NVCOG Presents the 2021 Composter & Rain Barrel Sale!

The NVCOG Community is excited to offer area residents discounted rain barrels, composters, and accessories at our Spring 2021 sale.

Pre-Order for Pick-Up on June 19th!

In order to reduce shipping costs and offer the lowest possible prices, all items purchased from this online store must be picked up on Saturday, June 19, 2021. When placing your order below, you may choose one of the following times and locations to pick up your items:

1. Between the hours of 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM at Cheshire Town Hall, 84 Main Street, Cheshire

2. Between the hours of 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM at the Southbury Parks and Recreation Department, 561 Main Street South, Southbury

Please be sure you pick up your order, or send someone in your place, as we have very limited storage space. Unclaimed products will be donated to a local community garden program.

Any questions can be directed to compostersale@nvcogct.gov or call 203-489-0366.  

Happy Composting and Rainwater Harvesting!

Visit the online store!

April Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event

NVCOG is hosting Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and Paint Collection Day on Saturday, April 17, 2021. This is the first event currently scheduled in 2021.

The event goes from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm at Naugatuck Events Center, 6 Rubber Avenue in Naugatuck.

NVCOG’s HHW events only serve the towns of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Cheshire, Derby, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Prospect, Seymour, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, and Woodbury.

For future updates on this program, visit NVCOG’s HHW webpage as well as information on how to properly dispose of common household items. Also look for postings on NVCOG’s Facebook and Twitter page, as well as local and municipal websites for updates.

Household hazardous wastes are any wastes produced in the home that are poisonous, flammable, reactive, or corrosive. These wastes are harmful to human health and the environment if not disposed of properly. The goal of the program is to keep potentially hazardous waste out of local landfills and sewers, providing extra protection for wetlands and waterways.

Residents may now bring latex (water-based) paint to the collection event. While not considered hazardous waste, the latex paint is also accepted as part of the statewide paint product stewardship program.

Work to Begin on the Derby-Shelton Bridge

Derby Shelton Bridge design

Renovation work on the Derby-Shelton Bridge is moving forward, as the state has tapped a contractor for the project which should begin by April 1. The bridge was built in 1918 and is historically significant. While the substructure is in good condition, many elements have deteriorated over time, including the pavement structure, parapet walls, and lighting.  

The intent of the project is to renovate and rehabilitate the elements along the top of the bridge and enhance the bridge’s aesthetics. Because it connects two downtowns, there is an opportunity to improve not only its function but also its form and create an aesthetically pleasing public space for pedestrians and bicyclists. The project limits extend from the intersection with Route 34 (Main Street) in Derby to the west end of the Derby-Shelton Bridge and includes the connections to Canal Street.  This is part of a series of improvements along the Route 34 corridor in recent years.

The $6.3 million contract was awarded to Mohawk Northeast, Inc. Construction. The bid was almost $1.5 million below its pre-bid estimate on the work, completion of which should be December 2023.

Please visit this project’s webpage for more information.

New Survey for the West Main Street Corridor Study in Waterbury

West Main Street going east facing the Green

NVCOG, in coordination with the City of Waterbury and the CT Department of Transportation, is studying the corridor of West Main Street from the underpass of Route 8 to the Waterbury Green. The intent of the study is to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities of this stretch of road to develop solutions that improve safety for all users including pedestrians, cyclists, public transit riders, and drivers.

As part of this process, we’d like to gather feedback from the public to provide a unique perspective on how the roadway is currently used and how it could better serve your needs in the future.

Please answer the following questions and check out our project website for more information! https://www.westmainstudy.com/

 

Survey in English or Encuesta en Español

 



Bethlehem Organic Compost Facility Plans to be Aired
Main Street Bethlehem
Original Press Release


Posted on March 8, 2021


Residents in the next 60 days will have continued opportunities to voice their comments or concerns about an organic composting facility proposed on nearly 70 acres at 331 and 351 Main St. South.


The first is at a virtual town meeting, planned for March 23, at which voters will decide whether to adopt a noise ordinance, which was drafted in part as a response to citizens’ expressing apprehension about truck and machine sounds echoing from the facility.


In addition, a hearing is scheduled for April 27 on a revised application for a town permit to operate the facility. At this hearing residents can express their views about the plans from Grillo Services, LLC of Milford, developers of the site.


Town officials said that these are part of the necessary steps toward a decision on whether this business can create on the property various forms of mulch, top soil and other soil-related materials. They are sold on the bulk, commercial and residential markets.


The company plans on receiving trees, brush, leaves and demolition items that are separated for use or discarded.


Town and state permits are required for the composting and other plans for the property. None have been granted yet for this site because reviews are still underway.


Bethlehem First Selectman Leonard Assard said that the go-ahead to a town meeting for the noise ordinance came at Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.


A recent hearing on the ordinance — the first for this small community — produced questions about its effects on residents’ everyday lives and some opposition to putting more regulations on the community.


The local measure would apply to all businesses and residents in the town. In essence, it says people risk sanctions and a possible $100 maximum fine if noise reaches beyond property boundaries in excess of 55 decibels between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., or in excess of 45 decibels between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. This also applies to motor vehicles and there are exceptions.


