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HRP Associates, Inc. was selected by a national developer to conduct environmental assessment, remediation and site engineering at the former Malleable Iron Fittings and Textile Prints site in Branford, CT. The owner proposed a multi-phase redevelopment of the site to include the rehabilitation of an historic foundry building, construction of three new residential towers and construction of a hotel, and two commercial buildings. Once completed, over 100 condominium units and a high-rise hotel located directly on the Branford River will provide desirable access to the adjacent commercial/retail concerns, marina, and commuter train station.
The project required integration of remediation activities and goals, water resource and environmental and land use permitting, and site engineering. HRP coordinated a team of architects, engineers and construction managers during the design and permitting stages. Meetings were held with State officials representing different regulatory programs to resolve issues of jurisdictional overlap and to gain initial concurrence with site design concepts. Plan changes dictated by owner interest, remediation requirements and water resource permitting were coordinated with the town engineers and planners, and were presented to and approved by the local Planning & Zoning authority.
The environmental work included the conduct of Phase I, II and III investigations, preparation of a Remedial Action Plan (RAP), and supervision of remedial construction activities. A combined Phase II/III investigation was performed to expedite the evaluation of remediation needs of the project. Candidate remedial options were evaluated and an optimum program was selected to minimize site disturbance, soil removal and disposal costs.
Isolated areas of soil exceeding pollutant mobility criteria were identified and excavated. Existing and newly constructed condo buildings were used as engineering controls to render contaminated soils environmentally isolated and inaccessible. Paved roadways, parking areas and the strategic placement of fill were used as cost effective means to vastly reduce the quantities of soil requiring removal and offsite disposal.
Innovative approaches to traditional site engineering furthered both regulatory requirements and project goals. Site grading and finished floor elevations were designed to meet flood protection criteria as well as to minimize earthwork in areas of contamination. Stormwater retention capacity was provided with multiple localized shallow basins strategically placed to blend functionally and esthetically into landscaped areas, avoiding deep excavation and preserving limited grade differential across the site. Off-site drainage conveyed to the river through the site was provided with an independent collection system in order to minimize retention basin construction. The requirement to provide public access to the waterfront was met by designing an 1100-ft walkway that included specialized shoreline soil remediation and reconstruction, which was subject to water resource regulatory requirements. Approval was obtained from both the State Office of Long Island Sound Programs and the Army Corps of Engineers. A 48-inch tidal exchange culvert was also installed across the entire development site in order to allow ebb & flow between the brackish river and tidal wetlands and to alleviate flooding of existing residences adjacent to the wetland.
The project required realignment of a public road and associated utility relocation. HRP worked with the owner’s attorney, utility companies and the construction contractor to establish “clean corridors” in the new roadway and on the site itself. The corridors allow future access to underground utilities for repair or replacement without contacting contaminated soils and without regulatory oversight. Drawings and location descriptions of clean corridor features and boundaries were appended to legal documents including easements and an Environmental Land Use Restriction.