Category Archives: Economy

Roundup: Stew’s & Tariffs, Bird Flu & Westport, Zach De Brino & Playhouse …

Posted on March 10, 2025 | 14 comments

Everyone’s talking about tariffs.

In this area, many of those talking are businesspeople. Most have some skin in the game.

That includes Stew Leonard Jr.

The Westport native — now CEO of Stew Leonard’s, the company his father founded, with 8 locations in the tri-state area — sat down the other day with Business Insider. Among his comments:

As far as tariffs go, I’ve talked to our suppliers in Mexico with avocados and beer and tequila, and I’ve talked to our suppliers in Canada. We get some tomatoes on the vine from Vancouver, and salmon is our biggest item from Canada. There’s also lobsters, but it’s not lobster season yet.

Basically, take your darts out for your dartboard because nobody that I’ve talked to, even the experts in the field, knows what’s going to happen.

Throw a dart. Is this tariff going to last one day? Is it going to last a week? Is it going to last a month?

What we’re scrambling to do is find alternate sources if there is an increase in the tariff. We’re sitting here riding the market day by day….

Click here to read the full story. (Hat tip: Doug McCarthy)

Stew Leonard Jr. (Photo courtesy/Westchester Magazine)

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On the 5th anniversary of the pandemic, COVID is still here.

Is bird flu here too?

While the CDC website shows no reported cases in Connecticut — or east of Ohio — one Westport woman is not so sure.

She told “06880” yesterday that she found 2 dead birds in the waters of the Ned Dimes Marina at Compo Beach, and another nearby on the Longshore golf course.

She was advised to contact the Aspetuck Health District, just to be sure.

Dead birds at the Compo Beach marina.

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For a while, I’ve wondered why nearly every new house in Westport seems to be white (with black accents).

I’m not the only one.

Dan Kois has thought about the trend too.

Now he’s written about it.

He concentrates on Arlington, Virginia. But the style is national, he notes.

His piece in Salon answers a number of questions, including why they’re so big, and why they’re so white. Click here to read. (Hat tip: Scott Smith)

This 4-bedroom, 3 1/2-bathroom house on Spriteview Avenue is on the market for $3.499 million. 

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It’s less than 3 miles from Staples High to the Westport Country Playhouse.

It’s a lot longer through Ithaca, New York.

That’s the route Zach De Brino took. It was worth the detour.

Before graduating from high school in 2019, he was an assistant director for Staples Players.

Zach earned a BFA in stage management from Ithaca College in 2023. Since then he’s worked Off-Broadway and regionally, including production assistant and crew swing on “Teeth” at Playwrights Horizons, assistant stage manager for the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, and event production coordinator in New York.

Now he returns home. Zach is the production assistant “Theatre People,” which opens March 25 at the Playhouse.

Click here for more information on the show, including tickets.

Zach De Brino, checking props for “Theatre People.” (Photo/Andrea Quiles)

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Jay Norris’ new “Visionary” podcast has just dropped.

This week, the business/tech/media/retail/real estate/music entrepreneur talks with ESPN chair (and fellow Westporter Jimmy Pitaro.

To hear the strategy that led him to the world’s top sports network — and much more — click below.

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Signs of spring are everywhere. Bob Weingarten spotted this — a perfect candidate for “Westport … Naturally” — on Hillandale Road:

(Photo/Bob Weingarten)

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And finally … as noted above, Stew Leonard Jr. is worried about:

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Posted in Beach, Economy, Environment, Local business, Longshore, Media, Real estate, Sports, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

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10-Year Capital Forecast: $473,000,000

Posted on February 28, 2025 | 10 comments

This week’s charrette about a new public safety headquarters, to be shared by Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services, drew public attention to Westport’s 10-year capital forecast.

It includes nearly 70 projects estimated to cost at least $1 million. They range from those well into the planning stages, to others far in the future.

The cost of all $1 million-and plus projects: $431,521,675.

Another 200 or so items are listed for than $1 million each. They bring the total 10-year capital plan to $473,517,178.

Not every project will come to fruition, of course. Those that do may be substantially altered. And the capital forecast changes annually.

Most would be funded by bonds. Private funds would be sought for major recreational improvements like artificial turf on athletic fields, a Longshore clubhouse cart barn, the Inn at Longshore renovations, and a pedestrian bridge across the Saugatuck River. ARPA is funding some previously approved projects. too.

The combined public safety facility is the costliest item. It’s listed at $92.5 million.

