Government

Town Approves Funds To Repaint the Historic ‘Gores Pavilion’ at Irwin

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Town officials this month approved funds to power-wash and repaint the exterior of a historic structure in Irwin Park. The Gores Pavilion—designed by Harvard Five architect Landis Gores as a winter lodge and summer pool house—was dedicated in 1960 at a grand surprise party arranged by Philip Johnson in honor of Gores himself. During their June 3 meeting, members of the Board of Selectmen approved an $8,690 contract with a Stamford company to power-wash, scrape, prepare and paint the building’s exterior. 

The building was painted about eight years ago, according to Bill Oestmann, superintendent of buildings in the New Canaan Department of Public Works. “It requires overall maintenance on the painting end because of the type of materials that are on that building,” Oestmann said during the Board’s regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “And it’s historic in nature, so we have to keep up with the maintenance on it.

Amy Murphy Carroll

Pedestrian Railing Coming to Front of Playhouse To Help with Tripping Issue

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Because visitors to The Playhouse have had problems tripping off of the small concrete platform right out front, the town is planning to install a railing at the platform’s edge. The hope is that the railing will serve as a visual demarcation between the concrete and brick sidewalk below, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. The railing itself also will be required by code with a new pedestrian ramp that’s going in on the right-hand side of the building, Mann said. “We’re still having issues with some residents not navigating from the platform down to the brick sidewalk,” Mann told members of the Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting, held Tuesday at Town Hall and via videoconference. “They’re not able to understand from the concrete to the brick.

Government

Waveny’s ‘South Avenue Trail’ To Be Reconstructed

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A heavily used trail in New Canaan’s most popular park is set to see major improvements. 

The Board of Selectmen last week approved an $87,880 contract with Norwalk-based company to reconstruct the pedestrian trail that runs parallel to South Avenue from the main entrance to Waveny to Farm Road. The new trail will be made of a “mixture of pea stone and a three-eighths-inch stone which gives us that nice look and that nice feel on every other trail that we’ve done with the [Waveny Park] Conservancy,” according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. He referred to a nonprofit organization that works to keep up and improve the park. “So now this is our [the town’s] stretch,” Mann told the selectmen during their March 25 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “So we’re looking to do this as well in the same material.

Government

Selectmen OK Demolition of Town-Owned 1900-Built House on Grove Street

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The Board of Selectmen last week approved an approximately $54,000 contract to demolish a town-owned house on Grove Street. The town two years ago purchased the 1900-built house at 28 Grove St. for about $1 million, calling the .15-acre parcel a “strategic” property in that it backs up to the Lumberyard Lot. 

At their regular meeting on March 25, the selectmen voted 3-0 to approve $54,198 in contracts to raze the house and a shed and remove contaminants from the site. “The demolition would include the foundation of the building,” Joe Zagarenski, senior engineer with the Department of Public Works, said at the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “And then we would just level it off to make it safe.

News

Putnam Road Sidewalks To Be Replaced This Summer

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Town officials on Tuesday approved the replacement of sidewalks on Putnam Road, following a discussion regarding the use of a “new” company for the municipality versus a longtime partner. Ultimately, First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll voted 3-0 in favor of awarding the $488,543.75 contract to Stumpers LLC. The Shelton-based company bid $10,000 below Peter Lanni Inc., a New Canaan business with a long and successful track record of work here, according to Tiger Mann, director of the Department of Public Works. “Stumper is new,” Mann told the selectmen at their regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “I did reach out to the community to find out about them.