NAUGATUCK — The borough has set its sights on a 12-acre former manufacturing site in a bid to control its own destiny when it comes to developing the vacant parcel.
The parcel the borough has its eyes on is the former Risdon Manufacturing Company property located on Andrew Avenue directly behind the recycling center.
Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said the property is in a vital location and can be useful for either the proposed Port of Naugatuck, an intermodal inland port on the 86.5-acre parcel along Elm Street owned by Lanxess, or the transit-oriented development project planned for the former General DataComm land on Rubber Avenue.
“It is critical for Naugatuck that we control the destiny of that site. That doesn’t mean the town is going to develop it. What it means is that we have to have the ability to decide what goes there and not let uses that are not consistent with our future plans take control of that site,” Hess said.
The Board of Mayor and Burgesses approved making an offer for the property during a special meeting Jan. 17.
Hess declined to say the amount the borough is offering since the offer hadn’t been accepted, but did say that he felt it was an extremely good price.
According to the property card, the land is owned by MVH LLC and attorney Leslie Evans of Palm Beach, Fla. The property card does not list an appraised value of the property.
Burgesses Jack DeOliveira and Dorothy Hoff voted against the motion to make an offer.
DeOliveira said he opposed it because the borough didn’t have funds allocated specifically for this purchase in the budget.
After the meeting, Hess said the money may come from the surplus the borough anticipates at the end of the fiscal year, the fund balance or the contingency fund.
“So we have a host of choices as to where the money will come from,” Hess said.
Hess said he wasn’t sure if or when the offer would be accepted, but he expects a decision will be made sometime this year.
The property also plays a part in the borough’s efforts to improve and beautify Rubber Avenue, Hess said.
Hess said the borough is planning significant upgrades to Rubber Avenue, which is a main thoroughfare in the borough, over the next three to five years. The upgrades include moving the recycling center, which he has previously called an “eyesore,” improvements to the intersections of Rubber Avenue, Hoadley Street and Melbourne Street, and fixing the road and sidewalks.
Along with the recycling center, the borough’s Public Works Department has facilities along Rubber Avenue. A plan is in the works to consolidate the facilities into a new facility on Spring Street behind the police department and develop the borough-owned properties on Rubber Avenue.
The borough will also explore programs that offer incentives for property owners and businesses that improve their buildings along Rubber Avenue, Hess said.
“We are going to make it much more likely for people to want to invest in their own properties and make Rubber Avenue a much better street and a gateway to our beautiful Naugatuck High School,” Hess said.
Hess said there isn’t a plan in place for the former Risdon property, if the borough buys it, but owning it ensures that the borough can have the type of development on the land that ties into the rest of the borough’s projects.
“At this time we have no plans for a specific project on that site. But we would be open to a plan where a developer would develop the site in a manner consistent with either of our projects,” Hess said.
Hess added, “We will most likely allow someone else to develop the site, but we want to set the rules.”
The Risdon Manufacturing Company, which was known for the creation and manufacturing of lipstick tubes, opened in 1910 and moved to Naugatuck in 1913. During its time in Naugatuck, the company made lipstick tubes for major beauty product companies such as Avon and Revlon. The company moved to Watertown in 2000 and ultimately closed in 2009.
Given the manufacturing background of the property, Hess said there are likely environmental issues with the land. The borough is doing a preliminary environmental investigation, but the details are undetermined at this time, Hess said.
“There are environmental concerns, but we feel we are better equipped, as a municipality, to deal with them than just a regular purchaser,” Hess said.