Coleytown Elementary School renovation/replacement is projected to cost $85 million, while the Long Lots Elementary replacement — much further along in development — is listed at $80 million.

The next most expensive project — listed for $12.2 million — is for replacement of the Coleytown fire station.

Coleytown Elementary School (center) and the Coleytown fire station (lower left) are both in the new 10-year capital forecast.

Click here, then scroll down to “2024-25” for the first 2 items: “10-Year Consolidated Capital Forecast,” and the forecast over $1 million. Here are the projects listed for at least $1 million:

Central public safety headquarters: $92.5 million

Coleytown Elementary School renovation/replacement: $85 million

Long Lots Elementary School renovation/replacement: $80 million

Coleytown fire station replacement: $12.2 million

Longshore pool area improvements: $8.83 million

Longshore construction fees/clubhouse cart barn parking and surrounds: $8.175 million

Inn at Longshore renovations: $8 million

Longshore parks maintenance facility: $6.695 million

Replacement of the Longshore maintenance shed has caused controversy in town.

Transform Parker Harding Plaze (combine with downtown project): $6 million

Staples High School roof replacement of 2006 addition/other areas not replaced in 2023: $5.275 million

Bedford Middle School roof replacement: $5.225 million

Jesup Road/Taylor Place design and construction: $5.1 million

Kings Highway Elementary School roof replacement: $4.993 million

ARPA projects approved previously (facilities, human services, health, arts, schools): $3.707 million

Saugatuck fire station renovation: $3.6 million

Staples High School Loeffler field and baseball field, artificial turf: $3.5 million

Loeffler Field at Staples High School. Artificial turf here, and on the adjacent baseball diamond, would be funded privately. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

Public ssafety radio system subscriber units replacements: $3.25 million

Greens Farms Elementary School roof replacement and replair, exhaust fans replacement: $3.235 million

Longshore golf course irrigation system: $3.095 million

Old Mill walkway reconstruction, rehabilitation of tide gates: $3.082 millionARPA funds, $2.498 million bonding

Saugatuck Elementary School HVAC upgrades (5 years out): $3.072 million

Longshore and Evan Harding renovations: $3.045 million

Longshore pickleball courts: $3.025 million

Cross Highway bridge over Deadman Brook: $2.5 million

Sidewalk rehabilitation: $2.5 million

Longshore waterline installation: $2.2 million

Pedestrian bridge across Saugatuck River design and construction: $2.15 million

Greens Farms Elementary School retrofit AHUs: $2.132 million

Like all Westport schools, Greens Farms Elementary needs constant attention. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

Fire Department replacement of ladder truck: $2.1 million

Deadman Brook at Jesup Road design, permitting and construction: $1.95 million

Longshore Zone 5 parking and enhancements: $1.948 million

Long Lots Road bridge over Muddy Brook design and construction: $1.8 million

Longshore tennis and platform courts renovation: $1.78 million

Town Hall space planning design and renovation for ADA compliance: $1.75 million

Revaluation — assessor: $1.69 million

Hillandale Road culvert replacement at Muddy Brook: $1.675 million

Charles Street, Park Street and Riverside Avenue signal streetscape: $1.675 million

Wakeman E field artificial turf: $1.65 million

Staples High School, replace sports flooring: $1.624 million

Fire Department, replace engine or quint: $1.6 million

Coleytown Middle School artificial turf: $1.6 million

Staples High School, evaluation of stage rigging: $1.576 million

Riverside Avenue and Bridge Street, landscaped roundabout: $1.575 million

Town Hall exterior repairs, painting, chimney replacement: $1.55 million

Town Hall needs upgrading too.

Fire Department, replace engine or quint: $1.5 million

Replace 6 Freightliner plow trucks: $1.5 million

Imperial Avenue parking lot, improve appearance and safety: $1.5 million

Long Lots Elementary School, athletic field renovations artificial turf: $1.5 million

Compo Road South sidewalk replacement: $1.47 million (grant)

Deadman Brook at Myrtle Avenue culvert: $1.4 million

Bedford Middle School, replace millwork: $1.358 million

Replace 5 Freightliner plow trucks: $1.25 million

Compo Beach entrance, walkway, fencing: $1.25 million

Longshore renovation, Cuttings Lane East: $1.215 million

Westport Library, partial roof renovation: $1.2 million

Partial Westport Library roof repair is in the capital forecast.

