“06880” intern and Staples High School Inklings writer Charlotte Berner was at Tuesday’s Long Lots School Building Committee meeting. She reports:
Westporters had a chance last night to comment on the future of Long Lots Elementary School.
The Long Lots School Building Committee has not yet finalized a plan to renovate the 70-year-old building, or construct a new one.
The first 15 minutes of last night’s Town Hall meeting were open for public discussion. A work session followed; then came another public comment period.
Long Lots Building Committee members at Town Hall. (Photo/Charlotte Berner)
The main focus of comments in the packed meeting room involved how the building plan may interfere with the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve. Both are located just south of the school.
Over 20 residents noted the importance of the gardens to Westporters, described the significance they hold for the town, and voiced concerns about the gardens’ fate.
”The community garden was really never called up,” Gardens Committee member Toni Simonetti, said. “We basically got wind of what was happening. There was no official communication with us.”
The work session focused on the feasibility report for the school’s potential reconstruction options. These options include renovation, renovation with a building expansion, as well as a complete reconstruction of the school.
At the end of the work session, attendees said that the project’s digital map of school building options all covered the current Community Gardens.
However, committee members stressed that the area covering the gardens was a temporary placeholder. So far, they said, they have only addressed the building itself.
“We were going through and only looking at the building,” LLSBC member Srikanth Puttagunta said. “We did not suggest anything about where the gardens go, or whether they stay or move.”
Long Lots Elementary School … (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
“This meeting was to review the written content of the draft report,” LLSBC chair Jay Keenan said. “It allowed us to give our comments back to the design team in order to edit the report.”
“Which options are there, or are there any options for building the school or renovating the old school that includes keeping the gardens preserved?” Simonetti asked.
Similar questions were raised by many attendees.
Keenan replied, “At no time during any part of our process have we proposed eliminating the community gardens from the property.”
The LLSBC hopes to make a recommendation for the school’s reconstruction to First Selectwoman by the end of the month. Further review would come from the Board of Education, Representative Town Meeting, Board of Finance and other town bodies.
“We understand the challenges that may be associated with relocating different activities or programs on the property,” committee member and vice chair of the Board of Education Liz Heyer said.
“But at the end of the day, all the needs have to be balanced between what’s needed educationally, what’s needed recreationally and what’s needed for other community aspects such as the gardens.”
The next Long Lots Building Committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for August 8 (6 p.m., Town Hall), to review design plans for different options.
… and the nearby Westport Community Gardens. (Drone photo/Franco Fellah)
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Moments ago, the Long Lots School Building Committee posted this on its Facebook page:
On August 1st, the committee reviewed a draft of the Feasibility Report which, when finalized, will include:
1. summary of sites studies and building assessments
2. preliminary building design plans based on educational requirements
3. architectural engineering and construction components
4. site design plans for building concepts
5. sustainability enhancements
6. pricing and construction timelines
Focus of the meeting was to provide comments to the content of above items #1, 3 & 5 in the report. Public comments were shared at the beginning and end of meeting.
Next meeting is tentatively scheduled for August 8th at 6pm at Town Hall (location TBD) to review design plans for the different building options.
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AT THIS STAGE, ALL DESIGN PLANS ARE EARLY DRAFTS AND WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE
Design plans for the building itself are being refined for the different options.
Site plans for surrounding elements (circulation, parking, gardens and fields) have not yet been presented (any site design plans that have accompanied building designs are solely for purpose of allocating space on the site).
Preliminary site plans for surrounding elements will be part of the Feasibility Report submitted in late August, but note that both the building and site design plans will still go through many iterations.
Over the course of the project, changes to preliminary building and site design plans will occur due to natural design and construction processes (further site testing, architectural engineering and construction developments, pricing constraints).
WE APPRECIATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT – PLEASE APPRECIATE THE LLSBC’S MANDATE TO EXPLORE ALL OPTIONS
We are working hard to balance the needs of all stakeholders – students, parents, community gardeners, recreational athletes, neighbors and all residents, as we continue to develop preliminary design plans. We are exploring all options to design an educationally excellent, sustainable, efficient and beautiful elementary school, while minimally impacting students and programming during construction, as well as minimizing costs for taxpayers.
