John Christopher Silberlicht, of Greenwich, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, June 17. He was 54.

John was predeceased by both his parents, Jack W. Silberlicht (1990), and Patricia Silberlicht (2018), and is survived by his loving sisters, Jane Doyle of Greenwich, CT, Elizabeth Silberlicht of Redondo Beach, CA, and Maria Duncan and her husband Marc, of Woodbury, CT. He is also survived by his nephew, Thomas, and nieces Samantha and Amanda.

John was born in Queens, New York on March 31, 1966 and lived in Greenwich his entire life. He graduated from Greenwich High School in 1985. As an avid cyclist, even before his days at Buzz’s Cycle Shop, he traversed thousands of miles across Connecticut on his many different bicycles, usually adorned with his signature mohawk helmet.

John was never more vibrant than when he was on his bike, talking about biking, or tinkering with bikes, and despite two heart valve replacements, he never went very long without a ride. He was an active and beloved member of the cycling group “Sound Cyclists Bicycle Club” and was not only elated but truly honored when he became a ride leader. John was lauded for his ride leadership skills and his enthusiasm and patience to ride with cyclists of all abilities. Along with the mechanical skills to fix most any problem occurring before or during the rides, it was his humor and giant heart that made riding with John such a memorable experience.

John cherished living in Greenwich and one of his favorite places was Greenwich Point Park. He would ride his bike there as often as he could, regularly stopping to tell a joke or a story and chat with friends and acquaintances, of which he had many.

He was a collector of classic model cars, a music lover, and a dedicated sports fan who fervently followed the New York Mets and the New York Giants, as well as the Kansas City Royals and the New Jersey Devils.
John worked many years in the auto parts industry in sales and delivery and was legendary around town for his quick wit and sense of humor. He eventually found his work family in 1998 at Triple J Auto Parts in Stamford. He followed them into their retail shop, A Buck & Up, where he continuously made customers smile each day.

The family will be receiving guests on Thursday, June 25, 2020 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Castiglione Funeral Home, 544 Old Post Road #3, Greenwich, CT. A brief prayer will be shared at 6:00 p.m. The burial of ashes will be on Friday, June 26, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at Putnam Cemetery, 35 Parsonage Road, Greenwich, CT.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Friends of Greenwich Point https://www.friendsofgreenwichpoint.org/donate in John’s honor.

At the June 16 Planning and Zoning commission meeting, the Cardinal Stadium upgrade project was on the agenda. Again.

It was last on the P&Z agenda in May when conversation focused on a second access road to the campus.

This time, the applicant, the Board of Education, represented now by attorney Tom Heagney, who is not only an expert in land use, but previously served on both P&Z and BOE himself, took a different tack.

The application, which is made up of a site plan, special permit, and Municipal Improvement, had included a request for a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals for more floor area ratio (FAR).

The GHS campus is maxed out on floor area ratio. (The applicant did receive a height variance for the bleachers with elevator and press box.)

But instead of seeking the variance, the applicant is now asking P&Z to rezone the 54.87 acre property.

P&Z director Katie DeLuca shared that a few months ago she was approached by a person wanting to donate a baseball shed to the high school, but FAR was a problem.

“There is an existing shed, and they wanted to upgrade it. And I said if it’s even one foot over the existing shed, they’d need to get a variance, which would likely be a six month process,” DeLuca said.

The stadium project requires additional FAR. Proposed are new lavatory facilities, team rooms, concession stand, press box and ticket kiosk, for a total of about 5,000 additional square feet.

Beyond that, the district’s 15 year facilities plan includes the creation of a safety vestibule at the entrance to the high school, which will require more FAR.

The District’s architect, Russ Davidson said the new entrance, would require a few thousand additional square feet.

The high school is in a residential zone that is split between the RA1 and R20.  

The rezone would make the entire property to R20, resulting in a possible additional 80,000 sq ft of FAR.

The high school is currently 72,461 square ft over what is permitted.

With the rezone, there is the potential of an additional 80,000 sq ft.

During discussion the commissioners asked attorney Heagney if there was a downside to the rezoning proposal.

“It’s a large building to begin with. This has the potential to make it larger, but only 16% larger than it is now,” he said, adding that any proposal that would require additional FAR would have to go through an arduous process that “touches every portion of town government,” and features the rigorous P&Z site plan/special permit process, as well as public hearings and the funding process.

“Before anything is built, you would have a full vetting of what will be constructed on campus,” he said.

Without the re-zoning, any proposed project that increases FAR at all would require a variance.

“And to get a variance you have to prove there is a hardship. And to be honest I don’t think that’s any way to run a school,” said P&Z chair Margarita Alban, adding that a rezoning would make possible more long term planning, so that the high school doesn’t have to “go cap in hand (to ZBA) to demonstrate it has hardship.”

Alban said that every time a variance is sought the same “hardship” is offered, which is that Greenwich High School is the town’s one and only high school.

How did the high school get to in its current position of being 72,000 square feet over the FAR it is allowed?

Attorney Heagney said the high school has been “on the variance train” for quite some time, and FAR was added when the school added a house, science building and additional space for administration in the 90s. And then, of course, there was the Music Instructional Space & Auditorium, or “MISA,” which was recently completed.

Heagney pointed out that the high school started out with an inadequate auditorium when it first opened in 1970.

And, he noted, none of the additions that required more FAR were about attracting additional students, but rather to better serve the existing population.

During public comment a few neighbors spoke.

Rich Stevenson of Old Church Road said he strongly opposed the application, noting that he had received a single page letter from the attorney referring to a rezoning for RA1 and R20, but that he didn’t understand what that meant.

He said when he inquired at town hall, he learned the change would allow an additional 79,000 sq ft, which he described as “a serious change.”

“That’s equivalent to 10 really big houses,” Stevenson said. “For those of us in close proximity to the property – and we’re all hugely in favor to a top notch high school – but allowing that type of build is too much on the space.”

Stevenson said a rezoning would impact traffic and property values and that, “At a minimum it warrants further discussion and debate.”

Ashley Cole of Hillside Rd said she was disappointed. “I implore you to deny the rezoning of GHS,” she said. “Variances are the currency of P&Z because it is a protection to us as abutters and stakeholders.”

“Variances are not the currency of P&Z,” Alban said. They’re issued by the Zoning Board of Appeals, and they’re only granted by hardship. If they rezone and they have a hardship, they would still go to ZBA if they need a variance.”

“By changing the zoning, you don’t have to get a variance,” Cole said. “I don’t think that’s just or ethical or right.”

“I’m trying to protect and preserve my neighborhood. We have traffic issues, water issues, and we’ve brought them up again and again. The neighbors have done their best to be responsible citizens but it feels people are not responsible to us. I’d like to fix these things before we go on. There is some responsibility to our neighborhood that I am not seeing happen.”

Ashley Cole, neighbor at Hillside Road

Ms. Alban again disagreed. “I see this as giving us greater control over what happens with a site plan. For example, what they do with the bleachers is in our camp. They could have gone to get a variance and said, ‘We have a variance, so now there is nothing you can do to approve the site plan.’ That’s how variances work, because it brings it into regulations, and we can’t say, ‘Now this is too much.’ It increases the control you have when they come in for a site plan and special permit request. Or they come back and say, ‘Fait accompli. We have a variance which you wouldn’t believe how many people do to us.”

Ms Cole said that when the high school got a variance for MISA, the neighbors were promised 120 trees and landscaping, as well as the promise of a traffic study, which didn’t happen until last year after neighbors complained in several public hearings. A committee was formed and met for many months.

