City issues stop work order at Harbor Point construction site
The construction site at 100 Commons Park North in Stamford in February.
The construction site at 100 Commons Park North in Stamford in February.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut MediaOm Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Stamford issued a stop-work order at a Harbor Point project after Styrofoam blew off a building under construction.
Om Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Stamford issued a stop-work order at a Harbor Point project after Styrofoam blew off a building under construction.
Photo: Contributed Photo / Contributed PhotoOm Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Stamford issued a stop-work order at a Harbor Point project after Styrofoam blew off a building under construction.
Om Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Stamford issued a stop-work order at a Harbor Point project after Styrofoam blew off a building under construction.
Photo: Contributed Photo / Contributed PhotoOm Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Stamford issued a stop-work order at a Harbor Point project after Styrofoam blew off a building under construction.
Om Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Stamford issued a stop-work order at a Harbor Point project after Styrofoam blew off a building under construction.
Photo: Contributed Photo / Contributed PhotoOm Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Stamford issued a stop-work order at a Harbor Point project after Styrofoam blew off a building under construction.
Om Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Stamford issued a stop-work order at a Harbor Point project after Styrofoam blew off a building under construction.
Photo: Contributed Photo / Contributed PhotoSTAMFORD — The city has issued a stop-work order at a Harbor Point construction project after Styrofoam rained down on restaurant patrons and park visitors over the weekend.
Lynn Drobbin, a Stamford resident, was eating lunch with her husband outside at Fortina on Saturday after attending the Harbor Point Arts Festival when she noticed something landing in her food and her drink.
“My husband, who was facing the building, pointed up and said, ‘They’re installing Styrofoam panels at the high rise across the street,’ ” said Drobbin, who is also chairwoman of the city’s Historic Preservation Advisory Commission. “That’s when I realized all this stuff in my food and on the ground around us was Styrofoam.”
At the request of Mayor David Martin, the city’s Chief Building Official Bob DeMarco issued the stop-work order Wednesday morning at Harbor Point developer Building and Land Technology’s 100 Commons Park N., also known as parcel C8. The order is limited to the exterior Styrofoam installation.
Construction on the planned 365,000-square-foot, 16-story building began late last year. The development will house 258 one-bedroom apartments, 125 two-bedrooms and eight studios.
“Based on the city’s Environmental Protection and Storm Water Management investigations stemming from a complaint, inspectors identified a moderate amount of Styrofoam particles that were released,” city spokeswoman Elizabeth Carlson wrote in an emailed statement. “This was a result of a containment failure during the installation of (Styrofoam) on the exterior walls of the building. Protective netting used to prevent such a release was insufficient to contain all of the particles.”
Carlson said the order will stay in place until city officials are satisfied that work can resume without harm to the environment.
“Following reports about Styrofoam particles being released from the C8 site, the city issued a stop-work order with respect to the subcontractor handling exterior foam installation on the project,” BLT’s Chief Operating Officer Ted Ferrarone wrote in an emailed statement.
Ferrarone said BLT met with Building Department officials at the site to discuss mitigation of the issue, and the order was issued “in an abundance of caution.”
“BLT has already submitted a plan to manage this issue going forward, and we are optimistic that the relevant subcontractor will soon have city approval to proceed with its work on the project,” Ferrarone said.
With heavy rain expected Wednesday night, the city and BLT took immediate steps to protect Long Island Sound by inspecting all catch basins in the area to ensure that filter fabric is secure.
“This will prevent any additional material from working its way toward the Dyke Lane Pump Station,” Carlson said. “The Stamford Fire Department is deploying an absorbent boom to contain any material as a secondary protective measure. The city will continue to monitor this situation to ensure ongoing compliance.”
Drobbin, who had reported the incident to the Board of Representatives and the city’s Health Department, was glad to hear the city was taking action, as she also spotted more Styrofoam in the grass near the construction project.
“It was noticeable. You could definitely see it from a distance,” she said. “And it looked just like seed, so I was worried about some of the wildlife.”
nnaughton@stamfordadvocate.com
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