Enfield Moves to Acquire Property for Public Parking in Hazardville

The Enfield Town Council authorized the Town Manager to enter into an agreement to purchase the Connecticut Valley Oil Company property on Hazard Ave. The acquisition would allow the town to create a public parking lot for use with the Hazardville Institute and for businesses in Hazardville.

In advance of the regular meeting Monday evening, a public hearing was conducted in Council Chambers. A handful of residents turned out to share their opinions about the plan. While some had questions about funding, environmental and usage concerns, everyone who spoke supported the plan.

“The parking dilemma has been the white elephant in the room since the conservancy was formed in 1979. We have diligently worked to restore the building always having faith that a parking solution would be found,” said Gretchen Pfeifer-Hall, President of the Hazardville Institute Conservancy Society.

Councilman William Lee, a member of the Conservancy, spoke about the plans for the Hazardville Institute. The deed for the Institute stipulates an educational and cultural enlightenment usage for the propety. The conservancy won a state social services grant which provided funds for the restoration of the building.

As a condition of the grant funds, “the State requires that the building maintain public access for the next 50 years,” Lee said.

The Conservancy has been reviewing possible uses for the building. They plan to have a meeting room on the lower level which will be offered to various civic groups for meeting space. The remaining space on the first floor would be devoted to historical exhibits. The second floor may be offered for commercial rental to generate revenue for upkeep costs. The possibility of offering the second floor office space to the Enfield Municipal Probate was also suggested.

Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 environmental surveys have already been conducted on the property by Milone and MacBroom, Inc. The Phase 2 found contamination from a old kerosene tank. The consultant estimated the cost of cleanup to be $12,000 to $15,000. This would cover the cost of digging up the contaminated areas and the hauling and removal of the hazardous materials.

The purchase of the property will be paid for through unspent funds from two completed capital improvement projects. The Council voted to transfer some $97,000 from the Pearl St. library renovation and approximately $60,000 from the North Gate streetscape. Both projects were completed to specifications, and the monies resulted from overestimates of total costs. In total, $157,475.84 was made available for the purchase of the property and improvements to the parking lot.

The parking lot would be available for the public to use, not only to access the Institute, but for general parking in Hazardville. The town has sought a solution to the difficult parking situation along Hazard Ave. for years, and the acquisition represents a significant step towards resolving the problem.

“We have a very limited ability to acquire any property in the area, specifically for the institute and for shops in the area. It would be a shame to let the opportunity go by,” said Councilman Patrick Crowley, speaking in favor of the proposal.

Both the resolution to authorized entering into a purchase agreement for Connecticut Valley Oil and the transfer the funds passed unanimously.

In other business, the Council heard a presentation on the options available for trash disposal when the contract with Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (CRRA) expires in November 2012. The town may choose to accept one of the two proposals of the Central Connecticut Solid Waste Authority (CCSWA) or go out to a general bidding process.

Town Manager Matt Coppler suggested the bidding process because a third vendor, Covanta, who was not one of the CCSWA vendors, had submitted the guidelines of a proposal offering potentially significant savings to the town for waste disposal.

The two CCSWA approved vendors were Murphy Road Recycling, LLC and the CRRA. The council gave its consensus to Coppler to proceed with the plan to open the waste disposal contract to bidders.