Vernon gets EPA grant to continue its cleanup effort at Daniel's Mill

Ben Crnic, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·3 min read

May 20—VERNON — The town has received a $650,000 federal grant to help continue cleanup efforts at the former Daniel's Mill, as it works to convert the 98 E. Main St. building into housing and commercial space.

MILL GRANT

WHAT: The town has received a $650,000 federal brownfields grant that will go towards cleaning up the former Daniel's Mill site in downtown Rockville, which used to produce paints and pesticides.

NEXT: The town intends to further develop the former mill into housing and commercial space, primarily consisting of apartments.

The grant is being awarded by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and is part of $6.97 million in brownfield remediation grants being awarded to various towns in the state to clean up abandoned industrial and commercial properties, according to a news release.

The federal grant is the latest funding for the cleanup effort that the town has received. Last year the town received another $2 million grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

The site is a former textile mill from the 1800s that has also been used as a machine shop to manufacture fire-resistant paints, pesticides, and as office and warehouse space.

"There is contamination that has been identified, and containing it is obviously a priority for the town," Vernon spokesperson Dave Owens said today. Contaminants are "not leaching out," he added, but it is common for old industrial sites, and in order to develop the site, the former mill has to be cleaned first.

The town is now working with Atlanta-based developer Camden Management Partners to repurpose the former mill into housing and commercial space.

"This is a complicated process ... to redevelop these buildings and this beautiful mill complex and the cleanup is an essential part of it," Owens said. He added that no plans for the site have yet been presented to the town's Planning and Zoning Commission.

The overall idea for the site though is to build luxury apartments and potentially some office space or small shops, Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said today.

Vernon Mayor Daniel Champagne said earlier this week that the federal grant for the cleanup effort "is another key step forward in our effort to restore the gateway to Rockville, develop housing and commercial space and to get the properties back on the tax rolls." Champagne added that it is a "true example of local, state and federal government working together to move Vernon forward."

The town received the grant with help from the University of Connecticut's Technical Assistance for Brownfields program, which assisted town staff with the application process.

"The funding will act as a catalyst for the revitalization of Daniel's Mill, and will promote economic and community development," said Nefeli Bompoti, the UConn program manager, who added that the program enjoys working with towns to "support their efforts to transform blighted sites into community assets."

Champagne said the cleanup effort would be a "transformational project for downtown Vernon.

"This is a spectacular complex of properties with waterfalls and the Hockanum River flowing through. Every grant we obtain moves us closer to our goal," Champagne said.

The town is also working with Camden Management Partners to repurpose the adjacent former Amerbelle and Anocoil mills into housing and commercial space. Other large mills in town, including the Talcottville Mill and the Hockanum Mill, have been developed into apartments and the New England Motorcycle Museum, respectively.

In addition to the Vernon Daniel's Mill property, the town of Stafford also received a $650,000 federal Brownfields Cleanup grant from the EPA to clean the Earl M. Witt Intermediate School at 20 Hyde Park Road.

"These much-needed awards assist our communities in protecting the health of residents, incentivizing economic growth and development, and improving the quality of life for all," said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, earlier this week.

Ben covers Coventry and Tolland for the Journal Inquirer.