Amy Schneider warns: “Don’t sit on the Westport Library patio!
“There is a swarm of spotted lanternflies there. Some flew on us.”
Not enough to make you consider taking your café coffee elsewhere?
Check out her photo:
(Photo/Amy Schneider)
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Speaking of creatures: Chris Swan enjoyed Jay Dirnberger’s photo of the Sherwood Island lifeguard chair — painted with a turtle — in yesterday’s Roundup.
Chris loves Westport’s first state park. He’s there nearly every day.
And, he notes, all 3 lifeguard stations are painted.
The eastern side (#1) shows a snail:
The western one (#3) is a starfish.
“I believe these were made a few years ago by kids at the Friends of Sherwood Island’s Nature Center,” Chris says.
“There are terrariums there, with jellyfish, terrapin turtles and starfish on display.”
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Now you see it.
Now you don’t.
In a scene repeated nearly every week in Westport, a demolition crew turned an entire house — bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, garage, roof — into rubble yesterday.
It does not take long.
John Richers watched yesterday on Pond Edge Road, as this home met its end.
Here it was at 7 a.m.:
Then, a couple of hours later:
By 3 p.m., it was all gone:
(Photos/John Richers)
All that was left was loading the remains into the back of a trailer-length dump truck.
And memories.
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John McCarthy sent this photo from the Baldwin parking lot downtown to “06880” …
(Photo/John McCarthy)
… and writes: “These wires have been there, unconnected to any device, since the reconstruction several years ago.
“Looks to me like they could have been intended to connect to surveillance cameras. Maybe. Why wasn’t the job finished?”
I asked town operations director Thomas Kiely. He says: “Correct. The poles were wired to include security cameras in the future.
“I do not have a time frame for installation. That would be coordinated through the Police Department and Department of Public Works.”
Wakeman Town Fam’s final “Pizza on the Patio” event of the summer is set for August 27 (6:30 or 7 p.m.). Anthony K of Tony Pizza Napolitano will do the honors.
Each order includes 2 personal pizzas (select at checkout) and 1 bottle of wine (dtto). plus taxes and service fees. A limited number of single tickets, and additional bottles of wine or pizzas, is also available. Click here to order, and for more details.
Today’s parking news: At the request of the EV Club and Sustainable Westport, the town will soon waive idle fees for electrical vehicle chargers at Baldwin during overnight hours.
Three hours is not enough time to fully charge most EVs plugging in with a low state of charge. EV owners who live near downtown and do not have home charging will now get a full charge, and will not have to get up at 2 a.m. to move their car.
EV Club president Barry Kresch tells “06880” that he does not yet know the range of hours, or when it will be implemented. He has been told that the software vendor will make the change.
Users still pay for their juice. So this means more revenue for the town.
NOTE: There are no idling fees for chargers in the Metro-North commuter lots.
Last year, the 4-year-old company — founded in Westport, now a tri-state sensation — raised $8 million in a fundraising round that included actor Paul Rudd, and athletes JJ and TJ Watt, Michael Phelps and Michael Strahan.
The same group has injected a Series B round of funding. A new CEO takes over, while founder/CEO Adam Goldberg becomes chief brand officer.
There are now 9 Pop-up Bagels shops. Another 6 are under development, with more planned along the East Coast.
Click here for the full story, via RestaurantBusiness.com.
Adam Goldberg, with Brooklyn BagelFest awards.
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More entrepreneurial news: Steven Graf and Zhach Pham are $300,000 richer.
That’s the investment the Staples High School Class of 2011 members — friends since 2nd grade here — just earned on “Shark Tank.”
When they were younger they ran a lemonade stand, built go-karts, and dug for buried treasure in their back yards.
Now — living in Denver — they have a company called RigStrips.
Their main product is a magnetic car mount (SnoStrip) that protects skis, snowboards and car exteriors by providing a space to slot into. It attaches to the side of a car, and helps avoid damage when equipment leans on it.
RigStrips sells a similar product for fishing poles and other outdoor products.
Click here for the full story, via BusinessDen.com. (Hat tip: Elizabeth DeVoll)
Steven Graf and Zhach Pham with RigStrips, on “Shark Tank.” (Photo courtesy of BusinessDen.com)
As of yesterday, CT Mirror reports, 4,669 Westporters have already voted in this year’s election.
That’s 23.4% of Westport’s 19,991 registered voters.
The breakdown of votes already cast: 2,470 Democrat; 782 Republican; 1,400 unaffiliated; 17 Independent Party.
Meanwhile, praise continues to pour in for the early voting process in Westport.
Jeff Seaver writes: “My daughter and I just came from Town Hall. It was such an uplifting experience. Thanks go to the wonderful volunteers who work very hard to make it work, and have it be such a positive experience.
“At one point a voter came in with their German shepherd. Oohing and aahing filled the Town Hall auditorium. It made me wonder if America doesn’t need emotional voting support animals at every polling place.
“Here’s a hats-off to the incredible volunteers who make this all possible, both here and across the country. Not a bad way to be instantly transported from what feels like an endless wall of doom, gloom, name-calling and meanness into a celebration of the incredible privilege we share — all of us, red, blue, purple, green and every other political shade on the spectrum — living in a democratic republic.”
Balloting runs today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday, November 3), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Town Hall auditorium.
