Harbor Point Infrastructure Improvement District Stamford, Connecticut
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FEDERAL CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION PREPARED PURSUANT TO 23 CFR 771.117(D) FOR ROADWAY AND UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE THE HARBOR POINT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT HARBOR POINT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (a Body Politic Pursuant to Special Act 07-6 of the Connecticut General Statutes) And The City of Stamford, Connecticut In Cooperation With The Connecticut Department of Transportation And The Federal Highway Administration March 23, 2009 Approved for circulation: ______________________________________ ___________ For Connecticut Department of Transportation Date Approved for circulation ______________________________________ ___________ For Federal Highway Administration Date Date: March 23, 2009 Grant Applicant: Harbor Point Infrastructure Improvement District (a Body Politic Pursuant to Special Act 07-6 of the Connecticut General Statutes) and the City of Stamford, Connecticut INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR PROBABLE CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION (SECTION 771.117(d)) DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Proposed Action consists of the improvement of four existing roads located in the South End Neighborhood of Downtown Stamford, Connecticut (See Figure 1 in Appendix A – Proposed Action Site). Roadway improvements are proposed along Washington Boulevard, Pacific Street, Atlantic Street, and Canal Street. The Proposed Action also consists of improvements to other man-made features within the existing right-of-way (ROW), including the following: • Re-paving and repair of stormwater and sewer systems as necessary; • Installation of new water, telephone, electric, and cable lines; • Widening of sidewalks and creation of bike lanes along the roads undergoing repair; and • Addition of landscaping and lighting in the project area. The roadway, utility, and pedestrian improvements are being proposed to improve access in the area and to facilitate Transit Oriented Development (TOD). The current condition of roads and sidewalks to be improved under the Proposed Action justify roadway repair and reconstruction to improve safety and traffic circulation and to encourage pedestrian traffic to and from the Stamford Transportation Center (STC). The STC provides Amtrak service and MetroNorth service to New York City and Boston. The anticipated construction cost for all roadway widening and improvements is approximately $20 million, with construction expected to begin on May 1, 2009. The widening and other related improvements are scheduled to be completed by September 30, 2010. Federal funding is being sought by the Harbor Point Infrastructure Improvement District (HPIID) to assist with certain aspects of the development. Because the Proposed Action (roadway widening and improvements) is being financed, in part, with federal funds, it is therefore subject to the regulations and guidance established by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 USC 4321 et seq.). To satisfy NEPA requirements, this 2 Categorical Exclusion has been prepared by the HPIID in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Purpose and Need The Proposed Action consists of the repair and reconstruction of four major collector roads in the South End of Stamford, Connecticut, adjacent to the STC. Specifically, the City and District propose to improve Canal Street, Pacific Street, Atlantic Street, and Washington Boulevard. This investment would improve safety, encourage use of public transit, reduce congestion, and promote pedestrian and bicycle use to reduce vehicle travel. The existing condition of roads and sidewalks in the Proposed Action area justifies the Proposed Action. The Proposed Action is part of Harbor Point, a much larger redevelopment project along the underutilized Stamford Waterfront. LOCATION (INCLUDING ADDRESS): As described previously, the Proposed Action consists of repair and reconstruction of four existing major collector roads – Canal Street, Pacific Street, Atlantic Street, and Washington Boulevard – in the South End of Stamford, Connecticut. Stamford is situated near the southwestern point of Connecticut. It is bordered on the north by Pound Ridge, NY, to the south by Long Island Sound, by Greenwich to the west, and both Darien and New Canaan to the east. Figure 1 in Appendix A depicts the general site location. The South End of Stamford is a 323-acre peninsula bound by the STC and the Stamford Harbor. The 80-acre redevelopment site, on property formerly owned by Pitney Bowes and CL&P, is just south of downtown Stamford. Both the rail line and I-95 run along the northern boundary of the South End Peninsula providing access to and visibility of the site. The Stamford Urban Transitway (SUT) is under construction and will run from east to west, north of State Street, Canal Street, and Manhattan Street. The SUT will include exclusive lanes for buses and other high occupancy vehicles. ConnDOT, the Southwestern Regional Planning Agency, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and the City of Stamford have coordinated the development of the proposed SUT project. The SUT will begin operation in April 2009. The site of the Proposed Action is located on the current ROW. The specific roadway portions to be improved under the Proposed Action include: • Washington Boulevard, from Pacific Street to the site of the future SUT; • Canal Street, from the site of the future SUT to Ludlow Street; 3 • Pacific Street, from its intersection with Washington Boulevard to the site of the future SUT; and • Atlantic Street, west of its intersection with Washington Boulevard to the site of the future SUT. Washington Boulevard Under the Proposed Action, portions of Washington Boulevard would be widened and resurfaced. Some full-depth reconstruction would occur south of I-95 from Station Place south to Atlantic Street. Roadway widening and installation of a traffic signal (signalization) would occur at Henry Street for the provision of added turn lanes to address capacity issues. Bikes lanes, pedestrian level lighting, and street trees would all be incorporated in this area. Curbing would be installed along with new sidewalks. Other intersection improvements would also be added for enhanced safety and capacity, as well as construction of an additional operational lane. Pulaski Street project limits would extend from Washington Boulevard to the East Bridge abutment for a distance of approximately 540 linear feet (lf). These improvements total a length of approximately 3,840 lf. Atlantic Street The Proposed Action also includes repair and reconstruction of portions of Atlantic Street south of I-95, and would include landscaping, utilities, and bike lanes. This repair work would begin at Henry Street and extend south to a cul- de-sac west of the intersection with Washington Boulevard. Intersection improvements for traffic control would occur at Washington Boulevard and involve approximately 600 lf of roadway widening and resurfacing beginning at the cul-de-sac west of Washington Boulevard and continuing across the intersection to the east for a total improvement length of 1,600 lf. Pacific Street Portions of Pacific Street would also undergo widening and resurfacing as part of the Proposed Action, with some full-depth reconstruction south of I-95 to Washington Boulevard. Other improvements in this area would include sidewalk replacement, curbs, bike lanes, landscaping, illumination, and pedestrian safety/mobility enhancements along Pacific Street from Washington Boulevard to the SUT. Sanitary sewer lines would be improved in conjunction with this work. Canal Street Full-depth reconstruction would occur along Canal Street from the SUT south to Ludlow Street for approximately 540 lf and mill/overlay for approximately 1,564 for a total length of approximately 2,100 lf. Sidewalks and concrete curbs on this street would be replaced, and illumination and street trees would be added. 4 The roadways to be improved are located within a special Taxing District created specifically for this project, which allows these uses. Land uses in the Harbor Point development adjacent to the Proposed Action would include a mix of residential, office, arts and entertainment, and public uses. Currently, surrounding land uses include the former and vacant industrial property, the Stamford Amtrak Station, the site of the future Stamford Transit Corridor, and numerous commercial and retail properties with associated landscaping throughout the project area. Low density residential also exists throughout the project area. There are no institutions such as hospitals or schools in the immediate surroundings. In terms of natural resources, Figure 1 in Appendix A shows no wetlands, floodplains, water resources, or stream channel encroachment lines within the study area. Water resources in the study area are located predominantly on the east and west side of the project area and would not be impacted by the Proposed Action. There are no prime or statewide important farmland soils or active farmlands within the footprint of the Proposed Action. A query of federal and state threatened and endangered species and critical habitat databases revealed no such resources within the study area. METROPOLITAN PLANNING AND AIR QUALITY CONFORMITY: At the request of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, a microscale air quality analysis of the SUT project, located within the project area, was performed. The analysis concluded that the SUT will result in a net reduction in air pollution