Key Capture Energy appears on the brink of winning CT Siting Council approval to build a nearly 5-megawatt facility in Granby, even though municipal leaders have been warning for months that the plan creates pollution and safety risks that Granby can’t overcome.

Based on a straw poll of Siting Council members on Jan. 9, the plan is poised to win official approval in a formal vote next week.

The Albany-based energy company has said for the past half-year that its facility would be safe, and the Siting Council this month concluded it meets fire safety regulations. But Granby leaders contend otherwise.

“It is difficult to imagine a more inappropriate site for a Battery Energy Storage System facility,” First Selectman Mark Fiorentino said Thursday. “The Salmon Brook site is surrounded by a high-density residential area, is adjacent to a busy retail center, and is located on a groundwater aquifer that supplies potable water to a significant portion of Granby.”

Fiorentino issued a statement calling on Siting Council members to reconsider their support, and warning that his town is at severe risk if the council makes an error.

“The project involves clear, significant public health and safety risks that can be completely and easily avoided with no discernable impact on the state’s goals related to renewable energy and power grid resiliency,” he wrote. “The council need only follow a safety guideline it utilized just two months ago to deny similar, but smaller, BESS projects in New London and Waterford.”

Granby’s central complaint is that if a battery storage unit burns, it could create a so-called thermal runaway in which materials burn so hot that firefighters can’t extinguish them, and must instead leave them to simply burn out. During that time, toxic chemicals could be draining into a nearby aquifer or into Salmon Brook, the town warned.

But in its 33-page analysis of the proposal, Siting Council staff on Jan. 3 gave no evidence that the facility would violate fire safety standards or state health and water protection codes. Although the proposed site is within Granby’s aquifer protection zone, it doesn’t fall into any state-designated zone, the analysis noted.

In a non-binding straw poll Jan. 9, five members said they intend to approve KCE’s plan at the council’s Jan. 23 meeting, while just two said they’d vote against it. A sixth indicated strong support, but said he would need to review evidence before voting.

“I don’t care for the site myself, but I see no reason not to approve it,” said Chairman John Morissette, one of the five yes votes. “The characteristics of the site meet all the requirements. There could be better sites but this is the site they chose.”

Council member Quat Nguyen, however, agreed with the town’s objection that firefighters aren’t guaranteed an unimpeded way to reach the site.

“Should there be an emergency or fire, the current indirect access could hinder the ability of fire trucks or equipment to maneuver around,” he said, adding that he will be a no vote.

Brian Golembiewski said he’d approve the project with provisions that KCE do what’s possible to reduce operational noise and prevent tree clearing that could endanger northern long-eared bats. He also said KCE should be required to document any training or equipment it provides to local volunteer firefighters.

Several council members noted that Connecticut’s power system needs more battery energy storage units. KCE has said its project would be a benefit to the region.

“The project is located at an area on the distribution network with appropriate charging and injection capacity to allow a project of this size to operate. The project will be able to support the future build out of renewable intermittent energy in this rural area of the grid,” the company said in its application.

“The project will be able to indirectly benefit the electric system due to its availability to charge from resources that may be generating at a time of low demand and make the energy available during periods of high demand,” it said.

Connecticut gives authority to the Siting Council on matters like KCE’s plan, and town officials said they’re frustrated that they don’t have more of a voice in the matter. If the council won’t or can’t value public safety adequately, something is wrong, Fiorentino said.

“Under the state’s regulatory system, we have no authority or ability to protect our own citizens,” he wrote. “We must rely on the Connecticut Siting Council to do so.”

Construction crews are completing the last stages of Station 280, a set of seven three-story buildings with a total of 235 apartments.

Set just north of the town center, Station 280 offers a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, all at market rate. Rents vary from $1,785 to $3,050.

Tenants have gradually been moving in since last April, when the first building was completed. About half of the units are now occupied, and the final three buildings are scheduled to be done by late May or early June.

Contractors are also constructing a large outdoor pool and deck, along with a landscaped courtyard.

Most of Burkentine’s complexes in Pennsylvania and other mid-Atlantic states advertise pet-friendly facilities, and that’s a significant part of Station 280’s appeal.

The first stop inside the lobby is a dedicated dog washing room, and the main lounge offers free dog treats along with coffee or hot chocolate for tenants. When sidewalks get slippery in the winter, the maintenance team puts down only pet-friendly ice melt.

“Lots of pups on the property,” said Luis Nevarez, community manager for the complex.

“Usually the morning routine for a lot of our residents is come in, grab a drink for themselves and grab a treat for their pups,” Nevarez said. “We expect to have a dog park on the far end of the property when the project is complete.”

