SUBASE New London Defense Community Coordination
Since 2016, SECOG has partnered with the U.S. Navy on land use planning and implementation activities that promote compatibility between the military mission at United States Naval Submarine Base New London (“SUBASE New London”) and communities in Southeastern Connecticut. SUBASE New London is the United States Navy’s primary East Coast submarine base and submarine school, with 7,500 active-duty service members, families, and retirees living on-base or in nearby communities.
Supported by advocacy groups like America’s Defense Communities efforts to encourage collaboration between military installations and their host communities, took on greater urgency in the wake of the Base Realignment and Closure process rounds in the late 1990s and early 2000s. SECOG and SUBASE New London regularly work with the Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) to advance projects promoting compatible civilian development in communities hosting military installations, create alignment between base and community infrastructure networks, address common challenges like climate resilience, and address the community and workforce planning needs that arise from growth in military-adjacent industries, such as the maritime defense industry in Southeastern Connecticut. Projects undertaken under this collaborative community-defense umbrella, funded by DOD, help to establish open, continuous dialogue among the Military, surrounding jurisdictions, the defense industry, and the State of Connecticut to support long-term sustainability, operability, and success of military missions and the submarine force.
Joint Land Use Study (JLUS)
In 2016, the Department of Defense provided funding to SECOG to develop the region’s first Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) with participation from SUBASE New London personnel, the State of Connecticut CT Office of Military Affairs (OMA), municipalities adjacent to the base, the office of Senator Joe Courtney, and the Mohegan Tribe. Completed in 2017, the JLUS analyzed opportunities for cooperative land use planning efforts between local governments and SUBASE New London and created a policy framework with recommended strategies for supporting a healthy economy, environment, and community, while safeguarding the military mission.
The JLUS process identified strategies to resolve potential conflicts and address issues needing more attention in transportation, Thames River management, land use and development, and coordination and cost sharing. A JLUS Implementation Committee formed upon its completion with membership from SECOG, the SUBASE, CT OMA, and the municipalities of New London, City of Groton, Town of Groton, Ledyard, Montville, and Waterford. The Committee has met regularly since its inception.
SECOG has received funding to work with its partners in 2025 and 2026 to update its JLUS, now referred to as a Compatible Use Plan (CUP). The update will allow for a new and current set of recommendations, a geographic expansion to include additional municipalities within a 20-minute commute of the SUBASE and address additional topic areas such as utility coordination and climate resilience.
Documents
SUBASE New London Joint Land Use Study (Sponsored by US DOD, OEA) (2017)
JLUS Implementation Projects
Regional Plan for Housing and Transportation Associated with Expansion of Submarine Ship Building in Southeastern Connection
Questions about the capacity of the region to accommodate expanding needs for housing and transportation infrastructure due to anticipated growth at General Dynamics Electric Boat prompted SECOG’s successful application for subsequent JLUS implementation funding to review future growth estimates, the region’s development capacity, and potential transportation challenges. This 2019 study assessed the potential regional impacts of expanded activities at SUBASE New London and Electric Boat on the Southeastern Connecticut region, with a particular focus on the housing market and transportation. The overall intent was to determine if the region has the capacity to accommodate anticipated additional residents and workers resulting from approximately 5,000 net new jobs at Electric Boat (including replacement hires for retirees) from 2019 through 2030. The study incorporated a detailed analysis of existing socioeconomic, housing, and transportation conditions and concludes with recommendations for the region and its municipalities to consider in responding to additional employment impacts.
Documents
SUBASE Area Zoning and Market Study (2019)
Town of Groton Economic Profile, Interim Deliverable
Fiscal Impact of Development Types: Model Framework for Town of Groton, Interim Deliverable
Regional Plan for Housing and Transportation Associated with Expansion of Submarine Ship-building in Southeastern Connecticut (2019)
City of Groton Parking Management Plan
In 2022, SECOG completed a related planning work with the City of Groton to better manage the supply of parking for City businesses, residents, and visitors as General Dynamics Electric Boat continues to expand. The City of Groton Parking Management Plan presents several strategies for minimizing negative impacts on the City of Groton, including policies that expand non-peak shifts, increase incentives for Electric Boat employees to carpool and use transit, and encourage Electric Boat’s planned leasing of several existing surface parking lots with excess capacity. Ongoing implementation is being managed by the City of Groton.
Documents
City of Groton Parking Management Plan (2022)
SUBASE Utility Resilience
In 2023, SECOG partnered with SUBASE New London, Groton Utilities, and Eversource to pursue OLDCC funding for designing improvements to electrical, natural gas, and water supply infrastructure to increase installation resilience. SUBASE New London relies on local utility providers and infrastructure to support mission critical facilities and operations. Local utility infrastructure is vulnerable to severe weather, unconventional forms of attack, deterioration, and off-base accidental events, all of which may disrupt on-base operations if there is an interruption in utility service. More frequent and intense severe storms resulting from climate change can cause long-term power outages to the base. The ongoing SUBASE Utility Resilience project will result in design and engineering for projects that improve water supply quality at the Trident Park off-base military housing development, enhance water main infrastructure, harden power supply lines, and expand natural gas service. The expected time of project completion is June 30, 2025, after which time the existing project team will continue working together to secure utility upgrade implementation funding and accomplish the designed and engineered approaches to enhancing SUBASE resilience.