The gardens and preserve will not be eliminated. We do recognize the effort involved in relocating gardens. We are exploring multiple options to determine what will be feasible. We are also partnering with Parks & Rec to ensure we maintain comparable field space at LLS or elsewhere in town.
There will be plenty of opportunity for public comment at town governing body meetings (BoE, BoS, BoF & RTM) when the Feasibility Report is shared in late August. Public comment is also welcome at the beginning of LLSBC meetings.
I appreciate the work of BOTH committee members who volunteer their time and expertise as licensed engineers and architects as well as all other stakeholders.
This fellowship of individuals working together is what defines a community. The fabric, is thus created and laid out by all. Stakeholders steer, committee members listen, they apply their knowledge, principals and gift, and return a cohesive plan To be submitted to the First Selectwomens Office.
Leadership does NOT interject into the process at anytime, disrupting the process and creating an environment that may belittle or short one’s thoughts and abilities to speak out and comment.
I do not appreciate bad mouthing or bullying in any way shape or form no matter who it is in charge.
I am looking forward to the work of all stakeholders and those with an interest to speak up, be heard, and apply their thoughts with their hearts.
It’s sad to even think that moving such a valuable town asset as the Gardens is even an option, because it is not! The gardens have been there for 20 years and it can’t be picked up and moved to a different location. Perhaps recognize that wherever you consider “moving” the gardens can be used for the fields that might take the gardens’ current space.
It is encouraging that the plans will not eliminate the garden or preserve. But it is difficult to imagine how the gardens can be relocated. For the preserve, relocation is impossible. You cannot move trees that are hundreds of years old.
Westport has lots of fields, but only one garden, and one preserve.
Regarding today’s Building Committee Facebook posting cited by Dan, we’d be very interested to learn what are the “multiple options” being explored by the Committee to determine what will be feasible for the Gardens and Preserve. The obvious one (to us gardeners) is to leave them as is. Relocate thousands of native trees, shrubs and perennial plants and re-create 20 years of garden plot soil building? Much, much easier said than done. Likely impossible.
As I was at the LLSBC meeting last night, I happened to come across the Discover Westport & Weston magazine. On page 29, Westport Community Gardens has its own entry. The Westport Community Gardens, just like our town library and Leavitt Pavilion, our town treasures. The Gardens have been built at its twenty year location through thousands of hours of volunteer hours and is a labor of love. It cannot be easily relocated and replicated. I hope the LLSBC can provide a feasibility study that allows Long Lots Elementary, the Gardens and Long Lots Preserve to grow together for future generations to enjoy.
The following statement in the article is misleading. “The gardens and preserve will not be eliminated.” The fact is all three options the building committee is working on eliminates the gardens and preserve in their “CURRENT LOCATION”. Relocating the gardens is not an option. If the town cannot find additional playing fields (one of the proposed LLS plans is to put a ball field where the garden is) how would they find a place for the gardens? Additionally, it took 20 years to create the Westport Community Gardens…not to mention the preserve.
This is an inaccurate understanding of where we are in the design process. As explained during the LLSBC meetings and during our visit to the Community Gardens, the LLSBC instructed the architects that as we figure out options for location of a renovated or new school building on the Long Lots property, we need to consider the other elements on the property (gardens, baseball fields, playgrounds, soccer fields, distance from surrounding neighbors, and parking/traffic flow). The architects put place holders on draft drawings (these are the options that you are referring to). These are not the proposed design locations or recommendations of the LLSBC or even the architects. The LLSBC truly values the input from various stakeholders for all assets on this property and the committee is working on recommendations to the architects on how best to locate all of these various elements on the property, which includes efforts to leave as many elements as possible in their current locations. Certainly, in the new school concept where the school is located directly on the current gardens location, the community gardens would need to be relocated in this scenario. Determinations for all other scenarios have not been made yet, so any assertion that all scenarios eliminate the gardens and preserve in their “current location” is inaccurate based on the information the LLSBC has continually explained to all those that have attended our meetings. Our LLSBC meetings are open to the community, as they should be. I would however request some patience as we do the work that was requested of this committee. Placeholders are a part of any design process. I respect the passion of the garden community, but I request you to also respect the task that the volunteers of this committee have been given for the Westport community. We hear you. We are open to your feedback, but we request you wait until the concepts for the elements outside of the school building have actually been designed into school construction drawing options. Thank you.