Overall, he estimates that 30 to 40% of the tenants who’ve moved in so far have brought pets.

Other shared amenities include a large clubhouse, a pool and deck, a movie room, a 24-hour fitness center with a secure playroom where parents can let their youngsters play during a workout.

Features for each unit include a patio or balcony along with washers and dryers, energy-efficient appliances and 9-foot ceilings. All apartments have granite countertop kitchens, and larger units have islands.

About 40 of the apartments have three bedrooms, and Nevarez said those have been attracting families drawn by Granby’s well-regarded school system. In some cases, though, childless couples have chosen three bedrooms, using the master as their bedroom and each taking one of the others as a home office.

Tenants so far have been a mix of people downsizing from single-family Granby houses, moving from other Connecticut communities or relocating from other states, Nevarez said. Some work in or around Hartford, some telecommute and a few are employed at the Air National Guard base next to Bradley International Airport.

First Selectman Mark Fiorentino acknowledged that some townspeople were very skeptical when construction began.

“New development can be a scary thing. A lot of people were asking me ‘Who is going to live in those units?,’ ” he said. “But it looks like the market is supporting this project. Projects like Station 280, if they’re done right, give a town the opportunity to have balance.”

Station 280 is projected to generate annual taxes of slightly over $1 million a year when it is fully built out, making it the town’s biggest taxpayer.

Fiorentino noted that Granby has preserved lots of open space and agricultural land, but that comes at a cost.

“We don’t have much industrial land and most of it is developed,” he said. “So 80% of our grand list is residential; that means 80% of what we do is borne by the homeowners.”

“I always just put my cans in the recycling bin and take them out to the curb because it was always such a pain to put each can in the machine and then have it go full,” Hayden said. “But now all I have to do is just scan my card, drop my bag off and go shop. It’s such an easy process.”

Hayden is now a customer with Maine-based CLYNK, a company offering a technology-based bottle and can return system that bills itself as quicker and simpler than visiting the local supermarket bottle room or one of the state’s increasingly rare redemption centers. In Maine, CLYNK has had a partnership with the Hannaford’s grocery store chain for years, crediting customer accounts each time they return bags of bottles and cans at a CLYNK drop-off location.

Now in Connecticut, CLYNK has announced a new partnership with the Stop & Shop grocery chain, rolling out the first locations at the Bristol Stop & Shop on Farmington Avenue and the Simsbury Stop & Shop on Bushy Hill Road. The company said more drop-off locations will soon follow.

“We’ve been in business for about 18 years in Maine and we’re incredibly excited to be here in Connecticut,” said Dan Kiley, chief of staff at CLYNK. “Part of our commitment to the state of Connecticut is not only bringing a different modality for bottle and can redemption to the state, but with our partner RecyclX LLC, we’re bringing new processing power and capabilities to the city of Bristol. All of these bottles and cans will get processed in Bristol.”

How it works: customers bring their CLYNK bags full of redeemable beverage containers to “sustainability drop-off stations” located in Stop & Shop grocery store parking lots. The drop-off stations process the bags using high-tech barcode scanners that instantly credit the deposits to a customer’s account. The materials are then sold to manufacturers to help close the recycling loop and prevent more waste from ending up in landfills and oceans.

“I will start off by saying I’m a CLYNKster myself,” said Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano at a press briefing Tuesday. “This is really a win, win situation. I’ll bring all my bottles and cans here from now on and they won’t go into the blue recycle barrel anymore. That really helps the city of Bristol because the city is paying to have cans and bottles taken to the recycling facility on Murphy Road.

“By the way, they do a great job on Murphy Road, as they say 40% of recyclable bottles and cans come through their facility. But now it’s (the deposits) going directly back to where it’s intended, to the citizens of Bristol. I’m very proud that we’re going to be the first one to have this,” he said.

The goal of the new program is to increase recycling access and sustainability efforts across Connecticut, according to CLYNK. Connecticut’s bottle redemption rate is just 45%, the second-lowest in New England states with bottle bills, ahead of only Massachusetts which has a redemption rate of just 38%, according to the company.

To encourage more people to redeem bottles, Connecticut passed a bill to further expand the bottle redemption program by raising the deposit values from five cents to 10 cents and the handling fee from two cents to 3.5 cents, to modernize the bill to current levels of inflation and other trends. Eligible beverages now include non-carbonated beverages, hard ciders and malt-based hard seltzers. Those changes went into effect on Jan. 1, according to officials.

