Harbor Commission (Application Review Committee)

CITY OF NORWALK JOINT MEETING OF THE APPLICATION REVIEW COMMITTEE AND HARBOR MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AUGUST 26, 2020 ATTENDANCE: John Romano, Chair; John Crespo, Matt Gifford, Alan Kibbe, Chris MacDonnell, Jeffrey Mangels, Tony Mobilia, Dr. John Pinto, Dennis Santella STAFF: Bryan Baker, City of Norwalk Land Use Planner OTHERS: Geoff Steadman, Consultant; Steve Bartush, Shellfish Commission; Pete Johnson, Shellfish Commission; Joe Schnierlein, Water Quality; Wayne D’Avanzo, P.E, Fairfield County Engineering, LLC; Tom Quinn, P.E., Peak Engineers, LLC; Atty. Adam Blank, Wofsey, Rosen, Kwesking & Kuriansky, LLP; Andy Soumeidis, P.E., LandTech Group; Atty. Elizabeth Suchy, Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey, LLP; Igor Madrit, Go Green Dry Cleaners Vice President; Christopher Samorajczyk, Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Office of Environmental Planning; Chet Muckenhirn, Cianbro Senior Project Manager; Lauren DiGovanni, HNTB, Denise Young This meeting was conducted by Zoom/Teleconference. The public was able to listen to this meeting by calling a conference line. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Romano called the Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee and the Harbor Commission to order at 5:00 p.m. A quorum was present. 1. 28 1/2 Shorefront Park, Norwalk Connecticut. Kevin Foley (Applicant), proposes to Construct a 4' by 68' piling-supported timber pier, 3' by 40' aluminum ramp, and 8' by 20' piling anchored timber floating dock for private recreational boating. Dr. Pinto said that Mr. Hiltz had submitted the application. While the preliminary plans have been submitted, but the Shellfish Commission has not performed a site visit yet. Mr. MacDonnell asked if the dock was resting on the bottom at low tide. Dr. Pinto said that there were skids to prevent the dock from resting on the bottom. City of Norwalk Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee Harbor Management Commission August 26, 2020 Page 1 Mr. Bartush said that he would object to the application because the 60-day decision window was too tight. Dr. Pinto pointed out that they would still be within the 60-day window if they waited to next month. A discussion followed regarding the Governor’s easement of timelines due to COVID-19. Mr. Steadman pointed out that the plans were not stamped by a professional engineer. He noted that when the drawing are released for the public, they usually have the appropriate stamp. ** DR. PINTO MOVED TO APPROVE THE PRE APPLICATION FOR 28 1/2 SHOREFRONT PARK, NORWALK CONNECTICUT INVOLVING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 4' BY 68' PILING-SUPPORTED TIMBER PIER, 3' BY 40' ALUMINUM RAMP, AND 8' BY 20' PILING ANCHORED TIMBER FLOATING DOCK FOR PRIVATE RECREATIONAL BOATING GOING FORWARD CONTINENT ON APPROVAL BY THE SHELLFISH COMMISSION AND A JOINT SITE VISIT WITH THE SHELLFISH COMMISSION AND THE HARBOR MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AND SUBJECT TO THE REVIEW OF THE FINAL SET OF PLANS. ** MR. MACDONNELL SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 2. 4 Westmere Avenue, Norwalk Connecticut. CAM application. 4 Westmere LLC has applied for a Coastal Site Plan application to construct a second- floor addition to the existing footprint of a single family residence. The proposed alterations to the single-family residence will decrease the impervious surfaces on the property by approximately 350 square feet. Stormwater runoff from the property will be controlled following installation of 3 Cultec C-100 retention chambers. Mr. Wayne D’Avanzo, a professional engineer with the LandTech Group located in Westport, CT, then presented the proposal and explained that the impervious surface would be reduced by having a smaller driveway. The WPCA and DPW have both signed off on the project. Mr. Steadman said that it would be important to ensure that the project would be found to be in compliance with the City’s stormwater run-off requirements. ** DR. PINTO MOVED TO APPROVE THE CAM APPLICATION FOR 4 WESTMERE AVENUE, NORWALK CONNECTICUT INVOLVING CONSTRUCTION OF A SECOND FLOOR ADDITION TO THE EXISTING FOOTPRINT OF A SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCE. THE PROPOSED ALTERATIONS TO THE SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCE WILL DECREASE THE IMPERVIOUS SURFACES ON THE PROPERTY BY APPROXIMATELY City of Norwalk Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee Harbor Management Commission August 26, 2020 Page 2 350 SQUARE FEET. STORMWATER RUNOFF FROM THE PROPERTY WILL BE CONTROLLED FOLLOWING INSTALLATION OF 3 CULTEC C-100 RETENTION CHAMBERS UTILIZING THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND IN ACCORD WITH THE STORMWATER RUN OFF BECAUSE IT REDUCES THE STORMWATER RUN OFF AND WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE WATER QUALITY. ** MR. MANGELS SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. 