Ms DeLuca said she was on that committee and the the work was valuable.

“As annoying as it was, I do think in the end the process worked, there was public involvement,” she said.

“I don’t think it’s solved yet,” she said, referring to the traffic and parking at GHS, adding, “Phase 2 (of the stadium project) includes the entrance point to East Putnam Ave. It’s important to have an additional entrance. That came out of that committee too. As arduous and lengthy as it was, it was good process.”

“Throughout our study and even after our study, nothing has been done. Nothing has changed,” Cole said.

“We got the traffic study done and it’s difficult one with school being closed,” DeLuca said.

BOE member Joe Kelly promised Ms Cole that a second egress road to East Putnam Ave via East Putnam Ave remains a priority.

“I will work with you going forward to work on that road. The stadium is a replacement. There’s a little difference in square footage. And the entry way is a safety adjustment to address the possibility of danger to our children because of school shootings,” Kelly continued. “We have to address that without worrying about the difference in FAR. …We’re not haphazardly looking at campus expansion just because we have the ability to do so.”

“I wish I could put promises in the bank,” Ms Cole said, adding, “Several people told me that it (second egress) wasn’t funded and said, ‘Good Luck. It’ll never happen.'”

Clare Kilgallen, who served on the New Lebanon School building committee said she was in favor of the rezoning.

“I can tell you that the MI process is extremely rigorous,” Kilgallen said. “At every stage there is meaningful opportunity to have questions answered and addressed. Putting this in R20 zone complies with the goals of POCD.”

Leslie Tarkington, who is a member of the Board of Estimate and Taxation spoke against the rezoning.

“I’m speaking as a resident of district 7,” she said. “I was not aware of this change of zoning. I’m concerned this is a precedent for institutional down zoning in a residential neighborhood.”

Ms Alban disagreed, saying it would not set a precedent because GHS is unique in that it is a split zone.

“Spot zoning is wildly illegal,” Alban said. “It doesn’t set a precedent unless someone is already next to the zone they want to switch to, or it’s a split zone.”

“We need to spend more time protecting our grand list in residential neighborhoods,” Tarkington replied. “We want quality of life and great institutions, but it’s also about preserving our character and residential neighborhoods.”

“Residential neighborhoods are what make Greenwich so special. This has not had sufficient exposure.”

Leslie Tarkington, resident district 7

“We support the new entry way. But with declining enrollment…” Tarkington continued.

“You’re saying you really hold the cards here unless you, as chair of Budget Committee on the BET – unless you approve it for GHS and are willing to fund it, we can rezone or anything, and it has no impact until you look at it and agree to monies for it?” Alban asked.

“We approve the funding for it. Not the character of the project,” Tarkington said.

“If you never leave the BET, you have complete control of what happens in this rezone,” Alban said. “If they don’t fund anything, they don’t build anything….If you think it’s not good for the community, it’s a dead stop.”

“You’re giving the finance board much too much credit,” Tarkington said. “We broadly support the cardinal stadium.”

In the end the commission acknowledged that neighbors felt thy hadn’t had enough time to review the proposal, and item was left open until the June 30 meeting.

See also:

P&Z, BOE Hash Out Plans for Cardinal Stadium and Egress to East Putnam Ave May 2020

P&Z Watch: Consider Second GHS Egress As Part of Cardinal Stadium Phase 1 April 2020

Greenwich Legend Boo Durkin (November 11, 1940-June 11, 2020)

Mary “Boo” Elizabeth Durkin Federman was born Greenwich on November 11, 1940 to parents Mary Elizabeth Dietrich and Charles Durkin. Boo grew up in Greenwich, chose to raise her children there, and proudly remained a lifelong resident of the town.

Always a lover of animals, little Boo and her family kept an impressive menagerie– including beloved dogs, cats, turtles, and a duck named Georgie Porgie (whom she would walk down the street on a leash).

Boo was also a lover of music, and was lucky to come of age in the Rock and Roll era. In her teens and twenties she frequented many historic rock concerts, including Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper at New York’s Apollo Theater. Her love for music lasted throughout her life, and she instilled this love in her children; Boo’s house was rarely without music playing, and she attended live concerts whenever possible.

In the early 1960s, Boo attended the University of Connecticut at Storrs, and spent some of her favorite college summers on Cape Cod.

Boo as a matter of course always thought of others above herself. She made herself available to friends and anyone in need. Boo was loyal to her friends beyond recognition, and not a day went by without her putting the needs of everyone she loved above her own.

One of her greatest passions was charitable work, to which she dedicated her entire life. Over the years she was instrumental in running many large non-profit events including (to name just a few) Great Chefs for Greenwich Hospital, an epic carnival in Havemeyer Park to benefit The Mews senior home, summer pops concerts in Roger Sherman Park with the Greenwich Arts Council, the Taste of the Nation benefit to fight hunger, annual benefits for the prisoner rehabilitation group Family Re-Entry, and the annual 4th of July Celebration at Greenwich Town Hall. Boo also spent many years as AARP chapter president in Greenwich. She also spent countless hours volunteering at local non-profits, which (among many others) include Greenwich Health Department, Greenwich Historical Society, League of Women Voters, and Arch Street Teen Center.

Because of all she has done for the Greenwich community on so many levels, on her 75th birthday Boo became one of a scant few people to have a Town of Greenwich proclamation and day named for her.

Never afraid to speak her mind, Boo fought tirelessly to improve the world’s status quo. She cared deeply about many causes, but one especially important to her was patient safety in hospitals.

Boo was also very passionate about politics, from the local to national level. Over the years she was an instrumental part of many political campaigns, and because of her candor and insight, many elected officials regularly sought her council.

In 2014 Boo was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Undeterred, and in spite of regular cancer treatments, she continued to enjoy life to the fullest, volunteering regularly for many good causes, enjoying the company of her friends, and even taking care of both of her beautiful granddaughters. Boo made a point to enjoy every second of life she could, and had no intention of going anywhere soon.

Ultimately it was not cancer that caused her death, but a series of highly preventable doctor errors, and the inability to get adequate care due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Boo is survived by her three children: Todd Federman, Dawn Federman Marshall (married to Patrick Marshall) and Kimberly (Manulik) Livingston (married to Thomas Livingston); four grandchildren: Charlotte, Isabelle, Nick and Brandy, as well as countless other ‘adopted’ sons and daughters, and friends who were as close as family. She was predeceased by her husband Dr. Quentin Federman.

Boo Durkin was undeniably a pillar of the Greenwich Community. She brought so much joy and happiness into the world, especially into all of the lives she touched. Anyone who knew her would describe her as kind, gentle, wildly funny, giving, smart, tenacious, fiercely loyal, authentic, loving, joyful, and inspirational– to say the least. Boo will live on in the hearts of everyone who was lucky enough to know her. May her enormous kindness, boldness and strength always continue to inspire others.

A wake will be held on Monday June 22nd from 2-6:00 pm at Coxe and Graziano Funeral Home, 134 Hamilton Ave., Greenwich. A private burial will be held at First Congregational Church in Old Greenwich.

While town hall was closed to slow the spread of Covid-19, we were unable to publish property transfers. But town hall is now open and we’ll publish transfers every day until we’re caught up – then go back to once or twice a week to keep you “Up to the Minute.”

