Category Archives: Real estate

Roundup: Lacrosse Champs, Field Lights, And Non-Sports Stuff ..

Posted on May 29, 2026 | 1 comment

Congratulations to the Staples boys lacrosse team!

The Wreckers won the FCIAC (league) championship for the 2nd time in 3 years last night. They edged New Canaan 10-9, in a nail-biter.

Seven straight 2nd-half goals gave the blue-and-whites the lead. They hung on when the Rams scored the last 5 — and their final shot hit the post.

Junior Nate Maurillo was the game’s Most Valuable Player.

Coach Will Koshansky’s squad, with a 15-4 mark — is the 5th seed in the state tournament. Play begins Wednesday (June 3, 6 p.m.), with a home match against #12 Hamden.

The last school to win both the league and state title in the same year was Darien in 2017.

Click here for a full story from The Ruden Report.

Staples High School: FCIAC champs! (Photo courtesy of Gregory Vasil for The Ruden Report)

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

Speaking of sports: As the Planning & Zoning Commission plans to debate lights on 2 athletic fields (Monday, June 1, 6 p.m., Zoom), Staples High School student Loewe Epstein hopes to rally support.

He started a Change.org petition, which is nearing 200 signatures. It is focused on Wakeman Field, which is used by a variety of school teams.

Epstein cites scheduling difficulties and community involvement as key reasons to add lights.

Wakeman turf field.

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

Congratulations to Faith Sweeney!

The Coleytown Middle School gifted program teacher, and Westport Public Schools No Place for Hate coordinator, will receive the Connecticut Education Association’s Mahatma Gandhi-Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award.

The honor recognizes an individual who has developed or implemented a program in a school or community that advances peace education, promotes cooperation, supports the peaceful resolution of conflict, and expands opportunities for students and educators.

The Westport district’s No Place for Hate initiative “helps create school communities where all students feel valued, respected, and supported. The initiative focuses on identity, bias, bullying prevention, and proactive responses that strengthen school climate across the district.”

Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice says that Sweeney “has helped lead work that strengthens belonging, empathy and respect across our schools. This recognition speaks to her dedication to students and to the kind of school community we are always striving to build. Her work reflects the very best of Westport Public Schools and our commitment to building inclusive, caring learning communities.”

The award will be presented June 18 in Hartford.

Faith Sweeney

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

A vehicle crashed into a parked car, then an apartment building yesterday afternoon at Canal Park.

The driver was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

No one was inside the building. Fire crews shored up and stabilized the structure.

A vehicle strikes Canal Park …

… and a firefighter stabilizes the building. (Photos courtesy of Westport Fire Department)

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

The Historic District Commission meets June 9 (7 p.m., Zoom).

The agenda includes discussion of demolition permits for:

36 Hiawatha Lane
12 Gault Park Drive
1 Reimer Road
15 West Parish Road.

15 West Parish Road.

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

A new business is moving into Compo Shopping Center, next to Gold’s:

(Photo/Sal Liccione)

But that’s all we know. There’s no phone or email, QR code … nothing.

A quick web search brought up a “Flora Aesthetics & Wellness” in Ventura, California. An email to them bounced right back, with an error message.

Flora: We’d love to give some love to Westport’s newest aesthetics and spa place. But who are you? Contact us: 06880blog@gmail.com.

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

June is Pride Month.

Westport Pride kicks it off on Monday — June 1 — with a 4 p.m. flag-raising ceremony at Jesup Green. First Selectman Kevin Christie and State Senator Ceci Maher will attend. The public is invited.

Westport Pride — the non-profit that advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion and respect — says the Pride flag :more than a seasonal decoration. It carries history, identity, grief, celebration and visible support.

“Pride Month, observed each June, honors the legacy of LGBTQ+ activism and the ongoing pursuit of dignity and equal rights for all. This flag-raising is a public expression of Westport’s values — a visible signal to LGBTQ+ residents, families, and visitors that they are welcome and celebrated in this community.”

Westport Pride is also organizing the town-wide Pride celebration on Sunday, June 14 (12 noon, Jesup Green).

