Government

Moynihan: Vine Cottage Worth Three Times What Land Trust Bid

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The town rejected a venerable nonprofit organization’s recent bid to purchase Vine Cottage because the building is worth more money than what was offered, according to First Selectman Kevin Moynihan. The Board of Selectmen met out of the public eye—as public bodies are allowed to do, under state law, when dealing with certain specific aspects of real estate transactions—to “decide whether we should negotiate with the [New Canaan] Land Trust,” Moynihan said during the Town Council’s regular meeting Tuesday. “We have an indication that the value of that property is three times what was being offered by the Land Trust,” Moynihan said during the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “If we get to the point where we want to sort of give it away to a nonprofit, an important local nonprofit, we could. But right now, for one we really need it for the Health Department.

Cristina A. Ross

Town Council Seeks Change in How New Canaan Approves ARPA Allocations

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Multiple members of New Canaan’s legislative body last week said that they want to change the way proposed American Rescue Plan Act or “ARPA” allocations are approved after feeling pressured to vote in favor of more than $2 million in the federal funds as a block last month. The Town Council on Dec. 15 voted 11-1 to approve $2.05 million in ARPA funds for eight items in a single vote. During the elected body’s Jan. 19 meeting, Councilman Maria Naughton asked whether the Town Council “should consider doing line-item approvals when we get these ARPA requests coming in” since “there were some questions on some” of the items.

“I don’t think there’s that many that it would be burdensome,” Naughton said at the meeting, held via videoconference.

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Three More Smash-and-Grabs Reported Monday at Waveny

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Police say they received three more reports Monday of smash-and-grabs from motor vehicles parked at Waveny. Asked about the larcenies, Police Lt. Jason Ferraro said the vehicles had windows smashed in and items taken from them, the same method used Sunday in similar crimes. Monday’s reports from Waveny came in at 12:20, 12:37 and 12:39 p.m., according to a police log. It isn’t yet clear just what was stolen. Sunday saw purses, an iPhone, wallet and several banking and ID cards stolen from parked cars.

Alyssa MacKenzie

Q&A: Residents Launch ‘New Canaan Pride 2021’ for June

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Dozens of rainbow flag signs and window clings featuring the hashtag #NewCanaanPRIDE are appearing on residential and commercial properties throughout town—the result of a local grassroots effort to mark Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer or LGBTQ Pride Month here in New Canaan. New Canaan’s Hilary Ormond, Julia Stewart, Marley Thackray, Tami Wilkinson, D.J. Kornell, Alyssa MacKenzie, Shona Goldenberg and an organizing committee of 10 others have launched a “New Canaan Pride” Facebook page that has swelled to 360 members in just two weeks, and have sold dozens of the signs (to cover the cost of producing them). In all, more than 150 lawn signs and 75 window clings have been sold. We put some questions to Stewart to learn about how the idea to bring Pride Month to New Canaan started, how it’s being received and what the organizing group plans. New Canaanite: Tell us about “New Canaan Pride 2021.”

Government

Police Chief ‘Thrilled’ That Security Cameras Now Are Being Installed at Waveny’s Entrances

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The chief of the New Canaan Police Department said he’s “thrilled” that security cameras are being installed at Waveny’s two main entrances. 

Asked about the pole-mounted security cameras—there’s one already in place at the park’s Lapham Road entrance—Police Chief Leon Krolikowski noted that New Canaan has seen motor vehicle break-ins in recent weeks at both Waveny and Irwin Parks. “We have seen video cameras work well specifically at the YMCA, preventing people from breaking into vehicles,” Krolikowski told NewCanaanite.com. “And if they do commit a crime, it will help us catch and and arrest them and prevent future crimes from occurring. These groups will enter a vehicle if they believe that there are valuables inside. Very typically they strike public parks and public common areas in Fairfield County, recently in Monroe and in our town and other parts of Fairfield County.