Brownfields, we've got a lot of them. From the former Witt School to the Hydeville Mill, Amber Wakley-Whaley, Director of Grants and Community Development, has been hard at work figuring out what to do with these dilapidated properties and getting funding to deal with them. Now, thanks to a $500,000 grant, she will likely be adding a couple of more brownfields to her to-do list.
Yesterday, members of Connecticut's Congressional Delegation, President Joe Biden, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $8,966,240 in grants. These awards are part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which, according to the press release, aims to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Connecticut while advancing environmental justice.
Stafford received $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant, which will be used to conduct three Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments. Wakley-Whaley's proposal, submitted back in November 2023, included the Hydeville Mill, Foxville Mill (25 West Street), and Avery Park as priority sites
Revitalizing brownfields and other underutilized properties is a major part of fulfilling Stafford's Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), which steers the town's development efforts.
Avery Park is a 15-acre housing complex that provides 110 affordable housing units for seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Foxville Mill is a nine-acre former industrial mill complex, and Hydeville Mill is a nearly three-acre parcel with eight vacant and adjoining industrial mill buildings. After the building caught on fire earlier this year, the building has been submitted (again) to the EPA for emergency removal. However, the assessment funds could help the town determine how to use the property once the mill is demolished. Additionally, according to the press release, grant funds will be used to develop one area-wide plan and three cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden via press release. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most.”