Sandra Rose has lived in Westport for 5 years. Her 3 children attend Westport Public Schools. She is a member of the Long Lots PTA, and has closely followed the Long Lots reconstruction project since its inception. Sandra is also part of “Parents for a New LLS.”
Westport’s Planning & Zoning Commission is weighing the approval of an 8-24 application that would allow construction of a new Long Lots Elementary School, and the relocation of Stepping Stones Preschool.
This isn’t just a vote about land use — it’s a decision about what kind of town we want to be.
The P&Z votes tomorrow (Monday). In that vote, the Commission has an opportunity — and a responsibility — to invest in our future.
After all, this isn’t just about a building. It’s about over 600 elementary school students who are learning every day in a facility that is outdated, overcrowded, and falling short of modern safety standards.
It’s about teachers and staff trying to do their jobs in a space that was not built for the needs of today’s learners.
The original Long Lots Junior High was build in the mid-1950s.
It’s also about our youngest residents, as the plan includes a new home for the cherished Stepping Stones preschool.
If the P&Z does not issue a positive report on the 8-24 application tomorrow, Westport risks missing the state’s critical filing deadline. That could mean forfeiting eligibility for state reimbursement — funds that would significantly ease the financial burden on local taxpayers — or worse, delaying the entire project until 2027. That’s not just a missed deadline; it’s a missed opportunity for every child currently enrolled, and for the many more who will follow.
Unfortunately, at least one vocal opponent has already threatened to invoke a town charter provision that allows just 20 electors (or 2 RTM members) to appeal key land use decisions to the full RTM.
That’s not a democratic groundswell — it’s a stall tactic. Another way this essential project could be held hostage by a small but vocal minority, at the expense of Westport’s children — and our taxpayers.
We cannot allow that to happen.
Opponents have called the proposed new school design a “Taj Mahal,” a “gilded cage,” even a “resort.” But those labels mischaracterize what’s truly at stake.
Rendering of the new Long Lots Elementary School.
We are not building a monument — we are building a school. A modern, functional, state-of-the-art school that will serve more than 600 Westport children and future generations to come — one that finally meets updated educational and safety standards, from secure entrances and emergency systems to infrastructure that’s built for sustainability and resilience.
The new design also thoughtfully allows for greater community access during off-hours by enabling sections of the school to be closed off securely, making the property more welcoming and usable beyond the school day.
Some opponents have gone even further, targeting members of the Long Lots School Building Committee — a group of volunteers who have donated countless hours of their time, knowledge and energy to a process that’s been transparent, deliberate, and community-focused.
Instead of appreciation they have faced repeated personal attacks, with some critics accusing the committee of misleading the public, or worse, deliberately lying.
Long Lots School Building Committee meeting. (Photo/Toni Simonetti)
It’s difficult to identify the true source of this disdain, but it often feels less rooted in fact than in a broad, reflexive opposition to our first selectwoman and anything connected to her office. Personal politics aside, that kind of cynicism helps no one — least of all our children.
It’s no secret that much of the opposition has come from members and supporters of the Westport Community Gardens, frustrated that the proposed plan displaces the garden’s current location.
Yes, this project impacts the Westport Community Gardens — a space that holds meaning and memories for many. As someone who values what the gardens represent, I don’t take this lightly. I take no joy in seeing them move.
But we must be honest: It is no longer feasible for the gardens to remain on the Long Lots site. The educational and safety needs of the new school make that impossible.
Aerial view of Long Lots School and (left) the former Community Gardens.
It’s time to respectfully close that chapter and begin a new one — a community-driven process to find a more permanent, equitable home for the gardens. One with room to grow and thrive long into the future.
This does not have to be a zero-sum choice. We can honor what the gardens have given our community while giving our students and teachers the facilities they need — safe, welcoming, and designed for 21st-century learning. We can come together and reimagine what the gardens could be — not diminished, but renewed.
Let’s seize the chance to expand access to a larger, more inclusive, more permanent community garden — one that serves not just 100 families, but many more. Let’s invest in it together, just as we’re investing in our public schools.
But first, we must act on what’s urgent: building the school. The focus now must be on approving the 8-24 application. Once that’s done and the project is underway, we can turn our full attention to planning a new, improved home for the gardens.
Let’s not pit green space against education — but let’s also be clear: the needs of our children must come first. That means building the school now, and working together to create an even better home for the gardens next.
If you share this vision for Westport’s future, please take a moment to email the Planning & Zoning Commission at pandz@westportct.gov, and urge them to issue a positive report on the updated Long Lots School 8-24 application tomorrow.
Our children, our gardens, and our community will benefit from your support.
(“06880″‘s Opinion pages are open to all. Email submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com)