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The What: All Aboard Westport; Darien and Westport Proposed Budgets; and more

The What is your look around southwest Connecticut for the week of March 9.

The What: All Aboard Westport; Darien and Westport Proposed Budgets; and more
We loved the taste of spring we got this weekend! (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Monday, March 9

Happy Monday! The days are getting longer and the budget season is continuing to heat up so be sure to tune into our budget coverage, which we’ll be continuing to update. 

Highlights 

This section gives a brief overview of the key items in the newsletter.

Spotlight

This section features our main reporting each week.

Just steps from the Saugatuck River and about two miles south of downtown, the Westport Train Station is located in the heart of the Saugatuck neighborhood in town. That’s part of why many locals refer to it as the Saugatuck Station. The station serves more than 3,000 riders a day and is home to two 19th century “New Haven Railroad station houses” on either side. 

The station itself is surrounded by eight parking lots. Across the street from the station is a row of restaurants and small businesses. But the area could have seen a massive transformation if the plans for the Hamlet had been approved.

As we’ve previously reported, in 2025, Roan Development Ventures proposed a “mixed-use hub for commercial and residential uses” just to the north of the train station. The proposal had called for bringing a mix of retail spaces, residential units, amenities, a spa, a hotel, and more along Riverside Avenue, Franklin Street, and Railroad Place.

The Hamlet project sparked a huge debate in town, with hundreds of public comments, months of review by the Planning and Zoning Commission, along with other town bodies, and multiple revisions to the plans. Ultimately, the commission denied the proposal stating that the proposed design didn’t comply with the standards for the area.

While the Hamlet proposal is gone for now, there has been a desire on behalf of the town to have some development in the area. In 2018, the town developed the Saugatuck Transit Oriented Design Master Plan that aimed to promote “a future for Saugatuck that is vital, livable, safer for pedestrians, that offers diverse entertainment, dining, recreational, residential, and business opportunities and at the same time respects Saugatuck’s small town character and historical heritage.” 

Explore what the area around the Westport Train Station looks like and what it could look like in the future. You can also check out our video diving into the area around the station.

Budget season is heating up around southwest Connecticut and we have a look inside the proposed budgets for Westport and Darien. 

A quick overview:

  • Darien is proposing a $193.1 million operating budget, with $130 million for the schools, and $63.1 million on the town side. 
  • Westport is proposing a $266.1 million operating budget, with $97.2 million on the town side and $157.9 million on the school side.

Explore these communities and more on our budget update page.

This Week at a Glance

This section aims to highlight the most important meetings and news taking place each week.

  • In Bridgeport, the Board of Education will meet on Monday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m. and discuss a number of items, including a proposed resolution in support of state legislation that would add revenue to the state’s school funding formula, called Educational Cost Sharing (ECS).
  • In Stamford, budget season is in full swing with multiple meetings this week. The Board of Finance is meeting on Monday, March 9 at 7 p.m. to have a discussion on the proposed budget, while the Fiscal Committee of the Board of Reps will begin hearing budget presentations from departments on Tuesday, March 10 and Wednesday, March 11, both at 6:30 p.m.
  • Also in Stamford, the Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. and review a plan to renovate the Lathan Wider Center using $2.5 million in federal and state funds.
  • In Norwalk, the Board of Estimate & Taxation is continuing its budget reviews with meetings on Monday, March 9 and Wednesday, March 11, both at 6:30 p.m.
  • Also in Norwalk, there will be a Citywide Flood Resilience Plan Listening Session at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, where residents are invited to share their experiences with flooding in their communities to help develop a flood resilience plan that aims to understand flood risks and prioritize future projects.
  • In Fairfield, the Board of Finance is continuing its budget reviews, with a look at police, fire, the library, finance department and more on Tuesday, March 10, followed by a look at the Board of Education budget on Thursday, March 12. 
  • In Greenwich, there will be a Safe Streets Greenwich Public Meeting on Thursday, March 12 at 6 p.m. where residents can “review the draft Safety Action Plan, learn about Greenwich’s proposed priority safety project list, and share feedback that will help shape the future of roadway safety in Greenwich.”
  • In Darien, the Board of Finance will hold a public hearing, where residents are invited to share their thoughts on the budgets for the town and school district on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m.
  • In Westport, there will be two Board of Finance Public Hearings—on Monday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. on the Board of Education budget and one on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. on the town budget. 

Plan Your Week

This section includes a list of meetings, events, and programming happening around southwest Connecticut each week.

Bridgeport

Stamford

Norwalk

Fairfield

Greenwich

Darien

Westport

Stay in touch!

As we continue to grow and evolve, please join us! You can do that by:

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

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