The What: All Aboard East Norwalk Train Station, Reapportionment in Norwalk, and more
The What is your look around southwest Connecticut for the week of October 7.
Monday, Oct. 7
Happy Monday! It’s a busy week across southwest Connecticut.
Highlights
This section will give a brief overview of the key items in the newsletter.
- We have the latest piece in our All Aboard: In and Around Train Stations Series, with a look around the East Norwalk Train Station.
- Stamford’s Board of Representatives is voting to fund a number of important projects, including improved roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes around the Springdale Train Station, electric vehicle chargers at the Government Center, and homeless warming shelters this winter.
- Norwalk’s Common Council will get a look at the proposed new council districts that aim to make the districts more even by population.
- Fairfield residents can weigh in on the proposed 10-year plan for the town, called the Plan of Conservation and Development at the Town Plan and Zoning Commission meeting.
Spotlight
This section will feature our main reporting each week.
East Norwalk’s train station is at the heart of plans at both the city and state level. The station itself is in the process of a makeover to better serve more residents and commuters. But the area around the station is also seeing more development and change—some of which is being welcomed as an improvement to the area, but some of which has current residents raising concerns about traffic and infrastructure in the area.
“There’s lots of stuff going on around the station,” Jim Travers, Norwalk’s director of Transportation, Mobility, and Parking told the Parking Authority in January, “For the people who live and work there, it’s been a long time so it’s good to see that the work’s starting.”
East Norwalk is located along the main New Haven line of Metro North, between South Norwalk and Westport and served by trains going to Grand Central and New Haven. The station is also at the heart of the Walk Bridge Replacement Project—a $1+ billion project that involves replacing the 122-year-old swing train bridge that spans the Norwalk River and connects South and East Norwalk, as well as multiple other bridge and road replacement projects in the area.
The state is also working with the city on related infrastructure improvements to roadways in the area, particularly East Avenue.
East Avenue is one of the busiest roadways in the city, serving as the “main corridor connecting I-95 to East Norwalk” and “is comprised of disjointed development and non-complementary uses, and uninspired site design and architecture,” according to a 2020 East Norwalk neighborhood plan.
Learn more about the area around the East Norwalk train station or watch our video.
This Week at a Glance
This section aims to highlight the most important meetings and news taking place each week.
- In Bridgeport, the City Council will meet on Monday, October 7 at 7 p.m. and review multiple grant applications as well as a proposed censure of Councilman Aikeem Boyd for inappropriate language against his fellow council members.
- In Stamford, the Board of Representatives will meet on Monday, October 7 at 8 p.m. and vote to fund a number of important projects, including improved roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes around the Springdale Train Station, electric vehicle chargers at the Government Center, and homeless warming shelters this winter.
- Also in Stamford, the Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, October 8 at 6:30 p.m. and review the plans from the Ferguson Library to build a new library branch on the East Side. So far, a $3 million grant has been secured for the approximately $10 million project with a request to use $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to close the gap.
- In Norwalk, the Common Council will meet on Tuesday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m. and take a look at the proposed new council districts that aim to make the districts more even by population. It will also receive a presentation on the city’s Solid Waste Strategic Plan.
- In Fairfield, the Town Plan and Zoning Commission will meet on Tuesday, October 8 at 6:30 p.m. where residents can weigh in on the proposed 10-year plan for the town, called the Plan of Conservation and Development.
- In Greenwich, there will be a North Street Bridge Replacement Project Public Meeting on Tuesday, October 8 at 7 p.m. to discuss the replacement of the North Street Bridge.
- In Westport, the Board of Education will meet on Thursday, October 10 at 6 p.m. to review and discuss its redistricting and strategic plans.
Plan Your Week
This section will include a list of meetings, events, and programming happening around southwest Connecticut each week.
Bridgeport
- Monday, October 7: City Council at 7 p.m. | Ordinance Committee at 5:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 9: Education & Social Services Committee at 6 p.m.
