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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 June 5.

The What: This Week in Southwest Connecticut
Hope you have an amazing first full week of June! (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Monday, June 5

Happy Monday! This week we’re bringing you some follow-up reporting on two topics we covered earlier this year—the Norwalk Community Center in South Norwalk and Greenwich’s climate resilency plan.

Last year we reported on some of the uncertainty around 98 South Main Street in Norwalk, also known as the South Norwalk Community Center, after the city and YMCA terminated their agreement for the site.

A few weeks ago, the Common Council voted unanimously to earmark just under $5.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used to renovate the property and turn it into a “community recreation center.” This week, there will be a special Joint Meeting of the Land Use and Building Management Committee & the Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Affairs Committee on Wednesday, June 7 at 7 p.m. that will include details on the proposed renovation plans.

Council member Darlene Young, who represents South Norwalk which includes 98 South Main Street, said that this has “been a long time coming.”

“That building has sat empty for quite awhile since NEON vacated the building,” she said. “I don’t think anyone is more pleased than I am because I drive by it every day and see the lack of activity, and it really can be the core of the community and we hope that is what it will be, not just for South Norwalk, but for the entire city. I’m just excited for the opportunity of the city being able to take over those services as well.”

Learn more about 98 South Main Street.

A building in South Norwalk at 98 South Main Street
98 South Main Street in Norwalk. (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Last August, the Board of Selectmen approved a resolution that called for a “Sustainability and Climate Resiliency Plan by December 2023.”

In late April, Elizabeth Evans, the town’s director of environmental affairs, gave the Board of Selectmen an update on what the Conservation Commission and town staff have been working on.

“What we have attempted to do is identify the climate-related challenges that face the coastal community of Greenwich and once we identify those challenges, to then suggest adaptive strategies that individuals, institutions, neighborhoods, and the town as a whole can adopt or work toward to combat the threats to public health and our environment,” Evans said.

First Selectman Fred Camillo said that this was the right time to hear an update on this plan, as Greenwich officials have been working to address flood concerns in communities across the town.

“The flood issue is not going to go away—from Byram to Old Greenwich and to the backcountry we have issues. People are looking for some type of plan,” he said. “Hopefully we won't have any more bad weather events between now and December, but it’s always a possibility, and the more people that are impacted, the more urgent this is for us to have a plan for how we’re going to do it.”

Learn more about the work on Greenwich’s climate resiliency plan.

Are you a parent, guardian, or educator of teens? You’re invited to a Middle Meets meetup in Fairfield on Thursday, June 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Reef Shack in Fairfield. Meet other parents, brainstorm ideas for events and activities, and connect with people in your community!

Let’s see what else is happening this week.

Stamford

Residents are invited to a Parks Strategic Plan Community Engagement Session on Thursday, June 8 at 6 p.m. The city has more than 50 parks and the strategic plan aims to guide the city in “managing and investing in the sustainability of our parks, beaches, and trails.”  Members of the public can share their thoughts and ideas about city parks at this session.

Other meetings this week include:

Norwalk

There will be a special Joint Meeting of the Land Use and Building Management Committee & the Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Affairs Committee on Wednesday, June 7 at 7 p.m. so council members can learn more about the proposed plans to redevelop 98 South Main Street into a new Norwalk Community Recreation Center.

On Monday, June 5, there will be a Special Meeting of the Common Council at 7:30 p.m. for the council members to receive a presentation on the draft report of the Charter Revision Commission.

Other meetings this week:

Fairfield

Two boards will be discussing and voting on a $256,000 grant from FEMA to address four infrastructure issues that were caused by Hurricane Ida. The projects include: Verna Hill Culvert replacement, Horse Tavern Brook retaining wall repairs, Twin Brook Lane slope stabilization and material removal and a group of 4 bridge/culverts (Merwins Lane, Governors Lane, Hillside Road, and Greenfield Hill Road bridge/culverts) that need repair. The Board of Selectmen will meet on Monday, June 5 at 4 p.m. and the Board of Finance will meet on Tuesday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m.

There will be a special meeting of the Board of Education on Monday, June 5 at 7:30 p.m. for a discussion of facilities and finances for the school district.

Other meetings this week:

Greenwich

On Wednesday, June 7 there will be a Presentation by Lights Out Greenwich on Consequences of Light Pollution at 7 p.m. The presenters will include Meredith Barges, co-chair of Lights Out Connecticut and a policy researcher for the Yale Bird-Friendly Building Initiative; Mario Motta, MD, a retired cardiologist who wrote the policy adopted by the American Medical Association to recognize light pollution as a health hazard; and Leo Smith, former executive director of the International Dark Sky Association. The event will be moderated by Rochelle Thomas, director of Greenwich Audubon.

Other meetings this week include:

Darien

The Board of Selectmen will meet on Monday, June 5 at 7 p.m. to discuss and take action on a proposed flooding policy. The town states that the “purpose of this policy is to provide a framework for investments in flood-related infrastructure projects.”

Other meetings this week include:

Westport

The Board of Finance will meet on Wednesday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. to vote on $630,000 for a school-based security communication system.

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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