Foreclosure proceedings on Montgomery Mill drag on

By Harlan Levy
Journal Inquirer

Published: Friday, November 26, 2010 12:47 PM EST

WINDSOR LOCKS — In complaining about the number of blighted properties in town last month, a score of residents urged the Board of Selectmen to make progress on foreclosing on perhaps the biggest blight of them all, the long-vacant Montgomery building complex, the three-structure eyesore on Canal Road.

Indeed, the process is moving along — albeit at a snail’s pace — in the town’s effort to foreclose on, sell, and collect about $300,000 in liens on the building owed to the town by the site’s owners, Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Mountain View Equities for equipment losses, expenses, and damages.

The owner also owes about $100,000 to private parties.

A year and a half ago the town started foreclosure proceedings against Mountain View, which bought the more than 100-year-old former wire product manufacturer, intending to convert it to luxury condominiums.

That effort never came to fruition. Since then the investment group has amassed an unpaid tax bill of more than $217,000.

In an update, First Selectman Steven Wawruck said that in October an appraiser set the value of the building at about $900,000. The next step is to go before a judge at Hartford Superior Court.

“The town attorney has filed all the proper paperwork and is just awaiting the motions to be heard in the court,” Wawruck said. “Once it’s brought to the Superior Court docket, it looks like there will be a ruling in default, because there has been no representation by the owners.”

If the owners don’t respond by paying their debts, Wawruck said, “we can move forward with the sale of the property itself, because nobody on the board wants the town to own that building.

The liability issues, the hazardous environmental concerns are things the town shouldn’t have to incur.”

The town has had its share of recent troubles with the unsightly hulk.

In late April three local teenagers were charged with arson in connection with a suspicious fire on April 11 at the compound, which took firefighters from half a dozen towns more than eight hours to quell. The fire was confined to the former Fuller Russell Tobacco sorting house on the east side of the main building and did not spread to the main or third buildings. The fire caused no injuries. The building was badly damaged but not destroyed.

In July 2006, another fire, started by an arsonist, devastated the northern portion of the complex.

The town lost $51,000 of the fire department’s equipment in that fire, and a lien was placed on the building because it had no insurance.

A Tribute to a Windsor Locks Legend

Coach Pat Scelza, an icon in Windsor Locks football, will celebrate his final game this Wednesday, November 24th, when the Raiders take on East Windsor/Stafford. The game begins at 6:00 p.m. under the lights at Stafford High School (directions follow). Please bring your Raider and community spirit to cheer for our team and to thank Coach Scelza for his many years of dedication.

DIRECTIONS: Stafford High School, 145 Orcuttville Road (Rt 319)
Stafford Springs, CT 06076. From I-91 take Exit 47 (Rt 190). Follow 190 east toward Stafford approx 13 miles. Turn left onto Rt 319 for 1.5 miles. School is after 4 way stop at top of hill on right.
Football field is behind the school.


A Facebook Event is planned http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=141253625925115

Public hearing held on the future of Babylon Recycling’s services

www.remindernews.com/
BY JENNIFER COE Staff Writer

Ten years ago , the town of Windsor Locks thought they had settled the issue of Babylon Recycling handling municipal solid waste , but the company’s recent request to alter operations brought out a crowd on Nov . 9 . Residents who live on streets like North Main , Suffield , Seymour and others came to hear a presentation by Babylon representatives on their recent application made to the Department of Environmental Protection ( DEP ) . The application , which is presently under review , would bring their facility up to their maximum operating capacity . It would also change the designation of the facility from a “ volume reduction facility” to a “ solid waste facility” and would open the doors for the location to process up to 250 tons of municipal solid waste , i . e . household garbage .

Click the thumbnails above to see the full size pictures.

Citizens wasted no time in responding to the presentation made by Babylon employees , taking the opportunity to express their general unhappiness with the 10-year-old facility , which is situated right next to a neighborhood of homes .

“ This kind of facility shouldn’t be in anyone’s backyard , ” said Con O’Leary , a nearby resident . “ All of the houses were built before the facility was built here . There’s a tremendous amount of noise . Everyone in the north end of town has heard it . Now they are requesting that this all be increased by 250 tons a day ?”

