SerpApi.Org
STRATFORD - A Bridgeport crane and rigging company is seeking approval to transform property on Stratford's west side into a construction equipment storage yard, giving the company a second location in the region.
The applicant, 348 Surf Avenue LLC, has submitted a coastal site plan and erosion and sediment control plan to redevelop about 1.1 acres spanning several adjacent parcels on Surf Avenue and Charles Street, adjacent to the Interstate 95 southbound Surf Avenue exit.
The property would become a second location for A&A Crane and Riggings, which has provided crane, rigging and trucking services in the Bridgeport area for about 30 years. The company currently operates from 900 Rusciana Ave. in Bridgeport.
The site, which is in Stratford's light manufacturing zone, is currently occupied by Barre Granite Memorials, a stone monument manufacturing and sales business that has operated there since the 1940s. Owner Donna Miller said the business plans to relocate to a smaller location elsewhere in Stratford later this year.
According to the application, the property contains three structures - a garage and two commercial buildings - and is in poor condition, resembling a junkyard.
Plans call for demolishing the garage, renovating the two remaining buildings, installing new lighting and landscaping, and replacing existing asphalt parking areas with gravel and crushed stone. A new 12-foot-wide gravel driveway would be built from Charles Street while the existing driveway from Surf Avenue would remain.
About 15 to 20 pieces of construction equipment would be stored on the site, including mobile cranes parked outdoors. Air handling units and generators would be stored inside the buildings.
The yard would generally operate Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., although employees could access the property earlier for out-of-state jobs. The application says the site would typically be used only three or four days a week and is not expected to generate offensive noise, smoke, odors, dust or excessive vibration.
The proposal is before the Stratford Zoning Commission, which continued its public hearing until July 22 to allow review of outstanding information.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection also recommended changes to the project's stormwater management plan, including the use of permeable paving materials such as permeable asphalt to reduce runoff, according to meeting minutes.
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