6 Arnold Street from Suzanne McDonald Trust to Otter Rock Inc on May 1, 2020 for $608,000

6 Carissa Lane from Peter and Victoria Newman to Ignacio Salvarredi on May 1, 2020 for $1,635,000

64 Hillcrest Park Rd from Jeffrey and Kimberly Evans to Alcesmaine LLC on May 1, 2020 for $1,800,000

1 Spring Rd from Adam Milakofsky and Allison Milakofsky to Asphalt Refining Co on May 1, 2020 for $2,650,000

16 Greenbriar Lane from The Bodas 2001 Trust to Caitlin Egan on May 1, 2020 for $2,750,000

11 Ricki Beth Lane from Steven Hirsch and Elizabeth Hirsch to Kuo-Chan Chen on May 4, 2020 for $1,375,000

82 Old Orchard Rd from BGRS Relocation Inc to Matthew Eng on May 4, 2020 for $1,667,000

82 Old Orchard Rd from Louis Ragusa and Christine Ragusa to BGRS Relocation Inc on May 4, 2020 for $1,762,500

51 Old Kings Highway #16 from Karin Gillespie to Anh Tran on May 4, 2020 for $495,000

5 Oak Street from Post Road Iron Works Inc to Lynne Haven MD on May 4, 2020 for $1,000,000

44 Husted Lane from Aaronson Living Trust to Morena Gaio on May 6, 2020 for $2,180,000

64 Old Church Rd from Steve and Nina Winoker to Peter Frederik Van Den Berg on May 6, 2020 for $3,000,000

12 Mary Lane from Kerry Schockley to Cosku Cobanoglu on May 6, 2020 for $860,000

See also:

Greenwich Property Transfers, April 24-30, 2020

P&Z Watch: All Eyes on Greenwich Ave Parking for Second Floor Uses

Ribbon Cutting of the New Townhouses at Armstrong Court is Cause for Celebration

Greenwich Property Transfers, April 13-22, 2020

P&Z Rules on Illegal Two-Family in a Neighborhood with Tight Parking

Greenwich Property Transfers, April 8-13, 2020

Greenwich Property Transfers, April 1-3, 2020

The perfect backcountry Greenwich house with a heated pool on 4 acres, 7 bedrooms, 7.1 bathrooms, 5 fireplaces and luxury amenities.

The wrought iron gate, open to a house with space for all you family and friends. After a hard day of work or play you can relax on the large open patio or sit protected under the covered patio.

Step into the family room with its own fireplace for cozy winter evenings and adjacent to the kitchen with a huge island. Walk through the butler’s pantry to the dining room with it’s own fireplace and large windows. The living room is spacious with it’s own private sitting area. Next door is the large den with fireplace and card table on one end.

Upstairs is the large master bedroom and 5 guest bedrooms, a third floor office and a 3 car garage. Close to Banksville and Armonk restaurants and shopping.

In my opinion, as well as that of my colleagues who I have conferred with, this is a good time to list your home for sale as well as a good time to purchase a new home. Prices remain steady while many homes are selling faster than expected during these strange times. All showings must be conducted while wearing a mask and gloves and anyone viewing homes in person, should be a pre-approved buyer. Week after week, the majority of the highlighted numbers below, continue to climb.

This week’s highlights in Greenwich real estate:

• 70 new to market listings
• 18 sold properties
• 36 price reductions
• 24 accepted offers
• 36 signed contracts

Stefanie Lacoff is a licensed real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services New England Properties in Greenwich, CT. Text/call: 203-536-9403, email: slacoff@bhhsne.com

Contact Stefanie for assistance selling your home or purchasing a new one.

stefanielacoff.bhhsneproperties.com

Greenwich beaches are open and the town implemented a way to help sunbathers social distance.

Large hoops placed in the sand keep family groups no more than 5 inside a 15 ft diameter circle, like a giant hula-hoop.

This past Sunday was a perfect beach day, and there were still hoops available until about 1:00pm, which coincided with the tide going out, creating more space in the sand.

Beachgoers are advised to practice social distancing in the parks and parking lots and to wear a mask when they go to the rest rooms, the concession and and when they pass others and are unable to social distance.

Currently residents are able to use last year’s beach pass or a driver’s license with a Greenwich address to access Greenwich Point, aka Tod’s Point, and Byram Park. That that will soon end.

Beginning July 6, residents will be required to have an up-to-date park pass for admission.

Since Parks & Rec’s window service the lobby is closed this year, and Parks & Rec is not taking appointments, residents can renew their seasonal passes online here or by mail. Click here for the beach pass application. Print it out, fill it in and mail it to Parks & Rec.

While Single Entry Park and Parking Passes are not being sold this year, Town of Greenwich Customer Service Manager Anita Wood said, “Due to the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic situation, the First Selectman and his task force  approved a one time C-19 Special Park Permit for house guests who are temporarily residing with the resident in their home.”

The resident can email recreation@greenwichct.org to request a Special C-19 Permit Request form.

Ms Wood also said that when providing proofs of residency, a driver’s license that expired during the pandemic valid since the DMV is closed for renewals.

Questions, call the park pass office: 203-622-7817

Parks & Red director Joe Siciliano said at the last Parks & Rec Board meeting that he hoped it might be possible to offer ferry service to Island Beach and Great Captain’s Island at the end of June, but an official announcement has yet to be made.

The municipal pool at Byram Park will open on June 29 with a maximum of 100 at a time. (Typically the pool capacity is 240).

At Byram Park, Executive Deli is back for the third year providing a newly expanded menu that includes lobster rolls every day, and a Corona beer-battered fried fish & chips and fried clam strips on weekends.

“The lobster roll is hugely popular because it’s delicious and a very reasonable price for $15,00,” said Allmashy who has run Executive Deli for 16 tears. “If they want to add fries and a drink, the total comes to $20.”

“We offer an even bigger menu then last year, and now we have beer battered onion rings, fried mozzarella sticks, mac ‘n cheese bites and even funnel cakes!” he added. “People can call the concession ahead at (203) 531-5340 if they’re coming at night to try  the Hot Butter Lobster Roll. That way I can prepare in time because I saute each order in clarified butter and a few chives.”

“Most ever person who orders takes a picture of it and then walks up and taps on window to say how divine it was,” Allmashy said.

Allmashy, whose Executive Deli is just a few blocks away, said he is also anticipating running the concession stand out at Island Beach when the ferries begin to run. He said the benefit of being anchored by his deli is he doesn’t run out of items.

He said boaters can even call in an order and pull up to the 15 minute waiting dock at the marina in Byram Park. The number at the concession is (203) 531-5340.

Menu staples include chicken tenders, grilled cheese, wraps, burgers, dogs, fries and BLTs.There’s also a wide variety of ice cream bars and popsicles. The iced coffee is superb.

23 Nicholas Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06831

OPEN HOUSE:
Sunday, June 28, 2020
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Social distancing will include masks, gloves and one group at a time.

Listed at $675,000

3 Bedrooms
2 Full Baths
Garage: Attached, 2 cars
Single Family
1,612 sq ft
Built in 1956

Taxes: $4,354

MLS # 107834

Listed by: Linna Yuen
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Cell: 203-550-1657
Office: 622-1100
Email: linnayuen@gmail.com

Looking for an affordable home? This is it. This home has been lovingly updated in a tree lined family neighborhood.

Improvements include a new kitchen with stainless steel appliances, new bath with soaking tub, first floor laundry, new finished lower level with powder room, new electrical panel and new gas heating system, new windows, new recessed lighting and new exterior lighting throughout front and back, new sundeck off the kitchen for outdoor living at its max, new fence, new front patio and walkway to a newly expanded driveway to allow parking for 6 cars.

A townhouse or condo alternative with Greenwich amenities and Greenwich taxes.

Best valued home in a convenient location to town pool, beaches and train station.

