But Westporters are pleased with the redesign of the Baldwin parking lot. The Elm Street area has been redesigned, regraded and repaved. It works much better now.
Baldwin parking lot looking northwest, after renovation. (Photo/Dan Woog)
That’s just a taste of what’s to come though, parking-wise. Two bigger projects are in the works. They could significantly alter the way we perceive and use downtown lots — and, perhaps the way we perceive and use downtown itself.
Improvements to Parker Harding Plaza (behind Main Street), the Taylor lot (by Jesup Green and the Library) and the Imperial Avenue lot (Farmers’ Market, Remarkable Theater) have been discussed for decades — probably since Parker Harding was built on landfill in the 1950s.
Aerial view of downtown in 1949, before Parker Harding Plaza was built. The river came up to the backs of stores on the west side of Main Street.
Prior to that, the Saugatuck River lapped up against the backs of stores on the west side of Main Street (and pipes discharged sewage directly into it). The new lot may have added much-needed parking, but it created a sea of asphalt that turned the important and attractive river into a downtown afterthought.
A master plan of downtown improvements in 2015, designed by outside consultants, was complicated. Some ideas were feasible; others were not. The Downtown Plan Improvement Committee got mired in small details; then it got mired in COVID.
Randy Herbertson — the former director of the Westport Downtown Merchants Association — took over last year.
The parking lots are one of 5 pillars to the downtown plan, he says. The others ae pedestrian access, maintenance, sustainability and technology upgrades.
Parking now dominates the east bank of the Saugatuck River. Only a sliver of grass and a few benches provides access to anyone wishing to enjoy the view.
But parking may be the most visible. And if it’s improved, it drives the others.
The Parker Harding and Taylor lots are “aged, decrepit and in disrepair,” Herbertson says. “They’re not even optimized for parking and traffic. They don’t take advantage of the river. And they flood.”
The goal is to reclaim river access at both lots. Moving and reconfiguring parking — without losing spaces — could make room for a playground and expanded Riverwalk near Jesup Green, and allow for a more permanent Farmers’ Market and Remarkable Theater off Imperial Avenue. Electric vehicle charging stations would be included too.
(Photo/Chip Stephens)
The hope is for bids to be solicited early next year. Work on Parker Harder would be first, beginning in summer.
The biggest obstacle, Herbertson says, may be funding. The town is considering several capital projects, including Long Lots and Coleytown Elementary Schools, and Longshore.
But, he notes, “the central business district affects everyone in town.” He sees opportunities for private investment in parts of the improvement plan — for example, an improved Riverwalk with native plantings and art installations, or a possible pedestrian bridge from Parker Harding to the west bank of the river.
This screenshot from the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee shows the Parker Harding lot, and its proximity to the Saugatuck River.
As Langan (an engineering and environmental consulting firm) and Connect the Dots (a community engagement firm) work with the DPIC to design the “Reconnecting the Riverfront” master plan, they plan a public charette September 29 (7 p.m., Westport Library). It’s a chance for residents to offer ideas and input.
A survey will be live soon too. Watch “06880” for the link.
(For more information, including early “inspirational ideas,” click here for the Downtown Plan Improvement Committee website.)
(“06880” covers all of Westport, from downtown to the beach and woods. To support this hyper-local blog, please click here.)
The Baldwin Parking Lot — the large, often unwieldy, pieced-together area off Elm Street between Brooks Corner and Christ & Holy Trinity Church — will soon get an upgrade.
A reconstruction project begins Monday, weather permitting.
Initial phases include reclamation of the existing deteriorated asphalt surface, installation of new drainage pipes; regrading to reduce frequent flooding, plus installation of LED lighting, electric vehicle chargers, security cameras and blue-light emergency stations.
Parking stalls will be realigned to conform to P&Z regulations, improving circulation and maneuverability.
Public Works director Peter Ratkiewich said that while the project will likely continue through the month of June, and lot closures will be necessary, the contractor will coordinate with town officials and the Westport Downtown Association to minimize disruptions.
This is the first of several downtown lots to be reconstructed and reconfigured. Still ahead: Taylor Lot (near Jesup Green), Imperial Avenue, and the biggest, baddest of them all: Harder Parking.
