Government

Police Commission Chair Vows To Support Homeowner Seeking Wider Curb Cut for Driveway

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The chair of the Police Commission said last week that he would sign a letter to the state supporting a New Canaan homeowner’s bid to widen their curb cut along Route 123 by about 30%. 

As it is, the driveway at 507 Smith Ridge Road is 26 feet wide at the curb cut, or four feet wider than what the state Department of Transportation would normally allow, a representative of the homeowner told members of the Police Commission at their Oct. 20 meeting. Saying that traffic on the busy north-south artery often exceeds the posted speed limit, the homeowner is seeking to widen the driveway by eight feet more, to 34 feet total, landscape architect Allan Broadbent said during the meeting, held at New Canaan Police Department headquarters as well as via videoconference. 

Broadbent said his client purchased the property earlier this year “and within several weeks had a few near-misses of almost getting rear-ended.”

“You all know how it is to drive on Smith Ridge,” Broadbent said. “Traffic flies, and so you have to really slam on your brakes to get into the driveway. So I was hired as landscape architect to investigate if we could make that safer.

Billy MacLeod

Local Couple Seeks To Establish ‘New Canaan Valet Services’ Downtown

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Municipal officials said last week that they need more information in order to green-light a proposal to set aside some parking spaces in downtown New Canaan for valet services on Friday and Saturday nights. Town resident Billy MacLeod told members of the Police Commission during their regular meeting Sept. 15 that he conceived of New Canaan Valet Services when his disabled 82-year-old mother during two separate visits was unable to find parking in the business district. Stations set up on Main, Elm and Forest Streets would offer to valet-park vehicles with certified disabled placards for free, while also making it more convenient for seniors to enjoy the downtown and improving traffic flow at areas that see frequent double-parking due to a lack of available spaces, MacLeod said during the meeting, held via videoconference. 

“We are just trying to solve problem and willing work with town any way you need us to to make sure that it works for you and it works for the residents,” said MacLeod, a U.S. Navy veteran who has managed valet companies in the past. He added that the local restaurateurs he talked to have said they would validate the $10 valet parking fee for customers—essentially covering the cost for patrons of New Canaan businesses.

Around Town

5th Annual Addiction Awareness Vigil Set for Sept. 1

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One year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the event online, an annual vigil that has drawn hundreds to downtown New Canaan to honor those who have died due to addiction and those in recovery is set to return in-person. The 5th Annual Addiction Awareness Vigil is to be held from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 1 in the former “Pop Up Park” area at South Avenue and Elm Street. “We are excited that unlike last year where we had to do it virtually that we are back in person for it,” town resident Paul Reinhardt, founder of the New Canaan Parent Support Group, told members of the Police Commission during their regular meeting, held July 26 via videoconference. Reinhardt created the support group after losing his own son, Evan Reinhardt, on July 15, 2015, at age 24.

Around Town

Reality TV Stars Coming to New Canaan for Ribbon-Cutting at ‘The Agency’

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The former “Pop-Up Park” downtown will reappear for a few hours at the end of this month to celebrate the launch of a new real estate brokerage in New Canaan. The Aug. 31 ribbon-cutting at The Agency will feature appearances by its founder, Mauricio Umanski, and his wife, Kyle Richards, of “Million Dollar Listing” and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” respectively, among other reality TV shows, officials say. 

“There’s going to be a good amount of camera crews, from Bravo TV, Netflix,” The Agency’s managing partner, Cliff Smith, told members of the Police Commission at their July 26 meeting, held via videoconference. “We would just like to see if we could just shut down that one section to have a great, fun event, bring awareness to the community, and like I said, we have invited all the shop owners that we have become friendly with since we started,” Smith said. “And I think it will just be a very controlled, fun event.”

The comments came as part of a request to close the first block of South Avenue, between Elm Street and Morse Court, from 4 to 9 p.m. for The Agency’s ribbon-cutting, which will be held 5 to 8 p.m., Smith said.