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The What

The What: Transportation Updates, Board of Education Forums in Bridgeport, The Hamlet in Westport, and more.

The What is your look around southwest Connecticut for the week of July 28.

The What: Transportation Updates, Board of Education Forums in Bridgeport, The Hamlet in Westport, and more.
Happy last week of July! Stay cool. (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Monday, July 28 

Happy Monday! And happy last week of July—seriously where is the summer going? 

Highlights 

This section gives a brief overview of the key items in the newsletter.

Spotlight

This section features our main reporting each week.

It’s the dog days of summer for commuters across southwest Connecticut. As needed infrastructure repairs take place around the region, detours, closures, and alternate routes have become commonplace.

Let’s take a look at a few of the projects, starting with closures on the Danbury branch.

Metro-North’s Danbury branch will be fully shut down from Friday, August 1 through Sunday, August 17 so the state can conduct “track improvements along the Danbury Branch Line and the restoration and improvement of key railroad crossings at New Canaan Avenue in Norwalk, Kent Road in Wilton, and South Street in Bethel.”

“We understand this work can be disruptive, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of customers during these important infrastructure improvement projects,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Bureau Chief of Public Transportation Benjamin Limmer. “The work is being scheduled before Labor Day and school starts to minimize impact. We encourage members of the public to plan ahead, review the temporary bus schedule, and follow all posted detour routes.”

Substitute buses will be provided for riders along the route, which stretches from South Norwalk up to Danbury.

While riders at each of those stations, which include Merritt 7 and Wilton, will be the most impacted, main line riders should double check their schedules. Many riders hop on the express trains which stop at South Norwalk and Stamford before heading to Grand Central.

Explore the full piece and see what other transportation-related work is taking place around the region. 

And ICYMI, last week we went in and around Noroton Heights for the latest in our All Aboard series. Check out our latest video on the station area. 

This Week at a Glance

This section aims to highlight the most important meetings and news taking place each week. 

  • In Bridgeport, there will be two Board of Education Forums—on Wednesday, July 30 and Thursday, July 31, both at 5:30 p.m., where members of the public are invited to help create the district’s “vision for improvement.” 
  • Also in Bridgeport, the Board of Education will meet on Monday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. and discuss what the district would reinstate if additional funding became available. Learn more about the school funding challenges Bridgeport and others faced this year.
  • In Stamford, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board will meet on Wednesday, July 30 at 10 a.m. and review applications from developers to use at least #.39 million in the fund to build affordable housing in the city.
  • Also in Stamford, the Legislative & Rules Committee will meet on Tuesday, July 29 at 7 p.m. and discuss a resolution that would urge the Connecticut General Assembly to “adopt statewide measures aligned with Stamford’s sustainable waste ordinance.”
  • In Norwalk, the Charter Revision Commission will meet twice—on Wednesday, July 30 and Thursday, July 31, both at 6 p.m., to confer with members of the Common Council about proposed changes to the charter. 
  • In Fairfield, the Town Plan and Zoning Commission will meet on Tuesday, July 29 at 6:30 p.m. and continue the public hearings on a 68-unit proposal for 430 + 452 Stillson Road, as well as a 48-unit residential development proposal for 105 Biro Street. 
  • In Westport, the Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Monday, July 28 at 6 p.m. and continue its review of the Hamlet at Saugatuck proposal, which would be a new commercial center in town that includes 57 residential units, retail, restaurants, a hotel, and a rehabilitated office building.

Plan Your Week

This section includes a list of meetings, events, and programming happening around southwest Connecticut each week.

Bridgeport

Stamford

Norwalk

Fairfield

Greenwich

Darien

Westport

Stay in touch!

As we continue to grow and evolve, please join us! You can do that by:

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.

Have a great week,

Kelly Prinz

Founder, Reporter at Coastal Connecticut Times

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