At the LLSBC meeting I attended a few Friday’s ago, I thought while others on the Committee were on the “don’t jump to conclusions” train, the Chairman was being frank when he said that the directive to the Committee did not include any thoughts on the Gardens and Preserve. He was very clear that, to the Committee, according to the directive, it was all simply Land.
What you are doing is asking those who are impacted to sit quietly until you recommend a plan, which would obviously make it more difficult to influence what happens thereafter.
During meetings scheduled for August, the committee will be working on the rest of the site plan for the various options. These are meetings that the community will be able to attend and provide comment on prior to the committee actually making a recommendation.
“There ain’t nothin’ more powerful than the odor of mendacity.” – Tennessee Williams
The Westport Community Garden and Long Lots Preserve are very special, one of a kind assets of our Town! You can’t just move something that has grown naturally over 20 years and thousands of hours of volunteer hours. It is a pollinator pathway, the bees and birds have made their home their as well as 120 family members, plus their friends and all of the food we supply to one another and people of need. Moving the garden is eliminating the garden! Let us all grow together!
The “one of a kind” asset in Westport CT is the public school system. Never forget that. Otherwise you’re Fairfield, or even Norwalk. Trust me, many of us move once we’re done with the schools.
Hopefully everyone can work together, but optimizing the 5 elementary schools for the more that 2500 kids in them should always be the priority.
Otherwise it’s property values down, mill rates up.
It’s an embarrassment that in a town with such abundant riches, our three daughters cycled through their 12 collective years at KHS sometimes with no ceiling tiles anywhere because of all the mold, and always with “temporary” classrooms that have been there for at least 25 years by now.
The public school system is what differentiates Westport, not some gardens and trees.
Mr Loffredo, while I agree that the Westport public school system is incredibly valuable that should be a top priority, I do take issue with your last line of your commentary. The 4 acres of land that comprises the Community Gardens and newly created Long Lots Preserve is absolutely a one of a kind. Developed over 20 years on land that has been used for agricultural purposes for over 100 years, this is a gem that needs protection. Your describing this property as “some gardens and trees” shows a disregard for both the environmental impact the preserve and gardens have on the environment as well as the positive impact it has for the families who tend plots here. You also seem to miss the point of our efforts to keep the garden where it is located currently. We support upgrading the Long Lots School. All we ask is that it does not come at the cost of taking paradise and putting up a parking lot ( or playing field).
I also strongly encourage you to take a tour so you can understand what this property means to our community.
It’s not an either or, David, even if that is how BOE will ultimately try to portray it in order to get everything they want without regard for any other interests in Town.
I agree with Andrew. All stakeholders in the process must be respected.
I would encourage anyone and everyone who is a resident of this town to visit the Westport Community Gardens and the Long Lots Preserve adjacent to Long Lots Elementary School at 13 Hyde Ln.
If you would like a guided tour, contact the Westport Community Gardens at westportcommunitygarden@gmail.com
To that effect, the undersigned submit the following:
Dear First Selectwoman Tooker, Members of the Board of Education, Members of the Board of Finance, Members of the RTM and Members of the Long Lots School Building Committee:
We are writing to you today to request that you direct the town’s consultants to develop options for plans that include building a new Long Lots Elementary School while preserving, in their current state, the 20-year-old Westport Community Gardens and newly planted Long Lots Preserve.
Currently, it appears that LLSBC is leaning towards the option of building as new for Long Lots School. As was shared at a prior LLSBC meeting, three options being considered for a new build include:
1. building the school on the Gardens and Preserve;
2. building the new school on the upper ball fields and locating ballfields on the existing Garden and Preserve; and
3. building the new school on the lower field and locating ball fields on the existing Garden and Preserve.