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

A night of classic rock, pop and dance hits tonight (Friday, 7 p.m.) will help raise funds for Homes for the Brave, the Bridgeport-based housing, vocational skills and life coaching support non-profit serving area veterans.

The show’s site is appropriate: VFW Post 399.

The Gold Dust band will play. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged — and important.

Can’t make it, but want to help? Click here to donate!

Gold Dust

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

Want to join a yacht club?

Cedar Point hosts an open house on Sunday, June 14 (4 to 6 p.m.). Everyone is invited to learn about membership, sailing and social opportunities.

The Bridge at Saugatuck will serve appetizers and cocktails.

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

Four 10-minute plays — each revealing a different aspect of reproductive health care — will be staged at the Westport Country Playhouse Lucille Lortel White Barn on July 12.

“R Rated: Reproductive Rights and Resistance On Stage” — directed by Keria Naughton — is a collaboration between The A Chronicles and Reproductive Equity Now.

The performances will be followed by an open conversation exploring reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, and the realities facing today’s patients and providers. Click here for tickets, and more information.

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

Jennifer Kobetitsch sends a very cute photo, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.

“Baby season!” she writes. “This one was in our yard on North Avenue. Mama came back for her/him.”

(Photo/Jennifer Kobetitsch)

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

And finally … on this date in 1953, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

(Ain’t no way we’re not going to be here for you, 24/7/365. Ain’t no way you shouldn’t support us, either. Please click here — and thank you!)

1 Comment

Posted in Education, Local business, Local politics, Real estate, Sports, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

Tagged Cedar Point Yacht Club, Flora Aesthetics, Historic District Commission, Staples High School boys lacrosse, Westport Fire Department, Westport Pride

“Then & Now”: #14

Posted on May 25, 2026 | 11 comments

Most of Dave Matlow’s “before” photos, in this continuing series — showing homes in their pre-teardown state — are of those that were in good condition.

Ttoday’s images show 2 that were not.

Here is the latest collection of houses that no longer exist, and what replaced them.

Mortar Rock Road, June 2018 …

… and May 2026.

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

Gault Park Drive, March 2008 …

… and May 2026.

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

Gorham Avenue, March 2007 …

… and May 2026.

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

Mansfield Place, May 2007 …

… and May 2026.

(“06880” regularly covers Westport real estate, history … and much more. If you enjoy features like this, please click here to support our work.)

11 Comments

Posted in Looking back, Real estate

Tagged Dave Matlow, Gault Park Drive, Gorham Avenue, Mansfield Place, Mortar Rock Road

Next 8-30g Housing Application: Greens Farms Road?

Posted on May 22, 2026 | 10 comments

As director of the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce, Matthew Mandell hears a lot.

He sends regular updates to an email list, from a SaveWestport.com address.

The one that landed in inboxes less than an hour ago is quite interesting. Matthew writes:

I was informed this week that an 8-30g will be coming to 55 Greens Farms Road. (NOTE: That’s the office building next to Assumption Cemetery, opposite I-95 and near Hillspoint Road.)

55 Greens Farms Road

Our old 8-30g lawyer Tim Hollister (Hiawatha) is bringing us another one. Of the 2 buildings at the office park, the front one will become a 70-foot, 250-unit apartment building (175 market, 75 affordable).

The other will remain for office use, at least for now. The Planning & Zoning Commission rezoned this area for medical use, which made a lot of sense, but this is what is coming anyway.

Aerial view of 55 Greens Farms Road. The apartments would be in the front. The rear building would remain offices.

55 is the one closest to the road, and the new apartment building will be much closer to the road. While the folks in the cemetery to the east probably won’t mind much, it’s the poor folks on Gonczy, Lakeview and Medwell who will get this full impact.

This is besides the increase in use of the roads for that area, and the sheer size of it being out of character. And the state Department of Transportation still would like 18-wheelers to come across the Cribari Bridge and be on this road.

Technically the application has not been filed with P&Z. Hollister is coming before the Conservation Commission to do a wetland modification based on new reports. CC pretty much would have to follow the expert analysis, but they don’t have to, nor do they need to do anything quickly.