Other concerns by residents included increased truck traffic , noise , the potential for vermin and odor . According to Anchor Engineering Services representative Mark Zessin , who has done an analysis for Babylon , there could be as many as 29 truck trips of municipal solid waste into the site per day .

“ I have been awakened three times , ” said Seymour Street resident Ryan King . Many others complained of latenight work being done . Babylon representative Jonathon Murray responded to several of the concerns by saying that the noise of the rail cars being coupled occurs later in the day , because “ they come in at night when Amtrak is not running , ” but he insisted that the noise the residents are hearing must be from another nearby business .

Selectman Wawruck disagreed . “ Rail cars aren’t being picked up till 2 : 30 a . m . presently . “ I am further down the road , and I can hear it . ”

Many other neighbors complained about vibrations and concern over the water run off .

“ I haven’t heard of any benefit to Windsor Locks , ” said Wawruck . ”

A short public service announcement video was shown after the hearing which was available for viewing online . “ I just wanted to show the worst possible scenario , ” said its creator , Kevin Brace .

“ We’ll take note of all the concerns and address them going forward , ” said Murray , after the hearing . “ We’ll discuss them with everybody and decide how we’ll go forward . ”

Presently the application is under technical review at the DEP .

Selectmen oppose recycling facility’s proposal to expand operations

By Harlan Levy
Journal Inquirer

Published: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 2:37 PM EST

WINDSOR LOCKS — The three selectmen are not happy about Babylon Recycling Center’s intent to expand its operations from processing only building and construction material to include municipal and industrial garbage at its facility straddling the Windsor Locks-Suffield town line.

In a unanimous vote at Tuesday’s meeting, the board adopted a resolution opposing the expansion. The resolution will go to the state Department of Environmental Protection, the sole body with authority to approve Babylon’s request.

DEP is now in the technical review portion of the permit-modification application that the 10-year-old facility filed Aug. 9 to increase the 850-ton-per-day limit to 1,100. If granted, Babylon can accept 250 tons of town, business, and residential garbage as well as the 850 tons of construction waste.

In a public hearing the selectmen hosted last week, Babylon representatives told a crowd of around 75 residents that gaining DEP approval would allow for an extra 28 or 29 large trucks per day every day but Sunday hauling in garbage weighing 9 tons per truck to its building and then heading to other locations, all between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The materials would be treated inside the building, and the compacted debris would be required to exit within 48 hours. It would go to a dozen railroad cars arriving on the tracks adjacent to the plant or to large trucks, both of which would have the loads tightly covered — but not sealed — before transferring them out of state to disposal centers. Because of having to wait for gaps in Amtrak’s rail schedule, the rail cars would sit outside the plant loaded with garbage and leave either the same day or the next day.

None of those who spoke at the hearing supported Babylon’s quest, and all the speakers vehemently opposed it.

The expansion would “adversely affect the quality of life with no off-setting benefit,” the board said in its resolution. “Increased truck traffic laden with garbage will impact our Main Street business community and residents” while the town, DEP, and Babylon “have no control of the railway that will be transporting the waste from the facility at all hours of the night.”

The noise from the rail traffic is already loud and irritating late at night and in the extremely early hours of the morning, First Selectman Steven Wawruck said.

As for the truck traffic, he said, “It’s already horrendous on North Main Street, and we’re experiencing some of the side traffic on Suffield Street. This town has trucks on every main artery, and now we’re going to add upward of 58 trips, because those empty trucks still have to leave after they deliver, and they all stink.”

The DEP’s technical review is expected to last a few more months, Town Attorney Scott Chadwick told the board. “They indicated to us that if the town has any concerns, problems, questions, now is the time to raise them,” he said, “and one of the suggestions was a joint letter from the selectmen and Suffield pointing out whatever joint concerns they have, so that the DEP can consider those as part of their technical review.”

Chadwick said he would follow up on that suggestion. He also said the DEP won’t hold a public hearing unless the board requests it, which selectmen agreed to do.

