“Mortgage Rates Fall to a Record Low for the 10th Time This Year” (Bloomberg.com click on link to see full article in Bloomberg), which continues to contribute to the recent boom in Greenwich real estate sales. We have been seeing a faster paced market with homes selling faster than they were before the pandemic but prices have remained steady. Due to the lack of inventory and high demand, bidding wars are not uncommon right now with houses selling quickly when priced correctly.
As a result, some buyers are signing contracts earlier in the process, sometimes before inspections are completed, in order to reduce the chances of another buyer swooping in with a higher offer after an accepted offer. Inspectors are often booking a week out so it’s to a buyer’s benefit to get the contract signed as soon as possible, with contingencies in place.
343 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich – Click on photo for details343 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich – Click on photo for details
Located in Old Greenwich, south of the village, one of the most desired area in the NY metro area, this newly renovated house is ready for immediate occupancy. The lot is over-sized with a large flat backyard and a two-car garage. Extensive renovation have just been completed, that include an Encon air-conditioning system, a new third floor playroom, new kitchen appliances, new bathrooms with Carrera marble floor, Kohler fixtures and basketweave tiles. On the outside is a wonderful deck overlooking the backyard, a new roof has been put on and the house has been repainted, the yard has a Summer Rain, Wi-Fi controlled, sprinkler system. You are close to the refined downtown village area and Old Greenwich Elementary and part of the Eastern Middle School district. It’s a wonderful place to live.
There are 62 public open houses this weekend. Please bring a mask and gloves and plan to social distance.
Stefanie Lacoff is a licensed real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services New England Properties in Greenwich, CT. Contact Stefanie for assistance selling your home or purchasing a new one. Text/call: 203-536-9403, email: slacoff@bhhsne.com, stefanielacoff.bhhsneproperties.com
Saturday was a busy day at Splurge Gifts on Lewis Street where owner Sonia Malloy said she and staff stayed busy when non-essential businesses were shut down early in the pandemic.
“We did Facetime appointments and offered both curbside pickup and deliveries,” she recalled. “We worked six days a week and were extra busy with Easter baskets and Mother’s Day gifts.”
Sonia Malloy wears a facemask attached to a mask chain in her store, Splurge Gifts at 39 Lewis Street in Greenwich. Oct 17, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
Since the store reopened on May 20, Malloy said business has been strong and people seem eager to support local retailers.
On Saturday, as customers perused gifts in her store, Malloy said, “We’re selling items appropriate to the situation now, including hand sanitizer, masks and mask chains and lanyards.”
Jigsaw puzzles are popular at Splurge Gifts.
Mask chains? Yes. Think of the times you’ve dangled a face mask from one ear or bent your ears to tuck a mask under your chin.
Also popular are cozy throw blankets and slippers for all the hours people are spending at home. Jigsaw puzzles and candles are also popular.
Necklaces that spell out VOTE are popular at Splurge Gifts.
“People are seeking gifts with meaning,” Malloy said, adding that people are still giving gifts for christenings, communions, birthdays, and teacher appreciation.
“And people want to limit your shopping to the safe, comfortable environments,” she said.
To that end, there is a limit to the number of people in the store at a time. Everyone wears a mask and there is hand sanitizer at the entrance.
Jen Graziano shared her StoryBar jewelry line, which allows people to design their own jewelry with a choice of metals, gemstones, and engraved names, words or phrases. Oct 17, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
On Saturday there was an extra buzz in the store with Jen Graziano displaying her fine jewelry line, the RememBar Collection.
Graziano, a fourth generation funeral director, whose family-run funeral homes include Coxe & Graziano in Greenwich, came up with the idea for the RememBar Collection as a way to personalize jewelry in a way that keeps memories close.
Jen Graziano with necklaces from her RememBar Collection. Oct 17, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
The “bars,” which can be engraved, are hollowed out inside and have a screw backing. They come with a kit to open them and securely place something personal inside. Perhaps a lock of hair, perfume, or small portion of a loved one’s cremated remains. Each piece is custom and the bar can be hung from a necklace vertically or horizontally.
The pricing depends on the stones selected and there is no charge for engraving. There are also bracelets, rings, and both heart and cross pendants, in addition to a men’s collection.
“The line began when I realized there was a void for beautiful memorial jewelry. There is a tangible comfort in knowing someone you love is close to you,” she explained. “Love lives on – it’s a happy story. A lot of people find wisdom in this.”
Each RememBar piece has a genuine birthstone to commemorate a loved one as well as the sentiment “remember” delicately inscribed.
“The idea is to provide comfort as we move forward,” Graziano said. “Love lives on as life goes on.”
