New London — The city’s planned $30 million community recreation center at Fort Trumbull reached another milestone earlier this month when the Planning and Zoning Commission approved a site development plan for the project.

The plan presented to the commission at its July 21 meeting outlines the placement of the building and parking lot , storm water drainage plans and landscaping. Construction is expected to start later this year.

With the approval, Felix Reyes, the director of the city’s Office of Planning and Development, said the project can continue to move forward as planned.

“The next phase is to put together bid packages and get a better understanding of costs, material availability and lead times on major infrastructure components - all things everyone can imagine with any construction project going on right now.” Reyes said.

The City Council has approved $30 million for the project though officials are hoping construction estimates come in lower. The latest design for the facility, developed by Silver/Petrucelli + Associates and presented publicly in March, slightly downsized the facility and replaced the initially planned steel building with a brick and concrete structure to keep costs in check.

The design calls for a two-story, 58,000-square foot facility with a 100-space parking lot separated from the building by an existing road. The center will have a two-court gymnasium, eight-lane pool, indoor track, workout and game rooms and a wing dedicated to the city’s Recreation Department and programs. There will be a community lounge, classroom space for an early childhood program, instructional kitchen and other amenities.

The facility will be located on two- city-owned parcels totaling about 7 acres on the Fort Trumbull peninsula, adjacent to a planned 104-unit residential development and extended stay hotel.

Jim Rossman, representing New London-based Stadia Engineering Associates, noted during the Planning & Zoning Commission’s July 21 meeting that plans call for parking lot with a permeable surface as opposed to typical pavement. The surface is porous and allows water to percolate through the pavement into the ground. It reduces the amount of stormwater runoff, he said.

“Yes, it is a little unique for a city like the city of New London to have a permeable parking lot of this size,” he said. “It should serve as an example to other developers in the area (who could) mimic this type of LID (Low Impact Development)”

The plan raised questions among commission members about the maintenance of the surface by the city. Rossman said the only restriction is that sand cannot be used. The use of sand will clog the porous surface and require vacuuming.

“It’s a different management regime over time but just as durable as normal pavement,” he said.

Reyes said the city continues to seek funding to chip away at debt costs and ease the burden for taxpayers. The Office of Development and Planning recently submitted an application for a $25 million grant from the state’s Community Investment Fund program, which is designed to bolster economic or community development in underserved communities.

Reyes said the request is ambitious but he feels the community center is what the grant was intended for.

“A project that encompasses community wellness, recreation, youth and senior engagement and amenities that improve the quality of life for all of our residents,” he said. We feel this is the right investment for our city and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.”

The city has already obtained a $1.2 million grant through the state’s Brownfield Remediation program towards the cost of cleaning up any environmental contamination at the site. U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy on Friday announced inclusion of $2 million for construction as part of an appropriations bill being considered by Congress.

The future cost for maintaining the building is estimated to be more than $2 million per year and dependent on revenue from memberships, rental fees for the facility and providing income-based memberships to residents. City officials have said the plan is to have revenues outpace operational costs by year four.

g.smith@theday.com