Board of Selectmen

NCBL, Public Works To Plant 150 New Trees along South Avenue

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A major gateway to downtown New Canaan is getting a big upgrade. South Avenue will see dozens of young trees planted next month as part of an effort led by the nonprofit New Canaan Beautification League in partnership with the town. An initiative that’s been planned for several years, the “South Avenue Re-Leaf Project” will see 150 trees planted between Cherry Street and Surrey Road providing a “nice mix of color and size and shape,” New Canaan Public Works Director Tiger Mann told the Board of Selectmen during its regular meeting Tuesday. Members of the League joined local firm Keith Simpson Associates as well as DPW officials in placing orange-capped stakes along South Avenue (which doubles as state Route 124) in finding “the locations for each tree, find the best tree for the best location [and completing the] process of getting an encroachment permit with the state,” Mann said. “Our tree warden is hopeful that we can have them in before the dogwoods bloom, which is around April 15th,” he said during the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.

Government

Town To Install 25 New Lampposts in Waveny This Spring

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The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved a pair of contracts to replace 25 lampposts in Waveny, the first of two installation phases in the popular park. The new lampposts will be larger than those currently installed in Waveny, more similar to those in the downtown, according to Bill Oestmann, buildings superintendent in the New Canaan Department of Public Works. “They stopped making them,” Oestmann told the selectmen during their regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “They’re very old. We’re going to basically redo the whole thing, new footings and everything, and put LED lights in them so it’d be more efficient.

Government

Waveny To Be Closed to Vehicular Traffic on Morning of Oct. 19 for ‘Caffeine & Carburetors’ Car Show 

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Waveny will be closed to vehicular traffic on a Sunday morning in October to accommodate a popular car show that benefits a nonprofit group that works with the town on the park’s behalf. The Board of Selectmen voted 3-0 during its regular meeting Tuesday in favor of closing the park to cars from 6 to 11 a.m. on Oct. 19 for Caffeine & Carburetors. (The fall car show at Waveny, and a June 22 event downtown, received unanimous approval last week from the Police Commission.)

Last year, C&C raised $24,000 for the Waveny Park Conservancy while the downtown show raised $16,000 for the New Canaan Community Foundation. During the selectmen meeting, Parks & Recreation Director John Howe said that last year “due to the success of Caffeine and Carburetors, there were too many cars and you wouldn’t have been able to get a car through it a lot of times, say nothing about an ambulance or a fire truck.”

“So with the Special Events Committee, we’ve met many times to discuss how we can make Caffeine and Carburetors still work for the park and still donate to the Conservancy, but make it so that it’s safe and doable,” Howe said during the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.

Government

NCPD Purchases Six Ballistic Vests for $10,000

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The Board of Selectmen during its most recent meeting approved a $10,000 purchase from a Fort Collins, Col.-based company for new ballistic vests for New Canaan Police officers. The protective vests are replaced every five years, according to Capt. Joe Farenga. Referring to the vendor, Angel Armor, Farenga told the selectmen that five years is “the longest they’re willing to put their name on something being effective.”

“Over the years, we definitely at the range with our Special Response Team, have taken really old vests, and tried them and they still offer ballistic protection on a tree,” Farenga said at the March 4 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “But because they say that, they will absolutely step back if there’s a problem and it’s past that five years and an officer’s injured because they’re still wearing a vest beyond the recommended time. So we just replace them every five years per their recommendation.”

First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll voted 3-0 in favor of the purchase.

Government

New Dental Office Planned for Elm Street Building

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Saying it’s been difficult to rent out the building as a bank, the owners of a commercial space on Elm Street are seeking permission to use part of it as a dental office. 

The brick building at 208 Elm St. is the former site of Bankwell (which has a branch on Cherry Street). Owned by New Canaan Lumber Co., it has a gross leasable area of 3,234 square feet, tax records show. In a letter filed with Planning & Zoning, the owners are seeking to add 575 square feet to the lower level of the building for a total space of 2,207 square feet for dental/medical use. “The lower level provided access to the bank offices, safe and safety deposit boxes,” the letter said.