Government

Once Part of a 90-Acre Farmland Parcel, Historic West Road Barn on Track for Restoration

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Officials on Tuesday approved a West Road property owner’s plan to restore what is being called a historically significant barn, and in a slightly different way than had originally been approved. It isn’t clear just when the 1.5-story barn at 388 West Road was built, though the head of the New Canaan Historical Society puts construction of an original house that had stood there and listed a barn on the property at about 1764. Originally, general contractor Ian Hobbs of New Canan’s Hobbs Inc. had planned as part of the restoration—which included modest additions (such as dormers and enough height for to accommodate them) and required a special permit—to preserve certain historical aspects of the structure itself. However, Hobbs told the Planning & Zoning Commission at its regular meeting, “a tremendous amount of rot” was discovered in the vertical beams during asbestos abatement. As a result, two alternatives emerged: using the barn’s mostly well-preserved horizontal beams for decorative purposes or else leave them in place and work around them at greater time and with no aesthetic benefit, as they’ll have to be sheet-rocked over in any case for fire safety, Hobbs said.

Around Town

Boy Scout Project Improves Access to Land Trust Parcel

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By Mark Peiser

A Boy Scout Eagle Project, completed in October, now provides improved access to the New Canaan Land Trust’s Colhoun Parcel. The project includes a safer entrance gate and a designated parking area, making it easier for members of the community to access the parcel. Gifted in 1974 by Dick and Didi Colhoun, the parcel is located on Davenport Ridge Road, just west of Skyview Lane, and is the New Canaan Land Trust’s third largest with 21 acres of undisturbed woodlands and meadows. Chris Schipper, president of the Land Trust, said, “The Colhoun Parcel is a key part of the Land Trust’s ‘Gateways of New Canaan’ Stewardship Program. At the crossroads of New Canaan and Stamford, Colhoun is a lead parcel for our Gateways program.

Around Town

New Sign to Spotlight Expansive Historical Society Campus

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A new sign soon will grace the front lawn of the New Canaan Historical Society, welcoming motorists and pedestrians traveling along Oenoke there at the top of God’s Acre, as the venerable organization marks its 125th birthday this year. To be set about four or five feet behind the stone wall, between a pair of maple trees fronting Oenoke Ridge Road, the sign will appear to stand at 4.5 feet from the street-side vantage point. Executive Director Janet Lindstrom said during Thursday’s meeting of the Historic District Commission that a sign had stood in that area several years ago and was not replaced after it was vandalized. The sign’s deliberate placement and purpose is to inform passersby that the Historical Society is not a single structure (The Town House beside St. Michael’s also has a sign next to the organization’s driveway) but several on a substantial campus.

New Canaan Historical Society

Colonial Concert & Cocktails Kicks Off New Canaan Historical Society’s 125th Anniversary

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The New Canaan Historical Society will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a yearlong celebration of programs and activities, beginning with its Colonial Concert & Cocktails event, Friday, Oct. 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Town House, chaired by New Canaan’s First Lady, Liz Mallozzi, and continuing the next day with a family-oriented Colonial Day, Saturday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the grounds of the Historical Society. For more information, to purchase tickets or make a donation, please visit www.NCHistory.org. Tickets are also available at the New Canaan Historical Society, 13 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan.

News

Town to ‘Renew Old Tradition’ with ‘Welcome to New Canaan’ Signs

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First Selectman Rob Mallozzi says that for years, he has admired and appreciated the “Welcome” signs that often greet motorists pulling off of roads such as the Merritt Parkway and crossing from one municipality to another in Connecticut and elsewhere. “I thought to myself that New Canaan is the most welcoming community I know—why don’t we have one?” Mallozzi said. We may, soon enough. Town planning officials on Tuesday approved a proposal to install a DOT-approved, 4.5-foot-high “Welcome to New Canaan” sign at two entrances to the town (not far from the southbound off-ramps of Exits 37 and 38 on the Merritt). Tiger Mann, assistant director of the Department of Public Works, unveiled the signs at the Planning & Zoning Commission’s regular meeting, held in the Douglas Room at Lapham Community Center.