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The What

The What: The Latest on Westport’s Cribari Bridge; New Mets Ferry in Stamford; and more

The What is your look around southwest Connecticut for the week of March 23.

The What: The Latest on Westport’s Cribari Bridge; New Mets Ferry in Stamford; and more
Happy (officially) spring and happy Opening Day this week! (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Monday, March 23

Happy Monday! It’s a very busy week around the region, with budgets moving ahead, infrastructure investments, and it’s Opening Day for baseball! (A special piece of news in this edition for you Mets fans out there.) 

Highlights 

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

Spotlight

This section features our main reporting each week.

In Westport, the historic William F. Cribari Bridge was originally built in 1884 and listed on the National register of Historic Places in 1987. But about 10 years ago, the state Department of Transportation identified structural deficiencies on the bridge, which carries more than 13,000 vehicles each day, that “cannot be addressed through regular maintenance.” The bridge, which carries vehicles across State Route 136 over the Saugatuck River, currently has two travel lanes and a sidewalk on one side. 

The department recently unveiled a few options for how to address some of these concerns at a public hearing on March 19. 

According to CTDOT, the goal is to “provide a resilient structure that addresses the structural and functional deficiencies of the existing bridge and accommodates safe vehicular, bicycle, pedestrian, and marine traffic.” 

But residents say they do not want to see tractor trailers in their neighborhood. 

Check out our piece which explores some of the issues with the bridge, what replacement options are proposed, and how members of the public reacted. You can also watch our recap video.

Connecticut Mets fans will no longer have to drive or take multiple modes of public transportation, thanks to a new ferry connecting Stamford directly to Citi Field. 

“Operating for 24 games across select weekends this season, this new connection will give fans an alternative to driving while enjoying a scenic ride across the Long Island Sound,” a post from Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons reads. 

The ferry will be run by Seastreak, which also runs a Highlands, New Jersey to Citi Field route and is introducing a Highlands–Yankee Stadium ferry this year as well. The company says the new route will depart from Stamford Harbor, near The Wheel—where parking is available—and take approximately an hour and 15 minutes to get to Citi Field. 

“This is the beginning of an exciting new partnership connecting Stamford directly to Citi Field,” said James D. Barker, president of Seastreak, in a statement. “We’re excited to give Fairfield County fans another option to get to the ballpark that’s straightforward and easy. It’s about taking the stress out of the trip and letting people enjoy the day from the moment they get on the boat.”

Learn more details in our piece or check out our video highlights. 

This Week at a Glance

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

  • In Stamford, budget reviews continue. On Monday, March 23, the Board of Finance will review the operations, health, and IT budgets at 7 p.m., while the Fiscal Committee will review the health and human services and facilities budgets at 7:30 p.m. On Tuesday, March 24, there will be a joint Board of Finance and Fiscal Committee Budget Meeting at 7 p.m. to hear about pension and benefits-related budgets at 7 p.m. And on Thursday, March 26, the Fiscal Committee will review economic development budgets at 7:30 p.m. 
  • In Norwalk, residents are invited to participate in the Board of Estimate & Taxation Public Hearing on the proposed budget on Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. Learn more about the Norwalk budget.
  • Also in Norwalk, there will be a public meeting on the Roadway Paving and Sidewalk Installation for Fillow Street on Wednesday, March 25 at 5 p.m. where residents can hear the latest on the proposed project.
  • In Fairfield, residents are invited to participate in the Board of Finance Budget Hearing at 9:30 a.m. Learn more about the Fairfield budget. In addition, the Board of Finance is meeting to review culture and recreation budgets at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24. The Board of Finance is also hosting a budget discussion at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 26.
  • In Greenwich, residents are invited to participate in the Board of Estimate and Taxation Public Hearing on the proposed budget on Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m. Learn more about Greenwich’s budget. 
  • In Darien, the Planning & Zoning Commission is reviewing a proposal to establish a temporary moratorium on “large multi-family projects for the period of a year.” at its meeting on Tuesday, March 24 at 7 p.m.
  • Also in Darien, the Board of Finance will continue its budget review, going over the fire department, fire marshal, EMS services, library, sewer fund, and more on Tuesday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. 
  • In Westport, the RTM Education Committee will be discussing and reviewing the Board of Education’s capital plan and operating budget at its meeting on Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m. 

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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