Project Spotlight: The Hamden Business Incubator

Posted by Peter Grunawalt on

hamden business incubator

A project Godfrey-Hoffman Associates is currently part of is steadily moving forward.  The construction is nearly complete on the current phase of work at the future site of the Hamden Business Incubator. This phase includes the removal of old boilers and asbestos, as well as clearing out contaminated materials in the basement. The $200,000 for this phase came from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Hamden Economic Development Corporation (HEDC).

The Hamden Business Incubator is being developed by HEDC at the location of the former Newhall Community Center at 496 Newhall Street, which has been closed since 2002. The incubator will be serve as the location for up to 20 small businesses that specialize in service and technology areas such as light manufacturing, web design and medical office administration. The goal is develop affordable space for entrepreneurs to grow in Hamden to create jobs and increase tax revenue.

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Career Event at Common Ground School

Posted by Peter Grunawalt on

03 18 14 Pres 1 resized 600“More so than ever before, being a surveyor requires a general knowledge of technology that you all already possess,” said Calvin Weingart, L.S., to a class of high school students at Common Ground School. As part of a career-event, Calvin and survey technician Peter Grunawalt from Godfrey-Hoffman volunteered to give a presentation about the land surveying profession.

The emphasis of the presentation was on several key points:

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Project Spotlight: Kensett Lane

Posted by Peter Grunawalt on

6E Kensett Community 8 resized 600

Our very own Denise Halstead, PE, was hired by a developer to take an existing site of 15.87 acres, formerly the grounds of a gravel processing operation, consisting of 1.83 acres of wetlands and develop the site into an age-restricted community with a meeting center and pool. The development would have some 62 units, approximately 3,500 sf each with a garage and patio. This development would be the first new home community in Darien in more than a generation.

Challenges

6I Kensett Clubhouse 2 resized 600The plot of land was not without its challenges. The site had been overworked for 60 years and many drainage problems existed within the trunk storm sewer piping that ran throughout the entire property. A railroad and two cemeteries abutted the properties and the design be modified to appease all neighbors, regulatory agencies and the Town’s stormwater management requirements. The neighbors supported this development because the new design incorporated plans to alleviate flooding they regularly incurred during storm events.

The project required creative thinking in order to provide a home for a community that felt one with nature. One of the first improvements made was the replacement of the Town storm sewer and stormwater system. The use of underground systems combined with rain gardens and bioswales provided not just relief to the drainage concerns, but an environmentally sensitive and green infrastructure to complement the development.

6E Kensett Community 3 resized 600The project was unanimously approved in 2009, but hit a hurdle with the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation. The project planned to re-use the existing driveway to access the site. The State denied use of the entrance because it crossed the Metro North railroad tracks, a site of multiple fatalities. The developer had to put the job on hold and determine another way to access the site. With the railroad abutting the site on the west, cemeteries on the west and north and wetlands on the east, the only access was via a neighboring street, and involved the purchase of properties to do so.

In 2010, a solution was found, and with approval from local regulatory agencies and the state, an access drive was developed off Wakemore Street. Final design work would include permitting from Metro North for a sanitary sewer crossing under the railroard tracks, as well as a State Department of Transportation permit for improvements on the nearby Hoyt Street and the realignment of their access road, Wakemore Street. The project included extensive coordination with utility companies, the Town of Darien Public Works department, and general contractor, client, sub-contractors, and other specialty consultants.

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The home of Hodge, LLC has been sold!

Posted by Bill Nagle on

describe the image

Bill Grunewald, the former owner of Hodge Surveying Associates, has sold the home of Hodge Surveying, 1783 Farmington Avenue, to a local investor. Mr. Grunewald has been the owner of 1783 Farmington Avenue for the last 35 years. The property, located at the intersection of Route 167 and Route 4 in Unionville, has had an interesting and colorful past; law offices, owners of a former automobile dealership, car repair, and former site of a mouse trap factory! Situated on the banks of the Farmington River and Roaring Brook, “1783” has the potential to shine again. Mr. Grunewald updated the interior in the early 1980’s, but now it is in need of a complete makeover.  Hodge LLC welcomes our new landlord, John Sansone, and look forward to a long term relationship with him and the future 1783 Farmington Avenue.

                                                                                       

Project Spotlight: Kensett Lane

Posted by ghhllc on
6E Kensett Community 8 resized 600

Our very own Denise Halstead, PE, was hired by a developer to take an existing site of 15.87 acres, formerly the grounds of a gravel processing operation, consisting of 1.83 acres of wetlands and develop the site into an age-restricted community with a meeting center and pool. The development would have some 62 units, approximately 3,500 sf each with a garage and patio. This development would be the first new home community in Darien in more than a generation.