Greens Farms Elementary School, replace hot water boiler, pumps and valves: $1.186 million

Coleytown Elementary School, casework replacement: $1.143 million

Staples High School, AHU at gym with AC and BMS controls: $1.129 million

Staples High School, AHU at gym: $1.056 million

Staples High School, replace cooling tower filter, pump, water treatment, BMS controls: $1.046 million

Compo Beach retaining wall, north side: $1.025 million

Fire Department, replace rescue truck: $1 million

Staples High School, asphalt repair and replacement: $1 million

Pump station #8 rebuild: $1 million.

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Posted in Beach, Downtown, Economy, Education, Library, Local politics, Longshore, Police, Staples HS

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Quite A Grand List

Posted on February 5, 2025 | 1 comment

Town Assessor Paul Friia has announced details of Westport’s 2024 Grand List.

The Grand List is the sum of the net assessed value of all taxable property – real estate, motor vehicles and personal property.

Motor vehicles and personal property are valued annually, while real estate is updated based on the market values determined as of the town’s last revaluation date (October 1, 2020).

Changes to next year’s Grand ist will reflect the upcoming revaluation.

The net 2024 Grand List of $11,616,471,195 is an increase of nearly 1.3% from 2023 ($11,468,456,765).

Properties like this on Beachside Avenue help boost the Grand List.

There were increases in 2 of the 3 categories.

Friia says that the 1.6 percent increase in real estate assessment is a result of continued residential and commercial new construction, as well as renovation activity.

That includesthe completion of construction on 31 condos at 41 Richmondville Avenue (“The Mill”), and the renovation of National Hall.

The Grand List was also boosted by construction of approximately 40 new homes, and ongoing commercial development.

Personal property increased by just under 2%. Friia calls this “typical continued reinvestment in local new and existing businesses to include equipment and leasehold improvements.”

The motor vehicle portion of the Grand List decreased 7.8%. This was expected, following a change in state law that requires vehicles to be valued using MSRP, and a set depreciation schedule.

Other contributors to Westport’s Grand List.

 

The current 2024 Grand List totals are:

Assessment 2024 % of List
Real Estate 10,783,861,235 92.83
Motor Vehicle 428,120,510 3.69
Personal Property 404,489,450 3.48
TOTAL 11,616,471,195 100%

Friia also announced the top 10 taxpayers in Westport: 

Connecticut Light & Power Inc          Pers. Property                         144,150,180

60 Nyala Farms Road LLC                Real Estate                                83,335,700

Bedford Square Assoc LLC               Real Estate                                51,520,000

Aquarion                                             Real/Pers. Prop.                        40,247,920

Equity One Westport Vill. Center      Real Estate                                32,970,900

Bridgewater Associates LP                Pers. Property                           26,598,410

Byelas LLC                                        Real Estate                                24,856,700

41 Richmondville LLC                       Real Estate                                23,335,270

Southern Connecticut Gas Co            Pers. Property                           23,050,730

LCB Westport LLC                            Real Estate                                22,302,600

Much of Connecticut Light & Power’s property consists of utility poles.

 

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Posted in Economy, Local politics, Real estate, Transportation

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Westport Schools’ 2025-26 Budget: By The Numbers

Posted on December 27, 2024 | 11 comments

If it’s almost the new year, it’s almost time for the Board of Education to examine the budget.

The first work session is Friday, January 3. Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice will present his proposed 2025-26 budget at Saugatuck Congregational Church. The day-long work session begins at 8:30 a.m.

He will recommend an operating budget of $150,357,411. That’s a 4.69% increase over the current (2024-2025) budget. Of this 4.69% increase, “current services” represents a 4.17% increase.

The budget’s primary drivers are:

  • Maintaining all current levels of staffing and programming, while honoring new contractual agreements (health insurance costs, salary increases, Westport Education Association contract, etc.)
  • Maintaining staffing in response to regular education and special education enrollment
  • Maintaining the technology replacement cycle.

Scarice explains: “Maintaining current programming is essential to our continued response to student needs. Public education is a human services endeavor, which is heavily dependent on human resources. It is no surprise that the most significant funding allocation is for human resources (i.e. staffing and associated costs).”

Salaries are the primary budget driver. The projected amount for certified staff in ’25-26 is $72.2 million, a 5.1% increase. That covers 48% of the total budget, and is equivalent to a 2.45% increase to the total budget.

Non-certified salaries account for $19.6 million, a 5.3% increase, and 13% of the total budget. This is equivalent to a 0.69% increase to the total budget.

In total, all budget salaries represent a 3.22% increase to the total budget.

