Officials Question Environmental Effects of Levitt Project

From an enhanced town asset to a potential environmental hazard, Representative Town Meeting members discussed some pros and cons of the proposed Levitt Pavilion renovation project Tuesday at their regular monthly meeting.

The pavilion, which has operated in Westport for 36 years, is a non-profit, open-air facility where a variety of entertainment performs on summer nights in the amphitheater, located on the banks of the Saugatuck River. For the past three years, performers have used a temporary stage. Now, the town and Levitt Pavilion operators would like to renovate the pavilion into a state-of-the-art facility.

In a unanimous decision Tuesday, the 27 RTM members present at the meeting voted to approve a permit that allows construction activity within waterway protection lines of the Saugatuck River. In this case, the RTM did not approve the overall renovation plans, but approved the enhancements to the walkway surrounding the Levitt, which is intended to create greater views of the river. In a few months, the RTM will consider the overall project.

"Action taken tonight does not carry any commitment to proceed with this project," Stuart McCarthy, director of the town's Parks and Recreation Department and co-chair of the Levitt Pavilion Building Committee, said at the meeting. "This is just one step along."

The overall renovation plans call for a new performance stage and an entry pavilion. The entry pavilion would include restrooms, a concession area, storage space, an information and ticket booth and enhanced handicapped access. The stage, which would be covered, would also include restrooms for the performers, a loading dock and storage. Part of the project calls for more efficient seating design and improvements to the existing river walk to both widen and enhance the path with greater views of the Saugatuck River. In November, McCarthy said the project was estimated to cost about $5 million and would be shared among public and private funds.

While many consider the project a "tremendous asset to the town" and a way to enhance the vitality of the downtown area, others question the potential environmental risks associated with it because the site was formerly used as a landfill.

"This is a Superfund site," said Michael Rea of RTM District 8. Superfund sites are  uncontrolled or abandoned places where hazardous waste is located, possibly affecting local ecosystems or people, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Web site.

"It's a hot spot — a dump," Rea said at the meeting. "It has the potential for hazardous material that may be in there ... and could have a profound effect in the environment. It's surrounded by water."

Rea, who also said he considers the renovation a "charming, feel-good project," said he's not sure if he's comfortable approving the project in light of current economic times.

He asked if the state's Department of Environmental Protection would be involved throughout the renovation process to monitor any potential hazards.

Project officials said all the work to be constructed at the Levitt will require authorization from the state DEP and will be monitored for methane or landfill gas leaks.

According to the EPA, the 2-acre property located at Jesup Green was used as a landfill from an unknown time until the early 1970s. In 1985, the Westport Public Library was constructed there. While waste is no longer generated on the property, methane gas is throughout the subsurface soil, according to a 2001 EPA report.

"According to available file information, the unlined landfill historically received domestic waste from the Town of Westport, and an embalming factory and a metal finishing company may have contributed waste to the landfill," the report reads. "Additionally, according to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, hazardous waste file for the property, dioxin and radioactive wastes may have been disposed of on the property."

In 1983, a soil investigation found a layer of domestic waste, ranging in thickness of 18 to 31 feet, was located 3 feet underground. The layer consisted of wood, paper, metal, cloth, and tires. In 1983, a methane venting system was installed in the library building to reduce the threat of an explosion, according to the EPA report. 

The report states that no groundwater samples are known to have been collected from the property. As a result, no impacts to nearby groundwater drinking water supply sources are known or suspected.

As for the water quality of the Saugatuck River, analytical results of sediment samples collected from the river in 1994 indicated the presence of one semivolatile organic compound, two pesticides, and three metals. The report was last updated in 2001. Any current water quality samples were not listed on the EPA Web site.

However, at the RTM meeting, Director of Public Works Steve Edwards said the EPA conducts routine sampling of the site about every 10 years and they last came to Westport about five or six years ago.

In the last report he received from the EPA, "they said everything looks good," Edwards said.