We would like the LLSBC to come up with three other options that build a magnificent new school for our town while keeping, in their current state, the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve.
We have been told repeatedly that the LLSBC is still early in the process. As we understand it, the LLSBC will be making a recommendation sometime in August.
There are dozens of reasons not to destroy or “relocate” the Gardens and Preserve. Some of the important reasons include:
1. We believe that the voters in the Town of Westport support building a new school while keeping the Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve intact. Members of all political parties in this town have visited the gardens and, nearly unanimously, support the school. We have gathered, and continue to gather, an increasing number of businesses, organizations and individuals who support this goal including Gilbertie’s, Izzo’s, AJ Penna and Son, Wakeman Town Farm, Westport Garden Club, Food Rescue US – Fairfield County, Earthplace, Aspetuck Land Trust, Connecticut Audubon, Chef Michel Nischan and his Wholesome Wave Foundation, Chef and Restauranteur Matt Storch, Terrain, Harvest Commons Condominium Board, Regents Park Condominium Board, Whitney Glen Condominium Board, Stop and Shop, Sustainable Westport and the Southwest Conservation District. An online petition supporting this goal has grown to 1,800 signatures.
2. The Gardens and Preserve property has a history of town approvals and support, including unanimous board, commission and selectmen support for the Gardens in 2001, unanimous board, commission and selectmen support for expanding the Gardens in 2009 and most recently, unanimous commission and selectwomen support for the establishment of the Long Lots Preserve, a model of suburban open-space environmental rehabilitation.
3. The environmental stewardship of this property has been exceptional, at very little cost to the town. The Gardens and Preserve significantly support the Pollinator Pathway and the Aspetuck Land Trust’s Green Corridor initiative. The biodiversity present in the Gardens and Preserve is exceptional. We are eliminating the harmful Spotted Lanternfly and its favored host, the invasive Tree of Heaven. We are eliminating a wide variety of invasive, non-native plants decimating the property.
4. The potential educational benefits of the Gardens and Preserve to the students of Long Lots, and the rest of the school district, are unlimited. The Gardens and Preserve offer ample opportunity for the Westport School District to lead in an area upon which other school districts have already capitalized; using gardens and green open space to increase student engagement, improve student performance and improve test scores.
5. We collaborate with several town organizations including The Westport Garden Club (providing growing space), Grow A Row (donating fresh food to the food insecure), Wakeman Town Farm (promoting their events), the Westport Board of Education (we maintain trees on its property), Eagle Scouts (there are three Eagle Scout projects on the property and opportunities for many more), Girls Scouts (planting trees), Staples High School Service League of Boys (community service) and the Westport Artists Collective (Art in the Garden event).
6. We have supported hands-on growing opportunities to families with small children for 20 years.
7. We foster meaningful intergenerational activity. The Gardens bring together our older residents and our younger residents, both of whom benefit from a healthy, peaceful, screen-free environment. We serve a population ranging in age from 5 to 95 years old. Older Garden members teach our younger members, and our younger members assist our older members. The Gardens and Preserve provide an activity that many of our older gardeners depend on.
8. The Gardens and Preserve provide growing space and a clean, healthy respite for town residents. As we continue to see a rise in multi-family units being built in this neighborhood, added to the Harvest Commons, Regent’s Park and Lansdowne condominium complexes, the need for the Gardens and Preserve is greater than ever.
9. The Gardens and Preserve are excellent neighbors to the residents in this densely developed suburban area. The Gardens and Preserve practice, quiet, passive recreation and the members maintain the property at no cost to the town. We maintain property values for the neighborhood as homes increase in value when located next to green, open spaces.
10. We have built relationships for 20 years, strengthening the fabric of our community. We help each other. We watch out for each other. We work together. We have built long-lasting friendships.