Once the application arrives formally then we look for cracks in the application, knowing Hollister it will be pretty clean.

This is coming folks. We have not had an 8-30g since we lost the moratorium 2+ years ago. Once Lincoln Street and Hiawatha Lane come on line we will get another moratorium, but until then we are still vulnerable.

(This is a developing story. “06880” will update it, as more information becomes available.)

10 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Real estate

Tagged 55 Greens Farms Road, Matthew Mandell

Friday Flashback #504

Posted on May 22, 2026 | 9 comments

22 Fillow Street just went on the market.

It’s listed for $999,999. That’s one of the least expensive properties in Westport today.

It was also one of the least expensive 70 years ago.

In 1956, it was a new build. Jerry Mande’s father wrote a check for $793.38. That covered his down payment.

The annual property tax was $36. Heating oil was $0.145 a gallon.

Those were the days.

Fillow Street was part of a new neighborhood. It sprouted near Fillow Flower Farm, off Clinton Avenue, and included nearby streets like Oak, Calumet, Loren and Sniffen (the latter 2 named for one man: Loren Sniffen).

Developers knew they were in the right place, at the right time. The baby boom was booming. Young families wanted the suburbs: a big home, space, good schools, amenities.

Westport sure offered amenities.

Compo Beach! Franklin Simon Shopping Center! A quick and pleasant drive on the Merritt!

And while some of those distances (2 minutes to Coleytown School, 5 minutes to the station) might be wishful thinking, the 58 minutes to Grand Central was not. Seven decades later, it takes at least 15 minutes longer. Ah, progress!

The marketing material did not hold back.

“The #1 location in the entire metropolitan area — perhaps in the entire country,” it said.

But, it added oddly, “With its awkward years of growth and inconvenience far behind, Westport stands today as the nation’s model suburban community.

“It boasts innumerable mansions in the $100,000 class and up. It abounds in many Fifth Avenue shops. It is famous for its art, theatrical and cultural centers.”

And beyond “incomparable Compo Beach … it’s endowed with priceless prestige — so vital in business and social success today.”

The homes themselves came in 2 models: “The Caddy” and “The New Englander.”

Features included finished recreation rooms, separate dining rooms, oversized garages, separate space for laundry, and leaders and gutters.

The neighborhood has stood the test of time. (The name — Flower Estates — is long forgotten, if it was ever used.)

The area is still one of the most family-friendly in Westport. It is walkable, bikeable, and filled with kids. (Especially, because of its compactness, at Halloween.)

Some original homes remain. (Though their number is dwindling.)

Jerry Mande hopes that the home he is selling is one of those. He’d like a family — not a developer — to treasure it, as his family has for 70 years.

Separate dining room, oversized garage and all.

(Click here for the full 22 Fillow Street listing.)

(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)

9 Comments

Posted in Friday Flashback, Real estate

Tagged Fillow Street

Oops! Spinnaker Images Posted In Error!

Posted on May 20, 2026 | 15 comments

This morning’s Roundup included 4 photos that we identified as computer-generated images of Spinnaker’s proposed Saugatuck development.

They’re part of the packet that Beinfield Architecture will present at next Tuesday’s Architectural Review Board meeting (May 26, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall room 309).

The images were identified incorrectly. They’re actually part of a new Spinnaker project in Norwalk, called Ardea Pointe, near a cemetery.

They were included in the ARB packet next to Beinfield’s artist renderings of that project, to show the resemblance to what is actually built.

Here is a screenshot of the packet. Beinfield’s drawings are on the left; Spinnaker’s completed Norwalk project are on the right.

“06880” apologies for the error, the misinformation, and any confusion.

Meanwhile, here are 2 renderings of Spinnaker’s Saugatuck proposal. The first view is of Riverside Avenue, looking toward the train station with Charles Street on the left.

The second is a view of Railroad Place (left), and Riverside Avenue (center and right).

15 Comments

Posted in Real estate, Saugatuck

Tagged Beinfield Architecture, Spinnaker

Roundup: Spinnaker Saugatuck Plans, State Representative Race, Cross Highway Bridge Project …

Posted on May 20, 2026 | 9 comments

The Architectural Review Board gets its first look at the proposed development of 606 Riverside Avenue — the Minute Man Dry Cleaners property — next Tuesday (May 26, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall, Room 307/309).

