Governor Tours Somersville Mill Site

Governor Dannel Malloy and DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee joined a number of Somers officials to view the site of the fire-ravaged former Somersville Mill Friday.

The building was destroyed by an arson fire on June 2, 2012, and has been a pile of rubble for more than three years.

“My main objective was for him to view the mill site to that he gets to see for himself the magnitude of this site and the effect it has in the neighborhood,” Somers First Selectman Lisa Pellegrini said. “A picture is worth a thousand words, so seeing the site up close and personal packs a pretty powerful punch. I also wanted to share with him how we see the outcome. Cleaned up and productive. We would like to restore the natural beauty of the Scantic River banks. Being able to provide some type of public access for recreational activities would be such a wonderful thing for families in town. We also would like to get it back on the tax roll and have it producing revenue. Thus, it is important to find a good partner to work with. The key to do that is obtaining the necessary funding to clean it up. I believe it would be a worthwhile and necessary project and I believe that the state does as well.”

Pellegrini said the town has received a Brownfield Assessment Grant from the DECD for Phase I and Phase II Environmental Studies.

“I greatly appreciate all the support we have received from DECD Deputy Director Tim Sullivan, DEEP Brownfield Coordinator Mark Lewis and DEEP Director of Open Spaces Graham Stevens, but there is still much more to do and we need the help. Together we can do this,” she said.

Malloy and Klee were very supportive during the meeting.

“We know what we have to do and we will continue to work with our partners from the state going forward,” Pellegrini said.

Photo credits: Megan Davis