The latest edition of “Westport in Focus” — 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker’s regular newsletter to residents — landed in email inboxes earlier today.
For those who did not open it — and “06880” readers outside of Westport who did not get it — the highlights include:
✔ A note about the newly redesigned Selectwoman’s Office page on WestportCt.gov: Selectwoman’s Office Home.
IT director Eileen Zhang and Tooker’s staff have spent quite a while redesigning this, and other departments’, home pages. The result: greater visual appeal, and ease of use.
Screenshot of the new Selectwoman’s Office page.
✔ The tentative pubic meeting timeline for the Hamlet at Saugatuck project. It includes
- Planning & Zoning Commission meetings: April 7, and late April and May (NOTE: There is no Hamlet discussion tonight, March 31)
- Flood and Erosion Control Board: April 2
- Waterline Protection Line Ordinance and Conservation Commission: April 23-April 30
- Historic District Commission: TBD
- Board of Selectwomen, acting as the Traffic Authority: TBD
The Hamlet at Saugatuck proposal for Railroad Place.
✔ An update on the Long Lots School Building Committee.
Tooker reports that regular meetings continue. “Providing there are no other delays, it is anticipated that groundbreaking will occur this year, with an anticipated move-in date in September of 2027,” Tooker says.
The LLSBC recently received approval for awarding contracts for MEP commissioning aervices, building envelope commissioning services and geothermal test well services.
The project now enters the design development phase, with more detailed plans, elevations and finishes. This is expected to be completed in the next several weeks.
Meetings with the Board of Finance and Planning & Zoning Commission are being scheduled, and are anticipated to take place in the first part of April.
The School Building Committee will also schedule a work session with the Architectural Review Board, a meeting with the Representative Town Meeting Education Committee for an update, and meetings with all funding bodies and the full RTM (plus committees) over the next few months.
The LLSBC also hopes to schedule a town-wide charette during the design development phase.
See Long Lots School Building Committee page on the town website for all updates and relevant documents.
A very preliminary plan for Long Lots Elementary School.
✔ Upcoming dates of interest:
Tuesday, April 1: 4th quarter taxes due (May 1 deadline without penalty; click on Tax Collector’s Office.
Thursday, April 3 (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.): Free car seat safety inspections at Police Headquarters (50 Jesup Road).
Saturday, April 5 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.): Household hazardous waste collection at Greens Farms railroad station; click on Household Hazardous Waste Day.
Sunday, April 13 (3 p.m.): Tulip sculpture dedication at Grace Salmon Park.
April 21-26: Community Build Week at Compo Beach Playground; click on Compo Beach Playground.
Saturday, April 26: Town Clean-Up Day – information soon from the Parks & Recreation Department.
Tuesday, April 29 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium): Traffic & Pedestrian Safety Task Force meeting.
Thursday, May 1: First day parking emblem requirement for beach access; click on Parks & Recreation.
In one month and a day, you’ll need a sticker to park at town beaches. In the meantime, crews work to get them ready. (Photo/Richard Fogel)
Absolutely fascinating that this page is all bright and shiny now, just in time for Ms. Tooker’s run for governor!
First I apology for the length but there are so many vital issues that have arisen over this particular term that beg to be noted and addressed by our Administration….
NOW running for Governor, our First Selectman introduces a regular detailed newsletter? Where was this kind of update complete with email address to relay concerns etc 3.5 years ago? Will this new email option provide
an actual response,unlike countless others, that went ignored these past years? Where was a letter like this when non elected committees were appointed and given the task of creating concrete plans for our town in lieu of town Boards and many not recorded or transcribed and held during working hours -very inconvenient for the public to attend? Where were those public updates? There were not any
so information had to be retrieved through the FOIA as they were so deeply buried and everyone remained mum and then cynically stated”Now they Know”.
Will just a call or email NOW, for instance, get one an answer as to how The BOE mandating the appointed LLBC (over our Building Facility Board) to come up with a plan to either refurbish or build a new Long Lots come to include a supersized lit turf athletic field that for too long secretly gave the boot to our national award winning Garden? Will we get a response as to why we continue to have a poor school maintenance record ( especially after The KHS mold issues) that’s prompting the necessity of a $100 million dollar plus complete rebuild now (and down the road with Cokeytown etc) in a very wet and environmentally sensitive area with many neighbors?
Will an email response offer information on exactly how or who prompted the Gardeners
to so suddenly become newly considered potential pedophiles or murderers and thus banned from property adjacent to the school from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm during prime planting and harvest seasons? Will an inquiring call or email finally get a real current playing field
utilization report before a new one is built? Will we learn exactly many Westport kids are left out due to facility restriction? Are the pay to play private programs getting preferential play time- are they behind the addition of another supersized field build? Are they providing funds?