Voting on Election Day (Tuesday, November 5), is from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., at regular polling places. Click here to view a district map.
Not the same dog that Jeff Seaver saw. But also an early voter. (Photo/Cat Malkin)
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Sure, it was 80 degrees yesterday.
But the Holiday Shop at the Westport Library is open for business.
The annual event — located on the main level, and now spilling into the Writing Center — includes scarves, hats and gloves (many handmade); humorous socks; unique dish towels; notebooks, journals and planners; handmade desert bells and other decorative items like paper lanterns, felt baskets, planters and birdhouses; snow globes; jewelry; festive candles; games; puzzles; toys; art supplies, and novelty items for kids.
Library Store purchases are tax-free. Proceeds support Library services and programs.
Southern Tide officially opens its new downtown store on November 15 (5 to 8 p.m., 33 Elm Street). Everyone is invited for drinks, music, and a gift with all purchases.
Southern Tide has partnered with Save the Sound for the event, to help protect local ecosystems and waterways.
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Teachers often tell students to lower their voice.
Later this month, Coleytown Middle Schoolers will raise them loud.
And their teachers, classmates, parents and everyone else will be thrilled.
“Raise Your Voice” is CMS’ fall musical revue. Featuring 15 songs from “Into the Woods,” “Guys & Dolls,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Oliver!,” “Mary Poppins,” “Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “Legally Blonde” and more, it appeals to all ages.
Performances are Thursday, November 21 (6 p.m.) and Friday, November 22 (7 p.m). Tickets go on sale Monday (November 4). Click here; then search for “Coleytown.”
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Hurricanes have moved off the front pages.
But residents of the Southeast US are still dealing with the devastation.
The Westport Woman’s Club wants to help.
They’re collecting money to purchase new coats and blankets, and deliver them to impacted areas.
Click here to donate. You can also mail or drop off a check: Westport Woman’s Club, 44 Imperial Avenue, Westport, CT 06880. Put “Hurricane Drive” in the memo field.
Questions? Call 203-227-4240.
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Back in the day, there was one way to get rid of pumpkins: Throw ’em in the trash.
Then came awareness of the environment. Compost! Feed the wildlife! Make a planter!
What not to do?
This.
(Photo/Jamie Klein)
It’s an important reminder that not every “Westport … Naturally” image is uplifting.
And finally … tonight is the night we regain the hour of sleep we lost last March.
Don’t forget: Set your clocks back an hour. Enjoy!
(We hope you learn at least one thing new every day from “06880.” If this hyper-local blog helps you live your local life better, easier or more fulfillingly, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Good news for employees: More all-day parking has been added downtown.
Since May 1 — when 3-hour parking enforcement began — officials have monitored the lots. Parker Harding Plaza has seen “a significant increase” in available spaces.
Meanwhile, all-day spaces in the Baldwin lot (off Elm Street) have been heavily utilized — but some 3-hour spaces were vacant, especially in the morning and early afternoon.
The Selectwoman’s office and Police Department will now convert 18 3-hour spaces in the Baldwin lot to all-day spots.
In addition, 25 spaces in the Jesup Road North lot (next to the Gillespie Center, near the police station) will be converted to all-day too.
For more information about parking, and a map that includes space count and locations for timed and all-day parking, click here.
Baldwin parking lot (tan), on Elm Street. Brooks Corner is the white building to its left.
On Wednesday night, he took matters into his own hands — literally.
Around 6 p.m. a passerby saw him, near his Trump-festooned golf cart, hammering at least 6 signs in the same area. He dug holes, then used 2x4s glued together to secure them in the ground. The resident — who contacted “06880” — hopes he will fill in the holes, once the the election is over.
(Photo/Tony Litman)
Another reader saw the signs later, and wrote to “06880”: “It can’t be legal to put up permanent campaign signs.”
It may be.
Under “Temporary Signs,” Westport’s Planning & Zoning regulations allow “Signs for political purposes.”
Yesterday marked the 11th anniversary of Andrew Accardi’s death. The 2011 Staples High School graduate and golf team member lost a 15-year battle against neuroblastoma. He was 20 years old.
Andrew’s family, and his many friends from Staples and Villanova University remember him lovingly. And, more than a decade later, they are honoring his memory generously.
On Wendnesday, “Andrew’s Army” presented a $90,000 check to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The funds — raised by Andrew’s Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, friend and family — come from events like an annual golf outing.
In the front row of the photo below are (from left) Dr. John Maris, professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital, and a University of Pennsylvania professor; Professor and lab director Dr. Yale Mosse, and Dr. Frank Accardi, Andrew’s father.
The young people behind them are brilliant doctors and technicians at the Maris lab in the Colket Translational Research Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dr. Accardi says that Dr. Maris “has more awards, and has contributed more than anyone perhaps in the world, to the study of and therapies for neuroblastoma.
“More importantly, he is the most sympathetic, compassionate physician I have ever known. He treated Andrew as if he were his own son.”
The Westport Country Playhouse has a 93-year tradition of presenting top-notch plays and musicals. This year they’ve added concerts, cabarets, one-person shows, and much more.
Next up: tours of the historic theater.
They’re available by reservation on Fridays and Saturdays (10:30 a.m. to noon), November 15-16, December 13-14, January 17-18, and February 7-8. Each is limited to 25 people.
