Project Background
The existing boathouse on Coventry Lake at Patriots Park has reached the end of its useful life. The University of Connecticut (UConn) plans to renovate a building at 44 Lake Street in Coventry and relocate training and boat storage for the women's rowing team to that property.
Notice of Scoping
(As originally published in the Environmental Monitor on May 20, 2025)
Address of possible location: 44 Lake Street
The municipality where the proposed action might be located: Coventry
Project Description: The University of Connecticut (UConn) seeks to establish a new boathouse for its women’s rowing team. The existing training and boat storage facility, located approximately 0.15 miles to the south at Patriots Park, was built in 1987, requires significant maintenance, possesses challenges to operations, and does not comply with standards of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The proposed boathouse will be situated on 1.5 acres of private land to be purchased by UConn, located at 44 Lake Street with approximately 80 feet of shoreline access to Coventry Lake. There is also an existing ~11,000 square foot (SF), single-story vacant building in various stages of disrepair that will require some demolition and renovation to provide secure boat storage, appropriate locker room space, and bathrooms. Site improvements will include a gravel boat hauling area, parking improvements along Woodland Road, and a seasonal modular dock. The total project footprint will occupy approximately 0.9 acres.
Known as the “UConn Boathouse Relocation Project,” the Proposed Action to be assessed under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA) process will include the following:
- Demolition of ~2,500 SF of unstable structure and ~1,700 SF addition of new structure
- Interior renovations and exterior improvements including secure equipment storage areas, locker rooms, bathrooms, and parking
UConn will incorporate comments from a public scoping meeting and evaluate the Proposed Action. Direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts associated with the Proposed Action will be assessed.
Project Maps: Click here to view the general location of the property and here for an approximate boundary of the project.
Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until: 5pm EDT on June 19, 2025
There will be a public scoping meeting for this proposed action:
DATE: June 2, 2025
TIME: 6pm EDT
PLACE: Virtual
NOTES: Participants register in advance at us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Y_2LWGXRTN2OnWHuM125cQ. After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about attending the meeting, including an option to join by phone. A copy of the presentation and a link to the meeting’s recording will be available at updc.uconn.edu/boathouse by June 6, 2025.
Written comments and/or requests for public scoping meeting accommodations or materials should be sent to:
Name: Antoaneta Fedeles AIA, PMP, LEED AP
Agency: University Planning, Design & Construction
Address:3 Discovery Drive, U-6038, Storrs, CT 06269
E-Mail: antoaneta.fedeles@uconn.edu
Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to: publicrecords.uconn.edu/make-a-request/
What Happens Next: The sponsoring agency will make a determination whether to proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) or that the project does not require the preparation of an EIE under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). A Post-Scoping Notice of its decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor and at updc.uconn.edu.boathouse.
Notice of Scoping
(As originally published in the Environmental Monitor on September 19, 2023 and revised on October 17th, 2023)
Address of possible location: 124 Lake Street
Municipality where proposed action might be located: Coventry
Project Description: The proposed boathouse will occupy the footprint of the existing UConn boathouse which sits east of Coventry Lake (Wangumbaug Lake) on the site of the Town of Coventry’s Patriots Park. The new facility will include modernized facilities, including appropriate locker room space and bathrooms that are accessible from within the new building. These upgrades will support the recent team growth of both coaches and students. The total project footprint will occupy approximately 0.45 acres of the approximately 6.2-acre parcel on which it sits and will be comprised of the new boathouse, a gravel parking and boat hauling area, and a paved parking area to include a new Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accessible parking space and entrance (not currently provided on site).
Known as the “Coventry Boathouse Upgrades Project,” the Proposed Action to be assessed under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA) process consists of the following elements:
- Demolish existing, aged boathouse and replace with a modernized boathouse in the general footprint of the existing boathouse with an approximately 2,000 square foot (SF) addition
- Facility upgrades to include safe interior equipment storage areas, locker rooms, and bathrooms
- Upgrades to site drainage and stormwater management including a bioswale
The Proposed Action is located in the Mill Brook subregional watershed within the Willimantic local watershed. UConn will incorporate comments from a public scoping meeting and evaluate the Proposed Action with taking no action or other feasible alternatives. Direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts associated with the Proposed Action will also be assessed.
Project Map: Click here to view the project location and a figure of its approximate area.
Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until 5:00 PM EST on Friday, October 20, 2023 Tuesday, November 7, 2023
There will be a public scoping meeting online for this proposed action: The public scoping meeting is postponed and will be announced in a future Revised Scoping Notice.
DATE: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 Wednesday, November 1, 2023 TBA
TIME: 6:00 PM EST
Participants MUST register in advance at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_es-FoQYtQ3aSv6-MLBY-gg
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting, including an option to join by phone.
A copy of the presentation and recording of the public scoping meeting will be linked on this page by 5:00 PM EST on Friday, October 13, 2023 Thursday, November 2, 2023.
Written comments and/or questions about attending the public scoping meeting, or other questions about the scoping for this project, should be sent to:
Name: Antoaneta Fedeles, AIA, PMP, LEED AP
Agency: University Planning, Design & Construction
Address: 3 Discovery Drive, U-6038, Storrs, CT 06269
E-Mail: antoaneta.fedeles@uconn.edu
Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to: https://publicrecords.uconn.edu/make-a-request/
What Happens Next: The University will make a determination whether to proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) or that the project does not require the preparation of an EIE under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). A Post-Scoping Notice of its decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.