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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 3..

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

Monday, April 3

For residents of Fairfield, and the greater region, Penfield Pavilion is one of the iconic structures along the shoreline. But while it’s been at the center of weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations, it’s also been at heart of one of the town’s worst scandals. And it also was rebuilt following Superstorm Sandy not in compliance with FEMA’s regulations.

However, Fairfield officials took steps over the last few weeks to begin addressing these challenges, with three town bodies approving plans to spend $10.5 million to rectify both the notice of violation from FEMA and remediate the contaminated soil underneath the building.

Penfield Pavilion in Fairfield (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said that she believed this was the best step forward for the town.

“There were a lot of opinions about what should be built at Penfield,” Kupchick said at a February town hall. “It was four years of public meetings and discussions. Personally, I think we’ve lived with this building for a very long time. I personally think it’s an asset to our community. I would like to repair it, I would like to repair the violations, as unfortunate as that is. I think we should move forward, comply with the law, and close this terrible chapter on our town’s history.”

Learn more about the history of the Penfield Pavilion and what’s happening next.

This past weekend, we stopped by the second ReThink Waste Fair, organized by grassroots environmental group Wastefree Greenwich.

Check out some of the highlights of the event, which featured more than 20 local environmental groups and eco-friendly businesses or watch our recap video.

And ICYMI, here’s our central hub for our housing coverage that we launched last week. Take a minute to learn more about what municipalities have included in their affordable housing plans and fill out our survey.

Let’s see what else is happening this week.

Stamford

This week is your chance to make your voice heard on the proposed budget for the city. On Tuesday, April 4, there will be a Joint Board of Finance and Fiscal Committee Public Hearing at 7 p.m. Check out our analysis of Stamford’s proposed budget.

Other meetings this week include:

Norwalk

On Tuesday, April 4 at 6 p.m., there will be a special Planning & Zoning Commission meeting, which will feature a public presentation on updates to the city’s zoning regulations. City staff and planning consultant Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative, LLC have been working to review and update the city’s zoning to make it more modern and easier to understand. Zoning regulations dictate what can be built where and specific requirements for a property, such as height, size, etc. The meeting will feature an overview of the updated draft zoning regulations and question and answer.

The Board of Estimate & Taxation will meet on Monday, April 3 at 6:30 p.m. and will transmit the tentative operating budget to the Common Council. Learn more about the Norwalk budget process this year.

Other meetings this week include:

Fairfield

Residents can voice their thoughts on this year’s proposed budget at the Representative Town Meeting Budget Hearing on Tuesday, April 4 at 7 p.m. Check our analysis of Fairfield’s proposed budget ahead of time.

Other meetings this week include:

Greenwich

After hosting a public hearing last week, on Tuesday, April 4, the Board of Estimate and Taxation will host its decision day, starting at 9 a.m., where the board considers any final changes to the proposed budget and votes to send it on to the Representative Town Meeting for the final approval. Learn more about Greenwich’s proposed budget.

Other meetings this week include:

Darien

This week, the Board of Finance will host two meetings related to the budget. The first will be on Tuesday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. for final budget discussions, and the second will be on Thursday, April 6 for a final budget vote. Learn more about the proposed budget in Darien.

Other meetings this week include:

  • Monday, April 3: Zoning Board of Appeals at 4 p.m. | Board of Selectmen at 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday, April 4: Sewer Commission at 4:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, April 5: RTM—Finance & Budget at 7:30 p.m. |  RTM—Public Works at 8 p.m.
  • Thursday, April 6: Darien Police Commission at 1 p.m. | RTM—Planning Zoning & Housing at 7:30 p.m. | RTM—Parks & Recreation at 7:30 p.m.

Westport

The town’s Historic District Commission invites residents to participate in a survey which aims to “help guide and inform the adoption of the Town’s Historic Preservation Plan.” According to the town, the purpose of the plan is to “establish a long-term vision for historic preservation in the community, and to create a set of achievable goals and strategies for strengthening the Town's historic preservation program.”

Check out the survey.

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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