Guided by Playhouse archivist Bruce Miller, participants will learn how the past has been preserved since 1931, and how state-of-the-art technology has been introduced.
Attendees will explore backstage, the greenroom, dressing rooms, scene shop, wardrobe room, posters, photos, costume designs and set models. They’ll stand on the same stage as Gene Wilder, James Earl Jones, Jane Fonda, Eartha Kitt, Paul Newman, Kelli O’Hara, Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald.
Along the way Miller tell stories, including how the WCP helped inspire Oklahoma!” and “My Fair Lady.”
There is no fee for the tour, but donations are encouraged. Click here for reservations, and more information
Westport’s first responders have returned from North Carolina. They deployed there to help victims of Hurricane Helene.
On Wednesday, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, emergency management director Nick Marsan (far left and far right) and Police Chief Foti Koskinas (2nd from left) awarded certificates to (left to right) officer Gregory Gunter, tirefighter Michael Durette, Deputy Chief Matthew Cohen, firefighter Patrick Dailey and dispatcher Devin Mulligan.
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A PS to the story of Ben Casparius’ World Series championship:
After the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their victory Tuesday, they had time for friends who watched them win the final game.
For Casparius — the pitcher called up from the minor leagues only in August — that group included fellow Staples High graduates, from the classes of 2016 and ’17.
They knew him from his Little League days.
It was a special moment, on the hallowed Yankee Stadium grounds, with the newest World Series champ.
But it was also just like old times.
Ben Casparius (center, in his new championship t-shirt), with (from left), college friend Kenny Campbell, and Staples buddies Nathan Panzer, Justin Seideman and Kenny Brill. Panzer is a former Wrecker teammate.
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In an age of Amazon and Yelp reviews, many people still rely on old-school Consumer Reports.
Next Thursday (November 7, 10 a.m.), the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston invited the public to an inside look at how CR delivers information.
Panelists include editorial director Ellen Kunes, communications director Barrie Rosen and chief content officer vice president Jen Schecter.
Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between October 23 and 30.
A 25-year-old Bridgeport man was arrested for larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny and criminal mischief, for his part in the May 9 smash-and-grab theft from Lux Bond & Green. He was held on $250,000 bond. Another suspect was arrested earlier.
A 21-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with assault and threatening, after a complaint by a co-worker. The suspect allegedly grabbed the other man by the hair and neck while driving home from work, and threatened to shoot him.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 13 citations
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension 3
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
Disorderly conduct: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
Traveling too fast for conditions: 1
Following too closely: 1
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
Failure to yield to a pedestrian: 1
Unsafe passing: 1
Unsafe backing: 1
Be careful when backing up!
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Daniel Szymczak — a 1996 graduate of Staples High School — died this week. He was 46.
A writer, teacher, boat captain and worldwide adventurer, Dan climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro last year. He lived in Florida, the Virgin Islands, Texas, New Mexico, Mexico, Alaska, and most recently Maryland.
At Staples, Dan wrestled and played football. He enjoyed fishing and hunting, and loved Ernest Hemingway, the English language, and his dog Charlie.
Dan earned a BA in English from the University of Texas, and an MFA in creative writing from Texas State University.
After serving as an English lecturer at Texas State, an editor at the University of Texas and with Mc-Graw Hill Education, and a proofreader for the Texas Legislative Council, he embarked on a new career. Dan was a captain on a 205-foot offshore supply vessel; an engineer, mate and bosun on private yachts, and a deckhand with Lindblad Expeditions.
Dan is survived by his mother and step-father, Paula and Edward Barta; father and step-mother Gordon and DJ Szymczak; siblings Penny, Matt, Gregory and Stephen Szymczak, and Luke and Ben Barta; nieces and nephews Alexa, Easton, Jackson and Max Szymczak, and Hailey and Bailey Barta, and his former fiancée Faith Harty.
A memorial service will be held at a date to be determined.
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The town of Westport has put out 2 Requests for Proposals. Both focus on downtown.
A July 29 RFP is titled “Public Engagement/Phase 2: Westport Downtown Plan.”
The Project Objective reads:
After completing a 2015 master plan for downtown Westport, the town of Westport created the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee to oversee its realization. The committee’s strategy and current progress can be seen at downtownwestportct.com.
Over the past several years, executional work has begun, and the first phase is in the construction funding approval stage. Recently, funding was approved to start the second planning and design work phase.
A critical component of this work is public engagement, which will inform both the initial design work and the vet designs before taking them before approval bodies. For objectivity, the Committee desires to hire an outside research partner to perform this work, which will be both qualitative and quantitative.
The deadline for bids was Wednesday.
Lots to do downtown. But where to park …?
Meanwhile, officials posted an RFP yesterday for a “2015 Parking Study Update and 2024 Feasibility Analysis for Structured Parking in Downtown.”
The overview says:
The town of Westport seeks a qualified professional to investigate the feasibility of creating a multi-level parking structure in one of 3 alternative locations in the downtown area, replacing existing surface parking and adding additional spaces to accommodate new and evolving re-development.
The study will include conceptual drawings, schematic plans, and illustrative renderings of possible solutions.
Where are those 3 areas?
One is the Baldwin parking lot off Elm Street, between Main Street and Church Lane.
The RFP notes: “The 2015 plan suggests that the town utilize a portion of the privately owned Avery Street [behind Cold Fusion] lot as part of the potential area available for a parking deck. The analysis should include the feasibility both with or without this private property being available.”