“Connecticut has always been dealing with a lack of convenient redemption access,” said Shahil Kantesaria, CEO and Founder of RecyclX. “We only have about 18 redemption centers in the state, whereas other states have hundreds of centers. It’s very tough to permit and site locations, and with real estate prices being elevated, it’s a tough business position to be in. But we’re hoping with the CLYNK bag drop system, we can go and cover all the untouched territories in Connecticut and make it easy to redeem their bottles.”

RecyclX LLC, a 21,000-square-foot recycling plant located at 95 Wooster Court in Bristol, is partnering with CLYNK to be the drop-off location for the thousands of bottles and cans deposited at sustainability stations. Kantesaria said that the goal is to have drop-off stations at over 80 Stop & Shop locations across Connecticut in the next year, giving customers easy access to bottle redemption.

“It’s so much easier for customers than having to wait in line or have to wait once a bottle machine is full,” Kantesaria said. “It’s really the ease of use and the greater access that are a huge win for customers.”

Downloading the CLYNK app and signing up is free, but the company does charge to use its bags. Anyone using the recycling service must only use official CLYNK bags to drop off their bottles and cans. A box of 10 CLYNK bags costs $2.49 plus tax, and each 30-gallon bag can hold approximately 20 pounds of empty containers. Customers can buy the bags at Stop & Shop locations.

With each new account signup, the first box of 10 CLYNK bags is free, according to the company. If you sign up online, a voucher will be included in the company’s welcome kit, which is mailed within two to four days of signing up.

CLYNK offers customers two ways to redeem their deposits, including “grow your balance” or a $5 instant payment. With “grow your balance,” customers can collect containers without counting, let their balance accumulate in the CLYNK app and withdraw up to $99.99 per transaction. For immediate payment, customers can use the $5 instant payment option by counting exactly 50 containers per bag, dropping it and redeeming their instant $5 voucher at any Stop & Shop register.

Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com.

Geoffrey Shapiro, 44, of Windsor Locks, was found guilty by a jury of the two robberies that took place in February 2020; the trial was before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden, according to federal authorities.

Authorities, citing the evidence presented in the trial, said Shapiro entered the Dunkin’ Donuts, at 142 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury, placed an order, “and then displayed a small handgun and pointed it at the employee at the register.” Shapiro stated “Give me the money” two times, according to federal authorities.

The employee gave Shapiro about $390, he said “thank you” and left the store, according to federal authorities.

Then, later in February 2020, Shapiro entered the Webster Bank at 141 Hebron Ave., Glastonbury, and handed the teller a note that stated in part “Stay calm” and “I have a gun,” according to federal authorities. The teller gave Shapiro $1,837 from her drawer, took back the note and left the bank, according to federal authorities. Glastonbury police arrested him later that day at his residence.

Also in February 2020, a court-authorized search of Shapiro’s vehicle turned up a “handgun, the demand note Shapiro used during the bank robbery, clothes worn by Shapiro during the robberies, and other evidence,” according to federal authorities.

Shapiro was found guilty of one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and one count of armed bank robbery.  Both carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison.

Shapiro is free on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled, according to federal authorities.

The investigation was done the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Glastonbury, Simsbury, and Westfield (Mass.) police departments.

And he named his son Maximus after Crowe’s character.

Steve, who grew up in West Hartford and graduated from Conard in 1994, was a football player and a wrestler. He played in the Arena Football League for – naturally – the Las Vegas Gladiators, among other teams. When he retired from playing, he wanted to be an example for his sons, so he continued to embrace a physically fit lifestyle, and opened a gym where high-level athletes trained, and his sons came, worked out, watched and learned.

Maximus Konopka is a football player and a wrestler (and a lacrosse player) for Simsbury High. Only a sophomore, he won the 2024 New England and State Open wrestling championships at 190 pounds, unusual as most of the wrestlers in that weight class are older. He also won the national freshman championship in his weight class last spring in Virginia Beach.

He went 49-1 last year and is 12-0 this season as of Wednesday. Simsbury coach T.J. Silva called him a “generational” athlete.

“I think a lot of it comes from his parents,” Silva said. “A lot of it comes from his goals, short-term and long-term, and what he’s looking to accomplish.

“He’s been brought up in a way where we plan out a system, we follow a plan and set a goal and we reach the goal, whether we’re successful or not, we’re going to do everything we can do to reach the goal.”

Maximus comes from a line of wrestlers. His grandfather, Steve Konopka Sr., was a long-time coach at East Hartford High. He brought Maximus to his first wrestling practice when he was 4.

