Public hearing scheduled on Derby water tank project

The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority is making another try at building a milliongallon emergency water tank in Derby, but this time it’s near the city’s high and middle schools and the former VARCA building, not in a residential area.

The public will get the chance to learn more about the project and voice their opinions during a hearing Thursday at the Authority’s offices at 90 Sergeant Drive, off the Long Wharf exit of Interstate 95 in New Haven. The hearing will begin at 7 p.m.

Anyone wanting to review the application and its accompanying documents can do so at the Authority between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.

If approved, a final design would be completed by March and construction would be scheduled to begin in June and run through February. The cost of the project is estimated at $4.5 million.

The proposal is the Authority’s second attempt in recent years at building an emergency tank to service Ansonia, Derby and Seymour.

A2012 proposal to build a two-million-gallon tank on Telescope Mountain on Summit Street — which is near a residential area — was shot down by city officials and residents.

At the time, residents claimed the required blasting to build the 130-foot-high tank on 2.7 acres of land at the end of Mountain Road near St. Peter and St. Paul cemetery would create environmental problems, damage foundations and impact property values.

Then-Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri said he opposed the project because the road could not handle the number of heavy trucks coming through. A change that would have moved the tank further back on the site also failed.

The Water Authority then evaluated over 100 other sites with a suitable elevation for the tank before settling on 2.15 acres on the northern portion of the school complex on Nutmeg Avenue. The land would be leased from the city for $1 for 99 years, with the option for two 99-year extensions.

Additionally, the Authority is negotiating with St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ansonia to purchase a parcel near the proposed tank’s site to be used as access. The parcel once served as picnic grounds for church outings. A portion of that property would be paved and used as a parking lot for the former VARCA building.

Derby Mayor Richard Dziekan said he believes the project now being proposed will be approved.

“It’s a totally different animal this time,” he said. “They are building on a ledge. There won’t be any blasting. They won’t be hauling truckloads of rock. All the access will be through Coon Hollow Road, not on a residential street.”

Dziekan said the construction is expected to place during summer months, so as not to impact activities at the schools.

“The tank will look like the one on Grassy Hill Road in Orange — if you’re not looking for it, you won’t see it,” the mayor said.

Charles Sampson, a former fire chief and president of the Derby Board of Aldermen, said the tank is a necessity.

“Water pressure on the city’s west side is nowhere it needs to be right now, particularly when the department is fighting a fire there,” he said. “Additionally, anytime we loose water pressure the department has to send a truck to Griffin Hospital to pump water into their system.”

On Oct. 21, 2011, there was a water main failure near the intersection of routes 34 and 8 which left the hospital without water for a period of time, forcing it to cancel scheduled surgeries.

The alderman have ap- proved using open space for the project and replacing it with former United Illuminating property near Witek Park.

Sampson said the open space for the proposed tank was never used as a walking trail.

Site work calls for a driveway, construction area and parking from Chatfield Street and secondary emergency access from Nutmeg Avenue. Approximately 200 linear feet for a 12-inch water main would be constructed from the tank to the Authority’s distribution system along Chatfield.

If the proposal is approved, the tank would be used to stabilize pressure, improve flows for firefighting, provide storage during peak demand times and to be available in case of water main breakages.