‘We Felt It Immediately’: Downtown Merchants on the Loss of Parking Spaces on Elm Street

One month after town officials preliminarily “lined out” a new parking configuration on Elm Street that loses downtown New Canaan more than a dozen spaces, some merchants say the change already is having a dramatic effect on business. Though parking woes already were aired daily by customers, the new scheme that includes a legally required 25-foot buffer zone between a crosswalk and parking space “has had an immediate impact,” according to Maxine Berg, owner of Jade, a popular luxury fashion fitness boutique at 7 Elm St. “We felt it immediately, the minute those spaces were taken,” said Berg, who purchases parking permits for the Center School Lot for herself and staff at the shop. “Especially on my part of Elm. There were four, five spaces.”

Prompted by a resident’s formal complaint about New Canaan’s non-compliance with what appears to be a seldom-observed state law, the town rather suddenly in mid-July was compelled to eliminate 13 parking spaces on Elm Street, which has five crosswalks.

‘Early Bird Sales’ To Premiere Friday, Setting Up New Canaan Sidewalk Sales

For 51 years, New Canaan has held its Sidewalk Sale & Village Fair in July. With the third week of the month already underway, New Canaan stores and shops have already started to set up for this weekend. Although the town has had this date set for every year, the Darien and Greenwich weekend sales fall on the same days this year. Expected to lose some of the crowd to the other towns, the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce has worked with stores and town officials that many expect will please bargain-hunters and merchants alike this year. For the first time, street-level stores downtown will hold ‘Early Bird Sales’ on Friday.

Organizers Suspend Pop Up Park after Some Merchants Raise Concerns

The committee that developed, managed and advocated on behalf of the Pop Up Park downtown—recently securing approval to keep it in place through the summer—is suspending those plans indefinitely after a group of merchants in town voiced opposition. According to a letter obtained by NewCanaanite.com that’s signed by 16 business owners downtown—most of them retailers, including Elm Street Books owner Susan Rein and Pimilico owner Jill Saunders (see full letter below, as well as those who added their names to it)—the Pop Up Park in occupying the final block of South Avenue at Elm Street obstructs traffic, blocks parking and displaces an important loading zone. While complimenting Pop Up Park Committee members for their passion and diligence, these merchants say, the park itself “hampers business” because its visitors do not patronize local shops and restaurants. “If it continues much longer, the small-town charm of New Canaan’s downtown is going to be overrun by big box chains just like many other towns in our area,” according to the letter, dated June 1. “The look of the Park does nothing to enhance the visual appeal of town,” the letter said.

New Canaan’s First Annual ‘Pink Stroll’

On Thursday October 9th over fifteen New Canaan stores will be hosting an inaugural “Pink Stroll.” The Stroll is designed as a way to celebrate Breast Cancer Survivors and raise awareness as well as funds for critical breast cancer services for residents of Connecticut and research. The event is a joint effort between The Chamber of Commerce, local merchants and Susan G. Komen Connecticut. The New Canaan Chamber partnered with Komen Connecticut as all funds donated support research and local breast cancer education, screening and treatment programs for women in Connecticut. Seventy-five percent of the money donated to Komen Connecticut goes to fund critical breast cancer services in Connecticut. The remaining 25 percent goes to fund national research programs. This is especially important as Connecticut has the highest incidence of breast cancer in the United States, with New Canaan being one of the top twenty towns in the state with the highest rates breast cancer.

New Canaan’s Jacqueline Dorman, Breast Cancer Survivor and Pink Stroll Supporter: ‘I Don’t Want Anyone To Miss a Mammogram’

Though she had no family history of breast cancer, New Canaan resident Jacqueline Dorman goes diligently for mammograms and—as an additional (not substitute) screening tool that sometimes can detect masses where mammography isn’t helpful, the American Cancer Society says—ultrasounds. Last December, through ultrasound, the 45-year-old mom of three discovered that she had two masses in her breast, and one of them was malignant. After testing positive for “BRCA2”—sometimes called the “breast cancer susceptibility gene”—Dorman in January underwent a double mastectomy, reconstructive surgery and, fearing the development of ovarian cancer, a partial hysterectomy. On Thursday, Dorman—a Scotland native and town resident for 10 years who is a professional lawyer—will join other local breast cancer survivors for New Canaan’s first-ever Pink Stroll, a joint effort of the Chamber of Commerce, local merchants (full list below) and Connecticut affiliate of Susan G. Komen. The event, to run 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at participating shops, will see Dorman and other survivors model fashions of the individual stores while donating 10 percent of all proceeds to Komen and raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.