Yesterday’s “06880” Roundup noted that as of May 1, stickers will be required for all cars entering Westport beaches. It included a link to the Parks & Rec website, for easy online ordering.
Easy, that is, if you’re on a desktop or laptop.
Paul Lenihan could not order using his smartphone. Eventually he headed to the Parks & Rec office in Longshore, where they told him the link does not work on mobile devices.
Yesterday’s early morning fire at Townhouse for Dogs destroyed a 2nd-floor apartment. Cassidy Gleacher’s mother, stepfather and little brother were awakened by a smoke alarm, but their exit was blocked by flames.
They jumped from a window, with only the clothes on their backs. The family lost all their belongings, their home and their pets.
Cassidy has set up a GoFundMe page, to get them back on their feet. Click here to help.
Yesterday morning’s fire at the Townhouse for Dogs destroyed a 2nd-floor apartment. (Photo courtesy of Westport Fire Department)
Tree warden Ben Skykas planted a new red maple at Grace Salmon Park on Wednesday.
The species is native to North America, can grow over 100 feet, may live over 200 years, and hosts a spectrum of wildlife, from caterpillars and squirrels to a wide array of birds. It’s also a valuable climate change-deterring shade tree and carbon converter.
For more Arbor Day-related activities, click here and scroll down. (Hat tip: Dave Lowrie)
The NAACP’s Million Jobs Campaign helps people leaving prison make a fresh start — and reduces recidivism.
This Sunday (April 24, 11 a.m.), Christ & Holy Trinity Church’s Racial Justice Working Group invites everyone interested for coffee, donuts, and a conversation with Connecticut State Conference NAACP and national board member Scot Esdaile.
He’ll talk about the program, which focuses on jobs in hospitals and healthcare. It will launch in Fairfield County this fall.
Questions? Email fkgarden13@gmail.com. (Hat tip: Jeff Wieser)
Like many stop signs, the one by Elvira’s/Joey’s by the Shore at the foot of Compo Hill is treated more like a suggestion than a command.
In just 30 minutes the other, standing at the corner with the team that’s raising funds to save the near-century old market/deli, I watched at least a dozen drivers blow blithely through.
Here’s hoping this new addition helps. Fingers crossed, at this very popular — and dangerous — crossing.
As the pandemic eases, will people return to movie theaters?
AMC is betting yes. Bow Tie seems to think no.
Just a few years after spending millions of dollars on new seats and food options, Bow Tie Cinemas sold 5 Connecticut theaters to AMC Entertainment. Included in the deal: the 6-plex just over the line in Norwalk.
The news owners are so excited, they list themselves as the “coming attraction.” (Hat tip: Mark Mathias)
Last night at MoCA Westport, Monte A. Melnick, the band’s former tour manager, shared stories of touring with them.
The event was part of the museum’s “Cocktails and Conversation series, which presents free programming related to exhibitions on Thursday evenings. The current exhibit is “Punk is Coming.”
Talking Heads co-founders Chris Frantz and wife Tina Weymouth were part of the crowd.
Next Thursday (April 28, 6 p.m.), MoCA features Richard Hell, a founder of several important early CBGB punk bands, including Television and the Heartbreakers, and whose Richard Hell & the Voidoids’ 1977 album “Blank Generation” influenced many other punk groups. The event is free, but advance registration is requested (mocawestport.org).
Last night at MoCA (from left): Monte A. Melnick, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Ruth Mannes (MoCA executive director) and Liz Leggett (MoCA director of exhibitions)(Photo/Cynthia Dempster)
John Weiss, a Westport resident from 1979 to 2015, died peacefully at his Southport home on Tuesday. He was 88.
Born in Manhattan, he graduated from the Horace Mann School in 1951 and earned a BA from Cornell University 4 years later. Following college, he served as a communications officer in the Navy for several years, stationed in the Pacific.
John then joined Bache & Company. He was a floor broker and general partner. The firm became Prudential Securities, from which John retired as a senior vice president.
In retirement, John served the Y’s Men as membership chair for several years, and arranged annual meetings and picnics. He pursued his interests in sailing, tennis, photography, travel, theater, current events and music. He played clarinet in the Westport Community Band for many years.
