Government

Town, Church Reach Agreement on God’s Acre

By |

The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Carriage Barn Arts Center. The Board of Selectmen during its most recent meeting voted in favor of an agreement that’s expected to bring a lengthy legal battle between the town and Congregational Church of New Canaan to a close. The agreement (which can be read here in full) sets aside the question of who owns God’s Acre—a question that First Selectman Kevin Moynihan raised amid the legal dispute—and calls for creation of a four-person committee to make decisions about the hallowed New Canaan property, a burial ground for the town’s founders. Selectman Kathleen Corbet during the Board’s July 25 meeting cited this sentence from the agreement—“Whereas, for at least two centuries the church, the town and New Canaan residents have honored, maintained and enjoyed God’s Acre in a respectful and harmonious manner”—saying, “I feel this agreement moves forward with those intentions.”

Selectman Nick Williams added, “It’s an elegant and simple solution.”

The selectmen voted 3-0 to accept it. 

A dispute first arose in 2020, when the church opposed a town-backed plan to construct a stone terrace at the top of God’s Acre, saying that they were the legal owners of the property. The church’s claim was questioned by Moynihan, who noted that the town spends taxpayer dollars maintaining the parcel. 

While evidence has since been discovered by attorneys representing the Congregational Church that supports their claim to ownership, the new policy that both parties have agreed upon will override any previous claim to ownership in favor of both parties agreeing to hold joint stewardship of the property.

Government

Organization Seeks Changes to ‘Gores Pavilion’ Agreement with Town

By |

A venerable nonprofit organization is seeking changes to its lease with the town regarding an historic building located in a public park. The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society has proposed changes to its lease agreement for Gores Pavilion, an iconic structure in Irwin Park, including that “exterior painting” be added to a list of repairs that NCM&HS can request town funds for, according to documents obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. 

Painting had been in the existing 2007 agreement as the sole responsibility of NCM&HS, but under the proposed change, the responsibility for the cost of exterior painting would be incurred by the town while interior painting remains the responsibility of the nonprofit organization. The drafted revisions appeared to have been submitted to the town in January by NCM&HS Executive Director Nancy Geary, though no action has yet been taken, according to Selectman Nick Williams.

During the July 11 Board of Selectmen meeting, Williams mentioned to First Selectmen Kevin Moynihan that he had been contacted by Historical Society officials asking for an update. “The Historical Society, I guess there was a request from Nancy to make some minor modifications to the Irwin agreement,” Williams said at the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “The Gores Pavilion agreement.

Business

Gulf Station Owners: ‘We Have No Deal with the Town’

By |

Contrary to what New Canaan’s first selectman recently claimed, the owners of the Gulf station downtown say they haven’t reached any deal to sell to the town. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan “has been talking to us for two years about trying to buy it but we never came to anything,” according to Lenny Fugaro, a co-owner of the gas station and repair shop at 36 South Ave. “Who knows, at some point we might sell to them if it ever came up to the right price,” Fugaro said. “We have no deal with the town at this point.”

He addressed a comment that Moynihan made during a pre-Republican Caucus debate on July 18. There, the first selectman said, “We’re working on a transaction—since there’s no press here—we’ve reached a deal to acquire the Gulf Station, to get the Gulf Station next to the library.

Footer Featured Widget

Moynihan: Town Has ‘Reached a Deal’ To Acquire Gulf Station Property

By |

New Canaan’s highest elected official said during a recent debate that the town has “reached a deal” to purchase the Gulf Station property at South Avenue and Cherry Street. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan during a July 18 pre-Republican Caucus debate said, “We’re working on a transaction—since there’s no press here—we’ve reached a deal to acquire the Gulf Station, to get the Gulf Station next to the library. That was a transaction people said couldn’t be done, and we have a deal to get it done.”

He spoke in response to a question put to Republican first selectman candidates regarding why they’re the best candidates for the town’s top job. It wasn’t clear from Moynihan’s comments how far along the “deal” for the property is, whether its current owners are selling or what the town would do with the .31-acre parcel at 36 South Ave. 

It was purchased for $4.7 million three years ago, by a limited liability company whose principals include a Norwalk man, according to Connecticut Secretary of the State records. 

New Canaan Library owns the rest of the downtown block. The prospect of the town buying the Gulf station first publicly emerged as a Board of Selectmen meeting in April.

Dionna Carlson

Election 2023: Republicans Back Dionna Carlson for First Selectman; Contested BOE, Town Council Slates Set

By |

Dionna Carlson on Tuesday received Republican party backing in her bid to win New Canaan’s highest elected office. The former Board of Education chair, who campaigned for party backing on a platform of increased transparency, civility, teamwork and public input, received more votes than incumbent Kevin Moynihan and fellow challenger Kimberly Norton combined in the Republican Caucus, held at Saxe Middle School. Here’s a snapshot of voting results in contested Caucus races:

“I’m thrilled to be moving on,” Carlson told NewCanaanite.com. “A huge thank you to all the voters who came out,” she continued. “This was a really high turnout election so I think the voice of the Republican party in New Canaan was heard this evening.