300 Wilson Avenue, Norwalk Connecticut; CAM application. The applicant proposes to change the use of the rear building from a woodworking/manufacturing use to a dry cleaning/personal service and retail use. No changes to the lot are proposed. Atty. Adam Blank presented the application for 300 Wilson Avenue. Mr. Bryan Baker explained that it was a straight-forward change of use. Atty. Blank explained that the original application submission had been incorrect. The application is for a green dry- cleaning business that is located next to the ice hockey rink. The dry-cleaning business is not regulated by the EPA because it is clean and green. The ice hockey rink is already up to code and there will be no changes made to it. Mr. Romano asked for more details about the business. He was told that the retail customers can come in for drop off and pick up, but the bulk of the business will be handled by delivery van. Dr. Pinto has several questions about the type of cleaning methods which Mr. Igor Madrit, the Go Green Dry Cleaners Vice President, answered. The major cleaning will be done by using liquid silicone, a safe, natural byproduct of sand, which is chemically inert. Mr. Romano asked if the floor plans were contained within the existing building. He was told that it would be confined to the inside the current building. DPW has already signed off on the plan but they are waiting on the WPCA approval. The current tenant does utilize toxic chemicals but the new business will not use anything but green methods. Mr. Steadman pointed out that this application was simply a change of use, which is not something that the Harbor Management Commission would have jurisdiction over. Mr. McDonnell said that he had concerns about flooding. Mr. Madrit explained that there would not be any dangerous chemicals on site as they focus on using recycled and green materials. City of Norwalk Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee Harbor Management Commission August 26, 2020 Page 3 ** MR. CRESPO MOVED TO APPROVE THE CAM APPLICATION FOR 300 WILSON AVENUE, NORWALK CONNECTICUT INVOLVING A CHANGE THE USE OF THE REAR BUILDING FROM A WOODWORKING/MANUFACTURING USE TO A DRY CLEANING/PERSONAL SERVICE AND RETAIL USE WITH NO PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE LOT TO MOVE FORWARD PROVIDING THE APPLICANT MEETS BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, ALL FEMA REQUIREMENTS AND DOES NOT DISCHARGE ANYTHING INTO THE SANITARY SEWER. ** MR. MANGELS SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 4. 70 Shorefront Park, Norwalk Connecticut; CAM application. Shorefront Properties, LLC (the Applicant) proposes to construct a new single-family dwelling on the property. The new dwelling will be located on the same general location of an existing FEMA-nonconforming dwelling which will be demolished. No encroachment into adjacent and off-site coastal resources are expected during demolition and construction. Proposed development will increase impervious area by ~1,000 sq ft. Two rain gardens and a raised planting berm are expected to trap water runoff from ~2,600 sq ft impervious surfaces (roof, driveway, walkways and shed). Atty. Suchy presented the application and said Mr. Tom Quinn, the engineer, who designed the new dwelling, would give an overview of project. All the work will be done on the landward side of the mean water line. Mr. Quinn, a profession engineer with Peak Engineers, LLC, explained he had designed a stormwater system. There will be no change to the existing seawall. He displayed a site plan on the screen and indicated where the rain gardens will be located. Regarding erosion controls, all the material will be removed from the site. Mr. Quinn said that the plan meets all the requirements for the City of Norwalk Drainage Management. Mr. Steadman asked about some of the details of the drawing. Mr. Quinn explained that the area Mr. Steadman was asking about already existed and they were not going to be working in that area at all. Mr. Steadman suggested that the Commission adopt some of the language that Mr. Quinn used in his application. Mr. Romano asked about the rain gardens and Mr. Quinn reviewed the details with him. City of Norwalk Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee Harbor Management Commission August 26, 2020 Page 4 ** DR. PINTO MOVED TO APPROVE THE CAM APPLICATION FOR 70 SHOREFRONT PARK, NORWALK CONNECTICUT INVOLVING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING ON THE PROPERTY. THE NEW DWELLING WILL BE LOCATED ON THE SAME GENERAL LOCATION OF AN EXISTING FEMA-NONCONFORMING DWELLING WHICH WILL BE DEMOLISHED. NO ENCROACHMENT INTO ADJACENT AND OFF-SITE COASTAL RESOURCES ARE EXPECTED DURING DEMOLITION AND CONSTRUCTION. PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL INCREASE IMPERVIOUS AREA BY ~1,000 SQ FT. TWO RAIN GARDENS AND A RAISED PLANTING BERM ARE EXPECTED TO TRAP WATER RUNOFF FROM ~2,600 SQ FT IMPERVIOUS SURFACES (ROOF, DRIVEWAY, WALKWAYS AND SHED) AS THE APPLICATION IS CONSISTENT WITH THE HARBOR MANAGEMENT PLAN. ** MR. ROMANO SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 5. 