Spinnaker Real Estate recently bought the parcel — and a nearby parking lot where boats are now stored — following the Planning & Zoning Commission’s rejection of the Hamlet at Saugatuck project.

Among the computer-generated designs to be considered:

The ARB will also discuss proposed façade modifications, solar panels and lighting at 520 Post Road East — the former nail salon next to Five Guys (and before that, a pancake house). The new proposed use is a Pilates studio.

Click here to view the meeting materials for both projects.

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

Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein won the Democratic Party endorsement for State Representative of the 136^th District last night.

She beat Representative Town Meeting member Matthew Mandell, 38 votes to 10. The two Westporters vied to replace Jonathan Steinberg, who is retiring.

The process allows for a primary. Mandell heads to Town Hall today, to pick up petitions.

Goldstein vowed to fight for and represent “this vibrant community we love, and for a Connecticut that remains dynamic, compassionate, and full of opportunity.”

She said she will work to protect and strengthen public schools, invest in infrastructure, preserve the environment, and ensure the state budget reflects the values and pressures facing Connecticut residents and towns.

Goldstein highlighted the increasing importance of fighting for reproductive rights, gun control, and civil liberties, saying, “At a time of federal hostility, we will defend our fundamental rights, safety, and freedoms.”

Lee Goldstein and Matthew Mandell

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

A Cross Highway construction project will restrict access to residents only, beginning next month.

The small bridge near Wakeman Town Farm and the Wakeman athletic fields will be replaced. Cross Highway will be closed between North Avenue and Bayberry Lane, after students’ last day of school on June 18.

Local residents can access their roads. But through traffic will not be allowed.

The project will last 6 to 8 weeks. The road is planned to reopen by the end of August, before school starts.

The contractor, FGB Construction, has already put up signs announcing the work. Electronic signs will be placed there too.

Access to Wakeman Town Farm and the Wakeman fields is available, as always, through Bedford Middle School on North Avenue.

Questions? Contact town engineer Keith Wilberg: 203-341-1128; kwilberg@westportct.gov.

Cross Highway bridge. (Photo courtesy of Google Street View)

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

You never know what kind of art you’ll see at the Westport Library.

And this spring, Artists Collective of Westport members didn’t know what they were creating, either.

48 artists received a printout of a single 12″ x 12″ section of a much larger, 6-foot high by 8-foot high work, and a blank panel. Each reimagined it, in his or her own way, using any medium they chose.

The result is “Piece by Piece” — a “vibrant and often surprising mosaic of styles, perspectives, and artistic voices … a playful yet powerful celebration of community, creativity, and collaboration. As the individual pieces come together, the larger image is gradually revealed, reminding viewers that every contribution plays a role in the creation of something greater than itself.”

It’s one of 2 Artists Collective exhibits opening at the Library on June 4 (6 to 8 p.m.). “Piece by Piece” will be unveiled at 7.

“Piece by Piece”

The other exhibit is “American Journeys,” an all-member exhibition inspired by America’s 250th birthday. The title reflects the idea that there is no single American journey, but rather a tapestry of countless personal paths, experiences, struggles and triumphs that together define the American story.

75 Collective members contributed works. All are available for purchase.

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

Speaking of the Library: A quarter century of “Shrek” came to life last night there.

Roger Schulman — co-writer of the iconic animated fantasy comedy — spoke with Sacred Hart University professor of communication, media and the arts Todd Barnes.

Schulmanl discussed his journey from journalism to Hollywood — and took the audience behind the Shrek scenes.

Roger Schulman (right), Professor Todd Barnes, and the Shrek franchise. (Photo/Susan Garment)

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

Speaking of entertainment: As the Westport Pops Concert nears — it’s June 5 (7 p.m., Levitt Pavilion) — the Staples Music Parents Associates announces a partnership with Romanacci’s.

Meals are available by pre-order only (click here). A portion of the meal price supports Staples Music. The deadline is May 29.