Employee health benefits remain a significant cost driver. This item includes a projected 8.3% increase to medical benefits, and a 5% increase to dental benefits. Final projections will come in early spring.

To maintain the technology replacement cycle and to meet software needs, the ’25-26 budget includes a $318,131 increase. This 0.22% increase in the total budget “keeps the district on a relatively smooth year over year technology funding path,” Scarice says.

School technology is constantly evolving.

Budget “assumptions” — initiatives prioritized to advance the work of the school system — include:

  • Restoring 2 full-time elementary school assistant principal positions
  • Advancing and supporting the work of maintaining facilities
  • Implementing action steps of district plans in areas like equity study, academic initiatives, technology, etc.).

A 2-day leadership team budget workshop earlier this cycle reduced the original budget request of a 5.26% increase to the proposed 4.69% (a reduction of $816,000).

Items in the original budget request, but not in the final recommendation, include:

  • 1 financial literacy teacher ($104,180)
  • 1/2 special education teacher, Kings Highway Elementary ($71,265)
  • 1 paraprofessional to support coordinators ($79,035)
  • Extracurricular stipend for unified sports ($5,131)
  • Textbooks ($250,000)
  • Bedford Middle School fitness center equipment ($18,500).

Other cuts were made to unemployment benefits, and facilities (restorative and preventive maintenance, fire and security).

The district booked $180,000 in credit for providing parking for student transportation.

First Student buses, parked at the Greens Farms train station.

Key increases that remain in the recommended budget include:

  • Assistant principals at Coleytown, Greens Farms, Kings Highway and Saugatuck Elementary Schools ($405,888)
  • Elementary health teacher ($65,204)
  • Supervisor: Facilities project coordinator ($132,867)
  • Technology assistant ($89,807)
  • Permanent building substitute teachers ($50,940)
  • Professional development and services ($44,100).

The budget notes that the Westport Public Schools have 7 collective bargaining agreements for nearly 1,000 employees.

An agreement was reached with the WEA (teachers union) this past summer. Negotiations with 4 non-certified employee groups will take place this spring.

Scarice says that his proposed budget “fulfills the district’s obligations to local bargaining unit contracts, local guidelines and policy (e.g. class size guidelines), and state and federal mandates.

“This recommendation responds to the learning and social/emotional needs of students, while advancing forward thinking district plans. The team honored budget drivers and assumptions, and this recommendation clearly illustrates the need for ‘tradeoffs’ as the district continues to aspire to maintain the distinction and reputation that the community has enjoyed for decades.

“Along with the administrative team, I look forward to deeper discussions towards developing a greater understanding of the budgetary needs of our district.”

(“06880” is your hyper-local source for education news, local politics, and much more. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Good News For Westport’s Homeless And Hungry: Gillespie Center Reopens Soon

Posted on December 3, 2024 | 4 comments

As the housing crisis worsened last year, Westport’s Gillespie Center and Hoskins Place — the downtown site with beds for 15 men and 4 women, respectively — closed.

The reason: much-needed renovations. Homes with Hope — the non-profit that for 40 years has housed the homeless, provided meals and a food pantry for the hungry, and offered other supportive services — moved its residents into Linxweiler House (on the Post Road between McDonald’s and Fresh Market), and other shelters.

HwH is a ray of hope for unhoused people — and the working poor, who also face difficulties finding a place to live. CEO Helen McAlinden says a person must earn $42.50 an hour to afford a studio apartment in Fairfield County. Many Homes with Hope clients, meanwhile, make just $15 an hour. Even with 2 or 3 jobs, they cannot pay rent.

Gillespie Center, before renovations. (Photo/June Rose Whittaker)

Linxweiler House has been a temporary solution. After initial hesitation, Crescent Road residents have embraced their new neighbors.

But soon, the Gillespie Center will be back in operation. After months of construction, it will be more functional, efficient and welcoming than ever.

It’s not just for homeless people, either. A large, well-lit new conference room will be available, free, for non-profits to use.

The other day, McAlinden showed off the space. An entirely new kitchen will enable volunteers — individuals, families, organizations, and Cecily Gans’ Staples High School culinary classes — to not just serve, but also cook, meals.

Clients can use it too, to learn or improve their cooking skills.

Homes with Hope CEO Helen McAlinden, in the new kitchen …

An ADA-compliant bathroom means that people with disabilities can shower and take care of themselves too.

An isolation room is available for clients who get sick. When not in use, it can be used for extra beds.

