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Coastal Connecticut Times

The "What": This Week in Southwest Connecticut

The "What": This Week in Southwest Connecticut
Your view of Coastal Connecticut—when it was just a little bit warmer. Photo by Kelly Prinz.

Monday, January 10

Welcome to your weekly newsletter from Coastal Connecticut Times! Though we’re officially launching our website next week, here is a preview of what subscribers can expect from us.

This newsletter aims to provide you with information about important things happening across the area each week—meetings, hearings, programs, initiatives, events. So many people across the area have said that they don't know when important conversations are taking, when crucial votes are happening, when big decisions are being made.

Our goal is to create a new, better, kind of news site that provides answers to those questions.

Our weekly newsletter aims to provide you with information about important things happening across the area (Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, Westport, and Fairfield). Each week we'll have a run down on the “what”—meetings, hearings, programs, initiatives, events— while also working on original reporting to help understand the “why.”

(Please note: We try to link to agendas, documents, and other reports when we can, but that information is not always available at the time of publication.)

Let’s dive in!

Stamford:

This week, the city’s Planning Board will hold a Capital Budget Public Hearing on Tuesday, January 11 at 7 p.m. This is the public’s chance to weigh in on projects and investments they’d like to see the city make, particularly for “one-time” expenses such as construction projects, new equipment, technological upgrades, or investments in infrastructure.

The Teaching, Learning, and Community Committee of the Board of Education will also be meeting on Tuesday, January 11 at 7 p.m. to discuss a possible block schedule for the high schools. Some advantages of the 4x4 block schedule would include longer blocks of instructional time for students, fewer transitions during the day, and a college-like schedule for students, according to the district’s presentation.  

Other meetings this week include:

Norwalk:

The Common Council will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. and vote on a $3 million agreement for Urban Act Program funding from the state for the MLK Corridor Initiative. At the Economic and Community Development Committee meeting last week, Jess Vonashek, the city's chief of economic and community development said that the funding would go to making improvements in the city's MLK corridor in four main areas: housing; traffic, mobility and connectivity; green space and parks; and neighborhood safety and beautification.

The Finance and Claims Committee of the Common Council will have a special joint meeting on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. with the Finance Committee of the Board of Education to discuss budget goals for the upcoming year.

Also, mark your calendars for January 18 at 6 p.m. (more on this next week!) for a public outreach session on the city’s Industrial Waterfront Land Use Study, which aims to guide future land use around Norwalk Harbor. The study’s steering committee will be meeting on Monday, Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. to review the study and go over the feedback it has received so far, ahead of the larger engagement session.

Other meetings this week include:

Fairfield:

The Plan and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. for a proposed application for 43 units at 83 Castle Avenue. According to the proposed plans, 30% of the units—or 13—will be set aside as “housing opportunity or affordable."

Other meeting this week include:

  • Monday, Jan. 10: Board of Health at 7:30 p.m.; Board of Library Trustees at 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Jan. 11: RTM Redistricting Committee at 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Jan. 12: Affordable Housing Committee at 7 p.m.; Board of Finance Capital Planning Workshop at 7:30 p.m.; Shellfish Commission at 7:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, Jan. 13: Racial Equity and Justice Task Force at 6 p.m.; Fire Commission at 7 p.m.; Sustainable Fairfield Task Force at 7 p.m.; Charter Revision Commission at 7 p.m.

Greenwich:

The Greenwich Food Alliance will meet on Monday, Jan 10 at 9 a.m.  The alliance, which was put together through the town’s sustainability committee and the Foodshed Network, aims to “bring together the food community in Greenwich,” with a focus on advancing “Greenwich's food system initiatives through leveraging inspiration, knowledge, and networks.”

Other meetings this week include:

Westport:

The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. to discuss next steps for possibly opting out of the state’s new accessory dwelling units requirements and its new multi-family parking requirements; as well as reviewing draft amendments for updates to zoning rules and regulations in the downtown area.

Other meetings this week include:

Darien:

The Planning and Zoning Commission will deliberate on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. on the proposed development at 3 Parklands Drive. The plans call for redeveloping the property, which is currently an office building, into a multi-family 60-unit residential building, of which 7 will be deed-restricted affordable units. The applicant has said that the proposal is being done with “the permission of the Darien Land Trust,” since it is located near open space. The public hearing on this project initially opened on October 19, and over multiple meetings more than a dozen residents have voiced concerns. The commission will also be discussing the state’s “Affordable Housing Plan."

Other meetings this week include:

We hope you enjoyed your first look at Coastal Connecticut Times! We’d love if you would share our newsletter and website with your family, friends, colleagues, etc.

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Have a great week,

Kelly Prinz

Founder, Reporter at Coastal Connecticut Times

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