April 1, 2021

Rep. Yaccarino Applauds the Passage of House Bill 6640 out of the Legislature’s Planning and Development Committee

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The General Assembly’s Planning and Development Committee passed Wednesday, with broad and bipartisan support, a bill which Rep. Yaccarino introduced that would modify the organization of the Cedar Hills Infrastructure Improvement District in North Haven to allow for future economic development.

House Bill 6640, An Act Concerning The Cedar Hills Infrastructure Improvement District, passed unanimously out of the committee process and is expected to be voted on the floor of the House of Representatives during the 2021 legislative session. Rep. Yaccarino and proponents of this legislation explain that it would generate revenue for North Haven and benefit the surrounding area as well.

“I am pleased to see this bill move through the legislative process with complete bipartisan support. This bill and the corresponding project will benefit North Haven, New Haven County and the state of Connecticut for years to come,” said Rep. Yaccarino, who introduced this measure during the 2021 legislative session. “During these difficult times, many of us believe that our state should be doing everything it can to make it easier, and more convenient to help businesses grow, and to strengthen our economy – this type of economic development is a step in the right direction.”

The Cedar Hills Infrastructure Improvement District was created by Special Act 15-16 in February of 2016 to bring about the development of a vacant piece of commercial property in North Haven. This property was purchased over 30 years ago with the intent of creating a regional ash dump, however this plan was later denied by the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) due to the site being too close to the Quinnipiac River. Since then, no development has occurred on this site as a result of lack of access and environmental contamination.

In 2019, the state’s Department of Economic Development (DECD) provided a $200,000.00 grant to the town of North Haven to conduct site investigation, which revealed that the site was in need of significant investment. Currently, there is an anaerobic digester permitted by DEEP to be located on this site, a proposed $100 million-dollar glass recycling plant, and several other eco-related uses which can potentially utilize the power generated from the gas recovered by the digester.

The proposed changes in this legislation to the original act reveal that although the District has been properly formed, nothing has been done since the original meeting of electors and the passing of the initial two local ordinances that allow the District to operate. This legislation would simply provide more time for the District to obtain a backer and necessary bonds to begin development.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/RepYaccarino/videos/2697521693879463 to see Rep. Yaccarino and former State Representative William Gambardella testify in support of H.B. 6640 before the legislature’s Planning and Development Committee.