The men’s dorm has been split into 2 rooms. The result is more privacy — and light.

The women’s shelter now shares a hallway with the men’s. Previously, women had to leave the kitchen or community room and walk outside, to a separate entrance.

The second floor food pantry — open to the public — is now served by a dumbwatier. “No more hauling sacks of potatoes up the stairs!” McAlinden explains.

… and food pantry …

The pantry will have have a refrigerator and freezer, allowing it to store milk, cheese, eggs and meat.

There’s space too for toiletries, like toothpaste and soap.

The refrigerator and toiletries have been some of the most popular features of the temporary pantry at Sasco Creek Village. It’s been a great success, since moving there in May.

But McAlinden looks forward to getting the pantry back under the Gillespie roof. And the Westport Housing Authority, which oversees Sasco Creek Village near the Southport line, will be happy to get its community room back.

“This is an unbelievable, state-of-the-art facility,” says McAlinden proudly. The bulk of the funding caem from a federal Department of Housing ARPA grant. An anonymous gift paid for the dormer conference room that will be used by any non-profit that needs it.

… and outside the entrance. (Photos/Dan Woog)

Westport Department of Human Services director Elaine Daignault played a key role in the project. She wrote the grant, coordinated efforts with the town, and managed the project with McAlinden.

“So many people have been so supportive,” McAlinden notes.

Final construction, including wiring, plumbing, floorng and painting, is underway now. Beds will be delivered soon. Clients are expected to move back in before Christmas.

The Gillespie Center — and Homes with Hope — continue to be the gift that keeps on giving.

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Posted in Categories, Downtown, Economy, Local politics

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Rockin’ Alts Women Wield RAWW Power

Posted on November 14, 2024 | 10 comments

The last time we checked in with Rachel Markus, her networking group for women working in alternative finance was just starting to purr.

Now, Rockin’ Alts Women of Westport — RAWW — is roaring.

More than 70 women — many in positions of power in hedge funds, private markets, venture capital and more — meet regularly.

They swap ideas about trends, resources, best practices, fund structuring, invstor databases and board opportunities.

They share stories about commuting and kids. They instill confidence in each other, and make connections so that all women in their industry will thrive.

RAWW has provided panelists for professional conferences, supported each other’s fundraisers, and referred a member to an employment attorney.

Tons of talent and expertise at a RAWW meeting.

Sub-groups have heard presentations on topics like angel investing, or how to work with an executive coach.

There is no membership fee. Lunch and happy hour meetings are held at local restaurants like Harvest, Romanacci’s and Spotted Horse.

Now, RAWW has hooked up with a similar group. Runa Knapp — a co-founder of FoundHer — attended a RAWW meeting, and recognized the synergy.

FoundHer focuses on women — also primarily in alternative finance — who have taken a career break to raise young children, or are commuters looking for a local or flexible position.

FoundHer connects them with firms seeking increasing diversity, but lacking access to experienced candidates outside their core networks.

RAWW and FoundHer members met earlier this month, It was an energetic event.

RAWW and FoundHer members get together.

Members of both groups know they can spend “an entire week in alternative finance being the only women in a room filled with men,” Markus says. “At conferences, we are definitely in the minority.”

Members of RAWW and FoundHer also know the difficulties of balancing professional and family lives — choices men seldom face.

“If you work in the city or you’re on the road, you can’t leave early for your kids’ events, or go to a school function or doctor’s appointment,” Markus says.

Often, however, working mothers feel they should be doing that.

If they’re working locally and can do those things, how do they fit them in with their work lives?

RAWW and FoundHer address those issues.

Who are those women?

Rachel Markus

“They’re ballers,” Markus says enthusiastically. “They’re awesome. They’re definitely not wallflowers. They’re spunky and supportive.”

Here in Fairfield County, members skew a bit older than women in alternative finance who live in New York City, and may be single. A few — including one graduate from Staples High School in the 1970s — are near retirement, and look forward to becoming mentors.

But younger families have been moving to Westport since COVID, Markus notes. Many of the women joining RAWW — or looking to get back into the workforce, through FoundHer — have at least 10 years of professional experience.

Markus was one. She moved to Westport in August of 2020 — the midst of the pandemic.

With schools closed to parental involvement — and Markus wanting to meet other women in alternative finance — starting a networking group seemed natural.

In the year ahead, Markus says, there will be RAWW meetings on specialized topics, like health and wellness, and sessions with other organizations, like FoundHer and the commercial real estate group they met with this summer at Don Memo.