163 Gregory Blvd, Norwalk Connecticut; CAM application. Peter and Diana Cotaling (Applicants) propose to construct a new single-family dwelling on the property which will comply with Zoning regulations and FEMA flood requirements. In two areas on the property, drainage of stormwater will be directed through a piping system to an underground detention system in the proposed driveway prior to water sheet flowing onto Gregory Boulevard. In a third area consisting of the back lawn, stormwater will sheet flow toward Charles Creek. Atty. Suchy presented the application and explained that DPW and the WPCA have not yet given them approvals because they just received the application recently. Mr. Andy Soumeidis, of the LandTech Group, displayed a site plan regarding the site and indicated where the underground retention system was located. The 7 Cultec retention chambers are sufficient for a 25-year storm. He also reviewed the erosion control requirements. ** DR. PINTO APPROVE THE CAM APPLICATION FOR 163 GREGORY BLVD, NORWALK CONNECTICUT INVOLVING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING ON THE PROPERTY WHICH WILL COMPLY WITH ZONING REGULATIONS AND FEMA FLOOD REQUIREMENTS. IN TWO AREAS ON THE PROPERTY, DRAINAGE OF STORMWATER WILL BE DIRECTED THROUGH A PIPING SYSTEM TO AN UNDERGROUND DETENTION SYSTEM IN THE PROPOSED DRIVEWAY PRIOR TO WATER SHEET FLOWING ONTO GREGORY BOULEVARD. IN A THIRD AREA CONSISTING OF THE BACK LAWN, STORMWATER WILL SHEET FLOW TOWARD CHARLES CREEK AS THE APPLICATION IS CONSISTENT WITH THE HARBOR MANAGEMENT PLAN. City of Norwalk Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee Harbor Management Commission August 26, 2020 Page 5 ** MR. MACDONNELL SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. PUBLIC COMMENT Ms. Lisa Shanahan said that she was just present to listen to the CT DOT presentation. STAFF REPORTS: a. Harbor Master - Scully Harbor Master Scully reviewed the details of the recent boat fire and reported that there was only one injury resulting from the explosion. The Sailboat Swanee has been removed from the water. The City now owns the boat and is preparing to auction it off. Harbor Master Scully has been receiving inquiries about mooring and the most common question is about storing dinghies. Many of these boat owners are not member of boat clubs. Mr. McDonnell said that he had been doing some research on where there were public access points to the Harbor. He displayed an aerial view of the Harbor and gave a brief summary of the various locations. The discussion moved to potential parking for dinghy owners and the proximity to moorings. Mr. Steadman suggested that Mr. MacDonnell work with Harbor Master Scully on identifying access points and clarifying the details. 6. Presentation by DOT of the permit modifications to Walk Bridge Project including utilization of Manresa Island as a staging and storage area. Mr. Christopher Samorajczyk, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Office of Environmental Planning and his team narrated a PowerPoint presentation. Mr. Romano reminded everyone that they were not voting on anything at this meeting. Key Points of the presentation given by Mr. Muckenhirn, the Cianbro Senior Project Manager included: • In-Water Work Schedule timeline • Typical Barge and Vessel sizes • Pivot Pier Fender Removal • Vessel Relocation (Option A) and (Option B) along with the Marine City of Norwalk Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee Harbor Management Commission August 26, 2020 Page 6  Staging Yard • IMAX Foundation Removal • Southeast Trestle rendering • Southwest Trestle rendering • Northwest Trestle rendering • Northeast Trestle rendering • Micro-Tunneling with no impact on waterway. • Wetland Mitigation (Area 6) • Dredging • Pier 2 Construction (Including Tower) • Demolition of Tower 529 • Pier 3 Construction (Including Tower) • Erection of West Approach Spans – Southside • Erection of East Approach Spans – Southside • Manresa Island and Lift Span Construction • Partial Swing Demo and South Lift Span Install • Pier Removal • North Lift Span Install • Fender Installation • Sub cable removal At the conclusion of the presentation, the team was available for questions. Mr. Samorajczyk said that he had sent to the Commissioner a link to the presentation. Mr. Steadman asked about the installation of the new bulkheads and the benefits of them to the Marine staging areas. Mr. Steadman also asked about berthing the Marine Aquarium and the Seaport vessels at Manresa Island Marine Staging Area. Regarding the bulkhead, Mr. Muckenhirn explained that the State would be purchasing the properties involved and would be selling the properties after the project is completed. Regarding the vessel relocation, Mr. Muckenhirn said the team prefers Option A, but must wait for the risk assessment report. There have not been any issues