An informed electorate is the greatest bulwark of democracy.
Westporters understand this is a very important election. “06880” is doing our part, to help Westporters understand candidates’ perspectives on a variety of issues.
Once a week, between now and Election Day, we’ll ask the men and women running for 3 important boards — Selectmen/women, Planning & Zoning, and Education — one specific question.
We’ll print their responses verbatim.
This week’s question for the Board of Selectmen/women is:
Controversies in town include the redevelopment of Saugatuck, the Cribari Bridge, and affordable housing. Many of those details are out of the hands of the selectmen/women. But residents look to Town Hall for leadership. How would you address those 3 issues?
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Independent Party-endorsed candidate David Rosenwaks says:
Westport is indeed facing some major issues including the development of Saugatuck, the future of the Cribari Bridge, and affordable housing. These topics are often framed as controversies, but I see them as opportunities to show what leadership should be: visionary, independent, and accountable.
As the first Independent Party-endorsed First Selectman candidate in Westport’s history, I am uniquely positioned to enable change in Westport, unburdened by historical party battle lines. I am ready to work with anyone who wants Westport to be a better town for all of its residents.
Over the last 5 years, I have dived into the Westport community as an elected and appointed official and as a volunteer. By constantly engaging with the public and the people who serve the community, I understand the issues impacting our citizens and what Westporters want to see accomplished by the next administration.
David Rosenwaks
Saugatuck
Revitalization can bring vibrancy, but not at the expense of neighborhood scale, traffic flow, or community values. Development at Saugatuck is a quality of life issue.
I will pursue a proactive approach: first, listening to our residents’ vision for Saugatuck; second, aligning resources within town government to set clear parameters for infrastructure and aesthetics; and third, engaging developers with a defined town perspective while seeking common ground.
Today, conflict has led us into costly legal battles. Tomorrow, with collaborative leadership, we can negotiate toward a shared, sustainable vision and action plan.
We must put the needs of residents first, ensuring access to all without burdening our community with increased traffic and negatively impacting businesses and home values in Westport. We need to work together with local business owners, developers, the State and other relevant stakeholders to devise and implement workable and sustainable solutions.
Cribari Bridge
The Cribari Bridge is both a historic treasure and a functional necessity. The challenge is to ensure safety while honoring heritage.
Success will require genuine collaboration between the town and Connecticut’s Department of Transportation — an area where the current administration has stumbled, as seen with the CTDOT facility renovation on Sherwood Island Connector near Post Road. I will ensure residents have a meaningful voice in weighing trade-offs, and serve as Westport’s advocate in every negotiation with the CTDOT.
The Cribari Bridge initiative should be integrated with planning for development at Saugatuck and aligned with the overall growth of our community. Preserving your trust in the process is just as important to me as preserving the bridge itself.
Affordable Housing
Connecticut statute 8-30g requires every municipality to have at least 10% of its housing stock classified as “affordable.” Westport currently sits at around 4%.
But this is not simply about compliance; it’s about ensuring our community remains accessible to families, seniors, and young people. Too often, the absence of long-term planning has left us with divisive oversized proposals instead of thoughtful integrated solutions.
Initiatives like the Affordable Housing Trust Fund are important steps, but they fall short of a comprehensive vision. My commitment is to lead a transparent, resident-driven process that balances affordability, infrastructure, and aesthetics with the preservation of Westport’s character.
It starts with our residents and includes functional town government and concludes with a comprehensive plan shared with developers.
The Larger Choice
These issues highlight a broader decision: do we continue with reactive, partisan politics, or do we embrace proactive, inclusive leadership that listens, plans, and acts responsibly?
I am running for 1st selectman to bring independence, transparency and accountability to the people I serve. Together, we can shape a clear, inspiring vision for Westport’s future.
Your voice. Your town. Your government.
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Republican Party-endorsed candidates Don O’Day and Andrea Moore say:
Last week’s question was, “What is the most important issue facing Westport?” Our answer was the inability to get things done. That same headwind applies to this week’s question, particularly when it comes to the Cribari Bridge.
Saugatuck Development
Saugatuck should be developed. While the immediate future of Saugatuck remains unsettled, inactivity on the surface does not mean inactivity below the surface.
It’s no secret that an appeal of the P&Z decision has been filed, and a large 8-30g development — with little local zoning control — is very possible. However, development without an 8-30g protection is also possible, but it requires continued discussions with developers.
Discussions with developers can be very productive, as long as all proposals from those discussions are thoroughly reviewed in public with extensive community input. All deliberations and votes must take place in public.
What we should do: Encourage the continuation of dialogue with anyone who has a serious proposal for Saugatuck, as long as all relevant concerns raised during the Hamlet process are addressed. Other towns in our region have successfully worked together with developers (Darien, for example) without the uneven playing field of 8-30g protections. We can increase the number of housing options — both market-rate and affordable — in Saugatuck, while adding retail options that enhance the area.
