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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 September 26.

The What: This Week in Southwest Connecticut
Hope you all have a great last week of September! We can't believe it'll be October this Saturday. (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Monday, September 26

Thank you again to everyone who came out to our first event—a happy hour with the Norwalk Bike Co-Op. It was so amazing to meet the 50+ of you who came out and joined us for a great time. We’ll keep you updated on future events, but this week we’ll be at Norwalk’s National Night Out on Tuesday, September 27, so if you’re around, feel free to stop by and say hi at our table between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on South Main Street.

This week:

Let’s see what else is happening around our region.

Stamford

The discussion surrounding the Glenbrook Community Center in Stamford has included many issues and questions that the city—and other communities around the region—are grappling with. How much affordable housing does a municipality need and how can the local government play a role in building that? What happens to our community spaces when they fall into disrepair and how do we make sure there are those resources available for residents?

Deciding what to do with the center has been a contentious issue over the last few months in Stamford. (You can check out our full recap of the history of the property.) Over the past month, many members of the community have stressed that they think keeping the property a community center is important, while members of the administration have emphasized why they believe restoring the building and adding affordable housing to the site is the best use.

The Board of Representatives voted to hold the item earlier this month. It’s currently listed on the agenda for the Legislative Committee of the Board of Representatives, which meets on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. The item could also return to the full board in October.

Learn more.

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On Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m. the Zoning Board will hold a public hearing on proposed regulations that would allow accessory dwelling units in the city. Take a look at what other communities around the region are doing related to accessory dwelling units.

Also at the Zoning Board meeting, representatives from Aquarion Water Company will give an update on the City of Stamford’s water supply, particularly related to its impact on development.

Other meetings this week include

Norwalk

Last week, the Ordinance Committee of the Common Council voted 6-1 to forward new regulations to the full council that would allow three retail cannabis locations to open in the city and give the mayor power to establish a public place for people to use marijuana. The Common Council will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. to vote on adopting the ordinance. Learn how other communities are handling retail sales now that cannabis is legal in Connecticut.

Other meetings this week include

Fairfield

The Town Plan & Zoning Commission will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. and vote on the proposal for 15 Unquowa Road. CT Insider reported that the board is likely to reject the proposal, which would have built 63 units, of which 30% would be affordable. The application was filed under state statute 8-30g, which allows developers to bypass some local zoning regulations if at least 30% of the development is considered affordable. Commission members have cited concerns over the impact on traffic as well as the potential for an increase in flooding in the area.

Other meetings this week include

Greenwich

The Board of Selectmen will meet on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. and discuss the use of public cannabis in the town now that the state has legalized marijuana. Learn how other communities are handling retail sales now that cannabis is legal in Connecticut. The board will also review a 2022 Open Space Plan put together by the town’s Conservation Commission.

Other meetings this week include

Darien

The Board of Education will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. and discuss possibly adding a director of mental health for the school district. The community dealt with multiple losses last year, related to mental health. Learn more about how our region has responded to the mental health crisis this year.

Other meetings this week include

Westport

Multiple committees of the Representative Town Meeting will discuss a potential ordinance regulating gas powered leaf blowers. The RTM Environment Committee will discuss the issue at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m., while the item is also on the agenda for the RTM Finance & Public Works Committees joint meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.

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!

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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