Government

Town Hall To Get Plaques Listing New Canaanites Who Served in Korea, Vietnam and during Gulf War, War on Terrorism

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Town officials recently approved the payment of about $7,000 in privately raised funds to a Trumbull-based company that will install plaques at Town Hall honoring New Canaanites who have served in wartime. The additional plaques for the new major entrance of Town Hall will list the names of residents who served during the Korean War, Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm of the Gulf War, according to Bill Oestmann, buildings superintendent of the New Canaan Department of Public Works. The Board of Selectmen at its June 27 meeting voted 3-0 to approve $6,962.76 for A.W. Construction LLC—funds raised by VFW Post 653 and the Exchange Club of New Canaan. VFW Post 653 Commander Peter Langenus said later that New Canaan’s American Legion Post 30 has given an “incredible commitment of time and money” to the project. During the meeting, held at Town Hall,First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said: “I applaud the effort.”

Government

Selectmen Approve Installation of New Sound Barrier for Chillers at Town Hall

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The Board of Selectmen at its most recent meeting unanimously approved a request from the Department of Public Works that ultimately will reduce the noise levels created by the chiller sound barriers on the south side of Town Hall. New Canaan will enter contracts with Hoover Treated Wood Products and Gannon Rustic Fences at a total cost of $18,191. The sound barrier closes the loop on an ongoing dispute between the town and next-door neighbor Cody Real Estate. When Town Hall was renovated and expanded, the chillers were placed on the south side of the building, adjacent to commercial buildings owned by Cody. The company said that the noisiness of the chillers were prohibitively loud, especially if the commercial properties were to be developed to include second-floor residential units.

Around Town

‘It Grows Tall and Straight’: Sugar Maple Tree Planted at Town Hall in Memory of Ben Olmstead Sees Its First Spring

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It’s been nearly two years since a beloved, longtime New Canaan public works employee died on the job following an accident. Ben Olmstead was known by family, residents, co-workers and friends for his kind and generous spirit and his vast, detailed knowledge of the town’s infrastructure and history. Killed on July 23, 2014 by a slow-moving motor vehicle while striping the road with spray paint for a sewer hookup to a residence near the corner of routes 123 and 106—Olmstead knew so much about New Canaan that what he could do in a part-time job is now being done by full-time workers. He was “a tremendously valuable person,” First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said. “He was kind and had many relationships with people around town, really an ideal employee,” the first selectman said.

Government

‘It is a Beautiful Part of Our Town’: Selectmen Approve Funds for Exterior Restoration of Vine Cottage

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Calling Vine Cottage a “beautiful part of our town,” town officials last week approved funds to renovate the exterior of the prominent Main Street structure. It is important that the Town does not tamper with the look of the building, because it blends beautifully into the architecture of New Canaan, First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said during a Board of Selectmen meeting. With Mallozzi, Selectmen Beth Jones and Nick Williams gave unanimous approval for the New Canaan Department of Public Works to enter into a $43,500 contract with Manhattan-based Architectural Preservation Studio, which has an office on Pine Street in New Canaan . According to Bill Oestmann, buildings and fleet superintendent for the DPW, the most recent renovation of the Vine Cottage was, “about 12, 15 years ago and mostly that was all interior work.”

However, this upcoming renovation will be focused on the exterior renovation of porches, windows and siding. “Ninety-nine percent of this project is exterior,” Oestmann said during the meeting, held May 17 at Town Hall.

Government

Smoke Billows from Top of Town Hall Saturday As Officials ‘Burn the Furnace’

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Town Hall smoke-Feb 13 2016
Uploaded by Michael Dinan on 2016-02-13. Smoke billowed from the roof of Town Hall Saturday morning and lingered downtown for part of the day, as officials worked to repair the furnace problem that appears to be sending exhaust back into the public building—to the point where the structure had to be closed for nearly all of Tuesday. Asked about the smoke, fire officials said that those in charge of Town Hall decided to “burn the furnace” in order to clear it out. In other words, Fire Capt. John Raidt said, there may have been an oil deposit inside the furnace and so workers ignited it in order to clear it off. There is a “very minimal hazard of fire,” so firefighters were standing by, Raidt said.