Government

‘It’s Going to Impact the Quality of Our Lives’: Concerns About Locust Avenue Parking Deck Plans Linger

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The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved funds for preliminary, pre-construction work on a proposed new Locust Avenue parking deck, conditioned on two things: that a widely anticipated traffic study turns up no safety concerns and that there’s input from police, fire and EMTs on the plan. The architectural and engineering services, from a Rocky Hill-based firm, come to a total of $52,226, under a contract approved during the selectmen’s regular meeting. “We are not going to go ahead with this until we get our traffic study and involve our police and fire department,” First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said during the meeting, held Tuesday at Town Hall. An initial traffic study conducted several years ago flagged no reasons to delay or reject the project, however, people felt that the study wasn’t complete, according to Mike Pastore, director of the Department of Public Works. A second traffic consultant was hired, and the report should be analyzed within the next few days, he said.

Around Town

Local Nonprofits Receive Grant Allocations from Kiwanis Club of New Canaan

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Thanks to the Kiwanis Club of New Canaan, 24 local organizations on Friday received a boost to their funding. The international nonprofit, whose mission is “Serving the children of the world,” handed out checks to local organizations that address youth during its annual allocations breakfast. This year, the Kiwanis Club allocated a total of $9,620 which comes almost entirely from fundraising events—mainly the Zerbini Family Circus, which also benefits the New Canaan YMCA and will be held Saturday, June 18. Beth Jones, head of the Kiwanis Allocations Committee, said nonprofits seeking support undergo a multi-step process. “We start by looking at how much money we have to give away,” Jones said during the breakfast, held at the Y. “Once we get all the applications in, we sit down, they usually come to my house for lunch, and we go through all of the applications and eliminate the ones that do not fit our mission of helping children of the world.”

Once the Allocations Committee prioritizes which groups they want to allocate funds to, Jones and the rest of the committee, “presents it to the entire Kiwanis Club, we vote on it, and then we give the final list to the treasurer.”

“It is usually very amicable process,” Jones said.

News

Updated Emergency Response Vehicles, New Bulletproof Vests for the Police Department

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Town officials on Tuesday green-lighted two additions to equipment for members of the New Canaan Police Department. The first unanimous approval from the Board of Selectmen involved transportation for the officers—outfitting two new emergency response vehicles that include specialty warning systems.

Police Capt. John DiFederico urged that the selectmen during their regular meeting that vehicles are important in the business aspect of the police department. The purchase of the two vehicles can help maintain a strong fleet—which is important “in case anything ever breaks down,” DiFederico said at the meeting, held in Town Hall. The budget for updating two vehicles is $26,030.13 total, though the final cost will depend on how much equipment the department can take from older vehicles as well as how much money the older vehicles will fetch when sold. The request garnered unanimous approval from First Selectman Rob Mallozzi and Selectmen Nick WIlliams and Beth Jones.

Government

Town Commissions Study To Determine Levels of Pollutants in Waveny House

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Officials on Tuesday approved about $6,000 for tests that will help make clear the extent of pollutants such as asbestos and lead in Waveny House. Most of the pollutants at Waveny are relegated to the basement because of its heating system and pipes, where “huge water tanks” are wrapped in asbestos, according to Bill Oestmann, buildings superintendent with the New Canaan Department of Public Works. The town as it looks at restoring the infrastructure at Waveny House should consider alternative heating sources to the steam pipes used now so that there’s no need to trigger abatement work by entering an area with contaminants, Oestmann told the Board of Selectmen during the group’s regular meeting. “As far as dollars go, this study will hopefully get us some estimates,” Oestmann said at the meeting, held in Town Hall. The study, from Meriden-based EnviroMed Services, will cost about $5,520 and the selectman approved a contract for it 3-0 with $800 contingency.

Government

Town Approves $120,500 Contract for Waveny House Roof Repair

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New Canaan is entering a $120,500 contract with a White Plains, N.Y.-based architectural firm as it pursues a much-needed repair of the roof at Waveny House. The 14,000-square-foot roof has been leaking, according to Bill Oestmann, superintendent of buildings and fleet with the town’s Department of Public Works. “Replacing the concrete that the roof is made of would be very difficult and expensive,” Oestmann told the Board of Selectmen at their regular monthly meeting on May 17. “We’re actually going to be using lumber to repair failed sections of the roof.”

The town is retaining the services of KSQ Architects—the same firm that worked on the Town Hall renovation and expansion—for the job. The $120,500 figure covers plans, specifications, administrative fees and $10,500 in contingency.