“This ordinance is really designed for the constant noise that’s there all day long,” Assard said trying to reassure residents concerned about incidental noise, such as early-morning lawn mowing or excessively loud parties.


In those instances, the police would ask those responsible to stop or quiet down the noise, he said. Repeat offenders, however, could be slapped with a summons. A copy of the full ordinance is available on the town’s website at ci.bethlehem.ct.us Also meeting Tuesday evening, the town’s Inlands/


Wetlands Agency approved Grillo’s revised application for the permit.


Board Chairman Robert Smith said that this application, unlike an earlier submission, addressed missing issues. It has now been referred to the town’s engineering consultant, LandTech Consultants, Inc., of Westford, Mass., for a detailed analysis.


The board expects that the analysis will be completed for the April 27 hearing and for public review.


In accepting the revised permit application, Smith said that Grillo made certain adjustments and scaled back some of the plans. The full application with reports and maps runs about 600 pages and can be found under the March 2 Inland/ Wetlands Agency agenda on the town website.


For instance, the company at first wanted to include other areas of the property for potential expansion. However, that aspect has been removed based on the panel wanting to limit this permit to just the current proposed operational site, Smith said.


“They will need to come back if they want to do any expansion and go through this process again for review,” he said. Part of the company’s plans involve creating different colored mulch and chemicals are used in that process, the chairman said.


It has now included more storm water mitigation – also known as a “rain garden” – filtering areas close to water courses and property lines. This mitigation helps to sift debris, chemical waste and other solids from water as it moves deeper into soil, Smith said.


Nearby streams and other waterways drain into East Spring Brook that empties into the Watertown Fire District’s well fields, which help provide drinking water for sections of Watertown, he said.


“We want to make sure that it doesn’t get contaminated. That’s the biggest concern, the groundwater contamination for us. Groundwater eventually becomes drinking water,” Smith said.


Southbury Will Use Planning Consultant for Now
Original Press Release


Posted on March 8, 2021


The Board of Selectmen approved a restructuring of its land-use department in an effort to stabilize planning, which, town officials say has been in transition since the retirement of longtime land-use official DeLoris Curtis two years ago.


First Selectman Jeffery A. Manville said the town will rely on a consultant from the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments to assist with planning issues on a month-tomonth basis at $2,100 per month.


Curtis, who died four months after her retirement, ran both the administrative and planning sides of the department in her job as land use administrator. Manville said replacing Curtis has been a challenge and the position has not been filled in more than a year.


The town recently named Jessica Townsend the interim land use administrator, but she will not have her planning certification for another four years. For now, Manville said, her role will mainly be administrative.


Keith Rosenfeld, a longtime planner from COG for towns like Naugatuck, Southington and Waterbury, will devote two days a week to Southbury, working on various development plans.


Manville said the town has attempted to hire a new town planner, but no qualified candidates could both administrative and planning work.


The first selectman said the town is moving toward online permitting, which should alleviate the workload in the landuse office, particularly on the building department side. Selectman Emily Harrison was concerned that the level of planning might fall off with an outside consultant to replace “such an important role,” especially with regard to the Plan of Conservation and Development.


Manville said additional assistance could be called in if needed for certain applications.


Manville said the savings to the town would be about $10,000 a year, a figure Selectman Mike Rosen wondered might not be worth it, considering all that could be lost.


But Manville said the move was just a better plan overall and not about saving money.


“We are trying to have continuity of planning over time, institutional knowledge,” Manville said. “This gives us a way to stabilize the planning side of our needs.”


Rosen said he is generally in favor of promoting from within, but is concerned about the length of time before Townsend could become involved in planning. He suggested implementing the new plan while searching for a fulltime planner.


Manville said he does not see the benefit in going back out for applicants, adding that his goal is to stabilize the planning side of the department.


Manville said COG provides all these services now to other towns, including Beacon Falls and Seymour, and having a variety of planning specialists and a relationship with COG for collaboration and assistance on other issues even after Townsend gets her certification is important.


TOD Economic Opportunities Webinar Informs Local Leaders of Tools for Possibilities
Anosnia Train Station
As part of the Route 8 and Waterbury Branch Line Corridor TOD and Alternative Modes Project, the NVCOG, and its consultant team of AECOM and CDM Smith, is investigating how to improve service on the Waterbury Rail Line and assessing the opportunities for creating Transit-Oriented Developments (TOD) in the vicinity of the Waterbury rail line stations. To date, the project team has looked at the existing conditions along the Waterbury rail line, interviewed passengers to get their opinions on current service and what is needed, held a series of TOD opportunity workshops in WRL host communities, developed a recommended rail improvement program and assessed the possibility of implementing a bus rapid transit (BRT) system within the Route 8 corridor. To learn more about the project and view published documents, please visit the project website at rt8corridorstudy.com.


The webinar was open to municipal officials, city/town planners, economic development staff,  commission members, and other elected officials with the public able to watch a live stream. While the focus is on the Waterbury rail line corridor and the host communities, this tool may be of interest to other cities and towns and we are encouraging anyone interested to view a recording of this webinar on the NVCOG YouTube Channel.


