"City Councilors Brian F. Kogut and Stephen T. Zerio, members of the Meriden City Council’s Ad Hoc Power Plant Committee, announced today that the transfer of approximately 357 acres of land located in Meriden has taken place. The closing on the property, resulting in the land transfer to the City of Meriden, took place on October 19, 2006 between the City of Meriden and Meriden Gas Turbines (MGT), the owner of the power plant site. It is expected that the land transfer documents will be recorded in the office of the Meriden City Clerk tomorrow, October 20. 2006. The 357 acres are in Meriden and are located around the power plant site and property around Beaver Pond. MGT is retaining the land on which the power plant is located.
“I’d like to credit the efforts of my fellow committee members, Brian Kogut and former City Councilor Joseph Ferrigno Feest, Mayor Benigni, the City Council and the local state delegation for their patience and persistence in working to see this important land transfer finalized after so many years,” said Zerio, the ad hoc committee chairman. “The City also owes a special thanks to the CT Siting Council and the Office of State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. The Siting Council took extraordinary steps in directing NRG to meet its original commitments, with cooperation from the Attorney General. We’d still be waiting for this day to happen without their strong support.”
“The transfer of the 357 acres to the City of Meriden was a condition of the original power plant approval,” said Kogut. “It has taken very long time and I am happy that the transfer has finally been concluded.”
The transfer of the land to the City of Meriden by MGT was the subject of an enforcement action brought by the CT Siting Council against MGT to require that the land be transferred to the City of Meriden. The City was represented by the law firm of Brown Rudnick, Associate City Attorney Deborah L. Moore and City Manager Lawrence J. Kendzior. That action was settled in January, 2006. As part of that settlement, the City of Meriden was allowed to undertake a complete environmental review of the property.
BACKGROUND
PDC-El Paso Meriden applied to the CT Siting Council for a Certificate to build a 544 MW natural gas-fired combined cycle plant in the City of Meriden on August 27, 1998. The Siting Council approved the request on April 27, 1999, with the requirement that approximately 357 acres of excess land surrounding the power plant site located in the City of Meriden be donated to the City of Meriden. PDC-El Paso was later acquired by Meriden Gas Turbines (MGT) and its parent company NRG in December, 2001. According to Siting Council records, MGT suspended construction on the plant approximately two years later.
The CT Siting Council, through the Office of the Attorney General, initiated an enforcement action against MGT and its parent company NRG in CT Superior Court in August, 2005 seeking the transfer of the land to the City of Meriden. The Superior Court approved the settlement between the Siting Council, MGT and the City of Meriden (as a party of interest to the proceedings) in January, 2006. As part of the settlement agreement, the City of Meriden undertook a thorough and comprehensive environmental review of the property."
Great news for the City. Although there have been concerns and opponents of this project, to date the City has received over $11 million in undisputed tax payments, and now 357 new acres in the north part of our city, a tremendous addition to a land poor municipality. I've been asked what the City's plans are for the property, and my response is it's not going anywhere, there's no rush. We should just savor the moment.
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