Baldwin lot plan.
The second proposed site is on Jesup Road, from the Gillespie Center to the area opposite the police station.
The RFP says: “The 2015 plan suggests that in addition to the town-owned lot … a portion of the private lots behind #100 and #126 Post Road East [behind Bank of America and environs], and #10 Bay St. be considered for a parking deck as well. The analysis should include the feasibility both with or without this private property being available.”
Jesup Road plan.
The third location to be considered is the lower lot behind the police station. It is accessible now from the area just before the upper Library lot, and at the foot of Jesup Road near Imperial Avenue.
An RFP note adds: “There is currently a needs analysis and feasibility study underway for creation of a combined Public Safety Center elsewhere in yown, implying that the police station may or may not be located at 20 Jesup Road in the future. The analysis should include the feasibility both with or without the Police Department being in this location.”
Police station plan.
Proposals are due September 5. Click here for the link to download the full RFP document; complete the form, then click “Submit.”
(“06880” covers all of downtown — from merchants and events, to parking and politics. But we can’t do it without reader support. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
“Walkable cities” are environmentally, socially and economically vibrant.
Can Westport become a “walkable town”?
Sustainable Westport thinks so.
On June 4, the non-profit group brings urban planner Jeff Speck to Bedford Middle School (6 p.m. reception, 6:30 presentation).
Jeff Speck
Speck — whose books include “Walkable City: How Downtown Saves America, One Step at a Time” — speaks nationally on how towns and cities can embrace walking and biking.
In February, he addressed a capacity crowd at the New Canaan Library.
But Westport is a bit different from our suburban neighbor, Speck acknowledges. For one thing, a river runs through us.
For another, our train station — the town’s transportation hub — is located away from downtown.
Speck has been to Westport. He likes it.
“You’ve got good bones,” he says. “A lot of places don’t have a traditional downtown, with small streets and buildings that make it walkable.”
Westport “is starting on third base.”
What will get our home town to home plate?
As with any walkable, bikable community, 4 things are part of the framework. It must be “useful, safe, comfortable and interesting.”
“Communities like Westport don’t like to change,” Speck notes.
“It’s not complacency. It’s a fear of losing what they have. I understand that.”
But, he adds, change is often necessary for “resilience and longevity.”
One obvious place to look is the Post Road. Speck knows it’s a state route; the town does not control it. But, he says, there are ways to make it “calmer, and more welcoming.”
More controversial might be his thoughts about downtown. He advocates apartments — and a parking garage hidden behind them — at the Baldwin lot on Elm Street.
Jeff Speck thinks a parking garage — and apartments in front — would make downtown more lively and “resilient.”
More people, and easier parking, would make downtown more lively, Speck says.
“A lot of people would love to live in smaller units: young people, older ones. The more bodies you have downtown, the better it can weather the economic storms that visit our communities.”
He’s seen the “shock and outrage” that accompany suggestions like that, in dozens of communities. That fades, he says, when they see how well those ideas work.
Two places where, he says, these hidden parking lots work are Northampton, Massachusetts and Frederick, Maryland.
Speck has another idea — one that he was unaware is currently causing great debate here.
He was surprised, when he visited Westport, to see that “the waterfront is a parking lot.” He’d prefer “a linear park” along the Saugatuck River.
“If I wasn’t so busy, I’d draw it up myself,” he says.
Some of Jeff Speck’s ideas align with those proposed originally by the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee, for more green space by the Saugatuck River. The idea is controversial.
Another “major opportunity” is to add more housing near the train station.
The area is “under-utilized,” he says. “People can live right by the railroad. It’s a healthier lifestyle, for themselves and the planet.
“You learn in Planning 101 to bring housing to transit, and transit to housing.
One challenge to ideas like those, he reiterates, is that “communities generally don’t like to change.
“Most people in most communities would like more apartments. They just don’t want them near them.”
Most public meetings until the last decade “pitted NIMBYs against the business goals of developers,” Speck explains. “Planners had to choose which they wanted.
“Now you’ve got pro-housing, pro-sustainability, pro-biking people, who just want to see their community do the right thing. They’ve been effective.”
Speck had not heard of Bike Westport, a non-profit dedicated to making Westport more safe for biking and walking.
But, he says, “Bike groups have been my biggest supporters. I hope they show up.
“It will be a lively discussion, I promise.”
(Click here to register for Jeff Speck’s June 4 talk, and more information.)
(“06880” regularly covers the environment, real estate, local politics, transportation — and the intersection of them all. Please click here to support our hyper-local journalism. Thank you!)
Longtime Westport residents Mike Nayor and Larry Weisman sent this letter to all Representative Town Meeting members:
You will shortly be debating the pros and cons of Jesup Green/downtown parking that have the potential for transforming downtown Westport.
Parker Harding is the linchpin. It needs a makeover to become more attractive, pleasant and inviting, and more riverfront oriented.
In a September “Opinion” piece in”06880″ Robert Augustyn posed taking bold steps to reconfigure Parker Harding to an almost park-like setting, while adding retail space, plus a parking deck at the Baldwin lot to make up for lost PH spaces.
The column elicited 58 responses. There was overwhelming support for virtually all of his suggested changes. A few comments concerned potential flooding and cost, but the vast majority enthusiastically supported the idea of a parking facility.