Linna Yuen
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
66 Field Point Road
Greenwich, CT 06830
Cell: 203-550-1657
Office: 622-1100
linnayuen@gmail.com
http://www.coldwellbankermoves.com

A new pedestrian bridge that Eversource installed over the pond in Bruce Park has two new 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines tucked underneath.

The bridge is roughly at the mid point of the 2.3 miles of transmission lines, mostly underground, that connect the Cos Cob substation to the new station on Railroad Ave, at the former location of Pet Pantry.

It was five years ago that Eversource sent representatives to Greenwich town hall to present designs to Architectural Review Committee of a proposed new Railroad Ave “closed” substation.

The same night, downstairs in the meeting room, other Eversource representatives held an “open house” where they explained that the proposed route from Cos Cob to Railroad Ave would come through Bruce Park, but that there were options.

The utility’s preferred option was to put the lines under the pond using the Long Distance Horizontal Drilling technique, “HDD,” in which drills are guided by GPS, in this case under the pond.

“I’ve seen a drill a mile under a lake come out the other side. They can go great distances under the ground. Part of this involves a HDD 1,400 ft long,” a senior engineer for Eversource said that night, adding that the process was very expensive.

In Sept 2015 the nine member Connecticut Siting Council came to Greenwich and held an info session at the Cole Auditorium at Greenwich Library with opportunity for questions from the public.

Approval of the project was in the hands of the Siting Council, and in November 2015, P&Z Chair Katie DeLuca wrote to them saying Greenwich had concerns about the environment and impact on Bruce Park.

She voiced concern that Eversource’s cable technology employed a petroleum-based fluid to insulate the cables, and described that as problematic from an environmental standpoint.

She said the system had the potential to leak. She suggested Googling “Long Island Sound clean-up of failed power cables.”

Nevertheless, the Siting Council ruled in favor of Eversource in 2017.

In the end, Eversource compromised and tucked the lines underneath the pedestrian bridge.

With the Bruce Park detour having ended in recent days, residents have had a chance to take a gander at the pedestrian bridge.

Conducting informal man-in-the-street interviews Tuesday night at dinner time, walkers were split. About two thirds we asked said they liked the look of the bridge. One third said they strongly did not.

“Do you want a covered bridge like in Vermont?” one Mead Point resident was asked by this reporter.

“Yes that would be better,” he replied.

Certainly the new bridge will be safer for pedestrians than the existing sidewalks which are narrower than code requires and are bordered by battered guardrails.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Public open houses are back! But they look very different than they did before Covid-19. Everyone who enters the home must wear a mask and gloves and only one group at a time will be permitted inside a home.

This week’s highlights in Greenwich real estate:

• 61 new to market listings
• 26 sold properties
• 40 price reductions
• 24 accepted offers
• 38 signed contracts

There are 45 public open houses in Greenwich this Sunday. Please bring a mask and gloves if you plan to attend.

Mobile devices, click on this link for optimal view: Open house list

Stefanie Lacoff is a licensed real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services New England Properties in Greenwich, CT. Text/call: 203-536-9403, email: slacoff@bhhsne.com

Contact Stefanie for assistance selling your home or purchasing a new one.

stefanielacoff.bhhsneproperties.com

Lucio Marini, 93, of Greenwich passed away on June 26, 2020. He was born in San Donato, Italy on August 15, 1926 to Donato and Cesidia Marini. Lucio was the proprietor of L & M Precision Grinding in College Point, NY.

Lucio is the beloved husband of Loretta Marini (nee Mazzenga), loving father of Dina Mazzenga (James), Anthony Marini (Linda) and Maria Marini (James Polidoro), cherished grandfather of Michael, Sarah, Raymond, Lucy, David and Amanda, great-grandfather of Gabriel, Aiden, Sophia, Ruth, Abigail, Zoey and Miah. He is also the dear brother of Loreta, Antonia and the late Maria.

Visitation will be held on Monday at Coxe & Graziano Funeral Home Greenwich, CT.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Paul’s R. C. Church in Greenwich, entombment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery

While town hall was closed to slow the spread of Covid-19, we were unable to publish property transfers. But town hall is now open and we’ll publish transfers every day until we’re caught up – then go back to once or twice a week to keep you “Up to the Minute.”

4 Chestnut Street from Mary Ann and Ronald Caporale to Kerry Schockley on May 15, 2020 for $1,150,000

102 Hendrie Ave from Hendrie Ave, LLC to Barry Connolly on May 15, 2020 for $2,400,000

16 Deep Gorge Rd from Karen Brinker to Aleksandra Dobkowski-Joy on May 15, 2020 for $841,075

62 Lockwood Rd from Breezemont 60, Inc to Daniel Librizzi on May 15, 2020 for $3,225,000

196 Shore Rd from Judith Finch to Stine Vraaisen Sides Revocable trust on May 18, 2020 for $2,500,000

17 Greenwich Hills Drive from Kristin Bruan to James Powers on May 18, 2020 for $717,000

10 Elm Street from Timothy and Elizabeth Duffy to Lindsey Foster on May 18, 2020 for $1,140,000

10 Dewart Rd from Robyn Blaser to Joshua Teitelbaum on May 18, 2020 for $2,000,000

176 Stanwich Rd from Taylor and Erin Glasebrook to Stephen Perlis on May 18, 2020 for $2,200,000

960 Lake Ave from Robert Scheuer to Victor Ceci on May 18, 2020 for $1,380,000

16 Rock Ridge Ave from The Pilot’s Nominee Real Estate Trust to Jeremy E Kaye, Trustee on May 18, 2020 for $5,225,000

26 Cobb Island Drive from Matthew Birk and Adrianna Birk to Sarah Kreitman on May 18, 2020 for $3,200,000

8 Scott Rd from Patricia Rockwell to blank on May 20, 2020 for $500,000

113 Orchard Drive from Matthew and Courtnay Arpano on May 20, 2020 for $2,450,000

18 Baldwin Farms South from Patrick Mailloux and Robyn Wyatt to Jonathan Karlin on May 20, 2020 for $2,360,000

Shared with permission from Kendra Farn in memory of her father Gary Farn, June 26, 2020

Twenty years ago today my dad, my hero, and my role model in life was taken away far too early. Over the past few months, every time I reflect I am brought back to my father and left wondering how he would be feeling during these sad and challenging times in our country.

What conversations he would be having with me. A proud 82nd Airborne guy he was the most patriotic person I’ve ever known, fighting back tears during the National Anthem at every sporting event he attended.

I remember as a reporter covering 9/11, staring at ground zero and thinking about how destroyed he would be to see the unthinkable attacks on US soil and the thousands of lives lost and actually relieved that he was spared from witness it all.

And now I am here again with the state of our country today. As a serious asthmatic who would end up in the ER if he was without his inhaler, how would he handle COVID-19 isolation and not leaving his home?

While he never got to meet my girls, I witnessed his love for being a grandfather to my nieces for the short time he was given that gift. How would he handle not being able to hug them? And would he watch the news every night as the death toll from Corona virus nears 127,000, or would it just be too upsetting for him?

As a father who always told my sister and me when we were fighting, “Love one another, girls,” how would he handle what I know would be deep sadness over the civil unrest in America today.

As a very successful entrepreneur, how would his fragrance company be suffering and what would he be telling me about the the unemployment rate and the future of our economy?

I am quite sure he would remind me of one of his favorite books, The Greatest Generation, by Tom Brokaw and the sacrifices EVERYONE made during the Great Depression and WW2. How on the home front today we should all have that mindset and be ONE. TOGETHER. Not fighting one another.

