News

‘People Could Have Been Killed’: Mill Road Residents Voice Concerns about Speeding Motorists

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Residents of Mill Road on the eastern side of town say speeding motorists are a major hazard for the many young families that walk and cycle in the area. 

Saying it’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or worse, residents are calling for the town to implement traffic calming measures on Mill, a narrow roadway of 31 homes that runs east off of Silvermine Road and then hooks to follow the river toward Norwalk. 

“Ever since we’ve moved in there, the level of speeding is unbelievable,” Neil McMorrow told members of the Police Commission at their Sept. 18 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “The volume of traffic when we first moved in was not that great. And maybe in 2015 or ‘16, I contacted New Canaan Police, I have contacted Norwalk [Police]. New Canaan put a solar[-powered] speed [sentry]—unfortunately, under a tree canopy, so it really didn’t work.

Hardesty & Hanover

Officials Weigh Possible Third Stop Sign at 106-Carter Street Intersection

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The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. Motorists are speeding along a busy stretch of Route 106 in New Canaan and officials now are looking at possibly adding a stop sign to an already complicated intersection. During the July 17 meeting of the Police Commission, a representative of New-Haven-based Hardesty & Hanover presented officials with various ideas to remedy the skewed intersection of Carter Street, state Route 106 or Silvermine Road, and Canoe Hill Road. After hearing numerous proposals for possible solutions, Police Chief John DiFederico questioned why the traffic consultant had not considered placing a single stop sign in the westbound direction of the intersection – creating a three-way stop. Veronica Prezioso of Hardesty & Hanover said she thought this was a “good point” and that she would have to further “look into it.” 

She told town officials at the meeting—held at Town Hall and via videoconference— that the addition of the third stop sign could be a viable solution but added that it would invite more signage earlier on, likely with blinking lights to indicate to drivers that there would be a stop. 

DiFederico noted that it was a much cheaper solution and could be implemented much quicker. 

Director of Public Works Tiger Mann said that officials had already looked into a four-way stop at the intersection and even the installation of a traffic light, but those ideas were vetoed earlier on.

Government

Police Commission Discusses Traffic Woes at Gerdes, Conrad

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The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. Traffic engineers say the motor vehicle backup and speeding problems that New Canaanites are seeing in the “South of the Y” neighborhood during commuter hours are due to two main issues. The town has been grappling with backed-up vehicles on Gerdes Road, and a related problem of speeding on Conrad Road, for more than one year. In the morning, especially, southbound Merritt Parkway commuters are skirting traffic between exits 38 and 37 as directed by navigation apps such as Waze and Google Maps. Drivers either queue up for the Gerdes Road/South Avenue light to re-enter the Merritt at exit 37, or else swing out wider to Conrad and Whiffle Tree Roads, officials have said.

Around Town

Playhouse Movie Theater To Reopen to the Public Friday; Special Premiere Thursday [PHOTOS]

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New Canaan’s iconic 101-year-old movie theater, The Playhouse on Elm Street, is set to reopen to the public on Friday following a four-year closure. The completely renovated, twin-screen theater—brought back to life following an agreement with New Jersey-based CinemaLab to operate the town-owned building—is set for a special invite-only premiere Thursday night and then will open to the general public with Ryan Reynolds’s movie “If.”

The town Police Commission last week approved the theater’s operational plan to make a big splash of Thursday’s premiere. Represented by town resident Jayne Benton, the cupola-topped theater will see the Playhouse Lot out back closed in the early afternoon for guests of the premiere to gather for a red carpet entrance down the LPQ alley and into the building. 

“All of our guests are going to enter down the alleyway down a red carpet, turn the corner and go in the front door,” Benton told members of the appointed body at their June 20 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “But we don’t need to block off the whole sidewalk. We have some stanchions that are going to go along there, as well, because we’d like to be able to have people walking in front of the Playhouse and kind of being a part of the whole thing.”

The whole thing has been a long time coming and eagerly anticipated by New Canaanites. 

Closed at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and available to a new tenant since later that year, when Bow Tie Cinemas terminated its lease, the Playhouse originally was scheduled to reopen for its centennial (2023) but that date has been pushed back amid construction delays.

Business

Outdoor Dining Season in Downtown New Canaan on Track for April 1 to Oct. 31

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Town officials on Wednesday approved the installation of new concrete “planter” barricades for outdoor dining for the upcoming season. The Police Commission voted 3-0 during its regular meeting to allow for the barricades to be put in place from April 1 to Oct. 31. They’ll be placed on either side of the sidewalk “bumpouts” on the northern side of Elm Street, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. They will be “in the area from, say, in front of Rosie’s and then the area from Solé from the Playhouse westward past Chef Luis,” Mann told the Commission at the meeting, held in Town Hall and via videoconference.