They’ll continue community service projects, like collecting business attire and accessories for the University of Connecticut Women in Business group. Members borrow clothes for job interviews.

“This is just another reminder of what’s so great about Westport,” Markus says about RAWW and FoundHer.

Or, put another way: It’s a great investment.

(To learn more about RAWW, email RachelMarkus10@gmail.com. To learn more about FoundHer, email rknapp@foundherllc.com.)

(“06880” is where Westport meets many worlds — including finance, and women. If you enjoy stories like this one, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Affordable Housing Fund Committee Begins Work

Posted on October 4, 2024 | 5 comments

The opening of 122 Wilton Road — Westport’s new 19-unit affordable housing building across the Saugatuck River from downtown — shined a new spotlight on an issue the town (and county, state and nation) are addressing with ever-increasing urgency.

Westport has done a better job than many similar communities. We supported one of the first homeless shelters in any suburb anywhere. Homes with Hope — which operates 122 Wilton Road — has evolved with the times and needs, and today is stronger and more efficient than ever.

Still, their mission — to end homelessness in Fairfield County — is enormous, and seemingly impossible to achieve.

The Westport Housing Authority, formed just after World War II to help returning veterans, oversees 4 residential communities — Canal Park, Hales Court, Hidden Brook and Sasco Creek Village — with professional management, resident services, and outreach and support.

But their wait lists are closed.

Among Westport’s affordable housing options: Sasco Creek Village.

Still, Westport continues to seek solutions. The need for affordable housing is not just a moral issue; it involves the economy and jobs; education and the next generation, and much more.

Last winter, the Representative Town Meeting created an Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Money from land purchases, house construction and market rate housing sales will be used to build affordable housing. It could generate up to $1 million annually.

Fairfield and New Canaan have similar funds.

Last month, the RTM appointed 5 members to the Affordable Housing Fund Committee to will oversee the money.

They are former Board of Finance member James Foster, former assistant town attorney Gail Kelly, former Planning & Zoning Commission member Jon Olefson, investment banker Kate Weber, and retired institutional asset manager Ralph Yearwood.

Ralph Yearwood

The other day, Yearwood — a Harvard College and Business School graduate; Westporter since 1984; father of 3 children who went through the local school system; volunteer with a food pantry and after-school learning program, and a Norwalk Public School mentor, as well as treasurer of Homes with Hope — chatted with “06880” about the new committee.

“Everyone should have sufficient food, housing, education, healthcare and security,” he said, describing his volunteer efforts in general, and his motivation to serve on the Affordable Housing Fund Committee.

Members have not yet held their first meeting. They’ll meet individually with 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, before convening as a group.

When they get together, they’ll assess their tasks: to study the town’s existing plan for affordable housing; inventory the sites that may be suitable for affordable housing; track the availability of those properties, and determine how to purchase and fund those sites.

Yearwood is proud that there is a consensus in Westport around the need for affordable housing. The state mandates that 10% of units built since 1990 be deemed “affordable,” according to an income formula.

19 apartments at 122 Wilton Road are Westport’s newest affordable housing units.

But, Yearwood says, the interest of residents goes beyond state requirements.

“Having affordable housing enables you to attract better employees,” he says.

“There’s a direct benefit to teachers, first responders, retail workers and others.”

Affordable housing is also a means of reducing homelessness. And yes, there are homeless people in Westport, he notes.

In addition, the opportunity for children to get a good education helps end inter-generational poverty, whose effects are borne by all taxpayers.

The details and timeline of the Affordable Housing Fund Committee are still to come.

But Ralph Yearwood and his fellow members feel right at home in their work.

(“06880” is Westport’s hyper-local source for real estate, education and political news — and much more. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Lamont, Himes Celebrate 122 Wilton Road

Posted on September 27, 2024 | 18 comments

With Governor Lamont noting that “a home is more than a roof over your head; it’s a community,” Westport inaugurated 122 Wilton Road this morning.

The ceremony — attended by Congressman Jim Himes, other officials, and local housing advocates — marked the official welcome for the town’s newest apartments.

All 19 units are affordable, under a state formula. Residents will include “the working poor”: retail workers, landscapers and others who struggle to find housing in what many speakers noted is a national crisis.

Nearly 400 people applied for the 19 apartments, located at the Wilton Road/ Kings Highway North intersection.

While praising Westport as being “a welcoming town in a welcoming state,” Governor Lamont noted, “we have to do a lot more of this.”

