By Susan MacEachron

A full contingent of the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD) attended the Inland Wetlands Agency (Wetlands) meeting on Aug. 7.  NVFD members came to hear the proposed application for the construction of a new firehouse.  Emily Bousaada, a civil engineer from Benesch, outlined the proposal.  Benesch, a professional services firm, was hired by the town to advise on the design of the firehouse. 

Bousaada briefly described the plan for the new firehouse and a new garage.  She noted the plan includes an underground detention chamber to hold storm water flow to address the wetlands on the proposed site.  In describing the detention chamber Bousaada said that maintenance will be required from time to time to keep it free of sediment. Bousaada also highlighted the plan for pervious pavers in the parking area to allow rainfall to percolate into the ground. She said the design meets Connecticut standards for erosion control and storm water. 

The proposal allows the existing firehouse to continue in use during construction by building the new firehouse on adjacent land.  Once the new firehouse is complete the old building will be demolished.  The proposed location of the new building is on a portion of land allocated to City Meadow under its 2017 special permit.  The permit will need to be modified.

A question was raised about considering alternative sites. First Selectman Matt Riiska said that the lot next to the town hall presented a problem with the safety of the fire trucks exiting onto Route 44 from Maple Avenue.   He said the site occupied by the town garage on Old Colony Road also was considered but it would be too expensive to reconfigure the existing town buildings to build the new firehouse in that location.

A public hearing to discuss the proposal is scheduled for Sept. 5.

Ron Zanobi, a member of the Meadowbrook Senior Housing Board of Directors, described the proposal to replace an old culvert at Meadowbrook with PVC pipe.  Zanobi said the old metal pipe is compressed and no longer functioning.  Wetlands approved the project. Wetlands chair Hartley Mead thanked Zanobi for the thoroughness of his application.

Wetlands discussed a proposal from Cool Water LLC to create a plunge pool to prevent stormwater and sediment from the house under construction at 125 Windrow Road. from running into Tobey Pond.  Exactly how this might function and whether the suggested pool would be on town or private property was debated.  It was noted that hay bales and silt fencing had been installed at the site.  Wetlands concluded that maintenance of erosion controls until grass and other natural erosion protection were established was a better solution to the problem.  The plunge pool request was denied.  Wetlands Enforcement Officer Michael Halloran was tasked with following up with the homeowner to ensure the erosion controls remain in place and are well maintained until the site is stabilized.

The meeting concluded with an update from Riiska on the gas spill cleanup and the road work on Maple Ave.  Riiska said rerouting the existing sewer lines was almost complete. The sewer and water lines are approximately five to six feet deep, and the expectation is that as much as 12 feet of contaminated soil might need to be removed. Riiska said the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection representative onsite was very concerned about the possibility of breaking the sewer lines during the excavation, hence the decision to take the time to reroute before excavation.  Once excavation is completed new sewer lines will be installed.