John is survived by his wife Sheila; sons Graham and John Jr.; stepsons James (Polly) Bienen and Jonathan (Tracy) Bienen; grandchildren Chantal (Jay) Crompton, Hunter Weiss, Cheyenne Weiss, Carl Jason Tondo; and Owen Bienen; great-granddaughters Lola and Millie Crompton, and brother Georgia (Jack) Morris.
Contributions in John’s memory may be made online to support Dr. Richard Frank’s pancreatic cancer research. Gifts also may be mailed to the Norwalk Hospital Foundation, 34 Maple Street, Norwalk, CT 06856
A memorial service is set for Monday (April 25, noon, Temple Israel).
This is Claudia Sherwood Servidio’s first spring in town.
Our new neighbor is discovering how beautiful this season is. And she’s sharing her discoveries with us all, with today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
Whether you’ve just arrived, or this is your 100th spring here: Enjoy!
Construction continues on Elm Street. Check out this photo of the sidewalk in front of the new parking lot by Bedford Square, and the retail/residential building rising in a corner of the Baldwin parking lot.
But something’s missing.
Hmmmm… let’s see…..
Aha! There are no phone poles or utility wires!
They’ve been buried underground. It’s part of a larger downtown project to bury poles and wires.
Main Street (Photos/Chip Stephens)
Now, if we could only do that by the Minute Man ….
Downtown drivers and pedestrians wonder: What’s up with the sidewalk by the Elm Street construction project?
That’s the new building rising in the Baldwin parking lot, behind Brooks Corner. It’s part of a land swap, in which Villa del Sol was torn down, to create a larger, more manageable parking lot next to Bedford Square.
It will include stores (and perhaps a restaurant), with 4 apartments above.
Elm Street, looking toward Main Street …
Westporters worry about the narrow sidewalk.
David Waldman — developer of the new project — admits it does look close to the edge of the road.
However, he says, when work is done, “proper sidewalks” will be installed on both sides of Elm Street (similar to Main Street), all the way to Church Lane.
Entrances to buildings will be stepped in, providing additional space for pedestrians.
If a restaurant is a tenant, windows and doors would open up like a Nanawall, creating an inside/outside feel.
… and to Church Lane. (Photos/Jen Berniker)
Upon completion, power lines and poles will be removed, and brick sidewalks and street lights installed.
Waldman has been told the sidewalks should be finished by the end of summer or early fall. The project should be ready for occupancy by next spring.
A pioneering female war correspondent, broadcaster and author who risked her life to expose Nazi secrets to the world, she hid her Jewish heritage from the likes of Hitler, Goering and Goebbels, whom she loathed but entertained in her Berlin home for the sole purpose of extracting information.
Sigrid Schultz
After Schultz and her mother fled Germany, they bought a house and barn at 35 Elm Street. When Sigrid died in 1980, the town demolished her home to expand the Baldwin parking lot.
This famous woman has remained largely unknown in her adopted hometown. But that may change soon, if a Downtown Plan Implementation Committee recommendation to name the new Elm Street parking lot — the one next to Bedford Square, created by the demolition of Villa del Sol directly opposite the Baldwin lot — is approved by the Board of Selectmen, acting as the town’s Traffic Authority.
Then again, it may not be named the Sigrid Schultz Parking Lot.
DPIC member Dewey Loselle suggested celebrating former Public Works head Steve Edwards. The longtime but low-key director nixed that idea.
Another suggestion was to honor the residents of 22 1/2 Main Street — the African American boardinghouse that went up in flames (probably arson) nearly 70 years ago. The location was adjacent to the new parking lot.
It might be tough coming up with an appropriate name — “22 1/2 Main Street lot” would be too confusing for the Elm Street address.
But that hasn’t hasn’t stopped one Westporter from taking a second look.
Chip Stephens grew up here. As a Planning & Zoning Commission member, he attends DPIC meetings. He wants to make sure the name of the new lot reflects town sentiment — not simply the will of one committee.
Pete Wassell
Perhaps, he says, the lot should be named after the Wassell brothers. Harry, Bud and Pete were all killed within 15 months of each other, during World War II.
