Government

Town Purchasing Two Solar-Powered Speed Sentries

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The Board of Selectmen at its most recent meeting approved an approximately $27,000 contract with a Bethel-based company to purchase two solar-powered devices to monitor motor vehicle speeds in New Canaan. The selectmen voted 3-0 at their Oct. 3 meeting to approve the $26,783.54 contract for two speed sentries from East Coast Sign & Supply Inc.

The town has “seen a definite benefit to having them out on the street, let’s put it that way, either to gather data in certain sections where we’re having residential complaints or as a permanent installation for the future,” according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. The solar-powered sentries will relieve the town of switching out batteries and moving the devices around town, Mann said. “If we have a situation where we think we have a permanent speed problem, we put these up and then we don’t have to necessarily change out the battery,” he said at the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.

Government

Public Works Roundup: Update on Roadworks Around New Canaan

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We spoke with Public Works Director Tiger Mann on Tuesday to get an update on roadworks around New Canaan—paving as well as repaving after utilities work. The roundup is below. Please also note that the town’s ongoing infiltration and inflow study of the sewer system will be conducted Wednesday on Elm, Grove, Park, Seminary and Weed Streets, Richmond Hill Road, Kimberly and Prospect Places, Scofield, Oenoke and Gerrish Lanes, and Oenoke Ridge. Residents should expect to see a smoke-like vapor coming out of their vent pipe. Please do not call fire or police about this non-hazardous vapor, this is part of the study.

Government

Town Redoing ‘Splitter Island’ at Mead Park Exit As Part of Sidewalk Project

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The Board of Selectmen at its most recent meeting approved an approximately $13,000 contract with an East Otis, Mass.-based company to acquire granite curbing for a new “splitter island” in Mead Park, among other projects. The selectmen voted 3-0 in favor of the $13,469.86 contract with Williams Stone during the elected body’s Sept. 19 meeting. The traffic island where the access road through Mead Park exits onto Richmond Hill Road divides motor vehicles turning left or right at that point and the granite curbing for an improved island “need to be specifically made for that piece,” according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. The splitter island is “very small with basically two signs in it that say ‘one-way’ or what have you,” Mann told the selectmen at the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.

Government

Major Paving Project To Start Next Week

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The town is poised to start a major paving project next week, encompassing many of the roads along the South Avenue-Main Street corridor. Public Works Director told members of the Board of Selectmen during their most recent meeting that he’s hoping the approximately $1.6 million paving project starts Oct. 1 so that it’s wrapped up well ahead of Thanksgiving. The town is to be reimbursed by utility companies for paving that will include Farm Road, South Avenue, Brooks Road, Crystal Street, Elm Place, Grace Street, Hawthorne Road, Kelly Green, Leslie Lane, Meadow Lane, Orchard Lane, Park Place, Selleck Place, Whitney Avenue, Woodland Road, Autumn Lane, Douglas Road, Fairty Drive, Orchard Drive, Southwood Drive, Tommy’s Lane, Green Avenue, Maple Street, Oak Street, Locust Avenue and Grove Street. The town is hiring Norwalk-based FGB Construction to do the work, and will be reimbursed by Eversource and Aquarion, Mann said.

Government

‘It’s a Scary Proposition’: Pedestrian Safety Issue Emerges Near Saxe Middle School

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Farm Road motorists are blowing through a crosswalk with a pedestrian-activated flashing beacon near Saxe Middle School, raising serious safety concerns for the town, officials say. The crosswalk at Farm Road between Field Crest Road and Village Drive already has a “Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacon” or “RRFB,” according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. 

Though the overall motorist “adherence rate” to the devices (there are six in New Canaan) is about 92 percent—a high figure—“we are having a little bit of a problem with the one at Saxe,” Mann told the Board of Selectmen at its most recent meeting. “People were running through it,” Mann said at the meeting, held Sept. 5 in Town Hall and via videoconference. “Kids will press the button and people are still running through it because they want to get through South Avenue and then through South and Farm and then get onward towards the Merritt or wherever else they need to go.