Thank You Veterans!

Windsor Locks Memorial Day Parade 2010

WL residents oppose plan to expand transfer station

By Harlan Levy
Journal Inquirer

Published: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 1:22 PM EST

WINDSOR LOCKS — After all the explanations were done and the details revealed, not one of the 75 residents who attended Tuesday’s public hearing was persuaded to support Babylon Recycling Center’s request to expand its operations.

Babylon now accepts only construction materials; it is seeking to add municipal, commercial, and residential garbage. It filed a request with the state Department of Environmental Protection to modify its permit, increasing the 850-ton-per-day limit to 1,100. The extra 250 tons would include town, business, and residential garbage as well as construction waste.

The change does not require town approval.

An extra 28 or 29 large trucks would visit the site, which straddles the Windsor Locks-Suffield border off Route 159, every day but Sunday between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., Babylon Director of Operations Jonathan Murray told the crowd.

The materials would be treated inside the facility, Babylon consultant Mark Zessin emphasized, and the facility is required under the permit to move the compacted debris out within 48 hours.

The debris goes to a dozen railroad cars arriving adjacent to the plant or to trucks, both of which would have the loads tightly covered before transferring them out-of-state to disposal centers. The loaded rail cars would leave either the same day or the next day, Murray said. However, he said, when the treated garbage is offloaded to two or three large trucks instead, the trucks would leave immediately.

Residents expressed concerns about smelly garbage sitting in rail cars and said that the rail cars often noisily arrive at the plant after 11 p.m. and into early morning hours.

But those are just some of the objections, said plant neighbor Cornelius O’Leary of Town Line Road, who denied that the opposition is just a case of the “not in my back yard” syndrome.

“It shouldn’t be in anyone’s back yard,” O’Leary said. “This is the kind of a facility that should be located far away from a residential area.”

He cited the noise from the railroad cars and odor emanating from “garbage from households, from restaurants, organic garbage that can sit there in 100-degree heat up to 48 hours or longer on a holiday weekend.”

Murray said the train schedule is determined by Amtrak, not the company. “We’ve been talking to Amtrak to try to get them to let the cars through before 11 p.m.,” Murray said.

O’Leary also complained about water runoff that has washed out a stream in nearby woods, saying that silt is filling a basin there — “and it would be tremendously expensive to remediate that problem.”

Any water runoff is filtered, Murray said. He also said that the plant contains a sprinkler system that emits a perfume spray to mask the odor.

“I already have bird crap on top of my house, all over my driveway, and in my pool,” said Brian O’Kane of Seymour Road, one street away from the plant. “It’s going to be three times as bad.”

As for noise, O’Kane said, “I can hear you guys backing up with the loaders at 2 in the morning. I can hear beep, beep, beep all night long. … and those cars coupling, they can wake you up from the dead.”

Garth Mickelson of North Main Street complained: “I already have a biker bar across the town line. I already have the prison there. C & S Wholesale Grocers is there, and Babylon Recycling is there. We have traffic 24 hours a day, and these trucks just pound the hell out of the neighborhood, and now they’re talking about 28 more trucks? Six o’clock in the morning the truck traffic starts, and some of these Dumpster trucks are like jackhammers.”

When Babylon was given its original permit 10 years go, First Selectman Steven Wawruck said, it specifically prohibited municipal solid waste, sludge, biomedical waste, liquid waste, smoldering or hot liquids, and hazardous waste.

“What can be derived as a benefit when we already have facilities in place that we can send our garbage to?” he asked.

“The region will benefit from having an additional site for trash,” Murray said.

Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Alan Gannuscio said there have been “consistent complaints of after-hours operation … for five years now.”

Gannuscio also handed out copies of a resolution the PZC adopted unanimously on Monday opposing Babylon’s application for the following reasons:

• The 20 percent increase in Main Street truck traffic would threaten efforts to revitalize Main Street by attracting businesses and increasing foot traffic.

• No plans to reduce odors.

• No provisions for increased screening and buffering.