And finally I think he would tell me to have HOPE. Without hope, we have nothing. So here’s here’s hoping my dad will be looking down in a few months on his beloved America and it looks more like the one he left in 20 years ago in 2000. Until then, he will continue to be an guiding light in my daily strength and reflection.

Love and miss you dad more than you could ever know..

At Thursday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, First Selectmen Fred Camillo reported that he would be visiting blighted properties in Byram the following day with Planning & Zoning director Katie DeLuca and commission chair Margarita Alban.

“At least three properties along the river are falling apart and have open access, which causes a public safety issue,” said Camillo who previously lived a block away in Byram.

“We’ll go down there and do everything we can compel the property owners, not only fix the problem, but to knock them down. In one case it’s already falling down. It’s been that way since I lived down there. It’s time.”

Camillo said he’d also received complaints from residents about cars parked in the same spot for weeks and months. “We went down there and told the residents what to do if they see a car parked in a spot several days,” he said, adding that residents should call parking services.

He also said while he was in Byram responding to neighborhood feedback he had been informed from a boat owner that four youths were spray painting the buoy in the pocket park along the river.

“It’s like the broken windows theory. If you see graffiti, we have to clean it up immediately,” he said adding that Parks & Rec were set to remedy the graffiti shortly.

“It’s demolition by neglect,” Camillo said on Friday afternoon on a walk along South Water Street where one pocket park had graffiti, one had an illegal fence erected across it and three structures appeared abandoned.

“We are going to see who the property owners are and contact them to see if they have plans. It’s unfair to the neighbors and people who pay their taxes to have to look at it year after year.”

“We will have compassion for hardship cases,but if they go on for years and years, the compassion goes away,” Camillo said, adding that when his property in Byram had a fire in 2013 he was instructed to board it up promptly.

It was as recently as November 2019 that a house on Mead Ave was demolished after decades of complaints. Neighbors concerns stemmed back to the 1980s, before the town enacted its nuisance ordinance.

See also:

After Decades of Complaints, Blighted Byram House is Razed

Nov 19, 2019

Petition Circulates Asking Town to Act on Blighted Property in Byram

July 2019

Starting July 1 the Town of Greenwich will implement a new system of tipping fees at Holly Hill, aka “the dump.”

Haulers will be weighed in and weighed out and billed based on their tonnage.

Residents can hire a hauler or bring their own MSW and recycling to the dump, but beginning July 1 a permit is required.

Applications for the residential permits are now available for $25 annually on the Dept of Public Works page on the town’s website.

Click HERE for the residential permit application form.

All vehicles, both commercial and residential, must display a disposal permit to enter the Holly Hill Facility as of July 1.

All Greenwich residents and local businesses are eligible for a residential vehicle permit which can be obtained online or via mail. No waste from outside of Greenwich is allowed.

Vehicles must display a disposal permit decal to enter the facility beginning July 1.

More information on the residential permits is available here.

Click HERE for the residential permit application form.

Permits will no longer be issued or sold at Holly Hill. Permits will be issued on an annual basis; valid July 1 – June 30.

If you are using a company not based in Town to dispose of material for you, will need to provide the company with a Verification of Owner Form (PDF) completed and signed by you that verifies the material they are bringing into the Transfer Station is from a Greenwich property. You will need to supply a signed form for each load. To dispose of materials accepted at the Transfer Station, either a Verification of Owner Form must be provided or you must have a Residential Disposal Permit.

Also on the DPW page is a list of licensed haulers and their phone numbers.

While the $25 fee was passed by the RTM, the Board of Selectmen unanimously agreed the $25 fee was too low and expressed concerns that traffic would be jammed up in Chickahominy as a result of more residents bringing their own trash to the dump. While the Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the tip fees and permits for residents at $25, they vowed to revisit the residential permit fee in the near future.

See also:

Selectmen Vote Unanimously for Tip Fees; Hold their Noses at $25 Resident Permit Fee June 2, 2020

On Monday CT Governor Ned Lamont held a press conference to announce the latest updates on COVID-19 in Connecticut.

Covid-19 related hospitalizations in Connecticut are below 100, which is the lowest in months.

Connecticut has tested over 10% of the state’s population.

The positivity rate for Connecticut is under 1% as of Monday, and under 1.2% over the previous 5-6 days.

“These are numbers we can be proud of, especially when you see what’s going on around the rest of the country,” Lamont said.

Also, Connecticut’s hospitalizations are on the decline, while Lamont noted there are four states where the numbers are rising – Florida, Texas, Arizona and California. He said the rising numbers in those states might correlate to their approaches to reopening.

“We reopened carefully and only when our metrics were in the right direction,” he said. “Since our major reopening on May 20 our numbers continued to go down.”

“Admissions have been flat in the last few weeks. Fewer and fewer people are being hospitalized.”

CT Governor Ned Lamont

Lamont said in southern states not only is the positivity rate increasing, but hospitalizations are as well.

He added that earlier in the day he had been part of a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence’s Covid Task Force, where he learned many people were testing positive in other states, and there was a significant cohort of young people who are obese or have diabetes.

“Stay on your guard,” he warned. “And, by the way, the number of seniors in these other states hospitalized is also going up. I’m paid to worry, and I also tell you this because I said early on that you ‘hope for the best and plan for the worst.’ We look for what’s going on in those southern states.”

Lamont said the task force meeting revealed Ohio and parts of Wisconsin were also ramping up.

He surmised why the ‘big four’ southern states had ramped up their Covid-19 numbers.

“Perhaps they opened a little too early,” he said, adding, “Now they’re beginning to close down. Texas has said it was closing down bars that have been open a month. Connecticut never opened up its bars.”

Lamont said Texas was reducing their indoor restaurant capacity to 50%, to where Connecticut is.

“We strongly recommend that if you can get outdoor seating, that’s where you want to be,” he said.

Lamont said that for the first time, the policy in Texas is that when a municipality requires it, people must wear a mask when they’re inside a public building.

“This is something Connecticut has done from the beginning,” Lamont said. “I’d like to say that these other states have come to where we are.”

Lamont commended Connecticut’s neighboring states, but added, “I do get anxious because there is a very narrow margin for error, and when I hear the Governor of Arizona say, ‘In just two weeks, our positivity rate went from 4% to 14%,’ – that’s  the hockey stick. It reminds you of what risk there is.”

Lamont also gave an update on the 14-day quarantine requirement for travelers from states with higher rates of Covid-19 that he announced last week in conjunction with the governors of New York and New Jersey.

“We didn’t want a lot of people flying in from those highly infected states. I think that was the right move,” he said.

The Governor said that a high school senior from Chappaqua, NY, just over the border from southern Connecticut, had celebrated in Florida before coming back north to attend her graduation ceremony.

“Before you could say it, there were four people infected – then more than that. And they had to track and trace including what stores they went into. There is a very narrow margin for error. Thank goodness Connecticut has been on the right side of this,” he said.

Lamont said Vice President Pence’s Covid-19 task force also noted that 585,000 people have been laid off from across the country from state and local governments in the month of May alone.

“That’s why it’s so important all governors, from both red and blue states, we’ve said give us some certainty in terms of what we can expect in terms of aid and testing,” he said.

Lamont said that Vice President Pence pointed out the US is making innovations in terms of testing, including wastewater surveillance, which is a leading indicator of Covid-19.

“We’re able to take samples from the waste water test and get a broad indication of what’s going on in New Haven, for example,” he said. “The waste water test has passed the smell test.”

Lamont said Connecticut would roll out wastewater surveillance to all of its municipalities for an indication of what to expect in terms of hospitalizations.

And, he said, “pool testing” is promising and that Connecticut had already done about 50,000 tests in the past week.