There are no food trucks in the Levitt Pavilion parking lot. However, the Oggi gelato cart will be on site.

The lawn opens at 6 p.m. (BYO lawn chair). Pre-show groups begin performing at 6. The main show starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets are free, though a suggested donation of $15 per ticket helps offset production costs. Donations in lieu of tickets can be made at the same (new) Stpales Music website — click here.

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

Compo Beach got a “C” grade, while Burying Hill Beach and Sherwood Island both earned “B”s, in Save the Sound’s analysis of water samples during the 2025 swimming season.

55 of 72 public and private Long Island Sound beaches in Connecticut (76%) received an A or B.

Last summer, water quality samples at Compo Beach failed 9% of the time. The rates for Burying Hill and Sherwood Island were 7 and 3%, respectively.

Click here for the full interactive report.

Burying Hill Beach closure last summer. (Photo/Seth Schachter)

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

Mark Shapiro is buying a stake in another pro team.

This time it’s in the NFL.

The Westporter will join with his sports and entertainment industry partner Ari Emanuel in a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. The deal is expected to close this month. The current ownership group includes Michael Dell and Tom Brady.

Shapiro’s NFL ties run deep. In 2005 he acquired Monday Night Football while running programming and production at ESPN. He later created the NFL Honors.

Shapiro also led Endeavor Group Holdings’ acquisition of On Location, the NFL’s exclusive hospitality provider. Shapiro is also a minority owner of MLS soccer team Los Angeles FC.

Emanuel and Shapiro are longtime business partners. Shapiro is now president and COO of TKO (comprising UFC, WWE, PBR, On Location and IMG), president and managing partner of WME Group, principal investor and board member of MARI (owner of the Miami Open, Madrid Open, Frieze and TodayTix), and is involved with WME Basketball.

Mark Shapiro — StartUp Westport’s 2025 Innovator of the Year — was interviewed at the Westport Library by Sara Eisen of CNBC.

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

Yesterday’s brief early evening rainstorm produced a nice rainbow. This was the view over downtown, from near Bartaco.

(Photo/Jennifer Renz)

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

Congratulations to Katherine Rose Li!

The Bedford Middle School 6th grader placed first — and won $600 — in the World of 8 Billion International Student Video Contest. The event, sponsored by Population Connection, drew thousands of entries from teens in 63 countries around the world.

Her 60-second video, “Hanging by a Thread,” tackles environmental challenges created by fast fashion, and proposes the use of biodegradable fabrics in clothing production as a key to a more sustainable future.

This year’s contest challenged students to explore how population growth intersects with three critical global issues: wetlands, energy and economics.

Contest officials said, “Katherine Rose’s entry stood out for its smart analysis of fast fashion as well as its colorful animation.”

Katherine Rose Li

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

Venus and a thumbnail moon lined up perfectly Monday night.

And Lou Weinberg was there to capture this shot:

(Photo/Lou Weinberg)

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

Here at “06880,” we’re not supposed to play favorites.

But we gotta say: Every time we feature a barred owl in our “Westport … Naturally” series — like today’s, on Marion Road — we smile.

There are plenty of very cute, really intriguing looking creatures.

But these guys have to be in any Top 10.

(Photo/Elliot Weiler)

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

And finally … in honor of Lou Weinberg’s space shot (above):

(“06880” is where Westport meets the world — and Venus, and beyond. But we can’t do this without reader support. Please click here to help us bring the universe back home. Thank you!)

9 Comments

Posted in Beach, Library, Politics, Real estate, Saugatuck, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged 606 Riverside Avenue, Artists Collective of Westport, Lee Goldstein, Mark Shapiro, Matthew Mandell, Save the Sound, Spinnaker

Historic District Commission: What They Can — And Can’t — Do. And How They Do It.

Posted on May 19, 2026 | 3 comments

“Then & Now” — our “06880” series featuring Dave Matlow’s photos of pre-demolition Westport homes, and the houses that replace them — has drawn plenty of interest.

Some readers lament the loss of smaller structures, and a different streetscape. Some say, “good riddance.”

Some bemoan the new style of architecture. Others like it.

