Politics & Government
Dunn to meet with state DEEP on Iroquois expansion
First selectman also seeking moratorium on multi-family housing
By Scott Benjamin
BROOKFIELD – First Selectman Steve Dunn says “residents have to realize that the town has very little control” over Iroquois Gas Transmission System’s application to double the size of the natural gas compressor station that it has operated near High Meadow Lane since 2009.
In an interview with Patch.com, Dunn, a Democrat, said that he will be meeting during the week of August 19 with a deputy commissioner of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
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That agency will rule on the air quality provisions, but most of the application will be considered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Dunn commented, “No Brookfield zoning ordinance or charter can impact this. It is [largely] managed and regulated by FERC.”
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Residents have organized to seek to have Iroquois’ application denied. They have indicated safety concerns since the 80-acre site near High Meadow Lane is close to a neighborhood and to Whisconier Middle School.
The initial compressor was first proposed in 2001 and after it was approved by FERC in 2006, Republican then-First Selectmen Jerry Murphy and other selectmen opted not to appeal the decision.
At the time, Murphy said that the two town counsels – Thomas Beecher and Fran Collins – had advised against taking that step because of the costs involved and the unlikely prospect that the decision would be overturned. Murphy said that then-state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal called him at home and said that he had had better cases than this at the state level that he had not sought to appeal.
Regarding the possibility of an appeal on the current application, Dunn said, “We would have to go into federal court to do this. We would have to sue FERC. It would take hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.”
Dunn said that Beecher, who is again serving as the town attorney, has said that his firm is not equipped to argue an appeal and such an action would require hiring two teams of attorneys – one based in Connecticut and the other in Washington, D.C.
Dunn said that based on the information already provided by Iroquois, the air quality would be within the acceptable limits administered by the DEEP.
“An appeal doesn’t seem to be a good option,” the first selectman said. “There is a one percent chance of winning.”
Regarding Iroquois’ relationship with the town, Dunn said, “I think for the most part they have been a good corporate citizen.”
He commented that they have cooperated with municipal emergency personnel on evacuation plans and made contributions to the local schools and other organizations for about 20 years.
“I would like to see Iroquois be more involved in the town.” Dunn remarked. “To make a larger contribution to the town. They’re going to be spending upwards of $100 million on this plant expansion. I would like them to pay for all solar on our schools They have made contributions with what is not a huge amount of money.”
“If you’re going to be in a town and you are going to have a $200 million facility, we think you should really be part of the town,” he added. “They pay taxes. We’d love to seen them make a pro-active commitment to the town by helping the town. Make a contribution for a community center. Make a contribution for a new police station. Make a real commitment to the community.,”
On another topic, Dunn said the communications tower at Vale Road is up and the equipment should start to be installed within weeks. He said the nearly $6 million in equipment will provide better communications.
Police and fire personnel have spoken to the selectmen in recent months regarding getting better coverage through the northeast part of Brookfield.
Dunn said two proposed sites were rejected along Long Meadow Hill Road earlier this year because of their proximity to Brookfield High School and concerns raised by neighbors. He said sites are being considered now just outside Williams Park and the selectmen are awaiting coverage maps from the Connecticut Siting Council.
He said the selectmen will need to consider the options and if they proceed with the proposed tower then they will then schedule a public hearing and a special town meeting to get the project approved.
On a separate issue, Dunn said he hopes the town will establish a moratorium in the near future on multi-family housing in the 198-acre Brookfield Town Center near the Four Corners intersection of Federal Road.
He said that he has spoken with Zoning Commission Chairman Curtis Timmerman about taking that step following the recent surge of multi-family housing north of the Four Corners. Dunn said he would like to keep a moratorium in place until the town’s updated Plan of Conservation & Development is completed.
“It is too dense,” Dunn declared. “It is too much, too quickly, and we need to take a step back.”
State Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding (R-30) of Brookfield said, “Four Corners used to be a quaint part of town,” Harding added. “I think the original vision was an area with commercial space with some apartments above it. It has expanded though [beyond that] through the northern section [of Brookfield Town Center]. It is too dense.”
Said Dunn, “Some of it is great. Some of it is not as great. We only get one shot at this,” Dunn explained. “Every time you put up a building, it is going to be there for 50 or 60 years minimum. We have to get it right the first time.”
He said he is pleased with the development of Emporium Plaza on five acres south of the Four Corners. That project will include a supermarket, smaller retail outlets and housing above those businesses.
On a separate subject, Brookfield has taken initial steps toward two potential future construction projects.
A committee has been established to consider renovating the former Center Elementary School into a community center. Bob Zinser, who had headed an earlier committee regarding that studied uses for the school, will chair the panel.
The school closed last year when the $78.1 million Candlewood Lake Elementary School (CLES) went into operation.
Dunn, who was first selectman when the (CLES) was approved in 2019 at referendum, said it “is probably one of the best elementary schools in the country.”
He said the renovations to the parking area and other work should soon be completed.
The selectmen also are currently seeking prospective candidates for a seven-member ad-hoc committee that will study increasing police operations in town.
Dunn said their charge will be to determine if the current headquarters on Silvermine Road should be expanded or if a new facility should be built.
Dunn emphasized that the current facility, which opened in the 1980s, doesn’t conform with federal standards.
On another topic, he said the town’s fund balance currently stands at 18 percent, the highest level in at least many years, if not ever.
Brookfield has an AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s. He said that the rating agencies have become more “risk-averse” and are usually requiring fund balances of 18 to 20 percent to acquire an AAA rating. Not long ago the magic figure was 15 percent.
Dunn said that the pensions are currently 102 percent funded. He has indicated that the actuaries indicate that 80 percent or better is considered excellent.
Regarding the national election, Dunn said he has been encouraged by the “record crowds” attending Vice President Kamala Harris’s rallies as she secures the Democratic presidential nomination.
Former White House Political Director Karl Rove, who served under Republican former President George W. Bush, wrote in his Wall Street Journal column that many of the unaffiliated voters vote regularly with one of the major parties even though they are not registered with that party.
He stated that University of Missouri political scientist John R. Petrocik stated in a recent report that that voter “without a tilt toward either party” make up roughly 15 percent of the electorate.”
Rove, who forecasts a close general election vote between Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump, the former president, stated that that group of unaffiliated voters could make a difference.
Dunn said, “I think a vast majority [of unaffiliated voters] lean one way or the other. However, I can’t prove it.”
He said that he has been a Democrat his whole life, “but I have voted for many Republicans. I vote for the best person for the position.”
Resources:
Interview with Steve Dunn, Patch.com, on Thursday, August 8, 2024.
Interview with Stephen Harding, Patch.com, on Sunday, August 4, 2024.