The Governor gave an update on Connecticut’s quarantine plan for travelers from states with more than 10% positivity. He said Connecticut had reached out to airports in the state, as well as airports in New York including Kennedy and LaGuardia, to share the message that travelers from those states must quarantine for 14 days.

“If you’re an essential worker, get yourself tested and have that piece of paper so you can get to work quickly,” he said. “Texas put in place a stay at home order. It’s not just that we put in place a quarantine order.”

Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said a 50-page report for reopening of K-12 education in the fall had been rolled out earlier in the day and would go to superintendents and stakeholders for comments.

He said the plan was guided by input from the Connecticut Health Dept.

Cardona said for the fall, arrangements would be made for families to continue online learning if they choose.

Asked how that would impact staffing, he said districts would develop their own plans. “There’s not always one plan,” he said. “We’re looking for best practices.”

Mr. Cardona said Connecticut had been working closely with Boards of Education, superintendents and teachers unions on the plan for the fall school reopening, and that the 50 page plan was just a start.

“Just last Thursday the American Academy of Pediatrics supported in-school learning,” Cardona said.

“They emphasized anything that gets kids back it he classrooms is a plus,” Lamont said.

“They worry about the social isolation of kids who have been alone for months,” he added. “We’ll make accommodations for those who don’t want to come back. They went on to say that how far apart your desks are is secondary to wearing masks and cohorting.”

“We’ll open our doors to students when parents are comfortable,” Cardona said, adding, “A process has to be put in place to make sure class sizes are reasonable. It’s an option to let parents know it’s not a requirement for the entire year.”

Cardona said the State would give districts a chance to process the plan. “They’ll communicate to us the percentage of students and staff who won’t be returning.”

Asked what would happen of a student were to test positive for Covid-19, and whether an entire class would be quarantined for 14 days, Mr. Cardona said, “The CDC has clear guidelines. It’s highly recommended the decisions are made with local health department input.”

“Every situation is a little different, and it depends on whether there are siblings, and what type of contact that student has had,” he said.

See also:

Lamont Announces Plan for Reopening CT Schools in the Fall

June 25, 2020

200 Overlook Drive
Greenwich, CT 06830

Listed at: $2,295,000

Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 3 Full, 1 Half
Interior: 3,321 sq ft
Land: .31 Acres

Presented  by:
Sabine Schoenberg
PrimeSitesCT
Greenwich, CT 06830

Mobile: (203) 561-2893
Email: sabine@primesitesct.com

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A great investment and a great place to live!

Join Milbrook Club for golf, tennis, platform tennis, pool/aquatics, summer camp for kids.

Sabine Schoenberg
CEO-Founder PrimeSites, Inc.

Mobile: (203) 561-2893
Email: sabine@primesitesct.com

Schoenberg founded PrimeSites, Inc. in 1988 as a real estate brokerage company. Clients benefit from Sabine’s 20+ years in Greenwich real estate. Her transactional expertise, 10+ years of remodeling and building homes for which Sabine received extensive media coverage including a half hour exclusive, nationally syndicated TV show entitled “Beautiful Homes and Great Estates” (see video excerpt) are unique.

The next chapter in what residents referred to last fall as Signgate arrived Tuesday in the form of a lawsuit filed by former Greenwich Police Dept Captain Mark Kordick, who was terminated by Chief Heavey in April.

Kordick’s 21 page complaint filed in Stamford Superior Court asserts the “Trump/Camillo” signs he bought last fall, and which appeared in dozens of locations on Oct 24, 2019, were protected speech under the First Amendment of the US Constitution and under Connecticut’s constitution.

The turn of events took place just before the November 5, 2019 municipal election in which Republican State Rep Fred Camillo was a candidate for Greenwich First Selectman.

On the morning of Oct 25, 2019 residents and commuters got an eye full of what appeared to be local campaign signs. Closer inspection revealed the red and white signs said “Local Elections Matter” and “Trump/Camillo…Make Greenwich Great Again.” The signs also referenced a website www.FredCamillo.com, which linked to “Citizens for Trump.”

Commenting on the signs at the time, Camillo said, “This is a new low for Greenwich. It is desperate, dirty and fraudulent.”

Kordick’s complaint names the Town as a defendant in addition to Greenwich First Selectman Camillo, his campaign manager Jack Kriskey, former RTC chair Richard DiPreta and former First selectman Peter Tesei, who are all named as individual defendants.

Kordick is represented by Stamford attorney Lewis Chimes, who said on Tuesday afternoon, that while many cases in which police sue when they are terminated for hate speech including racial or mysoginistic speech, Kordick’s speech is on a higher level of protection.

“Mark’s speech was political speech, which is the most important speech in terms of the First Amendment,” Mr. Chimes said. “He was making his speech to try to influence the outcome of the election and understood it was not appropriate to do it as a police officer. He was going to do it anonymously.”

“We’re very confident about the case,” Chimes said.

First Selectman Camillo’s assistant replied to an email to say the First Selectman does not comment on pending litigation.

Kriskey and DiPreta did not reply to a request for comment. Mr. Tesei replied that he would make no comment.

The complaint alleges the Town retaliated against Kordick for exercising his constitutionally protect right to off-duty political speech and alleges Camillo, Kriskey, DiPreta and Tesei interfered with his employment with the Town by revealing his identity to his employer, Greenwich Police Dept, after working in concert to obtain Kordick’s receipt from a sign store in Texas through deceit.

The suit says that Kordick, a Greenwich resident and registered Democrat, had been politically active, openly and frequently expressing his political views on social media about President Donald Trump, and what he felt was hypocrisy of the local Republican party.

It asserts that Kordick had never been reprimanded, disciplined or warned about his open expression of his political views.

Kordick had been a member of Greenwich Police Dept for 30+ years, and, as noted in the suit, had been promoted to Captain in March 2010.

On Oct 28 Kordick was placed on paid administrative leave after he freely admitted he was responsible for the signs.

Six months later, on April 13, in the midst of a pandemic lockdown, Greenwich Police Dept chief Heavey issued a statement saying Kordick would be terminated effective April 17. The statement read in part:

“Objectivity and impartiality are some of the key values in which this Department does, and must, operate. After considering the totality of Captain Kordick’s deportment and actions in several incidents and the importance of maintaining fair and consistent discipline, I came to the difficult conclusion that Captain Kordick would be unable to continue as a Greenwich Police Captain.”

—Chief James Heavey

On April 16 Kordick submitted a letter of resignation, but said he still hoped Chief Heavey would reinstate him. At the time he said he wanted his job back and was prepared to for fight for it.

Kordick seeks damages for lost wages and back pay; future lost wages and front pay; lost benefits, emotional distress, humiliation and injury to reputation, attorney’s fees, punitive damages pre- and post- judgement interest, costs of the court action and other relief the court deems just and proper.

Kordick’s attorney, Mr. Chimes said, “Mark made a good living and had no intention of retiring and would have worked at least another 5 to 10 years. He is entitled to lost earnings, emotional distress, and punitive damages. And, although he is getting his pension, the amount will be impacted by being let go.”

The complaint says Kordick’s signs were legal and that he posted them as a civilian, not associated with a political campaign party or political fundraising organization, and that he was openly outspoken about his views on Donald Trump and the alleged hypocrisy of the local Republican party on social media.

The suit claims that at all times Kordick’s expression of his political views was as a private citizen, not in his official capacity, and had nothing to do with his responsibilities and duties as a police officer.

The suit says political speech during an election campaign is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

In addition, the complaint says the Constitution of the State of Connecticut protects his right to speak out on political issues during a campaign anonymously.

