• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Outdoor Living News

Outdoor Living Trends & Insights for Home Owners

OUTDOOR LIVING NEWS
Trends & Insights for Home Owners

  • Home
  • Outdoor Living Categories
    • Decking
    • Deck Railing
    • Fencing
    • Gardening
    • Gazebos & Pavilions
    • Hardscaping
    • Landscaping
    • Outdoor Furniture
    • Patios
    • Pergolas
    • Storage Sheds
  • About/Contact

Fairfield residents raise concerns about Penfield Pavilion issues

January 23, 2023 by Staff Reporter

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Beach Residents Association is raising concerns about how bringing Penfield Pavilion back into line with federal regulations will impact coastal flooding in the area.

The association is looking for the town to attempt mediation with FEMA and for it to consider taking action against the environmental consultants who worked on the most recent renovation. If the grade of the site has to be lowered, the association wants the town to pay for improvements to protect the area against coastal flooding.

Carolyn Kamlet, the FBRA president, said her organization represents around 1,000 households, but the concerns it has involves things that could impact all Fairfield residents, such as the cost of addressing the issues at the pavilion and the area’s coastal resiliency.

Becky Bunnell, a chair of the FBRA’s coastal environment subcommittee, as well as the chair of the town Flood and Erosion Control Board, said FEMA took issue with the pavilion being built up to a higher than natural grade. 

“We basically have an artificially higher grade that the building has been set on,” she said. “The town filed two appeals and they were both rejected. In our mind, as a residents association, what we’re trying to do is get awareness among the community that there is an issue here that is going to cost residents millions of dollars in potential remediation costs. We’re really trying to encourage the town to do a couple things.”

The first thing the FBRA wants the town to do is enter mediation with FEMA, Bunnell said, adding it does not make much sense for the federal agency to ask the town to lower the land there because it would potentially cause more flooding. In that case, FEMA would end up footing the bill for those damages, she said.

She said they want to know if mediation between the town and the federal government would result in more of a win-win scenario.

In an email, First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said the town has been meeting with all the regulatory agencies involved in the matter for more than a year. She said the town’s understanding from those meetings is that those agencies do not engage in mediation regarding violations of their regulations.

“FEMA is a regulatory agency with the power of federal law as their enforcement mechanism. It’s not an option for the town to disregard their regulations and directives,” she said. “The town’s lack of compliance during construction put us in the current position we are in.  Of course, we have and will continue to highlight residents’ concerns with FEMA.”

If mediation is not possible and the grade does have to be lowered, the town needs to look at the cost of possible flooding to residents instead, Bunnell said. She noted the cost of remediation is expected to be $8 million, and that’s on top of millions needed there to fix the contaminated fill used under the building. She said she thinks the town should also help protect the homes of residents if the land there is lowered, adding projects to do so could cost $8 million to $10 million.

“That starts to really add up,” she said. 

Kupchick said she is not advocating for lowering the grade — FEMA is. 

“FEMA has advised that the natural grade prior to Penfield being constructed was at 8’, and that is what they are telling us to return it to,” she said. “I understand this is a concern that residents have and as a result I have personally raised this issue with FEMA. I have asked FEMA to address it directly with residents at the town hall meeting. I have asked and continue to ask for any resiliency and flood mitigation efforts FEMA thinks would be helpful to address resident’s concerns.”

Bunnell said the town should also consider suing the consultants who advised on the pavilion project, as they must be liable in some way for allowing the town to build the site without meeting the standards.

Kupchick said the town has documentation that both FEMA and the FEMA consultant, Witt & O’Brien, strongly advised the previous administration to not build the project against regulations, and cautioned the town about future ramifications.

Officials announced in 2021 that new reservations wouldn’t be taken at Penfield Pavilion starting in 2023, as the town looks to address contaminated fill on the property and federal violations. 

Fairfield has applied for reimbursements from FEMA three times for damage the building sustained during Hurricane Sandy — twice during former First Selectman Mike Tetreau’s administration and once under Kupchick. She said after the federal agency denied the $4 million reimbursement for a third time, officials notified the town again that the pavilion wasn’t built to code, saying the placement of the horizontal grade beams in the building’s foundation are against FEMA regulations and will have to be addressed. Kupchick has also said the prior administration was notified of this but continued with construction.

Kupchick said the town has sent questions from the community, town bodies and other officials to FEMA, and the agency is reviewing them and working to set up a town meeting as soon as possible. In her newsletter last week, she said she has asked for an official from FEMA and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes to be there.

“On behalf of the town’s taxpayers, I have been incredibly frustrated by the time and resources that have been and will continue to be utilized on this entire situation,” she said. “In addition, tens of millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted cleaning up this mess that could have been used for many other much-needed projects in town. I truly share our community’s concerns and I am trying to do right by the town to avoid further repercussions and expenses.”

Joshua.LaBella@hearstmediact.com



Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: Gazebos & Pavilions

Primary Sidebar

Featured Posts

‘The Art of Burning’ at The Huntington at the Calderwood Pavilion – NBC Boston

“The Art of Burning” at The Huntington at the Calderwood Pavilion dives into what happens when love turns to rage during an acrimonious divorce and … [Read More...] about ‘The Art of Burning’ at The Huntington at the Calderwood Pavilion – NBC Boston

Surrey-based landscaping group completes seventh acquisition consolidating North East presence

Surrey-based Nurture Landscapes Group, has completed its seventh acquisition with the purchase of County Durham landscaping specialist, Beaumont … [Read More...] about Surrey-based landscaping group completes seventh acquisition consolidating North East presence

How to start your own garden

Few culinary delights are as rewarding as using produce that you grew yourself. A bowl of lettuce with the morning dew still clinging to each tender … [Read More...] about How to start your own garden

Craftsman Direct Handyman Home Improvement Offers Wooden Deck, Patio and Porch Construction, Renovation and Maintenance in the Greater Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham Area

PRESS RELEASEPublished January 27, 2023Local contractor with high customer reviews has completed hundreds of custom deck and screened porch projects … [Read More...] about Craftsman Direct Handyman Home Improvement Offers Wooden Deck, Patio and Porch Construction, Renovation and Maintenance in the Greater Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham Area

Healthy Habits grants to support expansion of 3 school gardens, addition of sensory room at another school | News, Sports, Jobs

Cordley Elementary School kindergarten students plant seeds after ground is broken on a school garden, Friday, March 11, 2016, in this Journal-World … [Read More...] about Healthy Habits grants to support expansion of 3 school gardens, addition of sensory room at another school | News, Sports, Jobs

Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | About/ Contact
Copyright © 2023 · OUTDOOR LIVING NEWS . Log in

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy