Category Archives: Places

Tooker Responds To Clear-Cutting Concerns

Posted on April 14, 2025 | 32 comments

In response to public concern reported first by “06880” regarding the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s clear cutting of dozens of trees on the Sherwood Island Connector and Hillandale Road, as part of the project to add a new building at the site behind Walgreens — 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker says:

I understand the initial disappointment that the removal of the trees has caused those directly impacted by the construction at the State of Connecticut property at 900 Post Road East, and abutting portions of the Sherwood Island Connector and Hillandale Road.

The town had no prior notification of the clear-cutting activity, nor the timing of the start of the project.

One view of the clear cutting at the state DOT facility, from Hillandale Road …

As with the numerous CT DOT projects either completed or underway throughout this municipality, the town has little oversight over state projects on state property.

Certainly, town officials, including Police, Fire and the Department of Public Works, have professional, responsive and mutual communication with representatives from the CT DOT.

It is neither feasible nor appropriate for the town to be the public communication resource for state projects, because we have no oversight. The state does not have the same notification protocols as the town. For status updates, please refer to the CT DOT site: CT DOT Maps Project Status.

… and another. The Sherwood Island Connector is at left. (Photos/Matt Snow)

Since last week, when initial concerns were brought to our attention, the town has been in regular contact with the Westport Maintenance Facility (State Project 0158-0223) project manager, Matt Easdon.

He has assured us that the CT DOT is open to input from the town officials and will work with the community representatives as the project concludes, to ensure that the completed facility will have appropriate screening/fencing and landscaping to make it visually appealing to the neighbors.

The town is committed to working with the DOT to ensure that this occurs.

Mr. Easdon has now transferred responsibility for the next phase of the project to CT DOT transportation engineer Scott Adkins.

It needs to be stressed that this is a construction site. There will be inevitable disruptions in the surrounding neighborhood over the next 16-18 months. The completed project, however, will result in a streamlined, safer, more efficient complex that ultimately benefits our community.

It has also come to my attention that there are site plans in circulation dating back a number of years that make note of a possible transaction with the town for a portion of the same state parcel abutting West Parish Road. At no time during initial discussions was any state property, or portion thereof, considered for transfer to the town of Westport.

Instead, a potential transfer of property between the CT DOT and the CT Department of Housing for affordable housing was discussed. That conversation between the  CT DOT and the DOH had already been put on an indefinite hold prior to these plans for the maintenance facility.

To clarify: Had it come to pass, any land “swap”  transaction would have been between the two state agencies, the CT DOT and the CT DOH, not with the Town of Westport.

Aerial view of the state DOT maintenance facility. The Sherwood Island Connector is at left; Post Road East is at top. The area outlined in black (behind Walgreens) will be the new building. The area in red on the right (next to West Parish Road) is referenced by 1st Selectwoman Tooker, as once discussed for affordable housing.

As has been mentioned, the CT DOT is interested in feedback. Please consider emailing the following: Scott Adkins, District 3 Transportation Engineer (Scott.Adkins@ct.gov), with a CC to selectwoman@westportct.gov.

I am confident that the town’s relationship with our neighbors and residents and the CT DOT will remain in good standing now, and into the future, as we work towards a mutually agreeable way to improve and upgrade our and our State’s infrastructure and facilities.

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Posted in Local politics, Places, Real estate

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State DOT Promises Action On Residents’ Clear-Cutting Concerns

Posted on April 13, 2025 | 11 comments

Stina Sternberg Snow lives on Hillandale Road, not far from the Sherwood Island Connector.

Which means: not far from the clear-cutting done by the state Department of Transportation, as part of construction of a new building at their maintenance facility behind Walgreens.

Stina and her husband Matt have been in touch with the DOT. Here’s their report after a conversation with project engineer Matt Easdon.

One view of the clear-cutting at the state DOT maintenance facility (Sherwood Island Connector is on the left) …

Stina reports: “It’s clear from the way Easdon (and Scott Adkins, the District 3 engineer to whom the baton will now be passed as the project moves to the construction phase) have responded to us that they’re open to input.”

“Just the e-mails and calls they’ve received over the last 3 days have resulted in orders for new design changes to be added to the plans. It’s clear they hadn’t thought of repopulating trees before.”

Stina says she and her neighbors have learned that the construction phase of the new DOT maintenance facility — “essentially a garage for the state’s snow plows and maintenance trucks — the same function this property has held for 60+ years” — will start this summer, and last until the spring of 2027.

The number of trucks housed there now will not increase, but the new main building will be 3 times larger than the current one. It will include offices, and sit closer to the Sherwood Island Connector.

Stina also says that DOT has been told by the town that the east side of the lot (near West Parish Road) is “hands off for now,” because of the possibility of building affordable housing there.

Stina also says that the DOT originally looked for other parts of Westport for  new facility — to not disrupt a residential area — but no land was available.

… and another, from Hillandale Lane. (Photos/Matt Snow)

Easdon told Stina that all the trees and brush along the connector and Hillandale Road were removed now — though construction is months away — and done quickly to avoid disrupting wildlife nesting season. That was recommended by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which has been consulted on the project.

Stina adds, “They claim to be very open to collaborating with town residents to help make the new facility as undisruptive as possible, and to listen our input when it comes to the tree situation.

“It’s obviously too late for the latter, but because we’ve reached out with our complaints over the last few days, Easdon’s team has already asked the agronomy side of their planning team to work on adding new trees (probably arbor vitae) along the Hillandale Road and Sherwood Island Connector sides to the plans.

An “official” pre-construction meeting, with everyone involved in the project, is set for New Haven next Wednesday (April 16).

The meeting is not open to the public, but Easdon told Stina “they will add a discussion about the community pushback and planting new trees. He will hopefully have drawings to share with us of what the whole project will look like” a few days later.

Stina passes along these emails —

  • matthew.easdon@ct.gov
  • Scott.Adkins@ct.gov

and a link to a petition to restore the trees.

(If it happens in Westport — or to Westport — you’ll read about it on “06880.” Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Posted in Local politics, Places, Politics, Transportation

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Queen Elizabeth’s Remarkable Westport Visit

Posted on March 9, 2025 | 5 comments

Remember the time Queen Elizabeth II visited Westport?

Neither do I.

But check out the internet:

Queen Elizabeth II visited Westport, Connecticut in 1954. Some people who were there remember the event, and the Remarkable Theater in Westport honored her with a showing of “The Queen.”

That’s a remarkable statement. And not just because the Remarkable Theater did not exist until 66 years later.

It’s remarkable because it did not happen.

And even more remarkable because artificial intelligence says it did.

Queen Elizabeth, circa 1954.

Local resident Gary Shure is on vacation this week. The other day he drove through Westport, New Zealand — the scenic South Island town that is one of about 2 dozen Westports scattered around the world.

He Googled the queen, and Westport CT. AI — which now appears at the top of many Google searches — quickly returned the utter nonsense that a year after her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II came to our town.

It’s much more likely that the new queen visited our New Zealand counterpart. They’re part of the British Commonwealth, after all.

The United States, meanwhile, fought a famous war to get away from the royal family.

Welcome to Westport, New Zealand, that is.

What Google — the non-AI version of it, anyway — does say is that the Remarkable Theater did show the movie “The Queen” in September 2022, shortly after the long-reigning monarch’s death.

Artificial intelligence is good for many things.

But it remains just that: artificial.

Meanwhile, remember the time King George came to Westport, and had tea with George Washington at Marvin Tavern?

That was a remarkable day in our town’s history, for “shure.”

Queen Elizabeth II, in Westport, Connecticut. (Photo courtesy of News12).

(“06880” is “where Westport meets the world” — with real, non-artificial news. If you appreciate human journalism, please click here to support us with a contribution. Thank you!) 

5 Comments

Posted in Entertainment, Places, technology, Totally random

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Police/Fire/EMS Facility: The Process Begins

Posted on February 26, 2025 | 26 comments

Westport’s police station was built in the 1950s — at 1/3 the originally proposed size.

Our fire headquarters dates to the 1970s. It’s too small for modern fire trucks, lacks training space, and has safety deficiencies.

Emergency Medical Services ambulances share bays with large oxygen cannisters. Like police vehicles, they are sometimes trapped on 3 sides by flood waters.

For those reasons — and many more — town officials are exploring a joint Police/Fire/EMS facility. The most appropriate site, they say, is nearly 10 acres, by the current I-95 commuter parking lot on the Sherwood Island Connector.

The public got its first look at the plan — still very early in the concept phase — last night.

A large crowd filled the Senior Center for a presentation by the police and fire chiefs, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, and a pair of architects.

1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Fire Chief Nick Marsan, at last night’s meeting. (Photo/Dan Woog)

They provided plenty of information.

And they heard a number of questions.

Expansion of fire headquarters — located on Post Road East next to Terrain, since moving from what is now Emmy Squared on Church Lane half a century ago — has been in the town’s capital plan, Tooker noted.

A new or renovated police station — which relocated to Jesup Road over 70 years ago, after sharing space in what was then Town Hall (now Don Memo and Walrus Alley) — has not been listed in that forecast.

Combining the 3 facilities at one first responders’ site would offer savings in efficiency and scale, Fire Chief Nick Marsan and Police Chief Foti Koskinas noted.

An early drawing for a proposed Police/Fire/EMS facility.

Response times would be enhanced in some cases by leaving the congested downtown area. The new location would also offer speedier access to I-95, both for emergencies on the interstate and to reach Saugatuck Shores.

Relocating the police station would also free up dozens of parking spots downtown.

“No one is forcing anything on anyone,” Koskinas emphasized.

“We understand the challenges. We know there are other big projects ahead, likek schools, bridges and Longshore. We’re not saying where in the queue we want to be. But we want to be in it.”

The point of the meeting, he emphasized, was to initiate a discussion on how tax dollars would be spent to ensure safety for residents, employees and visitors all over town.

An early 1950s plan for a new police station on Jesup Road. The current facility is 1/3 the size of this proposal.

Presenters described a number of areas — for example, the benefits of collaboration between 3 departments, the advantages of on-site training, increasing square footage dedicated to ID needs, and cost savings for land, design and infrastructure — that a shared facility could enhance.

Current police headquarters.

Twice, Koskinas noted, the town has turned down opportunities for land that could be used for first responders.

When the current fire station was built, property was available at a former car dealership just east of Crescent Road. That is now the site of Terrain.

And when State Police Troop G moved from Bridgeport to its site at the Post Road East/Sherwood Island Connector junction, Westport was offered the land for $1. Officials turned it down. Today, it’s Walgreens.

Koskinas explained that the proposed location of a new facility on the Connector — just north of the commuter parking lot entrance — was one of the few spots in Westport large enough for all 3 departments.

The current Fire Department headquarters.

Baron’s South, for example, has topographic, access and zoning issues, while using Winslow Park would present traffic and access issues.

Former RTM member John Suggs said that the Connector site was part of an RTM-designated archaelogical preserve. (Adjacent land was the birthplace of Green’s Farms Church’s West Parish.)

Koskinas promised that a new facility would enhance the now-overgrown area, and honor town history.

Building on that property would require relocation of the commuter lot — perhaps south of I-95, closer to Sherwood Island State Park. That would involve negotiations with the state.

The entrance to the shared facility would be just north of the current I-95 commuter parking lot, on the Sherwood Island Connector.

Greens Farms Association president Art Schoeller cited opposition from neighborhood residents, and asked about noise abatement and noise pollution.

“It is the best spot,” another Greens Farms resident acknowledged.

“We’re taking measured risks now,” Koskinas said, referring to Police, Fire and EMS operations.

“Some of the risks are critical. Some are sustainable. But this project touches everyone in town.”

(“06880” will cover this proposed facility all the way to its completion. We do the same for all major Westport news — and all the minor stories too. Please click here to support us. Thank you!)

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Posted in Local politics, Places, Police

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Friday Flashback #371

Posted on October 27, 2023 | 1 comment

A reader writes:

As Halloween approaches, there will be stories about miscreants stealing cemetery headstones and other acts of vandalism. One story you may wish to post is about the man who tried to steal a cemetery.

In the early 1980s, the owner of the small commercial property nearby attempted to claim Platt Cemetery as his own.

Until that time, Westport did not take responsibility for the maintenance of several non-active and seemingly abandoned cemeteries in town. The Platt Cemetery in particular was incredibly overgrown. In summer, only the tallest headstone spire could be seen above the vegetation.

The surrounding stone wall had long been pilfered of its best material. What remained was little more than a low pile of rubble tumbling into the Post Road.

No one had been buried there for generations, no one bothered to maintain it, and no one seemed to care.

However, it did occupy a nice location on Post Road West, and would have been of considerable value if not for the long-ignored graves. It was therefore a tempting target for someone to claim.

One view of Platt Burial Ground today …

Driving by one day, a member of a Westport board noticed the rear of the cemetery was being cleared by heavy equipment. The police were called, and the clearing stopped.

The owner of the adjoining commercial site claimed that he owned the cemetery, and was only doing maintenance on his property. However, since this
“maintenance” included pushing headstones and grave markers into a pile along with the brush and debris, essentially eliminating any trace of the burials, he was immediately issued a cease and desist order.

That night, a local television station broadcast an interview with the attorney for the commercial property owner, who claimed his client had a deed to the cemetery.

In response to outrage from numerous residents, the town attorney researched the title and found that the supposed deed did not exist. In effect, there was no longer a clear owner and it was essentially another abandoned cemetery.

The town could have prosecuted the property owner and contractor for a number of crimes, including trespass, malicious mischief, vandalism, excavation without a permit and desecration of a grave, but the administration felt it was bad publicity for the town and agreed to not prosecute if the damage was restored.

The uprooted brush and debris was removed, and the cleared area graded and seeded. Unfortunately, some of the uprooted headstones and markers were also removed, explaining why there is an open area in the southeast corner of the cemetery.

… and another, with the “empty” graves in back.

Although this was an unfortunate episode, a greater good did come from it, bringing to the attention of the town the plight of abandoned cemeteries in Westport. The town eventually accepted responsibility for the Platt Cemetery, and along with assistance from civic organizations rebuilt the stone wall, removed the encroaching vegetation and restored the site to a respectable condition.

Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department and the Westport Garden Club now oversee continued maintenance for both this and several other abandoned cemeteries.

==================================================

50 years ago this week:

Republican First Selectman John Kemish and Democratic challenger Jacqueline Heneage engaged in a debate at the Saugatuck Congregational Church in front of “more than 100 senior citizens.”

Heneage criticized Kemish for “failing to pursue apartments long ago.” She proposed that Westport explore allowing “housing for the elderly by special permit.”

Kemish had served 2 2-year terms, beginning in 1969. Heneage won that 1973 election however, and was re-elected twice more. In 1977 the 1st Selectman’s term was lengthened to 4 years; she served from 1973 through 1981.

Jacqueline Heneage and John Kemish

(“Friday Flashback” is a weekly “06880” feature. If you enjoy it, please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here — and thank you!)

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Question Box #6

Posted on May 21, 2022 | 16 comments

Our Question Box is once again full.

Unfortunately, I have almost none of the answers. I thought I knew a lot about Westport. Now I see how clueless I am.

So readers: Please chime in with any additional information. Click “Comments” below.

If you’ve got a question for our box, email 06880blog@gmail.com

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Why are there so many streets without sidewalks? (Monica Buesser)

This is an eternal question — particularly by newcomers from Manhattan and Brooklyn.

There are a few reasons:

  • Money
  • No one asked for them in a particular area
  • A desire to cling to a “rural” feel
  • Postwar Westport grew around cars and bikes — not feet.

So here’s my question: In the areas where we do have sidewalks, why do people walk instead on the road?

The Imperial Avenue sidewalk. Sometimes, people even use it.

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Who was the “Webb” in Webb Road?

I have no idea. All I know is it’s a nice street off Whitney. And I think Michael Douglas lived there — at least for a while — with his mother.

For that matter, who was Whitney? The Abbott of Abbott’s Lane? The The Pamela and Plunkett of their Places?

This should keep the Answer Box of our Question Box filled. If you know the back story of interesting Westport road names (though not, obviously, Main Street, North Avenue or the like), let us know!

I think a young Michael Douglas once lived near Webb Road, on Whitney Street.

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I notice that some newer driveways have a threshold of Belgium blocks or similar. Why?

Belgium blocks

Also, some quite new driveways seem to have a drain as a threshold. Why and where does it drain, if at all? 

Driveway drain.

Finally, most homes simply have a driveway with no threshold blocks or drain. I presume this is before anyone decided to put them in. (Mark Mathias)

No drain (Photos/Mark Mathias)

Here’s the “06880” answer: I have no idea.

If a builder/driveway specialist out there knows the answer — or a homeowner thinks he or she does — please weigh in.

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I think I know the rivers and reservoirs in our area. But I wonder: Does any map show the creeks, streams and brooks? All I found is that you can step over a brook, jump over a creek, wade across a stream and swim across a river. (Jeff Jacobs)

Muddy, Willow and Deadman — those are 3 of our brooks (which I’ve always thought of as “streams” too). I’m not sure if we have a creek.

There’s our old friend Google (as in Google Maps). You’ll need to zoom out or in, depending on your settings.

But maybe there’s a geological survey or topographical-type map that’s better. If you know of one, please share!

Deadman Brook flows into the Saugatuck River by the Levitt Pavilion. I’m not sure if you could actually “step over” this. (Photo/Judy Jahnel)

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There’s a big rock off Saugatuck Shores named Seymour Rock. Any idea who Seymour was? (Jack Harder)

Nope. And to be honest, I’ve never heard of Seymour Rock in my life.

But a quick search confirmed it. Last year, Westport Local Press ran a photo of Longshore Sailing School students exploring it — as a “rite of passage” — off Bluff Point.

So ask John Kantor. Or Jaime Bairaktaris. They’ll rock it.

Seymour Rock (Photo courtesy of Westport Local Press)

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Have a question? Email 06880blog@gmail.com. 

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Unsung Heroes #214

Posted on November 3, 2021 | 19 comments

Pamela Long lives in the Juniper Road/Caccamo Lane and Trail neighborhood.

She is very, very grateful for that. She writes:

A year ago, I was diagnosed with cancer for the second time — a pretty big blow when you’re 48, and had made it 7 years cancer-free.

The next 8 months were dismal: a month-long stint of daily radiation, a stretch in the hospital for a nearly burst appendix (thanks, radiation!), and 2 cycles of chemo (9 sessions).

My neighborhood — including many folks I hardly knew — rallied around me in a way that I never would have imagined.

When you have cancer, it’s very easy to go to the darkest places. What you don’t expect is that there will be good that comes out of it too — people you never thought would come to your aid, be your champions and embrace this struggle with you. I was surrounded by these angels.

The Long family.

One neighbor juiced me “health shots” every single day. When she was traveling, her son brought them.

Flowers were delivered regularly; so were sweet and thoughtful gifts, baked goods, encouraging notes.

Gorgeous lower arrangements often lifted Pamela’s spirits.

Every day multiple people texted me to check in, see if I needed anything, make me laugh, and make me cry sometimes with their thoughtfulness.

They embraced my husband and my children as if they were their own. There were invitations for coffee, breakfast, lunch, offers to drive me to appointments. People took and picked up my kid for activities many exits up the Merritt. There was free babysitting, on a moment’s notice.

When I ventured out of the house there was always an encouraging word: ”You look great!” (I didn’t. I was pale, bald, frail and depressed.)

I will also never forget is the meal train. For 6 months straight, hot meals were delivered 4 nights a week.

A fantastic (and welcome) meal …

And not just normal meals. They came with dinner games to play, ice cream sundaes to make, cupcakes to decorate, costumes to don.

Neighbors always ensured it was healthy food, with cancer fighting ingredients for me — but also meals that my 11-year-old and 2-year-old had options they would eat.

… and — last Halloween — a spirited menu.

You don’t realize how daunting making a meal is when your body is going through this. It’s pure exhaustion, on a visceral level. The meals were so much more than food for us. You could feel the love and thought that went into each one. They made me cry on more than one occasion. They fed our bodies and souls.

People often talk about this part of town being great because of the connecting streets and proximity to town. But it’s the people who live here that make it special.

And while there are certainly other Westporters to thank (Waldmans, Sarin, the teachers at Saugatuck El in particular), the love and support of our neighbors kept us going during the toughest time of our lives.

They are our heroes.

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Unsung Heroes #205

Posted on September 1, 2021 | 28 comments

A group of “06880” readers who ask for anonymity write:

We would like to nominate the founding members of the Westport Preservation Alliance as the Unsung Heroes of the Week, for their valiant efforts to preserve both the history and the open spaces of our beloved town.

We were ecstatic to see their activism recently in relation to Baron’s South. We are grateful for their tireless efforts. We watch, with great pride, the activism that they galvanize in our community.

Newcomers to Westport should know that it is thanks to the tireless efforts of  WPA members Morley Boyd, Wendy Crowther, Helen Garten and John Suggs that much of Westport’s natural beauty, as well as some of its historic treasures, remain protected.

The preservation of our Cribari Bridge and the prevention of its expansion and/or destruction, for example, is due in large part, to the WPA’s inexhaustible efforts. Without it, 18-wheelers might now be causing even worse traffic, cacophony, and air pollution in our otherwise idyllic town.

William F. Cribari Bridge. (Photo/Sam Levenson)

It is with great relief too that we watch the WPA step up to protect such sites as the Golden Shadows mansion and surrounding property (between South Compo and Imperial Ave.)

As we keep our eyes on the new Amazon development in the former Barnes & Noble plaza, we hope that the WPA will monitor potential subsidiary developments, and keep the area surrounding Greens Farms Elementary School safe for our children.

It is a tremendous honor for us to nominate Boyd, Crowther, Garten and Suggs for their tenacity and strength as they stand up in order to do right by our charming, beautiful, and relatively peaceful town.

Each of the founding members has an impressive resumé in his or her own right; the fact that these Westporters devote so much time and effort to keep our town unspoiled makes the WPA more than worthy of the Unsung Hero of the Week nomination. Thank you, Westport Preservation Alliance, for fighting the good fight for us all.

{PS. For those who don’t know the history of the WPA’s efforts in preserving the iconic Cribari Bridge, we encourage you to click here to read the detailed history of the WPA’s efforts.)

(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email dwoog@optonline.net)

28 Comments

Posted in Places, Saugatuck, Unsung Heroes

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Baron’s South: Revisiting A Plan

Posted on August 4, 2021 | 30 comments

As the Planning & Zoning Commission discusses possible rezoning of portions of Baron’s South, from passive open space to more organized recreational purposes, some Westporters remember previous discussions.

A few years ago, town officials commissioned a landscape plan to restore and revitalize the park, following a tree removal project.

The September 2017 draft plan, prepared by Aris Land Studio, included:

  • An improved entryway/driveway from Compo Road South, replacing 2 narrow, poorly marked entryways.
  • New ADA-accessible parking areas in that same area.
  • A restored footpath system linking the Senior Center to other park sites.
  • Habitat restoration areas, meadows, new gardens, and an area for contemplation.

The draft plan

Like many plans, this one seems to be sitting somewhere, unimplemented.

Is it a good idea? Has its time come and gone? What exactly should we do with Baron’s South — if anything?

Click “Comments” below, to add to this long-running, recently revived discussion.

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Posted in Environment, Local politics, Places

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Baron’s South Meeting Changed To Wednesday

Posted on July 26, 2021 | 10 comments

The lead “06880” story this morning — about the future of the Baron’s South property — noted a public meeting set for tomorrow. The purpose of the session is to discuss a potential rezoning of a portion of the land.

The meeting — called by the Planning & Zoning Commission’s Zoning Regulation Revision Subcommittee — has been changed to Wednesday (July 28, 12 noon).

Members of the public can attend the virtual session via Zoom. Click here for the link.

Public comments can be made during the meeting. Comments can also be sent prior to the meeting to PandZ@westportct.gov.

Vegetation surrounds a Baron’s South pathway. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)

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