Stamford
- Monday, October 7: Board of Representatives at 8 p.m. | Harbor Management Commission Application Review Committee at 5:30 p.m. | Zoning Board at 6:30 p.m. | Special Board of Education Meeting: Grievance Hearing at 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 8: Teaching and Learning Committee at 6:30 p.m. | Policy Committee at 7 p.m. | Planning Board at 6:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 9: Parks and Recreation Commission at 6:30 p.m.
Norwalk
- Monday, October 7: Fair Housing Advisory Commission at 3 p.m. | Bike / Walk Commission at 6 p.m. | Board of Estimate & Taxation at 6:30 p.m. | Special Education Curriculum Subcommittee of the Board of Education at 5:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 8: Conservation Commission/Inland Wetland Agency at 6 p.m. | Common Council at 7:30 p.m. | Board of Education Workshop at 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 9: Ad Hoc Sustainability and Resilience Committee of The Common Council at 6 p.m. | Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs Committee of the Common Council at 7 p.m. | Finance Committee of the Board of Education at 6 p.m. | Fair Rent Commission at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, October 10: Norwalk Housing Board of Commissioners at 5:30 p.m. | Planning & Zoning Commission Special Meeting at 6 p.m. | Finance and Claims Committee of the Common Council at 7 p.m. | Library Board of Directors at 7 p.m. | Policy Committee of the Board of Education at 5 p.m.
Fairfield
- Monday, October 7: Fairfield CARES Leadership at 8:30 a.m. | Conservation Commission at 9 a.m.| Parks and Recreation Rules Subcommittee at 6 p.m. | Library Board of Trustees at 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 8: Commission on disAbilities at 5 p.m. | Board of Education Finance Committee at 5 p.m. | Housing Authority at 6 p.m. | Town Plan and Zoning Commission at 6:30 p.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 9: Board of Selectmen at 4 p.m. | Greater Bridgeport Transit at 6 p.m. | Affordable Housing Committee at 7 p.m. | Inland Wetlands Agency at 7 p.m. | Shellfish Commission at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, October 10: Zoning Board of Appeals at 2:45 p.m. | Fair Rent Commission at 7 p.m. | Fire Commission at 7 p.m. | Sustainable Fairfield at 7 p.m.
Greenwich
- Tuesday, October 8: North Street Bridge Replacement Project Public Meeting at 7 p.m. | FS Citizens Police Advisory Committee at 7 p.m. | First Selectman's Diversity Advisory Committee at 12 p.m. | First Selectman’s Youth Commission Board at 7 p.m. | Shellfish Commission at 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 9: Affordable Housing Trust Board and Advisory Council at 3 p.m. | Board of Parks and Recreation at 6:30 p.m. | FS Operations Planning Committee at 11 a.m. | Nathaniel Witherell Quality of Life at 12:30 p.m. | Zoning Board of Appeals at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, October 10: Board of Selectmen at 10 a.m.
Darien
- Monday, October 7: Board of Selectmen at 7 p.m. | RTM Rules Committee at 7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 8: Monuments & Ceremonies Commission at 3:30 p.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m. | Planning and Zoning Commission at 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 9: Beautification Commission at 9:15 a.m. | Blight Review Board at 5:30 p.m. | Environmental Protection Commission at 7 p.m. | RTM Park & Recreation at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, October 10: RTM Planning, Zoning & Housing Committee at 7:30 p.m. | RTM Public Works at 7:30 p.m.
Westport
- Monday, October 7: Planning and Zoning Commission at 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 8: Human Services Commission at 1 p.m. | Zoning Board of Appeals at 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 9: Board of Selectwomen at 9 a.m. | Board of Education Finance & Facilities Committee at 9:30 a.m. | Housing Authority at 6 p.m. | Parks Advisory Committee at 6 p.m. | Flood & Erosion Control Board at 7:30 p.m. | Board of Finance at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, October 10: Downtown Plan Implementation Committee at 8:30 a.m. | TEAM Westport at 10 a.m. | Public Site and Building Commission at 5 p.m. | Board of Education at 6 p.m. | Blight Prevention Board at 7 p.m.
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Please note: All of these agendas and information here are current as of Sunday night. Meeting times and agendas may get adjusted throughout the week.
Have a great week,
Kelly Prinz
Founder, Reporter at Coastal Connecticut Times