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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 October 3.

The What: This Week in Southwest Connecticut
Happy October! (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Monday, October 3

Happy Monday! Each day, thousands of you across southwest Connecticut travel on our roads to get to work and school, run errands, or take trips to see family and friends. And one of the biggest challenges you all face—whether driving a car, taking a bus, or riding a bike—are rundown roadways, filled with cracks and potholes that can make the trip uncomfortable, stressful, or even costly.

A look at paving taking place in Norwalk. (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

More than 60 percent of the state’s major roads are in “poor or mediocre condition,” according to a Jan. 2022 report from TRIP, (also called the National Transportation Research Group), a nonprofit that researches, evaluates, and distributes data on surface transportation issues.

While all communities acknowledge that paving is an essential aspect of local government services, funding, weather, and pricing are just a few of the challenges municipalities face when they try to address their roadway needs.

We explored why roadway paving programs are important, how paving is done, and what some of the challenges related to paving are. Take a look.

Also, this week:

Let’s see what’s happening around the area.

Stamford

The Board of Representatives will meet on Monday, October 3 at 8 p.m. and vote on the sale of the Glenbrook Community Center property at 35 Crescent Street. This item was previously before the Board in September, when it voted to hold the item and not take any action. The Legislative and Rules Committee of the Board of Representatives voted recently—for the second time—against the sale of the property. Check out our initial coverage of how the property got here and our story (written before the committee meeting) that detailed how it became the center of debate across the city.

Other meetings this week include

Norwalk

The Common Council voted to legalize retail cannabis sales in the city.

Norwalk officially adopted an ordinance legalizing the sale of cannabis in the city soon—albeit with tight regulations.

Council member Lisa Shanahan, the chair of the city’s Ordinance Committee, called it “one of the most thoughtful ordinances passed in the state of Connecticut” and said that other communities could use it as an example for their own.

The council voted 11 to 1 to approve the ordinance. The legalization will officially go into effect once the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission adopts zoning regulations (defining which zones the retailers can be located in and how far they have to be from “sensitive” spaces, such as schools).

Learn more.

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Residents are invited to participate in two public hearings at the Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday, Oct. 6 this week. The Planning and Zoning Commission hearing is on Norwalk Hospital’s plans to add a new patient building, which would include, among other upgrades, more medical surgical floors, and a “mother-baby” floor that provides maternal and infant care. The hospital plans to get rid of two structures that are older and move some services off-site.

The second Planning and Zoning Commission will begin at 7 p.m. and features a hearing on zoning text amendments to the city’s industrial use zones. The updates come from the Norwalk Industrial Zones Study, which examined how the city uses its industrial space and recommended improvements for the future.

Other meetings this week include

Fairfield

The Board of Selectmen will meet on Monday, October 3 at 4 p.m. and review roof replacement projects at Sherman Elementary School and Riverfield Elementary School, as well as preliminary design work at Holland Hill Elementary School. The Board will also vote on potentially authorizing using its $8.4 million in surplus last year to go toward addressing the fill pile remediation efforts in town.

Other meetings this week include

Greenwich

The town is looking for residents’ feedback related to the Amogerone Lot. Over the summer, the town’s department of parking services started a 15-minute parking pilot program in the lot, which is located near the post office. The town is asking residents to give their opinions in an online survey on how the program has worked so far.

Other meetings this week include

Darien

Residents are encouraged to attend the Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, October 3 at 7 p.m. to hear from town officials about emergency preparedness and response. Leaders from across the town government will be in attendance to present on how they are working to make sure the residents and town are prepared in case of a disaster, such as a hurricane.

Other meetings this include

Westport

The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Monday, October 3 at 7 p.m. and review plans for 124 Compo Road North. Homes With Hope, Inc. is proposing to make substantial interior improvements to the property, which is owned by the town and leased to Project Return to operate a group home at the site. The plan is to use the updated property as special needs housing for women over the age of 18.

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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