11. We have been built by our community. We have deep roots here. Helping to build the Gardens and Preserve include Gault, Kowalsky Brothers, Belta’s Farm, Daybreak Nursery, Gilbertie’s, Wholesome Wave Foundation, Anthropologie, Westport Public Works, Westport Parks and Recreation, AJ Penna and Son, SIR Development, Bartlett Tree Experts, Earthplace, Aspetuck Land Trust, Connecticut Audubon, Sustainable Connecticut, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Staples SLOBS, New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Southwest Conservation District.
12. Any plan that includes “relocating” the Gardens means destroying them and starting over in a new location. After 20 years of building soil, structures and relationships, relocation essentially ends the Westport Community Gardens. Destroying the hundreds of trees, shrubs and wildflowers which are now part of the natural environment would be an ecological disaster in an area that has little to no similar resources.
13. This part of town has seen a drastic increase in the cutting of trees due to accelerated development. The Gardens and Preserve are getting hundreds of trees and shrubs in the ground.
14. We believe that nearly every town in America would support, celebrate and promote what we have created at the Westport Community Gardens and the Long Lots Preserve.
Thank you for considering our request.
Signed,
Will Hamilton
Heather Hamilton
Peter Swift
Leslie Ann Gransberry
Terrie Langer
Al Langer
Sam Levenson
Chris Haggerty
Deirdre Price
Zuzu Daure
Yun Mai
Amy Luett
Tyler Jarvis
Don Switter
Jacquie Masumian
Glenn Hodes
Karen La Costa
James Mather
Sarah Guyaz
Kevin Pierce
Gerald Held
Valerie Held
Alison Held
Lorraine Shelley
Cameron Shelley
Theresa Roth
Orly Angerthal
William Humphrey
Steven Chin
Elisabeth Rose
Rachel Schwartz
Franco Fellah
Lisa Fellah
Alex Jinishian
Nora Jinishian
John Jinishian
Josh Schwartz
Michelle Reiner
Amy Unikewicz
Thomas Sladek
Scarlett Sladek
Toni Simonetti
Joe Wilkinson
Tom Cook
Margaret Freeman
Laura Riguzzi
Mary Sue Waterman
George Waterman
Douglas Robinson
Dana Rutson Robinson
Joe Mackiewicz
Kim Mackiewicz
Allan Mackiewicz
Candace Mackiewicz
Louis Weverbergh
Andrew Gentile
Nancy Gentile
Alison Freeland
Erin Loranger
Megan Will
Katie Wilkinson
Auggie Wilkinson
Idalia Rodríguez
Irmgard Gwilliam
Al Gwillam
Louis Weinberg
Marjorie Donalds
Andrew Coleman
Relly Coleman
Miriam Roth
Danny Nissim
Phil Schemel
Nan Sinclair
Martha Corneck
Cris Singer
Frank Rosen
Kathleen Kiley
Bonnie Moon
Richard Moon
Michael Moon
Jeff Neville
Robyn Carreras
Leslie Meredith
Jody Brown
Michael Brown
Zoe Brown
Amelia Brown
Maura Keenan
Kataryna Parciak
Valdek Wlademar
Phyllis Freeman
Herman Freeman
Joyce Barnhart
Daryle Kowalsky
Susan Kowalsky
Barrett Kowalsky
Harley Kowalsky
Ben Arber
Amy Arber
Jeff Schorer
Pam Barkentin
Robert Brown
Phyllis Nova
Greg Rosen
Marc Fischer
Pippa Bell Ader
David Ader
Liz Kamar
Gary Castellanos
Kathy Brown
Judy Michaelis
Jean-Pierre Montillier
Sara Montillier
Marc Montillier
Becky Newman
Lori Hammer
Matt Hammer
Steven Hammer
Carolyn Browning
Ron Osterberg
Susan Lewis
Sam Hammer
Emily Lundstroth
Paddy Duecy
Pat Duecy
Pippa Ellis
Josh Prince
Emily Prince
Christopher Clanton
Ester Clanton
Nathan Hartshorne
Sue Lunde
Kristen Ripka
Susan Tenaglia Poretta
Jerome Hines
Lori Hines
Lou Rolla
Dorothy Rolla
Gladys Martone
Dave Manning
George Kocadag
Laura Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
Leah Sloan
Kayla Sloan
Holly Sloan
Holly Sloan
Jef Spielberg
Jessi Kavanaugh Spielberg
Andrew Sloan
Benjamin Schwartz
Bruce Gaylord
Gail Cohen
Jaqueline Berman
Lewis Bellardo
Juliette Lewis Bellardo
Maryann Alley
Pamela Davis
Jeff Gershowitz
Steven Loranger
Erin Loranger
James Brown
Mike Beebe
Alec Head
Joe Wiles
Michelle Wiles
Cynthia Mindell-Wong
Diane Bosch
Lauren Singer
Hayes Clark
Daphne Cook
Ursula Malizia
Ed Saenz
Julie O’Grady