“I remember he picked me up in this old truck and brought me to an old warehouse and gave me a pair of shoes he bought for me that day,” Maximus said. “Put me on the wrestling mat. I was wrestling middle schoolers. I was tall when I was a little kid. I loved it; it was fun.”

It took time to improve, but he embraced everything about the process.

“He looked like a 7- or 8-year-old,” his father said. “He got thrown to the wolves. He didn’t give up. He was athletic and determined.

“We were kind of like, ‘Oh my, what are we doing here.’ But it was something he fell in love with.”

Steve converted a room in their basement into a wrestling room and they would work on moves. Sometimes when they got home from practice, Maximus would want to practice a move on his father, but he wasn’t big enough to do it, so his mother Robin was recruited.

“My poor wife back then,” Steve said. “It was a family thing. It’s a way of life.”

When Maximus was younger and had a good practice, or did something well, his father would let him and his younger brother Jaxson eat dinner on the floor. It was what the gladiators did (Steve had seen it somewhere in another gladiator movie). Robin did not eat on the floor, but she indulged them.

“It was a reward for practicing hard,” Steve said. “People would say, ‘How was practice?’ He’d say, ‘Great. I got to eat on the floor last night. They’re like, ‘Wait, what are you talking about?’

“Hey, whatever it took.”

Maximus was winning national titles in middle school, so his success last year wasn’t all that surprising to those around him.

“I think the expectation was there last year to win, but now that he’s done it, he’s jumped up to another level,” Silva said.

Maximus won the Class L championship last year. He was the only freshman in his weight class at the State Open and had two pins and a technical fall to advance to the final, which he won 4-0 over East Lyme junior Brayden Soleau. He had the stomach flu the following week and Silva wasn’t sure if he was going to make it to the New England championships. But he did. His hardest match was against Spencer Fine of Cumberland, R.I., a three-time All-American who went on to wrestle at Columbia, in the quarterfinals and Maximus won, 7-5. He got a pin in the semis and won the championship with a pin over Elijah Josey of Portsmouth, N.H, who had a 42-2 record heading into New Englands.

Maximus practices with Silva and other former wrestlers Silva brings in. He wrestles with clubs in New Jersey and New York in the summer.

“I think my strength is being able to develop my skills better instead of trying to counter someone else’s moves,” Maximus said. “Just do my moves better. Focus on myself.

“I’ve been trying to work on (seeing what’s ahead) from positions I’m not as comfortable in. I always have to try to be a couple moves ahead.”

It’s hard sometimes to find competition for him.

“We try to set the schedule where we’re trying to find (him) a loss,” Silva said. “We’re trying to chase a loss. It’s the only way to get better.”

Maximus lost once last year, in his second high school match, at the Beast of the East tournament in New Jersey to a senior ranked in the top 20 in the country.

Besides winning the Open, New England and national titles again, Silva said another goal is for Maximus to try to make the world under-17 team in the summer.

But right now, he’s working hard and enjoying himself.

“He picks stuff up super quick,” Silva said. “He’s starting to develop a style where he wants to go out and score as many points as he can and dominate guys.

“He’s just gotten better and better and better.”

But ask the Hartford Foundation For Public Giving leader about the organization’s Greater Together Community Funds, and he gets truly excited and doesn’t mind sharing why.

Through the Greater Together Community Funds program, which includes all 29 of the towns in the foundation’s area, $2.5 million in grants have been made since 2019, he said. That’s more than 650 grants, and every one of them was decided by a committee made up of volunteers from each of those towns.

Now, as part of marking the foundation’s centennial year in 2025, it will make another $2.9 million investment in the Greater Together Community Funds, Williams said.

In addition to support for all of its communities, the foundation wants all of them to “truly see us as their community foundation,” he said. “We couldn’t be more excited.

“For all of these communities, this is a permanent part of the foundation’s commitment to all 29 of our towns,” Williams said. “They are equally important.”

How it started

The program, Williams said, grew from a 29-town series of listening session during which the foundation learned that “these are needs that may have not been met that were important to these communities.”

So in 2019, the Hartford Foundation launched an initial investment of $2.9 million to create what was dubbed the Greater Together Community Funds.

The key, he said, is that community volunteers in each of the towns make the decisions (with foundation guidance) on how the money is going to be spent. “They know the needs,” he said.

“We heard from … hundreds and hundreds of resident in these towns,” Williams said.

Under this parameter of a committee of local volunteers making the decisions, an example of 2023 grants in Farmington included, among many others, $5,000 to Interval House to support Farmington victims of domestic violence; $4,250 to Services for the Elderly of Farmington to purchase wheelchairs and walkers for the Farmington community to borrow; and $5,000 to Greystone Foundation to provide short-term financial assistance to individuals and families who have unexpected events disruptive to household finances.