Many also wonder: We’ve got a Historic District Commission. What exactly does it do?

Three years ago, “06880” ran a comprehensive story on that exact topic. Now seems a good time to revisit it.

Then-chair Grayson Braun and vice chair Scott Springer offered a brief “Historic District Commission 101” intro course. (Ben Levites is the current chair. Braun is now vice chair. Springer’s term expired last November.)

They noted that the HDC is a volunteer organization. Members are appointed by the 1st selectperson.

The commission has an office in Town Hall, and is supported by an administrator — currently Donna Douglass — who is a town employee.

The HDC offers support and guidance to help property owners, in the service of historic preservation.

Grayson Braun

Braun’s route to the commission was typical. She and her husband moved to Westport in 1997, for “the historic feel and character” of the town. When a developer planned a project for their Gorham Avenue neighborhood, she worked with the HDC to gain “Local Historic District” status for the area, making demolition more difficult. In 2009, she joined the board.

Braun stresses: Their work is, by town and state ordinance, strictly advisory. They collaborate with other town agencies, like the Architectural Review Board, to establish Local Historic Districts and designate Local Historic Properties.

But they cannot unilaterally stop teardowns.

The only time the HDC can prevent demolition is if a property is designated as a local historic property or a local historic district.

When a homeowner, commercial property owner or developer of any other building 50 years or older (and 500 square feet or larger) requests a demolition permit, there is an automatic 180-day waiting period.

They can apply to the HDC for a waiver. The HDC can uphold or deny that request.

That 6-month period is the maximum allowed by state regulation. Many municipalities adopted a shorter waiting time.

If the HDC denies the request, the goal is for something to happen in those 6 months. A stakeholder can come forward with an alternative to demolition. An architect may come up with a plan for zoning relief, in return for preservation.

Those things happen.

Owners Blanca and Suni Hirani of 19 Soundview Drive, for example, originally applied for a demolition permit. They were approved for a new house, with a completely new design.

But during the 180-day period, they reimagined what they wanted. They updated the structure, while keeping the outside look. The result is impressive. And it earned the owners an HDC Preservation Award.

19 Soundview Drive – before (left) and after preservation.

Another Preservation Award went to 8 Mayflower Parkway. It too was a property whose 180-day waiting period was upheld. During that time, builder David Vynerib decided the structure was worth saving — and came up with a plan.

8 Mayflower Parkway, after renovation.

The Historic District Commission pays particular attention to the street-facing part of a property. When Michael and Kim Ronemus wanted to renovate 113 Cross Highway — once a gas station, house and outbuildings just west of North Avenue — the HDC helped them retain the exterior, while adding a modern extension in back.

Braun and Springer know the public is often confused when they see a “historic plaque” on a house, and assume that’s an official designation.

It’s not. Those markers are provided by the Westport Museum for History & Culture (for a fee). The program is separate from the Historic District Commission.

The HDC’s work extends to commercial properties. One recent example: work done on the former Remarkable Book Shop/Talbots/Local to Market building, on Main Street at Parker Harding Plaza. It has been reimagined as Eleish van Breems.

The HDC also oversees Westport’s 7 Local Historic Districts. They range from 4 properties on Morningside Drive South (formerly owned by artists Walter and Naiad Einsel) to about 40 homes on and around Kings Highway North.

The other Local Historic Districts are Evergreen Avenue, Gorham Avenue, Jesup Road, Lincoln Street/Riverside Avenue, and Violet Lane.

(Photo/Morley Boyd)

The HDC website says:

Local historic designation assists in the retention and enhancement of property values by providing a stable market in which to invest. It creates community pride, fosters neighborhood stabilization and enhances the appearance and authentic character of a designated area.

Building materials and natural resources expended in original construction retain their usefulness and rehabilitation itself uses less energy and raw materials than new construction. Restoration conserves energy and materials while reinforcing already environmentally sustainable neighborhoods.

Two-thirds of the owners in an area must approve a vote to become a Local Historic District. That designation offers a degree of protection for exterior (street-facing) alterations.

