October 24, 2019

Connecticut Department of Housing

505 Hudson Street

Hartford, CT 06106

(860) 270-8231

This Notice is related to Federal assistance provided in response to the Presidentially-declared disaster, Superstorm Sandy. This notice shall satisfy procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the Connecticut Department of Housing.

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS

On or about November 12, 2019 the CT DOH will submit a request to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the release of Federal funds under the Community Development Block Grant Program Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) pursuant to the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-2, approved January 29, 2013) for the National Disaster Resilience (NDR) and Rebuild by Design (RBD) programs, to undertake a project known as Resilient Bridgeport for the purpose of lowering the risk of acute and chronic flooding, providing dry egress during emergencies, and educating the public about flood risks and sea level rise in the South End of Bridgeport, Connecticut. CT DOH expects to fund the project using approximately $42 million in CDBG-NDR funds and $10 million in CDBG-DR RBD funds.

The Proposed Action consists of three projects located within the South End of Bridgeport, Connecticut: the RBD Pilot Project at the Marina Village public housing site, a Flood Risk Reduction Project on the east side of the South End, and a Resilience Center. The Proposed Action would be in the South End of Bridgeport, which experienced the most significant impacts during Superstorm Sandy and has also faced acute challenges in other storms (e.g., Hurricane Irene) and chronic flooding challenges posed by an aged and combined stormwater sewer system. The intended combined effect of these project components is to protect residents, property, and infrastructure assets from future storm surge events and chronic flooding during high-frequency rainfall events by lowering the risk of acute and chronic flooding; protect life and public health by providing dry egress during emergencies; and to educate the public about flood risks and sea level rise. The Proposed Action projects are summarized as follows:

The RBD Pilot Project at the Marina Village public housing/Windward apartments’ site will include a new road, Johnson Street extension, raised to provide dry egress and a new 2.5-acre stormwater park with a wet well pump and force main connection into Cedar Creek outfall.
The Flood Risk Reduction Project within the eastern South End will consist of a coastal flood defense system along the Preferred Alternative 1 alignment (see Attachment 1 in Record of Decision) that would raise a portion of University Avenue and install sheet piling and floodwalls, and implement both green and gray stormwater and internal drainage management strategies (e.g., detention/retention features, drainage structures, pump systems, and an overland flow system for pump station discharge) to reduce the flood risk within the study area from future coastal surge and chronic rainfall events. The sections of the coastal flood defense system along University Avenue will be buried under the elevated road and public access to Seaside Park will be maintained via a vehicular ramp at the intersection of Broad Street and University Avenue and ADA-accessible ramps and stairs at the intersection of Main Street and University Avenue.
A Resilience Center will educate and facilitate increased resiliency within the community by providing funding to The Mary and Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community to support renovations of a community space within the Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses that would provide a location in the South End that would operate as a community center, a central location for resilience information dissemination, and a location that could store supplies to assist the community with recovery efforts during or after storm events. The project would include another open-air site with green infrastructure improvements near the entrance to Seaside Park at University Avenue.

RECORD OF DECISION

CT DOH has determined that this project will have impacts on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) was required. An Environmental Review Record (ERR) that includes the Record of Decision (ROD), which documents the environmental determinations for this project, is on file at the CT DOH NDR website https://portal.ct.gov/doh/doh/Sandy-Pages/Sandy-Programs/NDRC. The ROD can also be viewed on the project website at https://resilientbridgeport.com/environmental-impact-statement/.

Documentation is also available for public review at CT DOH, 2^nd Floor, 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106. The record is available for review and may be examined or copied weekdays 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency disagreeing with this determination or wishing to comment on this project may submit written comments to Rebecca French, Director of Resilience, CT DOH, 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106 (ATTN: Resilient Bridgeport) or by email to info@resilientbridgeport.com. All comments received by November 10, 2019, 11:59pm EST will be considered by the CT DOH prior to authorizing submission of a Request for Release of Funds and Environmental Certification to HUD.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION

The CT DOH certifies to HUD that Hermia Delaire in her capacity as Program Manager of the CDBG – Sandy Disaster Recovery Program consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the CT DOH to use CDBG-DR funds.