In Marlborough, among many others, grants were made to Marlborough Arts Center for $4,600 for a sustainable Art Trail; $4,842 to the Marlborough Education Association to make the Elementary School Library adaptive and inclusive; and $4,500 to the Marlborough Food Bank to establish a fund for a Fuel Bank, according to the foundation.

Williams said the committees in the towns receive support from the foundation staff, but there are also hundreds of volunteers helping when considering all of the communities.

He noted that “many of these towns have decided to collaborate with neighbors in some regional” ventures, and “not only did we say yes, it is ok it exactly what we hoped would come out of it.

“We learned over the past four or five years how to tweak it, how to make it more collaborative,” he said. “We wanted to make is a flexible as possible. …”

Williams said the foundation staff did basic grant training for the committees, which do not include any elected officials and reflect the diversity of the towns. Each town has a different way of soliciting or generating ideas, he said.

“Part of the excitement is actually getting to see, to watch every one of these grants as the towns make them,” Williams said.

“Being a part of the Bolton Greater Together Community Fund effort has been such a rewarding experience,” said Bolton committee member Shandra Scott-Brown.

“It is a way for me to really connect to the community that I live in, and it was an opportunity for me to just get involved and help others. Who doesn’t like having the opportunity to meet with other people in town and give away money to service people that live in your community? It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Avon committee member and Avon High School student Panya Khattar said, “Inspiring people I work alongside dedicate their time and effort because they genuinely believe in the betterment of our community, they show that when larger, more powerful institutions fall short, smaller, passionate groups can step up to create real, meaningful change. It’s truly ‘the people doing for the people.’ As a high school representative, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a dedicated force, one that uplifts and empowers our community in profound ways. “

The initiative created separate funds in each of the towns in the foundation’s region, including Andover, Avon, Bloomfield, Bolton, Canton, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hebron, Manchester, Marlborough, Newington, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

Williams said the foundation plans more major project during its centennial year, which will be announced as they are launched. “This is the first of several significant announcements that are going to abe associated with our centennial year,” he said.

He said future grants also will go to the Greater Together Community Funds, but the amount hasn’t been determined yet.

“I never fail to appreciate and just smile when you go through that (grants) list,” he said. “To me that means just that much more activity and engagement.”

But the popular business isn’t closing and it won’t leave town, Botta said.

“This place was like my dad’s home. And the people in this town, you can’t believe it – they turned out to help every time, sometimes people who I don’t even know,” Botta said. “I’m not leaving Bloomfield.”

That’s welcome news to the bakery’s regular customers, who’ve tried to support the business through a series of mishaps and worse over the past two years. Right after the break-in last week, friends of the business organized a GoFundMe drive to help cover expenses of repairing the damage; so far it has yielded more then $1,800.

To Botta, the most moving sign of help was that people showed up on New Year’s Eve morning to help get the shop back in operation for ones of its busiest days of the year. He acknowledged that when he police woke him with a middle-of-the-night call to say his bakery had been targeted, he thought seriously about just closing it altogether.

“But that morning, people were coming by to help. The front window was smashed and we couldn’t keep the bakery warm; a man in a truck came by with this big sheet of plywood,” Botta recalled. “It was just crazy: Random people coming by to help. There were no professional trucks in the parking lot, just pickups with guys coming to help board up windows, clean up, whatever they could do.

“We had people we didn’t even know coming around the counter to give us hugs,” Botta said. “I thought ‘I’m not leaving Bloomfield.’ Now I think I’d feel guilty if I left Bloomfield.”

With all the help, Botta and his staff got the bakery back on track for New Year’s Eve, and it’s been open every day since.

Shamar Mahon, a town council member, on New Year’s Eve posted news of the break-in on Facebook and called on town leaders to ensure police got whatever resources they needed to find the thieves. Not long afterward, Kathryn Rodriguez started the GoFundMe entitled “Stand with Emiddio: Bakery Restoration.”

Botta still doesn’t know the full cost of the crime. The thieves broke two doors, small window panes and the main display window. They wrecked two cash registers as well, threw cakes onto the floor and did other damage.

“There is glass everywhere,” he said in a Facebook post that night. “They took everything, they even destroyed my father’s legacy garden. I’m crying.”

Just five weeks earlier, Mahon had posted a Facebook photo showing him bringing donated pastries to Bloomfield’s police station and fire headquarters for Thanksgiving.

