. Read about the team’s insights on active brownfield projects and funding opportunities.
Subscribe to the RBP newsletter to receive quarterly updates.
The NVCOG Community Planning Division published the winter edition of its quarterly newsletter. The newsletter is a resource for municipal land use staff and decision makers on all things land use policy and planning.
Subscribe to the NVCOG newsletter to receive quarterly updates.
The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) as part of an update to its Title VI Plan and Public Participation Plan, seeks public comment to ensure that its planning processes are inclusive, equitable, and accessible to all residents. Title VI ensures that all programs, activities, and services comply with federal civil rights laws guaranteeing non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The Public Participation Plan outlines strategies to engage the public in the planning process, ensuring diverse voices are heard and represented.
Draft copies of both documents are available for review at https://nvcogct.gov/project/title-vi-plan/. The public can share comments between February 12, 2025, to March 17, 2025.
Written comments may be submitted via email to info@nvcogct.gov or mailed to Rich Donovan, Transportation Planning Director, at the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, 49 Leavenworth Street, 3rd Floor, Waterbury, Connecticut 06702.
For Immediate Release: February 12, 2025
Contact:
Desira Blanchard
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
203-489-0353
dblanchard@nvcogct.gov
NVCOG Seeks Public Input on Nondiscrimination & Public Participation Plans
Waterbury, CT – The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG), the regional planning agency representing 19 towns in the Naugatuck Valley, is inviting the community to help shape the future of public engagement in the region. As part of an update to its Title VI Plan and Public Participation Plan, NVCOG is seeking feedback to ensure that its planning processes are inclusive, equitable, and accessible to all residents.
Title VI ensures that all programs, activities, and services comply with federal civil rights laws guaranteeing non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The Public Participation Plan outlines strategies to engage the public in the planning process, ensuring diverse voices are heard and represented.
Draft versions of both plans are available for public review at https://nvcogct.gov/project/title-vi-plan/.
The public comment period is open from February 12, 2025, to March 17, 2025. Written comments may be submitted via email to info@nvcogct.gov or mailed to the care of Rich Donovan, Transportation Planning Director, at the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, 49 Leavenworth Street, 3rd Floor, Waterbury, Connecticut 06702.
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.
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.
The NVCOG published the winter edition of the NVCOG newsletter. Read about regional updates, upcoming events, and exciting projects shaping the region.
Subscribe to the NVCOG newsletter to receive quarterly updates.
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.
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.