Where was the letter updating us on the enormity of the spot zoning change in Saugatuck and why had it allowed for zoning even higher and more dense than it needed to be for some actual hamlet like revitalization- think the Artisan development in Southport. Will we get any indication of what might be off the table for “The Hamlet” in regards to altered thru traffic and parking to alleviate many fears of safety, congestion and cost in our main transportation center not to mention inappropriate density for that area. Will we get a response as to how life in Saugatuck can go on during this massive 3 year build and how they plan to ensure the current businesses, commuters and neighbors are not devastatingly impacted during this very long construction and drilling underground phases.
If asked will the Selctman offer any indication of how much more the “affordable” rents will be on Franklin Street versus the current rents offered?
Will we get an extremely thorough traffic study needed in that area as the Hamlets reads like a fantasy book taking place in another world? Will she provide one that concentrates on peak times in peak seasons and allows for everincreasing 95 pile ups where travelers infiltrate Saugatuck in massive numbers on a regular basis or go with “The Hamlet’s” dream study?
Will we get answers to why Parker Harding was allowed to rot seemingly so finally a professional Brander leading the Committee could put “a recreation area in the middle of our busiest parking lot, attempt to shut down a main artery there and then suggest we cut the trees down in Jessup green to make that lot bigger when mass outcry developed only to exponentially increase further outcry for that ludicrous proposal. Will we get an answer to why our merchants and employees in town are being treated like second rate nuisances? Will they employ less skewed surveys ie Shutting down Church Lane Survey that forced one to choose your preferred timing even though early in the survey you clearly chose the preference of not wanting Church lane shut down at all? Completing the survey negated ultimate preferences.
Better to learn late than never is certainly a view one could take, or now, she realizes her mistakes after many many many calls for more transparency in out town government and providing more than
tiresome photo op Selectman frivolous news letters with little meat that will effect residents.
I feel it’s a little too little to late to prove to the CT voters that our 1st Selectman too often operated in a non transparent manor and clearly showed favor
to some residents over others ( certainly building owners vs local merchants and their employees) with some plans not to mention the complete disrespect and disregard given to the Gardeners in the recent past and now.
Will an email now get a response to explain why the contaminated soil report on Baron’s south suddenly disappeared from the town website when the Gardners questioned the safety of eating food from that soil when it was offered to them as some sort of booby prize complete with a sloped topography and too much shade that cannot be remediated as we don’t own those mature trees? Will we get an explanation of why Barons South was left to completely decay severely limiting future options. Who nixed that affordable housing consideration when we desperatly need that over a yet another ultra luxury option and why wasn’t it contested?
I am sure some will applaud this Selectman letter
but a deep dive into the reason behind it may very well not be for the benefit of Westport citizens but rather for the State of CT voters who must choose a new Governor in the very near future and would like one who does and will meaningfully engage with all constituents, troubleshoot, be diplomatic and operate a fully transparent government ALL the time and not just as an election nears as too many of us know from unfortunate present experience.
You won’t get a response…that’s for sure. Jen Tooker sent an email to the gardeners stating we had until the end of the month to remove our personal materials with no explanation. We want to have a growing season this year, as the building project is delayed. No answer….Why not? No answer. A new website will look good on one’s resume when running for governor…right?
There is no reason for the Community Gardeners to not have access to their plots this year, except for the spiteful interests of our useless First Selectwoman.
Obviously, her supposed run for Governor is a stunt to save face, given the lack of any possibility that she would be reelected FS.
But that she is taking the opportunity to spike the ball on the decent citizens that she has absolutely screwed because of her fetish for ball-fields is beyond the pale.
Hamlets being a lifetime resident in Westport I see one thing a total mess traffic unbelievable Saugatuck can’t Handel this project. I own a. Construction company and office building in Saugatuck since 1934 . Parking is an issue so bad I installed auto gates keep unwanted cars out this parking lot was for my tenants only . I had to hire off duty police because Parker’s would drive through the gates and scratch ther cars there cars . Some of the problems the town granted permit to operate one bar had 10 spaces the bar had 50 people inside the fire department closed them down next day same problem. There were cars that drive through the gates then through the front doors a 10.000 mess . Hard to believe I had 4ft by 8 ft sighs lit people can’t read . One night I removed 50 cars out towed off my property my tenants held back on the rent . Commuters a problem didn’t want to pay for railroad parking . When I built my a 22000 sq ft the town of Westport held me to 2 floors that’s it . GAULT buildings in Saugatuck two floors . Why does the hamlet need 5 plus floors there traffic consultant claims there will be no problem parking that’s a joke to get this passed . Greenwich a developer build buildings around the railroad station big multi floors PARKING IS AT A PREMIUM IF YOU CAN FIND A SPACE.
South Norwalk a major problem new parking garage no space available all reserved. The hamlet want more bigger buildings MORE RENT NO PARKING they should revise there plans drastically if Westport grants this permit Saugatuck will be a mess to everyone’s hamlets should revise there plans
Remember they aren’t living in Saugatuck they say they will after everthing done there gone it all about MONEY . Developers will say anything to get there way .