Governor Lamont, speaking at 122 Wilton Road this morning. (Photo/Dan Woog)

Other speakers echoed that theme.

Connecticut Commissioner of Housing Seila Mosquera-Bruno — who came to the US as a single mother at the age of 24 — said that without housing assistance, she would have been unable to obtain a master’s degree in urban studies, or complete a fellowship at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

State Comptroller Sean Scanlon said that his parents divorced when he was 6. His mother had no car or education, but through assistance made sure he grew up in “every apartment in Guilford.”

“When we build housing, we build Connecticut,” said the man who “signs the checks” for projects like these.

The ceremony’s host, Helen McAlinden, president and CEO of Homes with Hope — the non-profit working to end homelessness, which oversees the project — greeted the 100 guests. She gave a special welcome to the families that have already begun moving into 122 Wilton Road.

The apartments were built by Richard Friedman, president of the Garden Homes Fund. The private foundation focuses on affordable housing.

Rev. Pete Powell also spoke. A founder of the Interfaith Housing Association — Homes with Hope’s predecessor — he reminded the audience that one of the first locations for Westport’s homeless shelter was at the Vigilant Firehouse (now OKO restaurant), a few hundred yards away on Wilton Road.

“This has been an unimaginable journey,” Powell said.

He cited the many men and women who have worked to alleviate housing in Westport in the 40 years since the IHA began, and were on hand to celebrate the opening of the new apartments.

Representative Jim Himes spoke of the importance of addressing housing shortages nationwide.

“If Westport can do 19 units, and every town does the same, we will move the needle,” the US congressman said.

After the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, Homes with Hope offered tours of the building.

Among the ribbon-cutters, from left: Rev. Pete Powell (bowtie), Interfaith Housing Association founder; State Representative Dominique Johnson (blue blazer), 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore (with scissors), Homes with Hope CEO Helen McAlinden, Congressman Jim Himes, Connecticut Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno, Governor Ned Lamont, Garden Homes Fund builder Richard Friedman. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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122 Wilton Road: Affordable Apartments “Life-Changing” For Local Residents

Posted on September 27, 2024 | 43 comments

Jonathan Steinberg was not a fan of 122 Wilton Road.

Like many Westporters, the state representative thought the new apartment building at the Kings Highway North corner was too big for the land, and too close to wetlands.

But when Steinberg learned who will be moving in, he changed his mind — dramatically.

He’s betting many other Westporters will too.

The 19 Homes with Hope apartments were distributed by lottery to “working poor” individuals, and their families.

Nearly all have ties to Westport, through jobs and/or families.

Some work in local supermarkets; others for landscape companies, and cleaning homes.

One apartment will be rented by a Ukrainian family. They’ve been underhoused, since arriving in Westport as refugees.

122 Wilton Road apartments.

According to Helen McAlinden, CEO of Homes with Hope, an individual must earn $42.50 an hour to afford a studio apartment in Fairfield County.

Someone making Connecticut’s minimum wage of $15.69 an hour — and working 2 jobs — cannot come close to that.

Nineteen of those workers — and, in some cases, their families — will now have secure housing. For some, it’s the first time in their lives.

Every resident of 122 Wilton Road is “a productive member of society,” McAlinden says. They have at least one job. They work hard, serve employers and customers, pay taxes, and have hopes and dreams for the future.

“This building will allow these people an opportunity to live in this wonderful town,” where some already work, McAlinden says.

Their children “will reap the benefits of our brilliant school system. In many cases, they’ll be the first in their family to go to college.”

Kitchen, in a 3-bedroom apartment.

One of the many excited new tenants is a woman named Laura. She’s the community closet coordinator for Open Doors Shelter in Norwalk.

She’ll move in with her fiancé — who prints shirts in a warehouse for an e-commerce firm — and their 2 1/2-year-old daughter.

“Honestly, this is life-changing,” Laura says.

They’ve spent the past 5 years in one bedroom, at his grandparents’ house.

“It’s a blessing to be with them,” Laura acknowledges. “But our daughter needs her own space. We need to not worry about her making too much noise, and to cook whenever we want.”

The hunt for affordable housing has been “discouraging,” Laura says.

“We’ve been on lists in Norwalk, but others were closed. We applied in Stamford and Fairfield, but never heard back.”

She learned about the Wilton Road apartments from another list she is on.

“We can’t wait,” Laura says. “We’re a little nervous, but we feel like this is our time.”

A bedroom in one of the 122 Wilton Road apartments.