However, it’s not something all owners want. A proposal to add Sniffen Road, off Clinton Avenue, to the list went nowhere. A number of homeowners felt the designation would prohibit them from selling their houses to developers, as teardowns.

Braun notes, “There are rules for everything in town. No matter how old or new your property is, you can’t just start adding on without a permit.

“The HDC has an extensive review process, but we’re no more restrictive than other rules. We realize people want to do work on their property. We are always happy to help. We even schedule pre-application and special meetings, outside of our monthly ones.”

(To learn more about the Historic District Commission, click here.)

(“06880” explains Westport, to newcomers and old-timers alike. If you appreciate our work, please support us with a donation. Click here — and thank you!)

3 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Looking back, Real estate

Tagged Grayson Braun, Historic District Commission

“Then & Now”: #13

Posted on May 18, 2026 | 5 comments

Compo Beach may be the neighborhood with the most teardowns and new construction in Westport.

Some is the result of flood and storm damage, and federal (and insurance and mortgage) mandates.

Some is because homes there are particularly expensive, and new owners are able (and willing) to design new homes to their particular taste.

This week, “06880” photographer Dave Matlow offers 4 examples of changing architecture there.

Two are from well-strolled streets off Soundview Drive. Two others are from private ones off Compo Road South.

All — as with every part of this series — are very, very interesting.

Westport Avenue, July 2016 …

… and May 2026.

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

Hidden Hill Road, September 2007 …

… and May 2026.

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

Appletree Trail, June 2017 …

… and May 2026.

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

Yankee Hill Road, July 2006 …

… and May 2026.

(“06880” regularly covers Westport real estate, history … and much more. If you enjoy features like this, please click here to support our work.)

5 Comments

Posted in Looking back, Real estate

Tagged Appletree Trail, Hidden Hill Road, Westport Avenue, Yankee Hill Road

George White & Cedar Pond Road: The US Capitol Connection

Posted on May 13, 2026 | 1 comment

Many Westporters have never heard of Cedar Pond Road.

Or George M. White.

The street is off West Branch Road, which itself lies off Weston Road, in the far north of town.

The man served from 1971 to 1995 as Architect of the US Capitol. During that time — under 3 presidents — he created a master plan for the future development of the Capitol complex. Balancing conflicting demands of preservation, expansion and modernization. he oversaw major projects too, including the Library of Congress Madison, Hart Senate Office and Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary buildings, plus expansion of the Capitol Visitors Center.

He’s the one too who recommended that presidential inaugurations be moved from the east side of the Capitol to the more majestic western façade, overlooking the Washington Monument and Mall. Since Ronald Reagan’s in 1981, all inaugural ceremonies have taken place there. (Click here for a full biography.)

Thanks to George M. White, ever since 1981 (above), presidential inaugurations have taken place on the west side of the US Capitol.

Before all that though, White designed several Westport homes.

One was at 3 Cedar Pond Road. The architect created it specially as a replica of an early 1800s Connecticut Colonial.

The Westport Historic District Commission honored it for its authenticity and architectural significance.

Now it’s on the market. The listing price is $1.99 million.

3 Cedar Pond Road

Unlike many historic Westport homes, this one is not on a main road. It’s tucked away at the end of a long private drive, overlooking its small namesake Cedar Pond.

Built in 1967 — 4 years before White began his Washington work — the 4-bedroom, 2 1/2-bathroom, 3,046-square foot house on 2.19 acres has been well maintained (with, for example, marble countertops and modern appliances), while updated in keeping with its Colonial character. (Speaking of an 1800s replica: There are 4 fireplaces too.)

One of 4 working fireplaces.

At a time when faux farmhouses pop up all over town, 3 Cedar Pond Road is a reminder of a time when Colonial architecture was admired, and replicated.

Even if very few residents know it — or the street — exists.

Or just how famous its architect was.

Click here for the full listing of 3 Cedar Pond Road, by Shannon Manning and Jacque Haberstroh of the Riverside Realty Group.

(“06880” reports regularly on Westport real estate, interesting people — and, like today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

1 Comment

Posted in History, Real estate

Tagged Cedar Pond Road, George M. White, Riverside Realty Group