Shellfish commissioners register conditional 'no objection' to Harbor Loop Trail permit, reserve right to comment

Emily Wekman, a landscape architect with Weston & Sampson, presented the proposed Harbor Loop Trail boardwalk at 20 Hendricks Ave on behalf of the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency. She said the project is in the FEMA floodplain, proposes an elevated boardwalk (top of deck at Elevation 9, typical elevation about 7) with two gated maintenance access points, and includes improvements to four existing outfalls to meet current sedimentation and erosion-control standards. Wekman said the team has filed DEEP structures/dredging-and-fill permit applications and an Army Corps notice and that SLR’s coastal resources report identified "no identified shellfish areas within or adjacent to the project."

Commissioners asked technical questions about pile locations, whether work would be waterward and construction methods. Wekman and a project representative said they expect a top-down landward construction method and that the majority of helical footings and outfall work would be outside identified shellfish impact zones.

The chair moved a motion "no objection to move this forward to the full permit application and reserving the right to comment, at the time of the tentative determination to approve." The motion was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. Commissioners recorded three ayes on the motion. The commission will review DEEP’s notice of tentative determination and may submit additional comments at that time.