FAIRFIELD, CT — The plan to keep and repair the Penfield Beach Pavilion was approved by the second of three Fairfield government bodies Monday, but not before $100,000 was added for a new study by a resiliency consultant about area flood mitigation.
During Monday’s Board of Finance meeting, some of the members expressed concerns over the potential that the costs to remove contaminated fill underneath the building and then lower the structure to state and federal mandated height.
But in the end, the board approved $10.6 million for the project by a 7-2 vote, with Chair Lori Charlton and member Craig Curley voting against it.
Find out what's happening in Fairfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“I don’t like the number, but the number seems to make sense in the situation we’re in,” said board member Christopher DeWitt.
Click Here: converse shop
The $10.6 million for the project will come from funds the town has set aside to deal with the removal of the contaminated soil, and on top of that will come $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money, which will bring the total cost of the project to $11.6 million.
Find out what's happening in Fairfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Fairfield generates about $400,000 in revenue annually from pavilion rentals. However, if the building were to be knocked down instead and not repaired, the town would still be on the hook for $9 to $12 million in debt service, without the possibility of generating any revenue.
“Ouch, that would hurt,” one board member said.
The town is under a time crunch to get a plan in place for the building to avoid the possibility of about 1,800 households losing a 10 percent discount on premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program.
Last week, the Board of Selectpersons approved the plan, and with the Board of Finance approving it, all that is left is for the Representative Town Meeting to review the proposal at a meeting on March 27.
If the RTM approves the plan, the town will notify the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the proposal, which could help avoid the loss of the insurance discount, or worse.
“Failure to cure the violations could result in that happening,” town Planning Director Jim Wendt told the board.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.