In addition to his right to post the signs anonymously, the suit submits that Kordick’s signs complied with state election and campaign financing laws.

It argues that Kordick had concerns that since his political speech was adverse to Camillo, who would become Police Commissioner if elected First Selectman, that Kordick could be subject to retaliation.

The lawsuit said signs were obviously satirical and the intent was two-fold: “Republicans would predictably be outraged and decry the sign as ‘dirty tricks,’ and opponents of Trump and Camillo would find it amusing and expository….Most importantly the sign was to remind undecided voters and moderate Republicans unhappy with Trump, that Camillo and Trump were members of the same political party.”

The complaint asserts that Kordick perceived Camillo’s prior support of Trump and steady avoidance of association with the incumbent president in his campaign were powerful campaign issues, and that under CT Election & Campaign Financing laws he was not required to identify himself or the financial source of the signs as long as they were less than 32 sq ft and were not being financed or distributed by a political party or political fundraising organization.

The suit says Peter Tesei, then Republican First Selectman, saw the signs on his way to work and texted Mr. Camillo, and that Mr. Kriskey met with campaign staff and decided to issue a complaint to Greenwich Police. From there, the complaint alleges that Captain Robert Berry directed the department not to remove the signs, writing a memo that said, in part:

“We will not be getting involved in managing sign content or the removal of the alleged fake signs. …The Town Legal Department is reviewing the issue and interpreting town ordinances as they pertain to political signs, but they have agreed that we should not be involved in removing signs or related actions. …If someone wants to make a complaint, then by all means receive the complaint and document the parties involved, their concerns and whatever is evident at the time. However, at this time do not take any enforcement action or get involved in removing any signs. If charges are later determined to be appropriate, we will address the issue by seeking arrest warrants.”

The suit says after a teleconference with Captain Berry, Mr. Kriskey and town attorney Wayne Fox, the Greenwich Police Dept reversed itself and permitted the RTC to remove the signs, and announced police would not enforce the prohibition against their removal.

Kordick’s suit says Republicans and Greenwich Police coordinated removal of the signs and “falsely portrayed the decision as a bi-partisan decision.”

It asserts that Mr. DiPreta, then chair of the RTC, inaccurately stated DTC Chair Joe Angland had been consulted and “all had decided it was ok to remove the signs,” when in fact what Angland had said was the Democratic Party had no standing to remove the signs.

“The defendants falsely portrayed their illegal and unconstitutional conduct as ‘bi-partisan’ to deflect pubic criticism,” the suit asserts.

The suit said the defendants “outed” Kordick through false pretenses after learning the name and address of the store where the signs were purchased, and that Camillo campaign workers contacted the sign company by phone attempting to get a copy of the receipt by deception, falsely saying that the campaign purchased the sign and needed a receipt. But when that ruse failed, the Camillo campaign paid an individual in Texas to go to the sign company and obtain the receipt through deceit, not even telling the individual they hired in Texas the truth.

The suit said the payment to the individual in Texas who obtained the invoice was reimbursed by the Camillo campaign, and that that constituted an illegal use of campaign funds.

Kriskey and DiPreta gave police the receipt and reported Kordick to Greenwich Police with the authority of Camillo. Deputy Chief Mark Marino showed Kordick the receipt for the signs, putting him in “an untenable position in which he continue to assert his right to anonymity or face discipline for refusing to cooperate in an investigation.

Ultimately Kordick admitted he ordered the signs.

Count One of the lawsuit is against the Greenwich Police Dept, saying the Town retaliated against Kordick by putting him on administrative leave for six months, making disparaging public statements about his character and firing him, resulting in economic damages, suffering damage to his reputation, humiliation and emotional distress.

Count Two asserts tortuous interference and names Camillo, DiPreta, Kriskey and Tesei individually, saying they worked in concert to interfere with Kordick’s employment by revealing his identity for constitutionally protected anonymous political speech to his employer, Greenwich Police Dept.

It says the department acted with malice in retaliation, resulting in his being placed on leave and not permitted to do his job and ultimately resulted in his discharge.

The third count alleges an invasion of privacy, and names Kriskey, Camillo and Dipreta. This charge stems from the parties’ alleged deceit to get the receipt from the sign store in Texas, to retaliate for constitutionally protected political speech..

As of Tuesday, 16 states are subject to the regional travel advisory for Connecticut, New York and New Jersey because they had a new daily positive test rate for Covid-19 higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or are states with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

Travelers to Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey from these states to must self-quarantine for 14-days from the time of last contact within the identified state.

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Arizona
• California
• Florida
• Georgia
• Iowa
• Idaho
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• Nevada
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah

This list will be updated weekly as the situation develops across the country.

As for enforcement, it will be up to individuals to abide by the travel advisory.

The travel advisory also applies to Connecticut residents who are returning from a visit to the impacted states.

If you are coming in to Connecticut to a hotel or bed and breakfast, you can do the quarantine there. Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey are all asking hotels to communicate the 14-day quarantine to guests who have traveled from one of the impacted states.

There are exemptions for essential workers.

Workers traveling from impacted states to Connecticut who work in critical infrastructure as designated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, including students in exempt health care professions, are exempted from the quarantine advisory.

This includes any state, local, and federal officials and employees traveling in their official capacities on government business.

Governor Lamont, in collaboration with Governor Cuomo of New York and Governor Murphy of New Jersey first announced the required quarantine on June 24.

Ryan Bologna is a member of the UConn Class of 2021

The UConn men’s basketball program became a powerhouse in the late 1990s and early 2000s by building an identity under their coach Jim Calhoun. Part of that identity was they were part of the best basketball conference in the country in the Big East.

UConn’s first stint in the Big East was successful, as they finished atop the conference in the regular season 10 times and won the conference championship seven times. The program won three of their four national championships as a member of the conference as well. Today marks the official return to the Big East conference for the university.

At the start of this decade some of the conference’s key members in Syracuse and Pittsburgh left the conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference, and seven remaining Big East schools left to create a new basketball-focused conference and bought the rights to the Big East conference name.

That left UConn in the American Athletic Conference, formed of some remaining schools from the old Big East and other schools from around the country that received invitations. Although UConn won a national championship in the first year of the conference’s existence in 2014, the following years would show that a return to the Big East is a better fit for the school.

UConn’s struggles since the 2014 national championship can’t all be blamed on the conference. Kevin Ollie’s tenure as head coach started out very good, but after 2014, the team made the NCAA tournament one out of four years. In Ollie’s final two years as head coach in 2017 and 2018, the team had two consecutive under .500 seasons. The team hadn’t gone under .500 since Jim Calhoun’s first season as coach in 1986-87.

This led to Ollie’s firing and UConn hiring their current coach Dan Hurley, who has energized the fanbase with his intensity on the sideline and a team that plays with an energy that reflects that intensity.

Hurley has also brought excitement through his recruiting classes. Last season Huskies fans saw the impact that three freshmen Akok Akok, James Bouknight and Jalen Gaffney made on the court. Hurley brings in a recruiting class for 2020 that is ranked 2nd in the Big East according to 247Sports. Multiple players in this class cited the return to the Big East as reasons for choosing to play at UConn.

UConn’s return to the Big East is seen with the way the fanbase has reacted since the announcement last summer. As per the university’s release from June 18, men’s basketball has sold 1,000 new season tickets and that is during the middle of a pandemic with the real possibility of games without fans or no games at all.

Playing against schools UConn has rivalries with historically and is closer to geographically than the schools they played in the American Athletic Conference, along with a team that looks to be on the upward trend has generated excitement along with a team that looks to be on the upward trend.