• No assurance of adequate water supplies to fight fires on site.

• Exclusion of town site review process.

After the hearing, Murray and Zessin said they got what they came for: “To hear input,” Zessin said. “We will go back and have a discussion and decide how to move forward. We’ll take notice of the concerns and address them.”

Murray said he’s optimistic that the concerns can be addressed.

The DEP will hold a public hearing after it completes its technical review and makes a recommendation on whether the permit should be approved.

A final result could come in six months, Zessin said.

A Windsor Locks Town resident rolls up her sleeves and gets involved

A Bald Eagle 

I have received a lot of e-mails from people asking how they can get involved and help.  One town resident Sue C. wrote the following letter.

DEP,
I learned last night at a public hearing in Windsor Locks, that the Windsor
Locks Canal State Park Trail is in danger due to plans that Babylon
Recycling Center has proposed to increase the intake at their facility to
include Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), or in laymen's terms, household
garbage.  Household garbage to be loaded onto trains and carried right
along the Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail.  Disturbing and disrupting
what the  Department of Environmental Protection website describes
as..."scenic vistas of both the Connecticut River and the old canal."
Imagine walking this beautiful path only to be surrounded by the smell of
rotting garbage.

As I'm sure you know, this canal trail is closed during the winter months
because of the Bald Eagles that nest on a nearby island on the Connecticut
river.  It has been only recently that this species has been upgraded from
Endangered to Threatened on Connecticut's official Endangered, Threatened,
and Special Concern Species List.  What impact would this environmental
change has on this species?

I feel that if Babylon Recycling Center is allowed to move forward with
their plans of expansion, that it would greatly impact the enjoyment of the
Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail, and quite possibly deter the Bald
Eagle from nesting in this area.

I would like to know what the Connecticut DEP plans are, if any, to protect
this State Park.  I would also like to know, what I can do as a citizen of
Windsor Locks, CT to prevent Babylon from moving on with it's plans to
begin moving household trash alongside a state park trail.


Thank you,
Sue C.


Sue e-mailed this letter to the Department of Environmental Protection at dep.stateparks@ct.gov, and dep.webmaster@ct.gov .  If you would like to get involved and have questions, please e-mail the Save Windsor Locks team at savewindsorlocks@gmail.com

Hearing Tuesday on facility’s expansion

Our Video made the Journal Inquirer!

By Journal Inquirer Staff

Published: Friday, November 5, 2010 10:16 PM EDT

WINDSOR LOCKS — The Board of Selectmen have scheduled a public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium for comments about the Babylon Recycling Center’s plans to expand to incorporate municipal solid waste. Currently the facility, located on both sides of the Windsor Locks-Suffield line (on North Main Street in Windsor Locks and at 1221 Harvey Lane in Suffield) mainly receives construction debris.

It is applying to the state Department of Environmental Protection for a modification of the type of material it can collect.

“The public hearing is to alleviate concerns and to get a full understanding of what’s being proposed,” First Selectman Steven Wawruck said.

Those interested can watch a video for more information at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hgcpPN36Qo&hd-1.

Veterans Day Events Planned In Windsor Locks

WINDSOR LOCKS — —
The Windsor Locks Veterans Council is holding two events this weekend to celebrate Veterans Day: a memorial service for the 1,300 veterans buried at St. Mary's and Grove cemeteries and a concert on Sunday at Windsor Locks High School.

At 10 a.m. on Saturday Post and Auxiliary members of the American Legion Post No. 36 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars will gather for a service to honor deceased veterans and then will proceed to Grove Cemetery. Services will be under the direction of master of ceremonies John J. Duffy, senior vice commander of the local VFW post.

The council has also planned a concert for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the high school. The U.S. Navy Band Northeast will perform songs from Broadway musicals and the big band era.

Saving Windsor Locks from Babylon

Please attend the Town Meeting on Tuesday November 9th 2010 at the Windsor Locks Town Hall.  We will be discussing the impact of Babylon's proposal to process household garbage at their Suffield / Windsor Locks facility.  This meeting will impact the entire town.