Norwich redevelopment agency wants answers on bond

Norwich - The Redevelopment Agency wants an interactive question-and-answer session with city officials promoting a $13.575 million economic development referendum bond before discussing it or taking a public stance on the proposal.

Agency Chairman Thomas Marien will take written questions from the seven board members during the next week and will submit them to Mayor Peter Nystrom and Norwich Community Development Corp. Executive Director Robert Mills. He will ask the two to schedule a joint meeting to hear a presentation on the bond proposal and to air questions and concerns.

Marien, who has been involved in meetings over the past several months to formulate the plan, has been critical of the proposal. He said Monday he has many questions and concerns he would like to discuss at the meeting.

The proposal calls for $5.7 million to create a second business park in Occum, $1.5 million for infrastructure upgrades to the Stanley Israelite Norwich Business Park, $3.375 million for four downtown development incentive programs and a $3 million expansion of the city's natural gas lines.

The City Council is expected to introduce bond ordinances for the three anticipated referendum questions at its meeting next Monday. A public hearing will be scheduled for Aug. 16.

Nystrom, who did not attend the Redevelopment Agency meeting, said later that he met with Mills on Sunday and agreed to offer presentations on the bond proposal to any Norwich board or commission interested in hearing it. He said he welcomed a chance to meet with the Redevelopment Agency, which traditionally has handled projects in the downtown area.

Separate from the bond issues, the Redevelopment Agency Monday reviewed an 11-page draft list of potentially contaminated sites in the city. Agency member Sofee Noblick compiled the list from a state website, but said it would need a lot of work to review the list.

For example, some sites were on the list for leaking underground storage tanks, which were cleaned, but no other potential pollution was noted. The sprawling Uncas on Thames former state cancer hospital campus was listed for four leaking oil tanks.

c.bessette@theday.com