Andrea Moore and Don O’Day
Cribari Bridge
A beautiful (particularly during the holidays) but very old, state-owned bridge that is narrow and difficult to cross. Renovations or a full replacement have been discussed for a generation, but decisions about the bridge’s future have been avoided for years. Realistically, no real plan for Saugatuck would be complete without a decision on the future of the Cribari Bridge.
What we should do: The Connecticut Department of Transportation is likely to recommend a full replacement for the Cribari Bridge, and Westport has a generational decision to make. Do we continue to kick the can down the road?
While renovation is preferred, should the facts unequivocally show a replacement is the only option then Westport’s 1st selectman, town leaders, and state representatives must do all they can to ensure that any new bridge is aesthetically consistent with the existing one.
More importantly, to every extent possible, Westport must work with the state to mitigate the flow of large trucks onto the bridge and through Saugatuck when I-95 is backed up. To be clear, any scenario that results in the town of Westport owning and being financially responsible for the ongoing maintenance or eventual replacement of the existing bridge is fiscally irresponsible and must not be considered.
Affordable Housing and 8-30g
Affordable housing is a necessary and important part of Westport’s future. There is not only a shortage of affordable housing in town for young families and seniors, but town officials also haven’t done enough to fully explain the rules surrounding affordable housing and the 8-30g statute.
Simply put, 4% of the dwellings in Westport are categorized as “affordable,” versus the 10% requirement under 8-30g. Because of this, we are routinely targeted by developers exploiting our affordable housing shortfall.
What we should do: Double down on efforts to identify land or vacant buildings that can be used for affordable housing. Westport has strong partners in the Affordable Housing Committee, Westport Housing Authority, Homes with Hope, and the Planning & Zoning Commission. We must be ready to act quickly when opportunities arise.
We should also encourage “friendly” 8-30g projects, as Darien has done, by working with developers willing to collaborate with the town. Finally, we need to communicate better so everyone understands the challenge.
It is all about strong and effective leadership.
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Democratic Party-endorsed candidates Kevin Christie and Amy Wistreich say:
It’s no accident that these topics are often grouped together. Not only are they hot-button issues for Westporters, they also represent opportunities for the 1st Selectman to lead and build consensus on what works for Westport.
Let’s start by focusing on how the selectmen can lead and drive results. Education is not under the purview of the selectpersons’ office, yet we expect and deserve that every candidate weighs in.
Similarly, Saugatuck, Cribari and affordable housing fall mostly under the P&Z and our land use bodies, but because they have a huge impact on the future of Westport, our leaders should lead by providing their perspective and vision.
Kevin Christie and Amy Wistreich
Saugatuck
For Saugatuck, there’s still a path to realize the potential for a transformative project that is good for the village and Westport.
Getting it right for Saugatuck is much more than a P&Z application issue. The selectpeople’s office should be prepared to facilitate the broader conversation about the future of Saugatuck. Considerations like impact on traffic, parking, density and retailer viability concern all of us and should be part of a community conversation. We’ll make that happen ASAP.
The Bridge
The Cribari Bridge is a perfect example of an opportunity for the selectmen to lead. Discussions with DOT have been going on for more than a decade, and the bridge continues to deteriorate. DOT’s options have been on the table all this time. What DOT needs is a motivated partner in Town Hall.
When elected, we will jumpstart these conversations to drive to an agreement before we risk having the bridge become impassable, with the resulting traffic chaos. Our priorities will be to make the bridge safe for drivers, bike riders and pedestrians (i.e., make it a bit wider), while also ensuring that it does not become a highway bypass for 18 wheelers.
Height-limiting gantries on either side of the bridge may be the solution. We’ll also weigh the pros and cons of DOT’s offer to reroute Route 136 from Compo South to the Post Road, allowing the town to take control of Bridge Street and the bridge.
Housing
Affordable housing is an issue growing in urgency, statewide and across the nation. Appropriate planning will protect what makes Westport special while making room for the housing our seniors, workers, and families need, while also preserving open space.
Westport has a role to play, and the Democratic-led P&Z should also be recognized for the efforts they’ve made in recent years. We have a robust inclusionary zoning plan; a model for other suburban communities. We’ve approved SmartGrowth-consistent projects along the Post Road, and have championed both accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and “middle housing” that works in towns like Westport.
Westporters sometimes feel helpless about the adversarial 8-30g projects being proposed by cynical developers. Westport’s leaders can help define the kinds of affordable housing projects we’d welcome, and then facilitate those outcomes, with ideas like offering up town land for development or streamlining project approval within desired zones, saving developers from years of expensive litigation.
Our community already has many tools and resources in place: the Affordable Housing Plan, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Affordable Housing Committee, the Real Property Committee, the Westport Housing Authority and Homes with Hope. We just need the right leadership to bring them together into a cohesive action plan.
We have the right large project management and budget experience, the right land use expertise, and the right temperament to handle controversial and complicated issues — and we will, with the best interests of Westport in mind, take action.
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For last week’s “Where We Stand” question, click here.
