The What: Inside the Office-to-Residential Conversion Trend; Budget Actions; and more

Monday, April 13

Happy Monday! We’re tweaking our look and feel here at CCT a little bit. You’ll see in the coming weeks how we’re trying out some new things, starting with a slightly new format to this newsletter this week! Let us know what you think (or if you have an issue/topic you’d like us to cover) at coastalconnecticutimes@gmail.com. 

Highlights 

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

• We previously reported on the office-to-housing trend happening around southwest Connecticut. Now we have a new YouTube video examining the history of this trend and spotlighting two of the newest approvals in Norwalk and Stamford. 
• The Bridgeport Budget and Appropriations Committee is kicking off its review of the proposed city and school budgets this week with meetings on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. 
• Following the public hearing on the Cribari Bridge, Westport First Selectman Kevin Christie announced that the town is establishing a Cribari Bridge Advisory Committee “to support the Town’s ongoing engagement with the DOT as the state-led process moves forward.”
• The Stamford Board of Finance will be voting on the proposed mayor’s budget on Tuesday.
• In Norwalk, there will be a Special Joint Meeting of The Finance and Claims Committee and Board of Estimate and Taxation to review and discuss the status of the proposed budget on Monday. 

Spotlight

This section features our main reporting each week.

At the start of this year we explored a trend taking place across the region: how office buildings and office parks are being converted into residential uses. Now we’re diving back into this trend with a new YouTube video. We take you back to when many of these office properties were built before spotlighting a few recent residential-to-commercial approvals in Norwalk and Stamford. 

Check out our latest video to learn more. 

This Week at a Glance

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

Bridgeport

Featured Meetings: The Budget and Appropriations Committee is meeting three times this week (Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday) to review parts of the proposed budget. In addition, the Board of Education will be discussing the employment of interim superintendent Royce Avery on Monday, April 13.

• Monday, April 13: Board of Education at 6:30 p.m. | Budget and Appropriations Committee at 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 15: Budget and Appropriations Committee at 5:30 p.m. | Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee at 6 p.m. 
• Thursday, April 16: Fair Rent Commission at 6 p.m. 
• Saturday, April 18: Budget and Appropriations Committee at 9:30 a.m.

Stamford

Featured Meeting: The Board of Finance will be voting on the proposed budget on Tuesday, April 14.

• Monday, April 13: Steering Committee at 7 p.m. | Zoning Board at 6:30 p.m. 
• Tuesday, April 14: Fiscal Committee at 5:30 p.m. | Board of Finance at 7 p.m. 
• Wednesday, April 15: Parks and Recreation Commission at 6:30 p.m. 
• Thursday, April 16: Environmental Protection Board at 7:30 p.m. 

Norwalk

Featured Meeting: There will be a Special Joint Meeting of The Finance and Claims Committee and Board of Estimate and Taxation on Monday, April 13 to review and discuss the status of the proposed budget. 

• Monday, April 13: Special Joint Meeting of The Finance and Claims Committee and Board of Estimate and Taxation at 6:30 p.m. | Norwalk Commission on Gender Equity at 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 14: Conservation Commission at 6 p.m. | City Council at 7:30 p.m. | Board of Education Community Session at 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 15: Board of Estimate & Taxation at 6:30 p.m. | Finance Committee of Board of Education at 6 p.m. 
• Thursday, April 16: Norwalk Transit District at 6 p.m. | Zoning Board of Appeals at 7 p.m. 

Fairfield

Featured Meeting: The Town Plan and Zoning Commission will be reviewing multiple items on Tuesday, April 14 including a request from the owner of 250 Pequot Avenue to purchase off-site below market rate dwelling units and a request from the Affordable Housing Committee to update the zoning standards around affordable housing requirements. 

• Tuesday, April 14: Dwight School Building Committee at 2 p.m. | Housing Authority at 6 p.m. | Town Plan and Zoning Commission at 6:30 p.m. 
• Thursday, April 16: Zoning Board of Appeals at 3 p.m. | Fairfield Traffic Authority at 4 p.m. | Fair Rent Commission at 7 p.m.  

Greenwich

Featured Meeting: The Board of Estimate Budget Committee will be reviewing an elementary school building utilization study, as well as examining excess bond authorizations that were made for capital projects. 

• Monday, April 13: Energy Management Advisory Committee at 3 p.m. | RTM Committees: Education Committee | Finance Committee | Land Use Committee | Legislative & Rules Committee | Public Works and Finance Joint Committee | Public Works Committee | Finance, Land Use and Legislative and Rules Joint Committee
• Tuesday, April 14: Board of Estimate Budget Committee at 1 p.m. | FS Diversity Advisory Committee at 12 p.m. | First Selectman’s Youth Commission at 7 p.m. | Old Greenwich School Building Committee at 7 a.m. | Planning & Zoning Commission at 4 p.m. | RTM Committees: Transportation Committee | Appointments Committee | Health & Human Services Committee | Parks & Recreation Committee | Town Services Committee | Shellfish Commission at 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 15: Fair Rent Commission at 7 p.m. | FS Active Transportation Task Force at 10:30 a.m. 
• Thursday, April 16: Board of Education at 6:30 p.m.

Darien

Featured Meeting:  The RTM - Finance and Budget Committee will be reviewing and discussing the budget from the Board of Finance. 

• Monday, April 13: RTM - Finance and Budget at 7:30 p.m. 
• Tuesday, April 14: Monuments & Ceremonies Commission at 3 p.m. | Sewer Commission at 4:30 p.m. 
• Wednesday, April 15: Commission on Aging at 9 a.m. | HHR Building Committee at 6 p.m.

Westport

Featured Meeting: There will be a joint meeting of the RTM Finance, RTM Information Technology, RTM Public Works, RTM Public Protection & RTM Transit Committees on Thursday, April 16 to have multiple discussions around different parts of the budget.

• Monday, April 13: Aspetuck Health District at 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 14: Maintenance Study Committee at 8 a.m. | Arts Advisory Committee at 12 p.m. | Long Lots School Building Committee at 6 p.m.
• Thursday, April 16: Commission on People with Disabilities at 9 a.m. | Board of Finance at 10 a.m. | Tree Board at 4:30 p.m. | RTM Information Technology Committee at 6 p.m. | RTM Finance, RTM Information Technology, RTM Public Works, RTM Public Protection & RTM Transit Committees at 6:30 p.m. | Board of Finance at 7:30 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