Not one writer objected to the proposal.
Parker Harding Plaza (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
Historically, controversial changes/improvements undertaken in Westport have been hailed after the fact, and we are usually puzzled why any particular project was opposed in the first place. A parking deck can certainly be designed acceptable to all, to be integrated into its environment, with a low profile which does not mar the downtown skyline or hinder neighbors.
The need for contiguous parking at or very near store entrances has been pushed for decades. With the exception for handicapped parking, Westporters and visitors do not need curb-to-door access downtown. Witness the large number of cars parked at Gorham Island on weekends, creating a short walk to Main Street. Strolling pedestrians create a lingering and community atmosphere that benefits retailers.
A parking deck at the Baldwin lot alleviates the necessity for expanded Jesup Green parking. Therefore, the request for an appropriation of $630,000 should not be approved. Money could be far better spent to address other, more immediate downtown issues.
We urge RTM members to adopt this plan for downtown. The RTM should respond to the needs and desires of its residents. Improvements have been discussed and postponed for decades. The supposed urgency to get a spade in the ground now is not as important as getting it right. Poor choices now will have long term consequences.
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For years, a few Westporters suggested building a parking deck at the Baldwin lot.
For just as long, the idea was never considered seriously.
Between aesthetics and cost, plans for the land off Elm Street between the back of Brooks Corner and Christ & Holy Trinity Church have not gone anywhere.
Another reason: When people heard heard “deck,” they thought: “parking garage.”
A deck, however, is just that: one level, on top of the existing lot.
It is not a “parking garage,” with confusing entrances, exits and ramps.
Part of the Baldwin parking lot. It extends on the right side too.
Though the concept was included in Westport’s 2015 master plan, the Baldwin lot was eventually simply renovated. The project was completed in 2022, for $1.4 million.
Now though — as town officials, the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee, merchants, restaurateurs, property owners, shoppers and residents wrangle over the reconstruction of Parker Harding Plaza, the reconfiguration of the Jesup Green area, and the future of the Imperial Avenue lot (along with environmental concerns, the role of commerce in Westport, and the political process undergirding all of the above) — more stakeholders are saying: You know, a parking deck at Baldwin isn’t such a bad idea after all.
Joe Vallone is one of those people.
Joe Vallone
A longtime Westporter, architect, real estate developer, and champion of urban renewal and historic preservation, he prepared a design at the request of Representative Town Meeting member Jennifer Johnson. It accommodates about 100 vehicles.
Elm Street sits about 21 feet above sea level, Vallone says. The proposed deck is 3 feet higher.
However, he says, “with a travel distance of over 100′ of length, the grade difference will be barely perceptible, meaning a relatively flat walkway from Elm Street to the deck.”
The lower deck ranges from an elevation of 10 to 11 feet. Vallone doubts any parking spaces there would be lost.
He envision an 8-foot wide walkway, and an 8-foot wide green space for large potted trees and planting areas. They would be well lit, and visible from Elm Street.
He also envisions a transparent pipe railing system, with built-in planting boxes.
Vallone was careful not to encroach on homes with backyards nearest to the existing lot.
Joe Vallone’s plan for the Baldwin parking lot.
Other developers might try to cram in 25 to 30 more spaces, Vallone says. However, that would feel “heavy-handed, cumbersome and surely raise the ire of neighbors.”
He believes his design solution is a “fairly simple build.” The only disruption to the existing lot might be the placement of new steel columns, which will need to be “carefully located in harmony with existing parking spaces.”
A storm water drainage connection from the new deck, and removal of several existing pole light fixtures, would also need to be addressed. These too are “not complicated issues.”
Vallone says the rule of thumb for elevated parking decks is about $25,000 to $30,000 per space. That works out to roughly $2.5 to $3.5 million for the entire structure. He doubts it would reach $4 million.
There is no need for much site excavation or an elevator. Opponents of a deck raised those issues earlier this year, when they cited a cost of $80 million to $100 million for a deck.
Meanwhile, Lawrence Weisman’s petition to place the downtown parking issue on the Representative Town Meeting agenda has gained nearly 200 signatures.
It notes: “A parking deck on the Baldwin lot will provide additional parking in an easily accessible location at affordable cost without the need to encroach upon the town green.”
After more than a decade of idle talk about a parking deck — something few Westporters took seriously — the idea no longer seems fanciful.
Now let’s see who drives it forward.
And who wants to apply the brakes.
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Last week, the Representative Town Meeting’s Transit Committee voted 7-2 against recommending that the full RTM spend $630,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to redesign Jesup Green, and the nearby Imperial Avenue parking lot.
Tonight, the final item on the full RTM’s agenda is to vote on a request by the director of Public Works, and a recommendation by the Board of Finance, to approve an appropriation of $630,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Fund for design
and permitting of the redevelopment of Jesup Green and the Imperial Lot.
Here is the report of the RTM Transit Committee, which the full RTM will consider tonight (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium; click here for the livestream):
Presentation
Director of Public Works Pete Ratkiewich began the meeting with a PowerPoint presentation on downtown parking. The presentation included an overview of the history, the proposed scope of work, costs and timing as well as the reasons for the $630K appropriation request. The discussion primarily focused on the Parking Harding and Jesup lots. (Note: the current Jesup lot is also known as the “ Taylor lot.”)