Or, Stephens says, maybe there are other Westporters we should consider.
So let’s have a townwide discussion, right here on “06880.” Click “Comments” to offer suggestions, and debate the ideas.
Sure, it’s only a parking lot. But, as Stephens notes, “it will be there forever.”
FUN FACTS: So who is this Baldwin that the other Elm Street lot is named for? Herb Baldwin — a former first selectman.
And on the other side of Main Street, Parker Harding Plaza is named for co-sponsors Emerson Parker and Evan Harding. Fortunately — considering the state of that parking lot — everyone has forgotten those two.
36 Elm Street was demolished in January, to make room for a new parking lot next to Bedford Square. (Photo/Jen Berniker)
At first glance, this Entitled Parking photo doesn’t look too bad. Just one car straddling a parking spot line, and another plopped in what clearly is not a parking space.
(Photo/Miggs Burroughs)
But look closer. That’s not a fat parking line that the Acura is parked over. It’s a directional arrow, pointing one way into the lot behind Serena & Lily, in the Baldwin lot on Elm Street.
And that Volvo is also smack over another arrow, pointing the way out.
In other words, these 2 Very Important People completely block entry and exit into the lot. In order to get out or in, drivers had to go all the way to the back, near the fence, then circle around.
Of course, there were several empty spots nearby.
But at least the weather was nice. So these 2 guys (or gals) could enjoy the very brief walk to wherever they urgently needed to go.
Like any developer, David Waldman has enjoyed watching his latest project take shape. Bedford Square will redefine downtown, tying together Church Lane, Elm Street and Main Street, while offering an exciting new mix of retail, office and residential space.
Yet for a long time Waldman felt frustrated. One small but key piece of property did not fit.
36 Elm Street — the site of Villa del Sol restaurant — interrupts the new streetscape Waldman is creating. It intrudes into the sidewalk. And the adjacent parking lot — near the back entrance to the old Y and the former Klein’s — is a poorly configured, hard-to-navigate, chaotic mess.
The owner of 36 Elm Street did not want to sell. The town of Westport owns the parking lot. It looked like Waldman would have to build, as best he could, around those existing properties.
36 Elm Street. Right now, it’s home to Villa del Sol restaurant.
But a solution may be at hand. If town officials agree to a land swap, everyone could benefit: Villa del Sol. Drivers. Pedestrians admiring the streetscape. Merchants. Apartment dwellers. And, of course, Waldman.
He is currently negotiating to buy 36 Elm Street. (Ironically, he once owned it. He and his father bought what was then Brasserie Saint Germain in 1993. Waldman sold it several years later.)
His plan is to swap the property for a section of the town-owned Baldwin parking lot, across the street. Waldman would then build a 9,750-square-foot building behind Lux Bond & Green.
Villa del Sol would reopen there, alongside 3 small retail stores. Above them would be 4 apartments — 1 of them rented under state “affordable” guidelines.
The town would demolish the Villa del Sol building, creating additional parking. Waldman says that despite taking Baldwin spots for the new building, the town would net a gain of 2 parking spaces in the new lot.
This left side of this aerial view shows the current configuration of Elm Street. David Waldman’s proposal is on the right. (Click on or hover over to enlarge.)
If approved, Waldman says his plan will “really and truly complete the ‘Golden Triangle’ downtown.
“I really feel this is the last piece of the puzzle in downtown Westport. The proposed building will solidify the importance of Elm Street, and its connectivity to Main Street and Church Lane. It also improves pedestrian safety.”
In addition, Waldman says, “it provides beautiful sight lines for the Bedford project, and the new design for the back of 44 Main Street” (the Banana Republic building).
Frederick William Hoag — the architect collaborating with Waldman — is also working with the owners of 44 Main Street, and the Bobby Q’s building. Those projects will benefit from the new parking lot too, Waldman says.
Finally, he notes, the Elm Street land swap is in keeping with feedback about downtown development. One popular idea was for storefronts on the Baldwin property, adding retail while blocking the view of an ugly parking lot.
Town officials seem receptive to the plan, in its early stages. Now Waldman must finalize the contract for 36 Elm Street, and begin the land swap process with regulatory bodies.
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