Challenges

6I Kensett Clubhouse 2 resized 600

The plot of land was not without its challenges. The site had been overworked for 60 years and many drainage problems existed within the trunk storm sewer piping that ran throughout the entire property. A railroad and two cemeteries abutted the properties and the design be modified to appease all neighbors, regulatory agencies and the Town’s stormwater management requirements. The neighbors supported this development because the new design incorporated plans to alleviate flooding they regularly incurred during storm events.

The project required creative thinking in order to provide a home for a community that felt one with nature. One of the first improvements made was the replacement of the Town storm sewer and stormwater system. The use of underground systems combined with rain gardens and bioswales provided not just relief to the drainage concerns, but an environmentally sensitive and green infrastructure to complement the development.

6E Kensett Community 3 resized 600

The project was unanimously approved in 2009, but hit a hurdle with the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation. The project planned to re-use the existing driveway to access the site. The State denied use of the entrance because it crossed the Metro North railroad tracks, a site of multiple fatalities. The developer had to put the job on hold and determine another way to access the site. With the railroad abutting the site on the west, cemeteries on the west and north and wetlands on the east, the only access was via a neighboring street, and involved the purchase of properties to do so.

In 2010, a solution was found, and with approval from local regulatory agencies and the state, an access drive was developed off Wakemore Street. Final design work would include permitting from Metro North for a sanitary sewer crossing under the railroard tracks, as well as a State Department of Transportation permit for improvements on the nearby Hoyt Street and the realignment of their access road, Wakemore Street. The project included extensive coordination with utility companies, the Town of Darien Public Works department, and general contractor, client, sub-contractors, and other specialty consultants.

Looking Forward

Construction commenced in 2011 and is proceeding as planned. The project is a 3-year phased project, expected to be completed sometime this year in 2014. Kensett Lane Development is noted to have “filled a need for marketrate homes that are different from the single-family residences available in Darien.” Town officials stated that the development provides a long-needed option for many older, longer-term residents of Darien looking to downscale while maintaining their connectivity to the town and providing bedrooms for visiting family.

6I Kensett Clubhouse 8 resized 600

Whose Tree is That? A Property Survey Can Help

Posted by Bill Nagle on
Tree falling over shared property line.Among the many reasons for obtaining a property survey, a reoccuring concern of homeowners is, “Who owns this tree?”

Often, homeowners share property lines that are buffered by woods, and the responsibilities of tree maintenance are not exactly clear. (See other reasons people have property surveys).

Though we have seen a wide variety of tree-related concerns, ranging from the neighbor’s leaves and branches falling into the pool to a suspiciously unhealthy tree leaning towards the garage, it often boils down to the same questions: Who pays? Who is responsible? Who owns this tree?

The best authority on this issue is the Connecticut Association of Land Surveyors (CALS). They make a number of key points and suggestions that every homeowner should consider.

5 Suggestions

1. When the tree falls, the first thing to do is file an insurance claim for repairs and cleanup.
Even if your house is undamaged, check to see if your plan covers chopping and hauling. Most plans cover any damage caused during winds and winter storms. However, only some will cover damage unassociated with house damage.

2. Your neighbor is responsible for a tree that falls over a shared property only if you can prove they were aware that their tree was a hazard and refused to remedy the problem.
Regardless of this, your insurance company will restore your property first, and then seek to pursue reimbursement from the neighbor or their insurer if the neighbor was clearly negligent in maintaining the tree.

3. Before the tree falls, write a letter to your neighbor including a description of the problem, photographs, a request for action, and if necessary, an attorney letterhead (to indicate you mean business).
Taking this initial step can prove negligence should your neighbor decide to not remedy the tree of concern.

4. Trim their trees.
If the limbs of their tree hang over your shared property line, you may trim the branches up to the property line, but not cut down the entire tree. Keep in mind that should this trimming kill the tree, your neighbor can pursue a claim against you in civil or small claims court. Before you cut, tell your neighbor what it is you intend to do.

5. Your tree falls; what do you do?
At first, do nothing until their insurance company contacts you. You may not be liable unless you knew or should have known the tree was in hazardous condition. To this extent, it is always a good idea to keep the receipts of any maintenance you have done on trees. These receipts can prove your awareness of an issue and preventative action.

Key Takeaway:

Before taking these steps, knowing where your shared property line is, is a must. In a perfect world, your neighbor will also want to know, and the cost of a survey can be shared. However, prior to taking any action, it is always a good idea to make your intentions known to your neighbors and keep them in the loop.

If you have further questions, concerns, or interests in having your property surveyed, please consider requesting a free quote here.

Reference: "Tree Falls Over Property Line: Who Pays? Who Picks up the Pieces?"
By: Ann Cochran, Houselogic, March 23, 2011