● History
○ Many downtown parking issues today are similar to those 20 years ago.
○ Desire to connect to the river front wherever possible.
○ Most recent plan: 2015 Downtown Master Plan.
Parker Harding Plaza, through the years.
● Parker Harding
○ Current layout does not meet ADA and Fire Code standards (currently short 3
ADA spaces).
○ Proposed redesign would result in a net loss of 42 spaces.
○ Jesup Green (upper portion) identified the location for the relocated 42 spaces.
● Overall goals
○ Reconstructed Parker Harding and the Taylor lot (lower Jesup) with no net loss in parking.
○ Proposed 850 square foot net increase in green space (once phases are complete).
● Funding/Cost:
○ Current Appropriation Request: $630,000 full design/permitting for Taylor Lot (lower Jesup Green) and Imperial lots.
○ Prior Appropriation (2022): $400,000 completed schematic designs for Parker Harding, Jesup and Imperial, and full design of Parker Harding.
○ Capital Cost Forecast: $11 million
● Projected Phasing – Town is working to move forward with a phased approach:
○ Phase I: construct parking on Jesup Green to alleviate parking issues caused by
Parker Harding reconstruction. Then reconstruct Parker Harding.
○ Phase II: Re-align Jesup Road. Convert part of Taylor Lot (lower Jesup) to green space.
○ Phase III: TBD – “will occur when the police station is relocated”.
Summary and vote
● The committee thanked the DPW and Downtown Plan Implementation Committee for their hard work.
○ Appreciate the decades-old history and efforts.
○ Committee agreed we all want to find a balance between thriving downtown, river access, and enhanced green space.
○ “We’re getting there.” But the only way to accomplish that is to “look at it
holistically first.”
● Desire to move forward but recognized that some things have changed and some things have not yet been adequately addressed:
○ Explore gaining spaces elsewhere before taking Jesup Green (e.g. Baldwin). “Put concrete where concrete is now.”
○ Why not use a portion of the $630,000 to fund an analysis of the cost of structured parking and/or fee-based parking?
○ Evaluate impacts of soon-to-be implemented 3-hour timed parking.
○ The Jesup side should be coordinated with the police station site. For these reasons, the majority of the committee felt that the $630,000 appropriation is not justified.
The Baldwin parking lot, after its recent renovation.
Motion made to approve the $630,000 appropriation:
● 2 in favor – (Bloom, Burkhardt)
● 7 against – (Lowenstein, Liccione, Cohen, Johnson, Benmosche, Gold, Levy)
Below is information with additional detail on some of the issues/points raised by the committee at Monday’s meeting.
RTM Transit Committee discussion:
Various questions were raised by the committee: Jesup Green
● Multiple questions were raised about the apparent conflict between the proposed parking plan for Jesup Green and stated goals in the 2015 Downtown Plan:
○ Prior plans recommended both expanding riverfront access wherever
possible while retaining existing open space, including Jesup Green.
● Concerns raised around paving green space for more blacktop:
○ Current plan takes upwards of ⅓ of Jesup Green, and removes several
mature trees in the middle and upper portion of the Green.
○ The proposed first stage is to build the 40 spots on Jesup Green before
the redevelopment of Parker Harding.
● Concerns about losing green space on Jesup with no guarantees about the future.
● Currently the entire width of the library opens up to the Green on both floors. Under the proposed plan for Jesup Green the library would overlook a parking lot.
● Is Jesup Green deed restricted?
● Why hasn’t the cost of structured parking been considered before moving forward to pave the upper portion of Jesup Green?
○ Pete Ratkiewich indicated “no shovels in ground until 2025,” indicating that a delay of a
couple of months to evaluate a deck on Baldwin will not seriously delay the
project.
● Is a new waterfront playground a driver of the current DPIC plan?
Jesup Green is surrounded by a road, police station, the Westport Library, parking, and the Saugatuck River. (Photo/Samuel Wang)
Taylor Lot / Jesup Road
● It was noted that the current configuration of the Taylor Lot balances the needs of downtown (including across the river) and the library while providing good access to the waterfront (especially ADA) and Jesup Green .
● Existing waterfront
○ Does it make sense to take upwards of ⅓ of Jesup Green (estimated cost – $4 million) to build a different green space near the library’s lower entrance when there is green space there now?
○ Existing green space along the river and in front of the lower library entrance is lightly used and enjoyed, but not well maintained.
● Jesup Road was recently repaved. Does it make sense to spend money on ripping up a new road?
○ Could proposed angled-parking lead to further congestion caused by people
circulating for parking and/or backing up into the line of traffic?
Economic Changes:
● Does the new plan actually reflect changes the town has seen in the last few years with increased economic activity downtown and new stores, restaurants, shops and cultural attractions?
Timing/Need:
● Concerns that “we’ve lost the forest before the trees”; the 8-24 for Parker Harding has not been approved by the P&Z. Nevertheless, the committee is voting on an appropriation that would result in paving Jesup Green for the purpose of recovering parking spots lost at Parker Harding, on a plan that so far is not approved (?). (NOTE: The P&Z approved the 8-24 for Parker Harding last night.)
● Comment: “Is there any reason why we can’t live with parking as it is now until the police station moves, then do all 3 phases together so we know we are going to get the green space back?:
Discussions have begun about a new police station. The current one is adjacent to Jesup Green.
