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Police: New Canaan Sees Uptick in Residential Burglaries

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The chief of police is asking New Canaan residents to take precautions following a recent uptick in home burglaries. The New Canaan Police Department responded to five burglary calls in January, up from zero in December and just two in the year-ago month, Chief John DiFederico reported at the Feb. 15 Police Commission meeting. “We had quite an uptick in the burglary trend,” DiFederico said during the meeting, held at police headquarters and via videoconference. 

“It’s one of those things that seem to be cyclical and when a crew gets going, they kind of hit hard and fast and we’ve had some go through town,” he continued. “We put out some social media tips to keep the lights on, keep the doors locked, obviously.

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Town Plans for Increased Pedestrian Traffic, Safety at South and Maple [UPDATED]

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[Note: This article has been updated to say the pedestrian-activated beacons will run across South Avenue on the south side of the intersection with Maple Street.]

Saying the newly built New Canaan Library is expected to draw even more walkers in the area of South Avenue at Maple Street, town officials last week voted in favor of installing a pedestrian-activated flashing beacon there. The new set of rapid rectangular flashing beacons or “RRFBs” will run across South Avenue on the south side, where there’s an existing crosswalk, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. “Given the fact that the library will be opening and some of their people are going to be parking across at St. Aloysius and then St. Aloysius is still using the library as their library, the library becoming more of a hub, we request to upgrade the signage at South and Maple,” Mann told members of the Police Commission during their Jan.

Government

Town Turns Down Request To Remove ‘No Turn on Red’ Sign

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Citing safety concerns, officials last week denied a resident’s request to rid one leg of a busy downtown intersection of its “No Turn on Red” designation. Motorists traveling toward town on Heritage Hill Road cannot turn right at the light at Main Street. New Canaan resident David Kirby met with Public Works Director Tiger Mann to ask whether the “No Turn on Red” designation could be removed in order to improve traffic flow. Yet the light helps ensure that motorists turning onto Main Street just below the intersection, from Locust Avenue, are unimpeded as they pass by Heritage Hill Road, officials said at the Jan. 18 Police Commission meeting.

Government

Town To Install Pedestrian-Activated Beacons at Crosswalk To South School Playground

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Saying it would improve safety for walkers, including many schoolchildren, town officials last week voted in favor of installing pedestrian-activated flashing beacons at a crosswalk near South School. The mid-block crosswalk on Gower Road, connecting the Douglas Road neighborhood to the playground at South, currently has “the normal pedestrian signs with the down arrows and ‘Pedestrian Crossing Ahead’ signs for this crossing,” Public Works Director Tiger Mann told members of the Police Commission during their Jan. 18 meeting, held at the New Canaan Police Department and via videoconference. Parents have come to the town asking for upgraded signage there, he said. “Given the fact that we are trying to promote more foot traffic to the school and more pedestrian traffic in the area, they requested that we upgrade to a rapid rectangular flashing beacon,” Mann said.

Government

Town Approves Detours for Upcoming Water Transmission Line Project [CORRECTION]

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Editor: This article has been corrected to say that the main installation on Little Brook Road will be done this coming summer of 2023, and was not finished last summer. Members of New Canaan’s state-designated local traffic authority at their most recent meeting approved use of local roads for detours during a major project from Aquarion water. 

The Police Commission at its Dec. 19 meeting voted 3-0 for the Connecticut Department of Transportation to use New Canaan roads as a detour as it finishes installing a 36-inch water transmission line this year. The state has already finished segments of its installation, which involves going down about nine feet, Public Works Director Tiger Mann told the Commission at its meeting, held at police headquarters and via videoconference. “They did a piece on Lakeview Avenue, from [Route] 123 to Millport,” Mann said.