Public Scoping Meeting Disposition of the Greater Hartford Campus - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Public Scoping Meeting Disposition of the Greater Hartford Campus Presented by: David Murphy, P.E., CFM Jason Coite, P.E. Senior Project Manager Environmental Compliance Manager University of Connecticut Milone & MacBroom, Inc. August 12, 2014

Purpose of Scoping Meeting  Provide background information on the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA) and the project  Present the project scope and objectives  Describe the local, regional, and state plans and the environmental conditions that will frame the evaluation under CEPA  Provide information relative to the overall schedule and future efforts of the project  Provide a forum for gathering input  Understand the areas of public interest and identify questions to be answered 2

What is CEPA? 1. A State act that applies to certain publicly funded projects. 2. A process of evaluating environmental impacts through an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) such that they can be avoided, minimized, and mitigated. 3. Provides a mechanism for early planning and coordination among interested parties, including the public at large. 3

CEPA Components  Define Project Purpose and Need  Evaluate Alternatives  Define Affected Environment and Existing Local, Regional, and State Plans  Evaluate Potential Impacts  Identify Mitigation for Unavoidable Impacts  Incorporate Public Input 4

Project Purpose and Need  Cease operations at the campus located in West Hartford  Allow for reuse or redevelopment by an entity other than UConn  Relocation of the campus operations to the downtown Hartford site is not part of the project; this has been addressed separately 5

Description of Existing Site and Facilities  Area is 58 acres  Harleigh B. Tracker Library  School of Social Work  Undergraduate building  Information Technology Center  Facilities Operations building  Parking for 1,050 vehicles  Ball fields leased by the Town for Little League, etc.  Serves approximately 1,400 undergraduate and 1,520 full- and part-time graduate students  Approximately 410 faculty and other affiliated or non-affiliated staff 6

Alternatives to Evaluate 1. Demolition of campus improvements 2. Stabilizing and securing campus buildings and grounds (“mothballing”) 3. Reuse by an institute of higher education 4. Reuse and/or redevelopment by a state agency or municipality 5. Redevelopment for commercial and/or residential use 6. No action (remains an active UConn campus) 7

Impact Analysis Physical Natural Socioeconomic • Air Air Q Quali lity • Geology, T Topograp raphy & y & • Land Use & e & Zonin ing Soils ils • Noise & & Light • State, L St Loca cal & & Ca Camp mpus • Surface Water er R Res esources Master P Pla lanning • Traffic, P Parking & & Circula lation • Grou oundwater R Resou ources • Open pen S Spa pace e & Farmla land • Public lic U Utili ilitie ies • Floodpla plain ins • Public lic H Healt lth & & Safety • Potable W Water er Suppl pply • Wetla lands • Economy, E Employm yment & Income • Stormwat ater D r Drai rainage • Fisheries • Envir ironmen ental J l Justic ice • Solid & & Hazardo dous • Pla lants & & Wild ildlife/ S State Waste Lis isted S Spec pecies • Communit ity Facilit lities & ies & Service ces • Aest sthet etic ic R Resources es • Specimen Tr Trees • Cultural Re Cu Resources Source: UConn 8

Existing Local, Regional, and State Plans State Conservation and Development Policies Plan 2013-2018  Entire site is within Priority Funding Area (PFA)  Conservation Areas are associated with wetlands and flood zones  Balanced PFAs are mapped where they overlap GIS files provided by CT OPM 9

Existing Local, Regional, and State Plans Capital Region Council of Governments Regional Plan, 2009  “Higher Intensity Development Area” Image courtesy of CRCOG Regional Plan 10

Existing Local, Regional, and State Plans West Hartford Plan of Conservation and Development, 2009-2019  Consider socioeconomic linkages with the Bishop's Corner neighborhood  Consider linkages to surrounding residential areas and recreational resources 11

Affected Environment Floodplains and Floodway  Flood risk zones mainly associated with tributaries of Trout Brook  Stream is partly contained in culverts GIS files provided by FEMA 12

Affected Environment Wetlands and Wildlife  Wetlands present  Threatened and endangered species are not listed for the site or vicinity GIS files provided by CT DEEP 13

Affected Environment Hazardous Building Materials, Waste, and Other Hazardous Materials  Asbestos containing building materials  Other materials and fluids presently or formerly on site:  Diesel oil  Elevator hydraulic oil  Gasoline tanks (removed)  Fuel oil tanks (removed) 14

Potential Mitigation for Impacts  Appropriately remove and dispose of hazardous materials and hazardous building materials that may be found  Avoid direct impacts to wetlands  Avoid filling or development in floodplains  Support local plans for West Hartford and the Bishop’s Corner neighborhood  Provide mitigation for adverse traffic impacts  Avoid overburdening town services 15

Next Steps  Review public and State Agency comments received tonight and before the deadline of August 17, 2014  Determine one of the following: o Proceed to EIE per CEPA o EIE not necessary per CEPA o Postpone determination to a later date  Subsequent steps to be determined based on identification of a preferred alternative 16

Comments & Questions  Comments and questions regarding the project and/or the CEPA process may be directed to: Jason Coite, P.E. Environmental Compliance Manager University of Connecticut 31 LeDoyt Road Storrs, CT Phone: 860-486-9305 Fax: 860-486-5477 E-Mail: jason.coite@uconn.edu  Deadline for Written Comments is August 17, 2014  Verbal comments are welcome tonight 17

UConn Websites UConn Office of Environmental Policy http://www.envpolicy.uconn.edu/eie.html UConn Planning, Architecture and Engineering Services http://paes.uconn.edu/GHCDisposition.html 18