Talking to fans around campus and at Gampel Pavilion during games last season, many expressed excitement for being about to go to the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden like they used to.

The excitement level of students surrounding the return to the Big East and the men’s basketball program in general was as high as I had seen it since I became a student at UConn when the season was coming to a close. I walked past Gampel Pavilion on senior night after a class, about two and a half hours before tip off, and students were already lined up outside to try and get the best seat possible when the gates opened.

The UConn Men’s Basketball program is building positive momentum and the fanbase is taking notice. The return to the Big East and the program’s roots combined with the optimism of a new energy at coach in Hurley and young exciting players have sparked that momentum.

Tuesday’s P&Z commission marathon meeting was unique in that it started early, ended late and was held virtually on Zoom due to the Covid-19 pandemic that keeps people from Town Hall.

Over 100 people tuned into for another look at a proposal for a scenic loop around the northern portion of Binney Park.

The applicant is Rita Baker, joined by Candace Garthwaite.

Baker noted that Greenwich residents are passionate about preserving the scenic and historic gateway to Old Greenwich for future generations, as evidenced in consistently high turnout to public meetings concerning the area.

When there was a proposed culvert upgrade and rotary upgrade by the Perrot Library, hundreds of residents turned out for public hearings.

The proposed scenic loop has three segments including a portion of Sound Beach Ave, Arch Street and Wesskum Wood.

The loop features the Perrot Library, First Congregational Church and its cemetery, as well as Binney Park and its Pond.

More than once during their presentation, the applicants said the goal of designating the scenic road was to have “a seat at the table” for decisions.

They said a new pedestrian bridge in Bruce Park as an example of what can happen when normal processes are bypassed.

The green pedestrian bridge in Bruce Park didn’t go before before P&Z or its advisory Architectural Review Committee. Nor was there a public hearing. The substation project went to court and the CT Siting Council had the ultimate authority to approve the project. Eversource worked with Greenwich’s Dept of Public Works exclusively on the bridge.

Baker said there have been times when residents had learned of municipal projects by chance.

She said neighbors knew the bridge project was going forth, but with no idea when or what it would look like. The only alert was from a tree removal sign posted way up high on the back of the tree, only visible to a neighbor from her upstairs window.

“We deserve to see plans and discuss alternatives. The scenic road representation will make sure that will happen,” she said. “We’re not asking for something new or anything that incurs cost. We’re asking for preservation of what we already have and cherish.”

The applicants noted they had approval from all abutting property owners, as well as First Church and Perrot.

They circulated a petition signed by hundreds of residents. They also received the blessing from the Wetlands Agency, the Board of Selectmen and the RTM.

“Getting here to the P&Z commission not been a task for the faint of heart,” Baker said. “We needed approval from the Wetlands agency, official maps, numerous filings with the town clerk and a check for $1,390.”

The applicants said they did not want to tie the hands of the town for future upgrades to the roadway, traffic circle, or other improvements, but rather have a seat at the table.

“Just look what happened at Bruce Park when the public was denied input. We want a chance to review proposals that affect our scenic loop before they become a fait accompli, thus avoiding fiascos such as the new bridge in Bruce Park, an eyesore in an otherwise idyllic landscape.”

Rita Baker, applicant

There was was some pushback, particularly from Commissioner Nick Macri, who noted the statute required the road be at least .5 miles long.

The proposed loop is comprised of three different roads that total .6 miles.

“The three segments may have different names but they are continuous pavement which we believe meets the intent of the statute,” Baker said.

Another potential stumbling block was that in order to be designated as scenic a road has to be free of “intensive traffic,” but no one could fine a relevant definition of intensive.

The Sound Beach Ave portion of the proposed loop has more traffic than existing scenic roads at Sawmill, Burying Hill and Cliffdale, which are considered rural roads, while Sound Beach Ave is considered an urban collector.

Ms. Garthwaite said defining “intensive” was a conundrum. She said guidance from the State emphasizes that it is the P&Z commission who is the final arbiter of what qualifies as a scenic road.

Mr. Macri said he wanted the town’s traffic engineer, Beta, to be consulted on whether there is an existing Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) definition of “intensive.”

Mr. Yeskey applauded the applicants for their persistence.

“I thought they’d go away,” he said. “You have to give them some points.”

“I remind the commission that when we wrote (POCE), we thought some of the historical protections needed expansion and reinforcement,” Yeskey continued. “I don’t think anyone is disputing that this is a historic area. The POCD definitely supports this.”

“You have to rely on the commission to exercise some judgement,” Yeskey added.

Mr. Fox asked, “Where is there precedent to combine different roads into a loop?”

P&Z chair Margarita Alban said, “It’s our decision. It’s subject to interpretation. We have to make sure the interpretation meets the intent (of the statute.)”

Commissioner Victoria Goss agreed. “Look at the intent of the statute,” she said. “The intent is that (the road) be big enough to make an impact.”

Several residents spoke in favor of the scenic road designation including Leslie Asch, Horst Tebbe, Lucy Krasnor, Paul Pugliese and Allen Lovejoy.

During public comment there were 152 people on Zoom.

“The support speaks for itself,” Mr. Lovejoy said. “We’re acting on behalf of our heirs…The concern is that Bruce Park (pedestrian bridge) will happen over again.”

Commissioner Andy Fox questioned whether the scenic road designation was even necessary.

“It’s not protecting the park, Perrot or the church. It’s (only) protecting the roadway. The trees are already protected by the tree warden because they’re on town property,” Fox said.

Some were concerned about Sound Beach Ave being a scenic road because it is a designated emergency roadway.

Craig Amundson said by having to involve P&Z for changes to the roadway, it could cause delays in upgrades to the road.

“Fire equipment could be delayed by minutes and could change the situation on a fire emergency and result in loss of life and property,” he said.

Longtime RTM member Arlene Lomazzo said she opposed the scenic road designation.

“The traffic is more than enough to deny this application,” she said, adding, “The traffic is horrendous. Stand in front of the library at 5pm and watch the cars fly by.”

Philip Dodson also opposed the proposal, citing the issue of “intensive traffic” and the fact that the loop includes three separate roads, none of which are .5+ mile on their own.

“People tell me how discouraged they get before the P&Z commission because their applications are turned down for the slightest deviance from standard procedure,” Dodson said. “You’re setting a bad precedent if you ignore these standards.”

In closing remarks Ms Baker said those in favor are not opposing changes for safety reasons or improvements to the road. A road widening or change of grade in the road would come before P&Z, and be part of a public process.

“The only time emergency vehicles couldn’t get down there was not because of flooding, it was because a tree was down,” she recalled. “They went down Arch Street the wrong way.”

“All we’re asking is to see the plans beforehand,” she said. “We are not the bad guys here. We want to preserve the sense of place and community.”

The item was left open so that the town’s traffic consultant could opine, as well as DPW and the tree warden. Mr. Macri said leaving it open would also give a chance to confirm traffic counts for Sound Beach Ave.

The applicants said they got the idea for the proposed scenic loop from Greenwich Municipal code itself.

“Scenic roads are irreplaceable resources, the destruction of which has had and will have an adverse impact on the town’s historic and scenic heritage. The purpose of this Article is to establish standards and procedures for designating town highways ^[1] or portions thereof as scenic roads and for regulating and preserving the town’s scenic roads for the benefit of present and future generations.

Greenwich’s Municipal code Chapter 11, article 3 preamble talks about the value of Scenic Roads

See also:

P&Z Watch: Scenic Road Designation for .6 Mile Loop around Binney Pond Discussed