“It was my pleasure to deliver these holiday pastries to the folks that keep our town safe. Selfless acts by Bloomfield’s favorite pastry shop give me another reason to be proud to represent our community,” Mahon wrote.

Last week, he said it was troubling that the family-owned bakery had been victimized.

“No business should have to endure this violation, especially not Pasticceria that has been a pillar of this community,” he said.

Pasticceria Italia has built a loyal customer base since it was opened in 29 years ago by Botta’s parents, Emiddio and Carmen Botta. They later opened a second location in Southwick, Mass. and operated both until the senior Emiddio Botta’s death in March 2023. The extended Botta family still works at the Massachusetts shop, and the son now runs the Bloomfield bakery.

Botta last week recalled how his parents went out for a drive in northern Connecticut in 1996, got lost and ended up passing by the then-thriving Wintonbury Mall.

“You couldn’t get a space here back then, everything was rented. My parents got the only spot available, it was really a little hold in the wall,” he said. “In those days the mall had offices that were full. There were three doctors, dentists, a hair salon, a Munson’s Chocolates. This was the best mall around. We’d stay open late on weekends because of all the business when people got out of the movie theater.”

Gradually Botta’s parents expanded into adjoining shops when their leases expired, and the bakery began offering pizza and more along with a series of indoor tables.

But the Wintonbury Mall, like malls around the country, hit hard times as e-commerce grew and consumer shopping preferences changed. And Botta and other tenants have complained that the property has been going downhill since California-based Los Cabos II Equity LLC bought it 10 years ago. The movie theater closed, many shops and at least one restaurant either shut down or relocated, and the building’s overall appearance deteriorated.

Severe roof leaks forced a temporary shutdown last winter, and a nearby restaurant in the mall never reopened.

“This is now the second time the roof collapsed on our bakery destroying our ovens and hood system on top of ruining the whole electrical system,” Botta said at the time. “Ginza, which is next door, has been leaking since June of last year and unfortunately there’s only a very thin wall between us and them, which is now starting to rot.”

Some of the bakery’s frequent customers showed up with wet vacs and other equipment to help, he said.

Botta said Friday that he will consider finding a new location with a different landlord, but insisted that it will be in town.

“When I got the call from police this time, it was 2 o’clock in the morning. I was so depressed,” he said. “Then people started coming by, trying to help. It was like something out of a movie.”

The Warhawks didn’t even qualify for the 16-team CCC tournament. But once they got into the state tournament – and they had been moved up to Division II – they started to win. Bloomfield was the 27th seed and on the way to the quarterfinals, the Warhawks knocked off No. 6 New London 69-60, No. 11 Wilton 88-74 before losing to No. 14 Fairfield Warde 67-64.

That run – and the new CIAC rule allowing teams to practice in the summer – helped fuel the Warhawks’ start to this season. Bloomfield is 4-1 with wins over Lewis Mills, New London, Newington and New Britain and its only loss came to Windsor.

“I think people didn’t expect us to go as far as we did last year because of what we lost,” Bloomfield coach Brooks Sales said. “But we still had a solid team with a deep bench. We clicked at the right time last year and it gave us some confidence coming into this year.”

Bloomfield has seven seniors, including Jordan Rucker, who had 18 points in the win over Lewis Mills, and Jeff Acoff, who had 19 points in the 44-40 win over New London and was named MVP of the GHPA Youth High School Spirit of Doc Classic at Trinity College last month.

“I’m very happy with where our production is right now on the court,” Sales said. “We’re still trying to make some adjustments and finding the right consistency.”

Granby on the upswing

Three years ago, Granby was in a state championship game. Two years ago, the Bears won three games. Last year, they went 10-10.

This season, Granby is 5-1, after beating three straight CCC teams – Farmington (71-67), Simsbury (45-30) and Lewis Mills on Dec. 30, 49-45 to win Farmington’s holiday tournament.

“We’re off to a good start,” Granby coach Wally Hansen said. “I am (surprised) and I’m not. I knew we could piece it all together and be decent and the guys are working really hard at it.”

Some players got experience two years ago and last year, Jake Teclaw played in every game as a freshman. Teclaw is 6-foot-6 and can play everywhere. He was the holiday tournament MVP after scoring 20 points in the win over Lewis Mills. Granby also has a senior point guard Stone Tran, who has been a leader and playmaker for the Bears.

Granby has settled into its NCCC schedule and will play East Granby and Canton this week.

Top performances

Matt Bannon, Rockville: Bannon scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half as Rockville (4-1) rallied from a 20-6 first quarter deficit to beat Coventry 58-53 Friday night.