with two vessels. Discussion followed. Mr. Steadman asked if there could be a written document containing the questions that were asked at the Manresa Island meeting with the answers. He was told that they were working on the answers and expected to release the document in the coming week. Mr. Mobilia asked about the Marine Police vessels. He was told that they expected to have the Marine Police vessel remain at its current location. City of Norwalk Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee Harbor Management Commission August 26, 2020 Page 7 Mr. MacDonnell asked about the moving of material and staging of the materials. He asked about lead paint containment. Mr. MacDonnell was told that the workers would be following the same process that they do with other lead painted items. They will be collecting the lead paint flakes as they demolish the old bridge. Mr. MacDonnell asked about the assembly process for the fabrication of the various pieces of the towers. He was told that they would be assembling as much as they could at the Manresa staging area before bringing them in via barges. The machinery components will also arrive via barge. Dr. Pinto said that there were concerns about the turbidity data and monitoring the water quality. Ms. Denise Young explained that she had a year’s worth of data from three different sampling stations. So far, the data she had analyzed indicates that the turbidity is naturally occurring and not related to bridge openings or work in progress. Dr. Pinto asked about analysis of the sediment. Ms. Young gave him a brief summary of their findings. Discussion followed about the action levels and the analysis findings. Dr. Pinto asked if there had been an update on Eversource regarding their plans for electrical lines. He was told that the contractors had not heard anything new. Mr. Steadman asked if there was a timeline schedule for applications. Ms. DiGovanni from HNTB explained that they had submitted the appropriate applications and hope to receive approvals for the work soon. Mr. Steadman asked for clarification on Manresa Island. He was told that the contractors had not yet received approval to use Manresa Island. Manresa Island would provide an excellent staging area, but they are considering other sites in case they are not allowed to use the site. Mr. Steadman asked about residents in the nearby apartment buildings being able to stay on site while construction is in progress. Mr. Muckenhirn said that they will have to ask the residents to leave for a few weekends during the dismantling of High Tower 529. Other than that, the residents should be able to stay in their homes. Mr. Roman said that the Commissioners should be thinking about any questions and they could be submitted to the Walk Bridge Team. Mr. Bartush thanked the Walk Bridge Team for answering the questions at the meeting. He asked that the team members be ready to answer the questions at the September 3rd Shellfish Committee meeting. City of Norwalk Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee Harbor Management Commission August 26, 2020 Page 8 Dr. Pinto thanked the Walk Bridge and DEEP team. Mr. Romano said that the presentation was very good. • Shellfish Commission - Johnson, Bartush Mr. Bartush said that there would be a meeting on September 3rd. He wished the best to the Shellfish watermen in the Gulf. Mr. Romano asked Mr. Baker if there was any word about City Hall re-opening for on site meetings. Mr. Baker said that they were still on a very limited operating schedule. • Mooring and Harbor Safety - Santella Renewals are slow this year. There are 46 application and some 30 plus under review. The Harbor Master will be checking on the moorings to ensure that they are compliant. • Finance – Mobilia Mr. Mobilia reviewed the details of the finances. The balance is $21,682. The discussion moved to possibility replacing the Harbor Master’s Boat. • Plans and Recommendations – Mangels Mr. Mangels said that he was trying to meet with the Gardellas and also would be meeting with other marinas. He said that he would like to speak with Mr. Santella about possible dingy storage locations. • Newsletter / Web site - Kibbe No report. • Water Quality - Crespo / Schnierlein Due to the storm the Water Quality meeting was cancelled. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ** MR. GIFFORD MOVED THE MINUTES AS CORRECTED. ** MR. MOBILIA SECONDED. ** THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS CORRECTED PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. City of Norwalk Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee Harbor Management Commission August 26, 2020 Page 9  ADJOURNMENT. ** MR. MANGELS MOVED TO ADJOURN. ** MR. MOBILIA SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. The meeting adjourned at 7:44 p.m. Respectfully submitted, S. L. Soltes Telesco Secretarial Services City of Norwalk Joint Meeting of the Application Review Committee Harbor Management Commission August 26, 2020 Page 10