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Across State Lines?

Regionalism could take on new meaning in Danbury

How often do you hear this one in the pages of CT&C – two towns agreeing to a mutual agreement so they can come to some savings or economic development. How often is that with a town across state lines? Danbury just entered into a rare interstate agreement that could mean benefits for both Connecticut and New York.

From a Patch article on the proposed agreement, Putnam Country Executive Mary Ellen Odell has been in talks with the City of Danbury to utilize the sewage treatment plant for a stretch of their Route 6 corridor.

According to the article, this particular area has sought development for many years, but the road borders a protected NYC reservoir.

“The Letter of Intent, signed by Danbury Mayor Esposito on Tuesday, broadly outlines the project in which a sewer line would connect 3.5 miles of commercially zoned land along the Route 6 corridor in the Town of Southeast to the City of Danbury’s sewage treatment plant.”

This treatment plant is in fact the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant that became an internet sensation in 2020.

There were some concerns in the Hat City that helping their neighbors to the west would ultimately be a detriment to Danbury. But regionalism is far more nuanced than that.

Of course, more businesses might open on the New York side, but as Vincent Tamagna, Project Manager for the project is quoted in the Patch article – “It’s not like anyone will be building a large mall to compete with Danbury.”

In fact, growth on the other side of the state line could in the long run create more opportunities for housing, according to Tamagna. More housing in the greater Danbury Region, could mean more people coming over to Connecticut to shop at the mall or in our shops.

What remains to be seen is how this plan will work out. Although the letter of intent was signed, New York officials still need to study the impact and develop a project, while in Danbury it needs the official ok from the City Council.

With nearly 30 towns and cities, or just over 15% of our towns bordering another state, is there room to imagine partnerships that benefit CT towns and cities that involve Massachusetts or Rhode Island too? For Danbury, even if all the economic development doesn’t happen on the CT side, it was an opportunity they didn’t want to let go to waste.

The Economic Development section of CT&C is sponsored by New Haven Terminal, Inc. Learn more at: www.newhaventerminal.com

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