Missoni Brown, Windsor: Brown had 19 points, three rebounds, four steals and six assists in an 81-51 win over New Britain.

Richard Chandler, Aerospace: Chandler scored 33 points in a 76-63 win over Achievement First Friday.

Andrew Crayton, Haddam-Killingworth: Crayton had a double-double (19 points, 15 rebounds), along with eight assists, three steals and two blocks in H-K’s 86-43 victory over Valley Regional Friday.

Andrew Czerwinski, Somers: Czerwinski, a sophomore, had 25 of his 34 points (including six 3-pointers) in the first half to boost Somers to a 68-55 win over Windsor Locks Friday night.

Tommy Dinunzio, Lewis Mills: Dinunzio scored 18 points, including three 3-pointers, in a 68-53 loss to Bloomfield.

Angelo Maccarone, Farmington: Maccarone scored 30 points, including 12 free throws, as Farmington beat Lakeview, 62-55 Monday.

Jordan Rucker, Bloomfield: Rucker led the Warhawks with 18 points in a 68-53 win over Lewis Mills Friday.

Anthony Tallarita, Enfield: Tallarita scored 20 points, including four 3-pointers, in a 74-42 win over E.O. Smith Thursday.

Jake Teclaw, Granby: Teclaw scored 20 points in a 49-45 victory over Lewis Mills in the championship game of The Valley vs. The Hills Holiday Tournament on Dec. 30 and was named to the tournament MVP.

Storylines

Manchester has won its first seven games, scored 100 or more points twice against opponents this season and had a signature win over Northwest Catholic Dec. 23. But its biggest test will come Wednesday when the Red Hawks travel to Windsor, who has won five straight after an opening night loss to East Catholic.

Ellington, off to another good start this season, has won six straight. The Knights, which lost to Cheney Tech in overtime in the Division IV quarterfinals last year, will face last year’s Division V runner-up Coventry on Friday.

Games to watch

SMSA (5-0) at Windsor Locks (3-1), Tuesday, 6:45 p.m.: SMSA, last year’s Division III semifinalist travels to Windsor Locks, which is coming off its first loss of the season to Somers last Friday.

Manchester (7-0) at Windsor (5-1), Wednesday, 6:45 p.m.: Big CCC test for the Red Hawks against last year’s CCC and Division II champion.

Glastonbury (5-1) at East Hartford (4-1), Wednesday, 6:45 p.m.: East Hartford’s only loss is to Windsor; Glastonbury’s only loss is to Northwest Catholic so this should be a good CCC matchup.

But in the same week, the state’s Appellate Court agreed to take up the town’s appeal of a court order that sided with Vessel Technologies’ plan for 48 apartments under the 8-30g law.

Glastonbury has become one of a few Connecticut communities where controversy about 8-30g is strongest.

The law is intended to beef up the supply of affordable housing. Advocates say it keeps communities from unreasonably blocking new projects, but critics complain it essentially ends home rule and unfairly empowers developers.

In the Morello Realty case, commissioners pointedly praised developer Sal Morello, saying he had been cooperative and transparent during the review process. His plan is to create the 44-unit Hopewell Crossing complex by constructing a 3.5-story, 38-unit apartment building off Hopewell Road and renovating the six-unit apartment house that’s there now.

Morello bought the 2.3-acre property for $426,000 five years ago, and at first proposed a 48-unit apartment complex: the six renovated apartments and 42 new ones. But town officials wanted less density and Morello ultimately agreed to reduce the new construction by four.

To qualify for 8-30g status, he pledged to set aside 15 units as “affordable” under state guidelines. Eight rents will be restricted to a level that a person or family could afford on 80% of the area’s median income. Rents for another seven units will be capped at 60% of the area median. Those restrictions must remain in place for 40 years to qualify.

In exchange, his proposal was evaluated under the strict terms of 8-30g, which require communities to demonstrate a significant health or safety concern if they turn down a development plan.

The 8-30g law applies to communities with less than 10% of their housing categorized as affordable; those are typically affluent or middle-class suburbs and small towns. Housing in poorer communities is usually heavily weighted toward affordable rents, and thus 8-30g doesn’t affect them.

Commissioner Sharon Jagel voted to approve the project, but noted objections.

“I’m concerned about adding traffic to the area and the visibility of the project. We’re going to add a large building, four stories on the western side. I don’t think it has any place in a historic village, which is where you’ll see it from,” she said.

Jagel said 8-30g makes affordable housing paramount to a community’s own desire, and said that’s wrong.

“The only way that we can deny this type of application is by finding a significant, specific health and safety concern,” she said. “It’s a burden that so few communities have been able to meet that there’s not even a handful of cases that have upheld (a denial).”

