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

Town Preps Parking Area as Bristow Nears 100-Year Celebration

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The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. Did you know New Canaan has the third oldest bird sanctuary in the United States? 

This year that bird sanctuary turns 100 years old. 

The centennial anniversary celebration of Bristow Bird Sanctuary is slated for this coming September, marked by five years of significant restorations to the park. 

Starting five years ago, in collaboration with the Friends of Bristow volunteers, donors, and the Town of New Canaan, improvements have been made to the park with a focus on public accessibility. Restorations include updated senior and stroller accessibility, improved bird habitats, and native plantings. 

“The restoration project began back in 2019 when the park responsibility for the Bristow Park was transferred to the Conservation Commission,” Former Conservation Chair Chris Schipper said. “We felt like if there was going to be a centennial, the park should be upgraded or restored to be in great shape so that it set the tone for the next 100 years.”

Director of Public Works Tiger Mann said that the town now is “in the process of putting in a pull off parking area and a sidewalk that leads from Bristow to Park Street so that the park is now connected to our sidewalk network.”

Currently, the park’s restoration is in its final stages. 

Schipper said: “The clear goal of the restoration program was to restore and improve the bird habitat and visibility within the park, but also to improve the accessibility of the park – accessible meaning all the way to senior and more stroller friendly access.”

A comprehensive list of improvements are as follows:

Deer fence surrounding the preserve repaired and raised
The Pond and its surroundings have been dredged and armored
Streams have been lined with boulders to limit erosion
Pathways have been graded and surfaced with fine stone; walking trails have been cleared
Historic Perambulation wall rebuilt
Boardwalks have been raised across wetlands
Bridges rebuilt across streams
Granite steps laid
Benches placed
Native plantings that sustain local and migratory bird populations installed
Fernery and pollinator gardens planted
Two overlook viewing areas opened up
A center crossing pavilion built suitable for education sessions
A birdhouse education trail with information signage and photos created
A wetlands bird blind installer
A nature oriented lending library placed
20 native trees planted and tree identification markers place
Francis of Assisi statue being replace
Pollinator Pathway Garden installed by wildflower meadow, dedicated to the late resident, naturalist and volunteer Cam Hutchins
New White Oak planted to replace the fallen Mighty Bristow Oak
A four-car pull-off by the Old Stamford Road entrance under construction
Senior and stroller friendly flexipave accessway from Mead Park is being laid in July
The sidewalk will be extended from Park Street by September

Officials said they are hopeful that the restoration will be completed by Sept. 8, the day of the centennial celebration.

Dionna Carlson

Residents May Become Responsible for Clearing Their Sidewalks of Snow and Ice

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The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. New Canaan’s highest elected official wants the town to consider requiring residents to clear snow and ice from sidewalks abutting their homes. At present, the town is required to remove snow and ice from sidewalks outside the downtown area, mandated by ordinance. Despite this, the town is only able to tend to nine of the 20 mandated miles due to staffing and attempts to contain costs within an inflationary budget, officials say. According to First Selectman Dionna Carlson, maintaining all 20 miles would cost something close to another $2 million a year.

Amy Murphy Caroll

Broken Column on White Birch Road To Be Repaired

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The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. After six months, New Canaan officials are bringing to a conclusion the repair of the conspicuously broken column at the top of White Birch Road. As previously reported, one of the two columns located at the start of White Birch Road (opposite the off-ramp from Merritt Parkway Exit 37 northbound) was struck and damaged by a vehicle last December, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. 

Last Tuesday, during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, held at Town Hall and via videoconference, Mann discussed a check he had acquired from the driver’s insurance company. Mann sought the approval of a request from the Department of Public Works to enter into a contract with a repair company to fix the column. “We received a check for the entire amount of $5,350,” Mann said.

Board of Selectmen

First Selectman Pushes for ‘Zero-Based Budgeting’ [Correction]

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The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. New Canaan’s highest elected official this week called for the town to be even more fiscally conservative in its approach to contractors and vendors hired by the municipality. 

First Selectman Dionna Carlson said Tuesday that the town should move toward “zero-based budgeting” versus “carry-forward budgeting.”

“We’ll continue to get better at this process, but the way it should be done is we go out to our vendors and get an estimate for the year based on what we’ve made and what we buy,” Carlson said during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. The comments came during a discussion of a blanket purchase order request from Public Works Director Tiger Mann regarding the town’s Water Pollution Control Facility. The purchase order includes 18 items totaling $532,667.50. 

Selectman Amy Murphy Carroll asked Mann whether the listed prices were “working off of last year.”

“Are you doing any inflation adjustments on this stuff?” Murphy Carroll asked. Mann said no, that DPW is “working strictly off of last year’s number.”

“We’re not making an adjustment per se,” Mann said.