● It is not clear if the 40 spots on Jesup Green will be needed once the timed parking is implemented – then people who need longer term parking may choose not to park on Parker Harding or Main Street:
○ Consider monitoring the impact of the 3-hour limit first.
○ How often is Baldwin lot full (just holidays or more frequently?).
○ Perhaps wayfinding signs could help with parking losses on Parker Harding.
● Concerns around whether ARPA funding can be used when Westport’s downtown is thriving following the pandemic-related influx of new residents.
● Concerns around opportunities for public feedback:
○ Next formal phase of public comment will follow after Jesup Green is paved.
○ Public never asked the question whether they prefer more parking downtown or green space.
● Those who expressed support for the current appropriation felt that further delay is akin to “paralysis by analysis”; the phased approach outlines how the town will ultimately end up with more green space. But others expressed concerns that the promise for more green space in the future could be jeopardized by lack of funding appropriations for various phases and the uncertainty around the timing and plan for the police station site.
● Concerns that we are spending a lot of money on one narrow view forward:
○ Both $630,000 request and $400,000 prior ARPA funding represents over $1 million in plans for one view without any funds directed to evaluating alternatives for parking other than paving ⅓ of Jesup Green.
Beginning March 11, the town will charge drivers at electric vehicle charging stations on town-owned and operated property.
Officials say the plan is competitive with other local charging stations, while also offering “a sustainable and cost-effective option for EV owners.”
Stations at Town Hall, the Westport Library, the Baldwin Lot, Senior Center and Fire Department headquarters will charge 35 cents per kilowatt hour for the first 3 hours.
After a 15-minute grace period, users will be charged an idling fee of $10 an hour. The goal is to discourage drivers from occupying spaces after they have charged their vehicles.
Stations at Saugatuck and Greens Farms railroad stations will also charge 35 cents per kwh. However, there is no idling fee, because vehicle owners use the station for commuting (and pay a railroad parking permit fee as well).
Payment may be made through QR codes on the charging unit, or through a 3rd-party app used for EV charging.
EV charges in the Baldwin lot, after installation last year. They were not yet in use, because they had not been turned on.
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Last night, News12 Connecticut ran an excellent story on tomorrow night’s event “Past, Present and Future Opportunities for Diverse Entrepreneurs” (February 29, 6 p.m., Westport Library).
Sponsored by StartUp Westport and Westport 10 — and coming on the heels of allegations of racism in town, and at the end of Black History Month — the timing is fortuitous.
Jay Norris — a co-founder of both organizations (StartUp Westport is aimed at creating a tech entrepreneurial hub here; Westport 10 is a networking and social group for Black men and their families — told News 12: “The goal is diverse entrepreneurship. We believe we’re all stronger together. We need to acknowledge ech other. We need to support each other’s business.”
He cited martin Luther King’s inspiration — and his focus on a “diverse economic perspective,” which remains unreached.
Tomorrow’s event — moderated by MSNBC host and Westport resident Craig Melvin — will be followed by a cocktail reception. Click here for more information, and to register. Click here for the full News12 story, including video of Norris’ interview.
Everyone thought Ridgefield — the #1 seed in the boys basketball FCIAC tournament), ranked #2 in the state, and unbeaten in league play this year — would roll to their 4th FCIAC championship in 6 years last night.
Everyone except Staples.
The Wreckers got a highlight reel performance from sophomore Sam Clachko — 40 points, including 7 3-pointers and 11 of 12 foul shots — en route to a 73-57 demolition of the Tigers, in last night’s semifinal at Wilton High School.
The 4th-seeded Stapleites advance to tomorrow night’s final. They take on #2 Trumbull at 7 p.m., again at Wilton. It will be the Wreckers’ 2nd straight FCIAC final appearance, under 2nd-year coach Dave Goldshore.
The Westporters dropped a tough 48-46 decision to Ridgefield during the regular season. But they battled evenly in the first half, then pulled away in the second.
Junior Adam Udell added 13 points, in the all-around team effort.
Bill Vornkahl — the Korean War veteran and for over 50 years the organizer and heart of Westport’s Memorial Day parade, who died last month — will be honored this Saturday (March 2, 1:30 p.m.) at VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399.
The Bill Vornkahl Citation of Service will be presented to his family. The public is invited.
The event was coordinated by Westport’s state legislators Dominique Johnson, Jonathan Steinberg and Ceci Mahar, and the Board of Selectwomen.
Bill Vornkahl (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
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The New York Times reports:
A former New York University administrator admitted on Tuesday to spending $80,000 in public money meant for minority- and women-owned businesses on a swimming pool at her Connecticut home as part of a broader $3.5 million fraud she orchestrated, officials said.
The former administrator, Cindy Tappe, made the admission while pleading guilty to second-degree grand larceny, court records show. Under a plea agreement with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, she will be sentenced to five years’ probation and must pay $663,209 in restitution to cover the full sum of money she diverted for personal expenses.
Tappe, 57, lives in Westport, the Times says.
Ms. Tappe’s “fraudulent actions not only threatened to affect the quality of education for students with disabilities and multilingual students, but denied our city’s minority- and women-owned business enterprises a chance to fairly compete for funding,” Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, said in a statement.
