The town of Fairfield, Conn., is considering turning down a $3 million state grant to clean up a Superfund sitebecause it wants developers to agree to higher wages, affordable housing, and state control over the property, the Hartford Courant reports.
The state in June awarded a $3 million grant to clean up low-level PCB contamination at the former Brownfield factory, where old storage tanks used to heat the plant once sat.
But the developers, Post Road Residential, say they're balking at three conditions: increased wage rates, affordable housing requirements, and state control over the property.
The affordable housing requirement requires developers to set aside 20% of apartments for households making 80% of the area median income, or 10% for households making 50% of the area median income, according to the state's affordable housing policy.
The state also requires that the project team enter into a "Negative Pledge" contract, meaning they can't sell, lease, or transfer the property without approval from the state department commissioner for the first 10 years of the contract, which could add $25 million to the project's cost, the Courant reports.
But Fairfield officials say they're leaning toward turning down the grant because they want the project to move forward.
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