Stonington pushes on with efforts for Connecticut Casting Mill site
Other possibilities discussed Thursday aside from an inn included brewery tours, a wedding venue and artist workshops that tie in with the products made over the years in the mill.
Stonington — The Board of Selectmen met Thursday with an environmental consulting firm, the latest step in an ongoing effort to come up with a plan to clean up and reuse the contaminated former Connecticut Casting Mill property in Pawcatuck.
First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough also said Thursday that the owner of the Stillman Avenue property, Pawcatuck Landing LLC, has barred the town from going onto the property to conduct a preliminary environmental assessment. The town needs that assessment to apply for state and federal grants to further assess and clean up the contamination and ultimately redevelop the site.
The group has barred the town from the site, even though it owes the town almost $700,000 for demolishing the mill and hauling away the contaminated debris after a portion of the structure collapsed into the Pawcatuck River last year. The town undertook the work and placed a lien on the property after Pawcatuck Landing LLC refused to
address the problem.
The town now is pursuing legal options to access the property.
The town faces a myriad of obstacles in order to successfully reuse the site. Chesebrough said that every week, she and town staff are meeting with state officials, environmental experts and others to move forward with the project.
The last environmental assessment of the site was done in 2005 by Alta Engineering, the firm that met with selectmen on Thursday and explained that in order to apply for grants to develop a comprehensive environmental remediation plan, perform the actual cleanup and the develop the site, the town must have a preliminary environmental assessment and a plan that shows possible redevelopment options. That work also would help attract developers.
The town also learned Thursday that it would be in a better position to obtain grant funding if it does not yet own the property, which it could take from Pawcatuck Landing LLC in a foreclosure action.
Chesebrough said residential use, such as apartments, would not be a feasible option due to issues such as flood regulations and the number of units needed to make such a project viable.
She said a commercial use, such as an inn, might be viable and she plans to discuss that possibility with officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection when she meets with them next week.
Other possibilities discussed Thursday with Alta Engineering included brewery tours, a wedding venue and artist workshops that tie in with the products made over the years in the mill. Chesebrough said any use would have to be compatible with the neighborhood and the people who live there.
While water access and some park space might be part of any project, Chesebrough said, “just making it a park would never recoup the money we’ve spent on it.” In addition, the state would not offer grant money for just a park.