Presentation Slides


Any public comment can be submitted to Mark Nielsen at (203) 757-5305 or mnielsen@nvcogct.gov


Contract Awarded For Derby-Shelton Bridge Renovation
Derby Shelton Bridge design
For Immediate Release: February 1, 2021


Contacts:

Mark Nielsen

Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments

203-757-0535

mnielsen@nvcogct.org


CONTRACT AWARDED FOR DERBY-SHELTON BRIDGE RENOVATION


A contract to renovate the Derby Shelton-Bridge was awarded by the State of Connecticut on January 26, 2021. The project will create an aesthetically pleasing public space along the Derby-Shelton Bridge and provide an attractive gateway that is pedestrian and bicycle friendly to the downtown areas of Derby and Shelton.


The $6.3 million contract was awarded to Mohawk Northeast, Inc. Construction is scheduled to begin by April 1st, 2021, with an estimated completion date of December 2023. The bid was awarded almost $1.5 million below its pre-bid estimate.


The project design was performed by AECOM under contract to the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG). Details include:


• The replacement of bridge parapet walls; The new parapet will feature a solid concrete wall similar in design to the existing wall with decorative railings similar in style to railings in the adjacent Veteran’s Memorial Park in Shelton. The railing treatment and its placement along the parapet will provide safety, as well as aesthetically attractive sightlines.


• The removal of existing lighting and replacement with period style lights that both enhance the presence of the bridge at night and comply with dark sky guidelines. The project also includes colored LED “up-lighting” that will accent the archways and parapets from below the bridge and can be changed and programmed depending on the season or special events.


• Roadway improvements will include adding a second travel lane for traffic heading to Derby, new pavement and curbing, and the shifting of the travel lanes to accommodate wider sidewalks on the south side of the bridge and a bi-directional cycle-track to separate bicyclists from both vehicle traffic and pedestrians.


The project marks the second major element of a three-part plan developed by the NVCOG to improve traffic flow and pedestrian experience connecting Derby and Shelton, according to NVCOG Executive Director Rick Dunne. “Beginning with the expansion of the Atwater Bridge crossing of the Naugatuck River on Route 34, which was completed in 2017, the three projects span two rivers from the east bank of the Naugatuck River, through downtown Derby and across to the west bank of the Housatonic River at Canal Street in Shelton”, said Dunne. “As the Derby-Shelton Bridge project commences with construction”, according to Dunne “The final phase, a complete reconstruction of Main and lower Elizabeth streets in Derby will be advertised for bid by July 2021. The Main Street project is expected to be completed in 2024”.


The Derby-Shelton Bridge project will also offer connectivity with the existing Housatonic Riverwalk trail network in Shelton and the Naugatuck River Greenway in Derby. The project limits will extend from the Bridge Street intersection with Main Street in Derby to the west end of the Derby-Shelton Bridge and along the SE Ramp to Canal Street.


“We’re excited with the announcement of state’s contract award for this project,” said Mark Nielsen, NVCOG Director of Planning. “Multiple public workshops were held in 2020 to ensure residents and stakeholders had an opportunity to provide input into the design. Several changes were made to plans because of comments we received, and the final result will benefit the Valley with an improved gateway into both cities.”


Initial funding to get the project started was obtained through the efforts of State Reps. Jason Perillo and Nicole Klarides-Ditria along with former State Reps. Themis Klarides and Linda Gentile. “Without their efforts, it is doubtful the project would be built,” said Nielsen.


“This is a special bridge with tremendous historical significance,” said Rep. Jason Perillo, R-113, Deputy House Republican Leader. “As Shelton’s downtown sees continued private investment, improvements like this make these and future projects more attractive to investors, residents, and visitors. This will become a new and beautiful gateway to Shelton over the Housatonic.”


“Smart investments like these do more than strengthen our infrastructure, they yield incredible results for the people of Derby and Shelton, including boosting local business and connecting our communities even further,” Rep. Klarides-Ditria, R-105, said. “I’m pleased this project is moving ahead and look forward to seeing the bridge finished.”


–End—


(Details and renderings of the project can be found at: https://nvcogct.gov/project/current-projects/roadway-projects/derby-shelton-bridge-pedestrian-and-bicyclist-enhancements/


New Website for Waterbury West Main Street Corridor Study!
West Main Street going east facing the Green
The Project Team, including the City of Waterbury, NVCOG, CTDOT, and consultants Fuss & O’Neil and Fitzgerald & Halliday, have launched www.westmainstudy.com to provide easy access to project developments, documents, events, and public input. The intent of the study is to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities of this stretch of road to develop solutions that improve safety for all users including pedestrians, cyclists, public transit riders, and drivers.


An interactive map will allow you to pinpoint locations that have issues related to mobility along West Main Street. The mapping tool also allows you to provide comments associated with those locations. Your input will guide the Project Team in identifying existing issues and needed improvements within the study area.


Also, follow the West Main Street Corridor Study on Facebook!