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The What

The What: This Week in Southwest Connecticut

The What is your look around southwest Connecticut for the week of April 1.

The What: This Week in Southwest Connecticut
Happy April! Hope you all have a great start to the week—and the month. (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Monday, April 1

Happy Monday! Hope all who celebrated Easter had a great holiday and here’s to a great start to the month. 

This week, we have the latest piece in our All Aboard series—which aims to explore the train stations (and the areas around them) across southwest Connecticut and their impact on the region. 

The South Norwalk Train Station is one of the busiest in the region after Stamford, serving as a hub and connection point for both trains on the New Haven main line (which run from New Haven to New York) and trains on the Danbury branch (which run from Danbury to South Norwalk). 

“South Norwalk had the sixth highest average weekday ridership compared to other Metro North stations on the New Haven Line, and the eleventh-highest average weekday ridership compared to other stations across all Metro-North’s lines [including the Harlem and Hudson lines],” the South Norwalk Station Area plan found. 

It also serves as a major transportation hub in the city itself, with three bus lines and six commuter shuttles running to and from it on a daily basis. Nearly 6,000 riders pass through the station on an average weekday, according to the study, including both bus and rail users. 

And the area around it has seen major growth and redevelopment as the city has focused on transit-oriented development in this area. The city also adopted a South Norwalk Train Station Plan in 2022 that made recommendations for improving the station itself and about 20 acres around it. 

Explore more about the South Norwalk Train Station or check out our video highlighting this important train station and area in our region.

It’s a busy week for budget-related meetings across the region, so let’s see what else is happening this week.

Stamford

There will be a joint Board of Finance/Board of Representatives Fiscal Committee Budget Public Hearing on Wednesday, April 3 at 7 p.m. Residents are encouraged to participate and share their thoughts on the recommended budget. Here’s a quick overview of proposed budgets around the region. 

On Thursday, April 4, the city is hosting multiple Vision Zero Action Plan Pop-up events in the Downtown and Springdale areas as a way to bring public engagement to the plan that aims to guide the city in eliminating roadway fatalities by 2032.

Other meetings this week include;

Norwalk

The Board of Estimate and Taxation will meet on Monday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m. to vote on the fiscal year 2024-25 recommended budget. Here’s a quick overview of proposed budgets around the region. 

Other meetings this week include: 

Fairfield

On Wednesday, April 3, the Board of Finance will meet at 7:30 p.m. to vote on the recommended budget for the town. Here’s a quick overview of proposed budgets around the region. 

Other meetings this week include: 

Greenwich

The Transportation Committee of the Representative Town Meeting will hear a presentation from two Norwalk city officials—Jim Travers and Garrett Bolella, the director and assistant director of the city’s Transportation, Mobility, and Parking department—at its meeting on Tuesday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. The presentation will include an overview of Complete Streets, which is an approach to planning that aims to provide a safe roadway for all users, including drivers, bikers, and pedestrians. 

On Thursday, April 4, the Sustainability Committee will meet at 11 a.m. and discuss the proposed tree ordinance amendment that will go in front of the Representative Town Meeting this month. Explore why trees are so important to southwest Connecticut. 

Other meetings this week include:

  • Monday, April 1: Representative Town Meeting Committees: Education, Finance and Public Works Committees Joint Meeting at 7 p.m. | Education Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Finance Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Legislative & Rules Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Public Works Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Land Use Committee at 7:45 p.m. 
  • Tuesday, April 2: Central Middle School Building Committee at 8 a.m. | Planning & Zoning Commission at 4 p.m. | Representative Town Meeting Committees: Health & Human Services Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Parks & Recreation Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Town Services Committee at 7:30 p.m. 
  • Thursday, April 4: Conservation Commission at 7 p.m.

Darien

There will be a Board of Finance Budget Work Session on Tuesday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m., where the board is expected to discuss the request from the Board of Education.

Also related to the budget, the Representative Town Meeting Finance & Budget Committee will meet on Monday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss the proposed budgets from the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Education.

Other meetings this week include: 

Westport

There will be a Board of Finance Public Hearing on Wednesday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. where the board will “consider any requests for restoration of sums removed from the budget by the board” over the past few meetings. The board also plans to vote on its recommended budget that night. 

Other meetings this week include: 

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.

Thank you for reading! As a reminder, we will be off next week!

If you are interested in being a part of our reporting or just want to share your thoughts, please reach out at coastalconnecticuttimes@gmail.com. 

Have a great week,

Kelly Prinz

Founder, Reporter at Coastal Connecticut Times

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