Martin O’Grady
Liam O’Grady
Robert Israely
Andy Giangrave
Piera Panozzo
Monique Nebelung
Sally Kleinman
Larry Kleinman
Joanne Heller
Lou
If your concerns are in fact assured, consider forcing a referendum on this… you seem to have the ability to obtain the requisite signatures. It’s time that all our residents had direct decision making authority in these types of critical issues.
Chris and I can’t say it any better than Lou. There have to be options. Why wouldn’t we ask the Consultants for at least one option that keeps the garden/preserve intact? If its cost…we WILL raise the money to cover the incremental expense.
I think the gardens are wonderful and respect anyone who donated their time to the school building commission which is in many ways a thankless task. One point of feedback: every release from the committee reads in a legalese that makes what they’re saying sound technically accurate but feels like there’s something hiding below the surface. Let’s just be 100% honest with each other up front about trade offs and then let the relevant boards make the final decision with all of the information that we can. I think then even if people don’t agree (which they all won’t) we are at least having a totally open and honest debate about the options.
Why are the Gardens and Preserve even part of the equation? They are properties under the auspices of Parks & Rec.
It’s as if the First Selectwoman was gifting oversight to the BOE. That’s wholly inappropriate.
A picture is worth a thousand words. To fully appreciate the magnitude of the Westport Community Gardens and the Long Lots Preserve please look at our Shutterfly book. (Desktop only: phones don’t work)
Here’s the link to the Shutterfly book:
https://www.shutterfly.com/share-product/?shareid=dc76af0e-2fa6-4c64-b3ea-e6a9c189a7a7&cid=SHARPRDWEBMPRLNK
The schools are important. The Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve are important.There should be a way to improve Long Lots School AND keep the Gardens and Preserve in their current locations. This community has many creative, bright residents…We can do this!
Let’s make this a WIN-WIN for everyone. Let’s save our beautiful Westport Community Garden and build a beautiful new school for our kids.
The Westport Community Gardens is a carefully tended, green space and pollinator passway which has taken 20 years and innumerable hours of dedicated gardeners to create. It simply cannot be relocated. Please let the Long Lots Building Committee, the Selectwomen, and all RTM members hear your voices in favor of leaving the WCG intact. Thank you.
I’m happy to hear that there are no scenarios under consideration that “permanently eliminate” the gardens or fields but I’m nervous about the committee’s wording here. The Long Lots Preserve is filled with generously donated native plants that benefit Westport residents with their beauty, and help pollinators in a time where native species are dwindling. Many of these donated plants are large native trees which have been putting down roots since the preserve was created. Clearly a nature preserve isn’t a type of structure that can be relocated, it’s an established ecosystem, an attempt to move it would destroy it. I’m hopeful that destroying the preserve under the guise of temporary relocation isn’t among these scenarios under consideration.
The community gardens are in a similar situation, with well established native trees that have had 20 years to grow in the current location. Those 20 years have given gardeners the time and the space to build fertile soil, large framed garden beds, a very secure deer and rabbit fence along the entire perimeter, and community spaces built to last another 20 years and then some. This is an environment that cannot be relocated, any plan that asks the gardeners to start over on a different patch of land equates to eliminating the gardens entirely.