IWA Approves Big Retail Project; Requires Special Bond For Water

GROTON — The Inland Wetlands Agency approved April 26, 2006, a 38-acre retail development off Gold Star Highway that has the potential to affect the quality of water in the Groton Utilities reservoir.

The main retail occupant is anonymous at this point, but it is thought to be Wal-Mart, which is believed to plan a super store that would front both on the Gold Star Highway and Antonino Road. Wal-Mart currently runs a store about a half mile to the west on Gold Star Highway.

The IWA approved the project unanimously, but stipulated that the applicant should put up a substantial bond, in addition to the normal bond, to ensure that the project does not release contaminated runoff that could imperil the GU reservoir system. The bond, whose size would be determined later, would be released only if tests performed over a three-year period showed no harmful discharges into the water supply.

Karl Acimovic, a GU engineer, has warned that failure by the applicant to properly maintain its anti-pollution controls over the long term would cause “a steady and continued degradation of standard drinking water parameters for source waters. Groton Utilities has already seen a steady decline in water quality from this westerly section of the watershed (due to continued commercial and housing building)…”

Acimovic noted that the proposed development “is situated in the southwesterly portion of our watershed and is in close proximity to the Hempstead Brook (within 500 feet), which feeds directly into our terminal reservoir system. By overland flow and stream from the southwest corner of the parcel, it is also within 1000 feet of Ponquonnock Reservoir and within 600 feet of wetlands surrounding the reservoir.”

F.A. Hesketh & Associates, Inc., of East Granby, engineers for the developer, said: “The owner is committed to follow long term maintenance of the stormwater management systems, including good housekeeping measures, routine inspection and maintenance of catch basins, separator structures, and outlet structions and the detention basin.”

The project still needs approval by the Plannng Commission. The applicant is identified on papers filed to the town as Konover Development Corp., Farmington.

Environmental Impact | April 3, 2006