Eversource

Response from Eversource: Commitment to New Canaan ‘Has Never Wavered’

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Pushing back on assertions made by town officials earlier this week, Eversource on Wednesday issued a statement that its “commitment to providing exceptional service to New Canaan has never wavered.”

Communications officials are “in constant contact with town officials,” according to a statement from Mitch Gross of Eversource Connecticut Media Relations , and on March 23 the company discussed “current and future schedules, projects and plans” for 90 minutes with the town. “There have been additional phone calls since then with town officials regarding ‘essential work’ being done under our COVID-19 pandemic plan, as well as discussions about locations interested in switching to natural gas,” Gross said in the statement. 

He continued, “We have a project scheduled to get underway [April 16] that when completed, will not only allow natural gas to flow between Stamford, Norwalk and New Canaan, but will further reduce the likelihood of any service interruptions and enhance the safety of our system by linking more sections of our distribution network together. This project is vital to New Canaan’s future gas plans. We work closely with leaders in all of the communities we serve and value those relationships.”

The statement comes on the heels of assertions made Monday by New Canaan’s first selectman and public works director that Eversource halted its work amid the COVID-19 crisis and has not been forthcoming regarding plans to complete a long-discussed natural gas expansion in town, including running service lines to businesses in the business district. Specifically, town officials are eager to see the gas line stretch along Locust Avenue, Pine Street and upper Elm Street this year, and that service lines run to buildings along Elm. 

Public Works Director Tiger Mann did note during Monday’s meeting of the Selectmen’s Advisory Committee on Buildings & Infrastructure that Eversrouce would be moving forward with a “resiliency” project that included New Canaan (as opposed to a project with new services and installations). 

“That is along Route 123 from Little Brook-Lakeview all the way into Norwalk,” Mann said.

Burns Construction

Roadworks Contractor Replaced After Town Voices Frustration

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Following complaints about the condition of local roads during the natural gas installation, town officials said Tuesday that a new contractor has be hired to start this week. The utility company overseeing the project is “very much aware of our dissatisfaction,” according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. “The present contractor [Ferreira] is being asked to vacate the premises, and the new contractor will commence on the main installation services and restoration next week,” Mann said during a regular Board of Selectmen meeting, held at Town Hall. Since Ferreira, a contractor for Eversource, began patching New Canaan roads in the wake of the gas main installation, residents have been complaining about the quality of the repairs. Stratford-based Burns Construction will take over the job starting Wednesday, Mann said.

News

Board of Ed: Schools May Need To Use Fuel Oil Temporarily Because Natural Gas Lines Still Aren’t In

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Eversource missed an Aug. 25 deadline to run natural gas lines to New Canaan’s public schools, and district officials say they’re now preparing for a more expensive backup whereby oil might be used for a period of time if the work still isn’t done by heating season. Delayed in part by weather, the company still has “quite a bit of work to do,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi said during a regular meeting Monday of the Board of Education. “They are working hard,” Luizzi said during the meeting, held in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School. “There is weather involved with this.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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The bagels are back in town: Upper Crust Bakery & Café opens Thursday morning in the former Brueggers space on South Avenue downtown. ***

Currently, 843 people belong to Spencer’s Run, New Canaan’s dog park at Waveny, and slightly more than half of those are nonresidents, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Rona Siegel reported on Wednesday night during the commission’s regular meeting. ***

The Board of Selectmen by a 2-0 vote Tuesday approved a $938,000 contract with FGB Construction to repave and otherwise improve the following town roads (First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectman Kit Devereaux cast votes, as Selectman Nick Williams was absent):

Huckleberry Road from Valley Road to the town line
Jonathan Road
Mill Road
Pepper Lane
Sagamore Trail
Siwanoy Lane
Summer Street from Lakeview to East Avenue and from Cross Street to Locust Avenue
Turning Mill Lane

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The photo gallery above features the newest aerial photos of the sports fields and track at New Canaan High School. ***

Town officials broke ground with Eversource on Wednesday for the company’s $25 million natural gas project. It will start with the installation of 4.7 miles of underground pipeline, making the fuel available to more than 500 homes and businesses.

Government

Selectman Votes Against Natural Gas Deal, Citing Environmentalist Concerns

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Describing herself as a strong environmentalist, Selectman Beth Jones on Tuesday declined to support the town’s long-awaited agreement with the utility company to bring natural gas to New Canaan. Casting a lone dissenting vote on the Board of Selectmen and saying the town should invest instead in renewable energy, Jones during the group’s regular meeting said she was “worried for the communities where the fracking is happening.”

“You can have a ‘NIMBY’ attitude about it and say it won’t affect us in New Canaan, but it affects others,” Jones said at the meeting, held in Town Hall. She referred to a plan that will bring natural gas from Route 106 in Stamford up through South Avenue. First Selectman Rob Mallozzi and Selectman Nick Williams voted in favor of the approval. According to Jones, both Maryland and New York have banned fracking, due in part to debates over how to dispose of waste.