Vice Chairman Sharon Purtill agreed.

“I don’t think this development is what anyone expected for this parcel,” Purtill said. “We’re very limited in our ability to deny such applications.”

Her chief objection was the building’s height, but she acknowledged that wouldn’t justify a denial.

“I wish it was at least one story shorter. I think you’ll come down Route17 going toward Portland and this thing is going to rise up at you all lit up,” Purtill said. “But that’s unfortunately the reality were living in.”

Commissioner’s voted 5-1 to approve the project.

Just a few days earlier, the town won a round in its fight against Vessel Technologies. The commission rejected Vessel’s proposal on the grounds that residences aren’t allow in an industrial zone; a Superior Court judge sided with Vessel in mid-2024 and the town quickly appealed. The Appellate Court announced Dec. 18 that it will hear the appeal.

Vessel has called all of its apartment complexes “attainable housing,” but specifically pledged to set aside 30% of the units at the Glastonbury one as affordable.

The town of Simsbury is considering regulation changes that would make it easier to construct so-called in-law apartments, establish a zone where property owners could build on smaller home lots than Simsbury permits now, streamline the workforce housing rules, and require new developments of 10 units or more to set aside 15% of the units for below-average income earners.

The proposal to ease the rules on adding in-law apartments could lead to those additions appearing in established neighborhoods anywhere in town, critics said at a two-part public hearing earlier this month.

The proposed change would allow property owners to build accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, after getting administrative approval — without going before a full hearing as required now.

“There’s nothing limiting every one of my neighbors from constructing an ADU in their backyard and renting it to tenants,” Kris Barnett, a longtime resident as well as a local real estate agent, told the zoning commission. “This would have a negative impact on the character of our residential neighborhoods and the value of my property and yours.”

Planners describe the current requirement for a hearing has been a barrier to adding accessory dwellings. But Barnett said it should be seen as a protection for surrounding neighbors.

Resident Diane Nash agreed that doing away with hearings would give neighbors no way to speak against an accessory dwelling, and told commissioners that they shouldn’t give up a control that voters want them to exercise.

“Neighbors absolutely should have an opportunity to voice their concerns,” resident Ellen Gilbert agreed.

Developer Chris Nelson balked at the requirement for 15% set-asides for affordable housing. Putting that requirement on multifamily projects like apartment buildings could be a good idea, he said, but applying it to new for-sale, single-family home subdivisions isn’t feasible.

“It will stop most if not all new projects from happening,” Nelson said, noting that in a new subdivision of small-lot, $500,000 homes, some would have to be offered at $155,000 to $218,000 to meet affordability guidelines. Contractors simply couldn’t generate enough profit from the market rate homes to come close to making that viable, he said.

Lori Boyko told commissioners that zoning has a responsibility to protect existing property owners.

“There’s an expectation when you buy a parcel of land about what you can do. When you buy in a single-family residential neighborhood with one-acre lots you expect that neighborhood is going to stay that way,” she said.

Town Planner George McGregor said the four proposed changes are intended to create more housing diversity in town, while still respecting the community’s character.

“We’re trying to increase the number of affordable housing units and seek ways to meet diverse housing needs,” he said. “This is not going to change the fabric of housing in Simsbury. It’s going to be helpful on the margins and on infill development.”

McGregor noted that the change for approving accessory dwellings would only apply to plans that fully meet all existing zoning requirements. Anything that required a waiver would still need to go to a hearing.

As it’s written, the proposed rule for an affordable housing set-aside in new developments would offer no buyout or fee option for developers who would prefer to avoid it. Instead, they’d have to set aside 15% of their project as affordable for 40 years: Half of that would be targeted to people making 80% of the area’s median income, the other half would be for those making just 60% or less.

The third proposal would create a new zone labeled R-8, which would allow building lots of as small as 8,000 square feet. Currently the town’s minimum is the R-15 zone, where lots must be 15,000 square feet. Other zones are R-25, R-40 and R-80. The advantage of a smaller lot would be that builders could create starter houses at lower cost. McGregor noted that the zone would permit duplexes.

In addition, there’s a proposal to rework Simsbury’s workforce housing rules. They provide the most flexibility for developers, who may propose a mix of housing types.

“This is the only tool the community can use to provide for that flexibility,” McGregor said.

The proposed changes would remove a design regulation, end the requirement that properties be within 750 feet of Hopmeadow Street, and do away with a requirement that 20% of units be priced at affordable levels.

The commission will resume its review of the proposals in January.