Government

New Handrails Coming to Two Culvert Crossings on Waveny Trail

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Town officials on Tuesday approved a $20,000 contract—nearly all of that to be funded privately—to install wooden handrails over two culverts on newly upgraded trails at Waveny. The work by Wilton-based Riverside Fence is a final touch from the nonprofit Waveny Park Conservancy on the organization’s improved trails running from South Avenue to the four-way along the main road through the park, according to Tiger Mann, New Canaan’s public works director. “The Conservancy would like to see a couple of handrails put over the top for fall protection,” Mann told members of the Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting, held in Town Hall. The Conservancy is paying for all but $1,000 of the work, Mann said. Keith Simpson, a prominent landscape architect in town who is a member of the Conservancy’s board of directors, solicited the quote from Riverside Fence—the same company that installed the new footbridge he designed at Mead Park to complete the Gold Star Walk.

Government

Town Officials Approve Road Repair Projects on Garibaldi, Sleepy Hollow

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Town officials on Tuesday approved an approximately $65,000 contract extension with a Norwalk-based company to repair two small sections of roads in residential neighborhoods. The $66,820 contract with FGB Construction includes the milling and paving of parts of Garibaldi Lane and Sleepy Hollow Road as well as about $5,000 for police protection during the work. “We normally do not do small sections but these two sections warrant repair,” New Canaan Public Works Director Tiger Mann said during a regular meeting fo the Board of Selectmen, held at Town Hall. The portion on Garibaldi essentially will finish off the road, which had been started from the Route 123 side but stopped at a narrow section toward Brushy Ridge Road “and since the rest of the road is in good shape, that is the last piece to have done,” Mann said. “There is a large development going in there right, basically right at the terminus of this stretch, and all the prospective buyers that keep coming in are driving down a poor road to get a prospective half-million-dollar home to purchase, so we feel it would be in our best interests to take care of this section.”

The portion of Sleepy Hollow lies along the first 1,000 feet or so as that road comes off of Laurel, Mann said.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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A divided Town Council on Wednesday night voted 8-4 in favor of a revisited bonding package of $3.9 million for the fields projects now underway at New Canaan High School—$800,000 more in taxpayer money than had been committed in April. Those voting against the spending were Christa Kenin, Kathleen Corbet, Joe Paladino and Jim Kucharczyk. Those voting in favor were Cristina A. Ross, John Engel, Ken Campbell, Penny Young, Bill Walbert, Steve Karl, Kevin Moynihan and Sven Englund. ***

Dozens of New Canaan High School students at 7 a.m. Wednesday gathered at the flagpole out front of the Farm Road facility to pray together as part of the national “See You at the Pole” movement. Participants included members of St. Aloysius Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Congregational Church of New Canaan.

Government

Officials Approve $44,000 in Contracts To Reconfigure Finance Department at Town Hall

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Officials last week approved approximately $44,000 in contracts to reconfigure the Finance Department’s area at Town Hall in a way that makes it more welcoming and also creates space for two more bodies. The department is “the central service agency” of the town and “people need to feel that they can come in and ask any questions” of the staff there, according to interim Finance Director Sandra Dennies. Yet “right now, when you walk in, you walk into a big gray hall,” she told members of the Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting, held Sept. 12 at Town Hall. “It is not user friendly.

Government

Cherry Trees Coming To Cherry Street

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After planting elm trees on Elm Street, New Canaan’s tree warden on Tuesday said he’s bringing cherry trees to Cherry Street. Bob Horan, owner of Pauley Tree & Lawn Care Inc., told the Board of Selectmen that he’s overseeing the planting of three cherry trees near the corner of Cherry Street and Burtis Avenue where a dead sugar maple now stands. “I like the cherries on Cherry and elms on Elm—I commend you for that,” First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said during the board’s regular meeting, held at Town Hall. The discussion emerged as Mallozzi and Selectman Beth Jones by a 2-0 vote (Selectman Nick Williams was absent) approved a $14,160 contract with a Stamford-based tree care company for multiple tree pruning and removals at various locations around town. The work at Burtis and Cherry is part of the bid won by Stamford-based Almstead Tree, Shrub & Lawn Care, Horan said.