For 3 years, the proposed new Long Lots Elementary School project has lumbered along.
The building committee planned (and planned and planned). The Community Garden was removed, moved back, moved again. Athletic fields morphed from baseball to all-purpose, grass to artificial turf. 8-24 (town municipal use) permits were filed and refiled. Construction — originally hoped to begin last year — remains on the horizon.
Suddenly though, the lumbering pace will become a race.
Preliminary plans for the new Long Lots Elementary School.
Toni Simonetti — a gardener who is following the project with a close eye — notes that the deadline for a Connecticut funding grant application is June 30.
“The state can reimburse a town anywhere from 10-70% of the cost to replace a school with a new one. (Westport likely to be on the low end of that range.),” she reports.
She’s compiled a master list of meetings that must be held — and votes taken — before the funding application deadline, 34 days from now.
A recent schematic for Long Lots School.
For example, the Planning & Zoning Commission must hear testimony on a new 8-24 plan, along with a new special permit/site plan.
The Conservation Commission and Soil & Erosion Control Board must both grant approval for the area — which includes wetlands and a brook — in order for the state grant to be approved.
Financing approvals for the $98 project are still ahead, too.
Upcoming meetings include:
- June 3: Representative Town Meeting (RTM) first financial review (7:30 p.m., Town Hall).
- June 4: Conservation Commission and Flood & Erosion Control Board joint meeting (Zoom, 7 or 7:30 p.m.).
- June 5: Board of Finance first meeting (7:30 p.m., Town Hall).
- June 9: Planning & Zoning Commission, 8-24 vote and site plan/special permit approval (Virtual, 6 p.m.).
- June 10: RTM Finance Committee vote (7:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 201).
- June 11: Board of Finance vote (7:30 p.m., Town Hall).
- June 12: RTM expected final vote (TBD).
(Toni Simonetti’s full Substack on the Long Lots project can be read here. Hat tip: Kristin Schneeman.)
Westporters, please be sure to review this capital expenditure request! It is the single largest spend in our town’s history.
The expedited process makes a stop at the Planning and Zoning Commission for an 8-24 Municipal Improvement request— at which time the Westport Community Garden likely will be permanently eliminated from existence.
This does not have to be. The WCG has proposed an alternate site that is perfect: Burr Field
Today I sent the following letter to The First Selectwoman, asking her to do the right thing:
Dear First Selectwomen
I respectfully request that you immediately advance the recent proposal for a community garden at Burr Field. You could begin this process by filing for an 8-24 municipal improvement, and requesting it be placed on June 9 agenda of the Planning and Zoning Commission.
I believe the PZC will be taking up another 8-24 that day to permanently eliminate the Westport Community Garden from 13 Hyde Lane.
It would be an act of good faith to bundle these applications, assuring the PZC and your constituents that a community garden is a valued and important resource for Westport. It would do wonders to heal our town of the division created over this issue.
The WCG’s proposal displaces one small ball field, which could be recovered by using the largely unused Saugatuck Field on Bridge Street.
It’s a win-win.
Thank you.
Toni Simonetti
Westport, CT
The town needs to reclaim the field behind The Saugatuck, and optimize Luciano Field by the train station.
That would free up space to turn Burr Farms Field into the community garden.
Sounds good. Where IS Burr Field? I’m following this even though I’m a long way off.
It’s actually called Burr Farms Field. The site of the old Burr Farms School playground, on Burr School Road off Long Lots Road (at the head of Morningside Drive North).
UPDATED TIMELINE for Long Lots meetings:
Several meeting postings today
Tonight May 27, 7:30, Town Hall 309
Architectural Review Board
Long Lots building
Posted
May 28, Zoom, 7 pm
Multiple RTM Committees
Long Lots update just added to agenda and posted
June 3, Town Hall
Full RTM
Long Lots update
Posted
JUNE 4, Town Hall, 7 pm
JOINT Flood and Erosion + Conservation Committee
Action on Long Lots plans
Posted
ALSO June 4, Town Hall, 7:30 pm
Board of Finance
Action agenda item on $98M Long Lots appropriation
First hearing
Posted
EXPECTED June 9, Zoom, 6 pm
Planning and Zoning Commission
-8-24 municipal Improvement Long Lots
-Site plan Long Lots
-Special Permit Long Lots
Meeting date posted; no agenda posted yet
June 10, Town Hall 201, 7:30
RTM Finance Committee
Action on $98M Long Lots appropriation
Posted
EXPECTED June 11, Town Hall, 7:30
Board of Finance
FINAL Action on $98M appropriation
Not posted
EXPECTED June 12, Town Hall, 7:30
Full RTM
Final action on $98M appropriation for Long Lots
Not posted
There was also an item which was on the agenda for tomorrow’s 9AM Board of Selectwomen meeting, but was withdrawn earlier today.
7. To take such action as the meeting may determine, upon the request of the Long Lots School Building Committee, to approve the Award of Contract for RFP 25-141T (Structural Peer Review LLES) to the qualified bidder.