Another new resident is an older, disabled Westporter who works around town. On a fixed income, he could not afford to be here any longer. He is thrilled to now remain in the community where he was raised, and has lived for so long.

122 Wilton Road is close to the Post Road bus route — an important consideration for those without a car.

And — crucially — those 19 units of affordable housing will go a huge way to help Westport meet the state’s 8-30g requirement, avoiding lawsuits and other, potentially much larger, construction due to a lack of such housing.

Because of the building’s size and location, Steinberg says, “I was frustrated for the community. None of us expected a good outcome.”

But, he says, when he learned that all the units would be deemed “affordable,” under Connecticut’s income formula, he realized its benefits.

“Westport is a model for the state,” as legislators contemplate changes to regulations, he says.

Because of this project, and other small clusters of affordable housing in town, “we will have a seat at the table in Hartford. We can help direct the best outcomes for Westport.”

The hallways are decorated with art and photographers by Westporters Miggs Burroughs, Tom Kretsch, Katharine Ross and Susan Fehlinger. All have local or New England themes. Burroughs paused earlier this month, while hanging the works.

The original plan was for 6 units of affordable housing, and 13 at market rate. Town officials denied the plan. But after 7 years of litigation, developer Richard Friedman prevailed, on 8-30g grounds.

McAlinden developed a good relationship with the builder. When he decided to sell the building, McAlinden realized it aligned with Homes with Hope’s mission: to end homelessness in the area, and provide resources for self-reliance.

The units include 4 one-bedroom apartments, 8 with two bedrooms, and 7 with three. Millenium Property Management will manage the building.

Homes with Hope will connect residents with essential resources, including job training, counseling and other support services.

“Essential workers like store associates and service industry professionals are the backbone of Westport,” Homes with Hope notes. “Yet many struggle to find affordable housing near their workplaces.”

Living close to work will reduce commuting times and costs. Increased disposable income can be reinvested in the local economy.

Affordable housing fosters economic diversity. “This inclusivity strengthens the cultural richness of Westport, creating a more vibrant and dynamic place to live,” Homes with Hope adds.

For months, Westporters have driven past 122 Wilton Road, and wondered who would want to live there.

Now they know: 19 hard-working, very appreciative families do.

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Fed Rate Cut Stirs Interest In Homebuyers, Realtors

Posted on September 21, 2024 | 10 comments

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a percentage point.

Implications ripple across the economy. One of the most significant areas is real estate.

In Westport, that’s always a lively topic. “06880” asked our friends at KMS Team at Compass what the news means for home buyers. They say: 

According to to Lawrence Yun, National Association of Reatlors chief economist, much of the rate cut had already been factored into existing mortgage rates.

However, he said, “due to already low mortgage rates compared to spring, the purchasing power for home buyers has been lifted by around $50,000 for those with a $2,000 monthly mortgage payment budget. Consumers who were priced out due to earlier higher mortgage rates could now be back in the market.”

For those buyers still in the looking phase, this offers an opportunity to reach just beyond their target range, perhaps opening up a new selection of homes to consider.

Let’s say buyers set a price range between $1 million and $1,149 million. Today, that search in Fairfield County shows 35 properties.

Simply changing the upper end of the range to $1.2 million brings 62 homes to consider.

In Westport, a search range of $1.5 million to $1.649 million returns just 2 homes on the market. Increase the range to $1.7, and now there are 6 homes.

The Federal Reserve’s rate cut puts this 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 2,304-square foot home on 1.41 acres at 163 Cross Highway in the range of buyers who might not have afforded it otherwise. It’s listed for $1.699 million.

For buyers who have already identified a property to purchase but have not locked into a mortgage, the potential savings are a bonus.

One client, looking at a 5-year adjustable rate mortgage, received a quarter point reduction in the rate overnight.

While this amounts to less than $100 a month on a $500,000 loan, it is not insignificant. If just half that amount were applied as extra principal payments, the borrower would save more than $24,000 over the life of the 30-year loan — and finish paying the mortgage off 15 months sooner.

The Mortgage Research Center offers a great calculator, for playing with the numbers.

Most importantly, the rate cut is a psychological signal for nervous home buyers that things are looking up.

The idea of “dating the rate and marrying the home” — refinancing when rates drop — is unfamiliar to many first-time home buyers. And why not? This is the first rate cut in over 4 years.

(Real estate is of prime interest for many Westporters. “06880” covers the topic often — along with so much else. If you like our work, please click here to support this hyperlocal blog. Thank you!)

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