The new apartments rising near the Saugatuck River have been called a “Cross Street project.”
But more people see them from Post Road West.
Views vary.
From Cross Street near Riverside Avenue, the 6-story, 68-unit building seems quite large.
The view from Cross Street.
From the Post Road though, it’s not as overwhelming.
The structure is set back from Route 1, and downhill from it. In fact, it appears to be only 3 or 4 stories high.
(Photos/Bill Christiaanse)
Of the 68 one- and two-bedroom units, 22 will be considered “affordable,” under a state formula.
The developer is Lighthouse Living. They have not yet begun to market the apartments.
Artist’s rendering of the completed project. The view is from Post Road West.
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This is not stop-the-presses news, but: Parents are under tremendous pressure.
Work demands, societal expectations, concerns about children’s safety and the influence of social media, caring for their own parents … and that’s just for starters.
“Parenting Pressures: Navigating Challenges and Achieving Balance” may not solve every issue. But the event — September 15, 7 p.m., at the Westport Library — can’t hurt.
And at least you’ll be surrounded by parents just like you.
There’s a panel discussion with mental health experts, followed by small group sessions where attendees can ask questions, share resources and receive support.
“Parenting Pressures” is presented by Positive Directions. Click here for more details.
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As of today, there may be competitive races in only 4 of the 9 Representative Town Meeting districts.
Here’s the breakdown. (NOTE: Each district elects 4 members. The RTM is non-partisan.)
District 1: Incumbents: Andrew Bloom, Matthew Mandell, Kristin Mott Purcell, Chris Tait. Petitioning: Gail Coykendall.
District 2: Incumbents: Jay Keenan, Melissa Levy, Louis Mall, Mike Perry. Petitioning: Harris Falk, Jenna Petok.
District 3: Incumbents: Ross Burkhardt, Jimmy Izzo, Pamela Troy-Kopack. Incumbent not running: Don O’Day.
District 4: Incumbents: Andrew Colabella, Clarence Hayes, Jeff Wieser. Petitioning: Victoria Wylie, Charles Lucas, Cara Zimon. Incumbent not running: Noah Hammond.
District 5: Incumbents: Peter Gold, Karen Kramer, Dick Lowenstein, Claudia Shaum.
District 6: Incumbents: Candace Banks, Seth Braunstein, Alma Sarelli. Petitioning: Lauren Karpf. Incumbent not running: David Rosenwaks.
District 7: Incumbents Brandi Briggs, Jack Klinge, Ellen Lautenberg Hendel. Petitioning: Joseph Carson. Incumbent not running: Lauren Karpf.
District 8: Incumbents: Wendy Goldwyn Batteau, Rachel Steel Cohn. Petitioning: Jill Grayson. Incumbents not running: Ari Benmosche, Julie Whamond.
District 9: Incumbents: Jennifer Johnson, Nancy Kail, Sal Liccione, Kristin Schneeman. Petitioning: Addison Moore.
To qualify for the November 4 ballot, candidates must collecct at least 25 signatures from registered voters in their district. Completed petitions must be returned to the town clerk by September 9.
For more information about the petition process or other election questions, contact Town Clerk Jeffrey Dunkerton: 203-341-1105; jdunkerton@westportct.gov.
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The Board of Education meets on September 4 (7 p.m., Staples High School cafeteria), following an executive session to discuss security matters.
The agenda includes the superintendent’s report on the start of the school year; student enrollment and staffing reports; student need assessment surveys; approval of an AI student survey, and discussion of the Staples High School roof replacement project.
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This is not a photo of an accident.
It’s a shot of 2 cars that were parked yesterday, in the lot behind Chase Bank off Avery Place.
We’re not sure which driver was there first: the white car, or the gray one.
Whoever thought this was a good idea — and then walked away because, well, who knows why — just claimed a top spot in our Entitled Drivers’ Hall of Fame.
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Two women and a man have been indicted for their roles in a stolen check and bank fraud scheme.
They stole checks from mailboxes, then changed them to be payable to “runners” who cashed them. Most checks were drawn from small business accounts in Connecticut — including Westport.
Even the main Westport post office has been victimized.
Staples High School graduate and current Westport resident Jeff Manchester is head of partnerships and business development at Fin3. The digital assets company offers digital drafts — a secure payment method and process, enabled by recent changes to payment legislation.
Local companies and non-profits like The Boat Locker, Norwalk Symphony and Rosewood Remodeling are using digital drafts. Manchester invites potential customers to click here for more information., (Use this code: 828cx0)
Westport post office warning, last year. (Photo/Bob Weingarten)
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Congratulations to Ben Roland!
The 2019 Staples High School graduate is the youngest licensed architect on the East Coast. Only a few others near his age — 23 — are licensed nationwide.
Ben graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a bachelor’s in architecture — a 5-year program.
He supplemented his studies with a semester at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art in Copenhagen (the only American student there in 2022), along with coursework in philosophy, and in real estate development and urban studies at Brown University.
He interned every summer after high school — first locally, then in Boston and Washington. ce.
His thesis was a multidisciplinary investigation of coastal residential development and storm surge resilience — with Westport as a case study.
Ben then returned to William Rawn Associates in Boston, where he had interned. His roles included director of DEI and sustainability.
He set a goal of becoming a licensed architect within a year. He completed the almost 4,000 hours of architecture work needed, so he began studying in the new year.
Bentook all 6 exams within two weeks in June, passing all on the first try — a feat accomplished by only 3%.
So it was — but also was not — “back to the drawing board” for Ben.
Ben Roland
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Johanna Keyser Rossi offers today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.
She notes: “Thursday afternoon, at the YMCA near the Saugatuck River canoe area, I saw this huvenile swan with its parents. It’s the first time I saw a young swan. All summer I saw pairs of swans, but no babies.”
Perhaps we should start calling it the Swanee River …
(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
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And finally … this one was a no-brainer:
(We hope you enjoy the Labor Day weekend. Here at “06880” central, we keep laboring to bring you this hyper-local blog. If you enjoy our work, please click here to support it. Thanks!)
I hope the person(s) who won the title of Entitled Drivers’ Hall of Fame, left a jar of Vaseline there.
If those apartments are built, I’ll move back to Westport and run for First Selectman and I will LOWER your taxes, If I win! There will be 40+ speed cameras around town, and since I was a teacher for 33 years, they’ll be some changes in education! We also had multiple recreational businesses in town that were very successful, and we’ll make sure that kids have better things to do than sit on their phones all day! Backiels have a 123 year history in Westport!
bring back Backiel I’ll back Jack
I’ll move back and vote for you Jack‼️🇺🇸
I’m with Jack Back! The light at Rt33/1 needs to change asap- it’s going to be a problem – worse than it already is. I can’t buy the excuse that it’s up State of CT…
Post road apartments have a more interesting roof line 😊
WOW.. I might be able to get elected!! I have other ideas like a “Recreational Zone.” I couldn’t get into details where it would actually be. Route 33 would get fixed immediately because it was a nightmare 35 years ago. Let’s have some ideas from other people! As First Selectman, YOU are IMPORTANT and my office door will always be open!
Meanwhile Jack, are you coming to the Class of ‘65 reunion?
Dan — I’m surprised that you would print such an offensive photo. I’m referring to the one of Al Jolson in blackface.
Al Jolson is an important part of American theater history. White people performing in blackface illustrates so many facets of our history, beyond the theater.
And it was not a photo that I posted, but a link to his performance of “Swanee River.” He sang it with great respect and depth, and the comments on the YouTube video reflect that.
American history is complicated. I’m surprised that — as President Trump is doing with the Smithsonian Museum — you are on the side of those who would erase it, because it is messy.
We were at the Smithsonian on August 2nd. It’s hard to believe, but schools were segregated during my first two years of public school. Obviously they weren’t in Connecticut, but segregation ruled in 1952 and 1953. I can’t believe how old I am.
Schools were segregated long after that. The Little Rock confrontation happened in the late ’50s. when two black girls entered Central High School there, protected by national guard troops, who originally were placed there to prevent integration until they were “nationalized.” One of those girls was Charlene Hunter Gault.
Another member of the Little Rock 9 was Carlotta LaNier. And it really wasn’t that long ago. I had the honor of being at the Westport Library 3 years ago, when she told her story.
https://06880danwoog.com/2022/05/25/little-rock-9-hero-inspires-library-audience-students/
Also noteworthy: This “06880” story from 2017: https://06880danwoog.com/2017/09/25/the-little-rock-9-60-years-later/
And, of course, while segregation remains illegal, de facto segregation still exists in, ahem, many parts of Connecticut.
Merle, I’m not going to the Patterson Club on the 20th, but may go to Longshore on Sunday.( Irecently posted four pictures on Classmates. Com.) It depends on how my wife is doing if I can make it to Longshore. She has kidney cancer and needs her kidney removed, so taking care of her is the most important thing in my life right now! She has no pain, but I hesitate to leave her alone even for one night.
Jack, thinking of your wife and wishing her well!
Merle, Thanks
By the way ,Merle, I remember you as very smart and a top notch student! I’m sure you had a successful career, whatever your career was.