Plans for a juvenile detention center in Tolland were put on hold until further evaluations could take place, according to a press release from Connecticut General Assembly.
Town officials in Tolland claimed that they were kept in the dark about the original plan to build the detention center, sparking concern and outrage. State Rep. Tammy Nuccio of Tolland said she was “furious” about the secrecy in a Feb.12 Facebook post.
“I’m sure there were meetings and tours in our town, and I was not notified,” she said. “It is common practice to always let other legislators know when you will be in their town, that common practice was circumvented and intentionally kept from your duly elected delegation.”
Tolland Town Manager explained how he found out about the plan and told the community he would continue investigating why the land purchase and plans were so obscured.
“Because this project was initiated without public awareness and completely in secrecy, the residents of Tolland have not had — and may not have — any opportunity to provide input and concerns,” Foley said in a Feb. 11 Facebook post. “The lack of transparency by the State of CT surrounding a project of this magnitude in such a critical area of our Town has been very disappointing, to say the least.”
The land the state is attempting to purchase is along Tolland’s only main commercial corridor, “in close proximity to daycares and elementary schools,” according to the press release.
The press release stated the plan for the juvenile detention center was paused after a meeting between the Tolland legislative delegation, town officials, representatives of the Judicial Branch and state officials. Foley said in his post that the town’s concerns were more than a case of “not in my backyard” because “one could argue that this is not our backyard — it’s our front yard.”
“This is an important step forward for transparency and for the residents of Tolland,” the delegation said in a joint statement. “While this issue is far from resolved, we now have the opportunity to thoroughly examine what this facility would mean for our town before the state proceeds with any purchase. The voices of our residents must be heard in the process before any final decision is made, and we will make sure they are heard loud and clear.”
The press release said town officials will be requesting further review on matters such as economic impact, safety assessment and infrastructure effects. It also said local lawmakers were promised more transparency from the state government as the project moves forward.
Nuccio said in a Feb. 18 Facebook post that she would “continue to fight to make sure Tolland is heard loud and clear every step of the way.”
“Let me be clear: this is not over,” she said. “But this pause gives us the opportunity to fully examine what this facility would mean for Tolland before any final decision is made.”