Deborah Colson, Ms. Tappe’s lawyer, said in a statement that her client “strongly regrets her misconduct.”
Click here for the full story. (Hat tip: Scott Brodie)
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A few tickets are still available for Bedford Acting Group’s production of “The Lion King Jr.”
The curtain rises at 7 p.m. on March 15. Additional shows are set for March 16 (3 and 7 p.m.), and March 17 (3 p.m.).Click here for tickets, cast lists and more information.
This Sunday (March 3, 4 p.m.), the United Methodist Church of Westport & Weston hosts a chamber music vespers service. It includes a string quartet, poetry and prayer, plus refreshments and conversation. The public is invited.
The church invites donations of non-perishable food items for Summerfield UMC Light on the Hill in Bridgeport.
(Photo/Dan Woog)
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High winds are predicted today.
Will they topple this utility pole on Compo Road South, a few yards from the Post Road?
(Photo/Mark Mathias)
Mark Mathias writes: “This does not look safe. It’s as if someone said, “let’s put this pole in the street and stack it on some 4x4s. What could go wrong?”
It seems, he says, “like a YouTube failure video waiting to happen.”
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The sun may not shine today.
But our “Westport … Naturally” photo — taken yesterday on Myrtle Avenue by Molly Alger — should bring a warm smile to everyone.
And finally … I never heard of Roni Stoneman, or the Stoneman Family. I never watched “Hee Haw,” where she played banjo and (apparently) had her biggest success.
But the former member of the “renowned Appalachian string band” had quite a career. She died Thursday in Tennessee, at 85. Click here for a full obituary.
(Whether or not you’ve got an electric vehicle, “06880” hopes you will “charge” a contribution to your hyper-local blog. Or send a check. Please click here for options to support our work. Thanks!)
In a town noted for long meetings, Monday’s Planning & Zoning Commission meeting was remarkable for being particularly lengthy.
For 6 1/2 hours — from 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. — commissioners discussed the Long Lots Elementary School renovation project. They’re involved because it can move forward only with their positive 8-24 report (or if they do not vote within 35 days).
The P&Z offered the most in-depth questions — and at times, most skeptical reception — of any town body so far.
Part of the discussion involved the possibility of separating decisions about the new building itself, and a Babe Ruth baseball field that has become part of the discussion. If approved, the field would replace the Westport Community Gardens — forcing a move to (perhaps) the Senior Center.
The meeting ended with no decision. The P&Z will continue its discussion on January 8.
Monday’s session was the first for new member John Bolton. Though he lost his bid for re-election last month, he was nominated by the Republican Town Committee to replace Amie Tesler, who resigned due to increased business responsibilities.
The P&Z voted unanimously in favor. He was immediately sworn in by Town Clerk Jeffrey Dunkerton.
After the Board of Selectwomen voted recently to place 3-hour limits on some parking spots downtown — up from the previous 2 hours, but not enforced since COVID — officials said the signs would be delivered after the new year.
Turns out, they’re already here — and in place.
This was the scene yesterday, in the Baldwin lot off Elm Street:
(Photo/Bruce Schneider)
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Speaking of downtown:
Tonight, Michael Friedman’s pop-up gallery in Bedford Square (31 Church Lane, opposite Spotted Horse; 5 to 8 p.m.) hosts drop-in party.
Guests can enjoy the dozens of photos on the wall, of the Rolling Stones, The Band, Janis Joplin and many other music legends. All taken by Friedman when he was a rock photographer.
The images were forgotten for decades. Now, Friedman has printed them again, and turned them into a book.
“Exposed: The Lost Negatives and Untold Stories of Michael Friedman” will be given as a complimentary copy, to any purchasing a limited edition print.
Michael Friedman in his pop-up gallery. His photo shows Levon Helm, legendary drummer for The Band.
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“A Sherlock Carol” opened last night, at the sold-out Westport Country Playhouse.
The holiday family production is being performed in 14 theaters this week. The local version features the original New York City cast.
The show runs evenings through Saturday (December 23), with matinees on Friday and Saturday. Click here for tickets, and more information.
“A Sherlock Carol” opening night bows. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Matlow)
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Congratulations to Caleb Smith!
The Wreckers’ all-everything quarterback — who led his team to the Class “LL” (extra large schools) state championship 21-20 over West Haven, despite separating his shoulder on the first play — has been named MaxPreps’ Connecticut Player of the Year.
That’s on top of previous honors, like 2-time All-State and FCIAC Player of the Year.
Smith is Staples’ all-time passing leader (5,198 yards), and ranks 3rd in both career rushing yards (2,307) and rushing touchdowns (44).
Last year, he was on the state championship lacrosse team, as well as the state finalist basketball squad.
Williams College junior — and 2021 Staples High School graduate — Arianna Gerig is the New England Women’s Basketball Association Division III Player of the Week.
She averaged 31.5 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 0.5 blocks in a pair of games last week — including the most points in one game in Ephs’ history (43 against Smith College).
Chris Coogan and his band played to a full house Sunday at the Senior Center.
The holiday concert was sponsored by the Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities, thanks to a grant from the Westport Rotary Club — the gift that keeps on giving.
Chris Coogan (right) and his band, at the Senior Center.
And finally … happy 66th birthday to Billy Bragg. He’s not everyone’s cup o’ tea — but I’ve loved his music and messages for nearly 40 years.
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