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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 March 11.

The What: This Week in Southwest Connecticut
We're heading on vacation this week—hope you all can take some time to relax too! (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Monday, March 11

Happy Monday! This week, we’re featuring highlights from budgets around southwest Connecticut to give you a quick look into what your community’s proposed budget looks like. 

Check out our piece that features what’s being proposed in your community and learn how you can get involved in the process. You can also check out our video that includes budget highlights from each community. 

Note: This is our first piece of budget-related reporting this year. We'll have follow-ups on what residents are asking for and how the budgets will impact local residents in the coming weeks.

PSA: We’re taking vacation next week, so there will be no issue of The What next week. We’ll be back in your inbox on Monday, March 25. 

Let’s see what’s happening around the region this week. 

Stamford

The city’s department budget review meetings continue this week with presentations to the Fiscal Committee of the Board of Representatives on Tuesday, March 12 and Wednesday, March 13 both at 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday, the committee will hear from the Operations department and on Wednesday, the committee will hear from financial-related offices and the traffic department. 

Other meetings this week include:

Norwalk

The Norwalk Transit District is hosting public meetings this week and next week to gather feedback from residents, riders, and commuters about service in the city. 

“Norwalk Transit District (NTD) is working on changes to your bus network through a project called NTD Ahead,” a statement from the transit district reads. This project is part of our renewed focus on quality, service improvements, and listening to the needs of the Norwalk community. It’s also a chance to look closely at areas of strength, weakness, and potential growth.”

The first meeting in Norwalk will take place on Monday, March 11 at 6 p.m. at the Yankee Doodle Garage, while there will also be a virtual meeting on Tuesday, March 19 at 6 p.m. 

Also this week, the Ad Hoc Sustainability and Resilience Committee of the Common Council will meet on Wednesday, March 13 at 6 p.m. and receive a preliminary draft of the sustainability and resilience plan as well as hear from the new city arborist about the tree master plan. Learn more about the importance of trees to southwest Connecticut. 

Other meetings this week include:

Fairfield

The Board of Finance will host two public budget sessions this week—one on Wednesday, March 13 and another on Thursday, March 14, both at 7:30 p.m. 

Also this week, the Board of Education will meet on Tuesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. and discuss its plan to address racial imbalance in its schools, including an update on the plan from the State Board of Education.

Other meetings this week include: 

Greenwich

There will be a Greenwich Communities Strickland Road Public Forum on Monday, March 11 at 6 p.m. The event will feature a public discussion about the proposed project on Strickland Road by the Cos Cob Metro North train station. Greenwich Communities, which is the town’s housing authority and an affordable housing provider, seeks to build 48 units near the Cos Cob train station. 

In a statement, First Selectman Fred Camillo said that they’ve “heard from many in the public with concerns about the potential impact on traffic and density in Cos Cob and I hope people can come and listen to the presentation as well as present their concerns and questions.

Greenwich Communities has done an excellent job adding to our housing stock in ways that enhance neighborhood character. The more they can accomplish the closer we get to the mandates of the State’s 8-30g law and push back against the proposed huge developments that we are all against.”

Other meetings this week include: 

Darien

On Tuesday, March 12, there will be a Board of Finance Public Hearing on the budget at 7:30 p.m. as well as a regular meeting where the board will discuss and potentially vote on the  proposed reallocation of appropriations within the ARPA fund.

Also this week, the Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Tuesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. and host a public hearing on a proposal to ”permit the construction and habitation of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on certain residentially zoned properties under specifically defined circumstances.” Learn more about ADUs in southwest Connecticut.

Other meetings this week include: 

Westport

The Westport Transit District is hosting a public forum on Tuesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. where members of the public are invited to meet with the Westport Transit District, the Norwalk Transit District, which operates the Wheels2U service in Westport, and consultant Nelson Nygaard.

This effort is part of the Norwalk Transit District’s NTD Ahead effort, “which is re-envisioning bus service in Westport.”

“Norwalk Transit District is working on changes to the bus network through its NTD Ahead project,” a statement from the Westport Transit District said. “This project is part of a renewed focus on quality, service improvements, and listening to the needs of the Westport community. It is also a chance to look closely at areas of strength, weakness, and potential growth.”

On Wednesday, March 13 at 12 p.m., the Planning and Zoning Commission Affordable Housing Subcommittee will receive a presentation from the housing advocacy group Desegregate CT on their proposed Work Live Ride legislation. 

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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