Graziano shared StoryBar custom cookies made by Steph’s Sweets, a local business. Photo: Leslie Yager
The line was designed with the expertise of Ward Kelvin, a renowned designer in the field, to inspire and provide hope that life goes on, and love lives on. The jewelry was at first sold exclusively through Coxe & Graziano, but took off through word-of-mouth.
“The jewelry is durable,” said Mr. Kelsey, the designer. “It’s not hokey or too big.”
“My inspiration was derived from the families I have worked with at our funeral homes,” Graziano explained, adding that she wanted to create something both meaningful and beautiful. “I know the pain of loss is real and people who grieve are in search of comfort.”
“It’s wearable and understated,” Graziano said of the hollowed out bars featured in RememBar jewelry. “Nobody has to know.”
A second line in the collection is called StoryBar that allows people to build their own story. “It’s about personalized jewelry,” Graziano said, adding that all four sides of the bar can be engraved and gemstones can be added.
“I realized everyone has a story to tell and there is a comfort in keeping that story close to you,” she said.
With StoryBar, there is a choice of metal, choice of stones, and, lastly, the option of engraving names, words or phrases – it’s possible to engrave all four sides of the bar.
“It grew from there,” she continued. PetBar came next. “If you have loved a pet, you just understand,” she said.
Another jewelry line is the Sunrise Pendant Collection.
“It’s a beautiful opal and diamond pendant that symbolizes hope and renewal,” Graziano explained. “Life goes on.”
Graziano donates a portion of the Sunrise Pendant Collection to cancer research in honor her mother.
Learn more about RememBar online. Questions for Graziano? Email her at Jennifer@RememBarcollection.com
Listed by: Denise Rosato The Rosato Group Division of Coldwell Banker 66 Field Point Rd Greenwich, CT 06830-6473 Email: denise.rosato@cbmoves.com Mobile: (203) 829-7441Office: (203) 622-4000
Enjoy 3-4 en suite bedrooms PLUS 2 home offices to accommodate today’s busy families working at home and home schooling.
Located on a quiet cul-de-sac and close to town, the house was rebuilt in 2006 with front and back staircases.
The dramatic entrance opens to French doors leading to an expansive deck overlooking a scenic pond.
The first floor offers an open floor plan, a generous family room ideal for entertaining, a gourmet kitchen with an adjoining full butler’s kitchen, a formal dining room and 9 ft. ceilings.
The master bedroom suite offers his and hers master bathrooms with an adjoining bonus room that can be used as a nursery, additional office or an exercise room.
The basement offers a temperature controlled wine cellar with an adjacent room which can be used as a winetasting room or small home theater. With 2 furnaces and 6 zones, the house is energy efficient with a generator and potential pool site.
Denise Rosato The Rosato Group Division of Coldwell Banker 66 Field Point Rd Greenwich, CT 06830-6473 Email: denise.rosato@cbmoves.com Mobile: (203) 829-7441 Office: (203) 622-4000
Living Room with Balcony. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830
Listed by: Carolyn Anderson Anderson Associates, Ltd Greenwich Specialists 164 Mason Street Office: 203-629-4519 x 118 Cell: 203-253-5562 www.GreenwichLiving.com
Meadgate, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830
If you are hoping to live in a quiet peaceful condo only a block from all the fun of Greenwich Avenue, this home will delight you! It’s bright and sunny with 4 bedrooms, spacious living room with a fireplace, balcony for morning coffee, white eat-in kitchen with Viking stove, Sub Zero refrigerator and Miele dishwasher, over-sized garage with room for bikes, lower level bedroom with bath for guest or nanny and much more.
Meadgate, with 14 units was built on a 1.34 acre site on the corner of Lewis Street and Milbank Ave in 1972. Talented architects, Rogers & Moore and the builders, Deluca Construction, set out to create sunny, easy living townhouses surrounding a private central garden. Their success is evident. Meadgate was the winner of the Architectural Magazine’s award for excellence in design. It was designed with quiet in mind. Shared walls are seldom with public spaces next to each other. With the 3 level town house design you will never be bothered by sounds above or below you or sounds of someone else’s garage opening.
This is a rare opportunity to own an excellent value pet friendly condo with low common charges, $670 a month. Move right in and enjoy all the amenities of Greenwich!
Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Balcony. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Dining Room. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Dining Room and Kitchen. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Kitchen. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Eat-In Kitchen. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Primary Bedroom, Level 2. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Primary Bathroom, Level 2. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Bedroom # 2, Level 2. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Bedroom # 3, Level 2. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Closet in Bedroom # 3. Meadgate. Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Bathroom for Bedrooms 2 & 3. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Bedroom # 4, Lower Level. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Bathroom for Lower Level Bedroom. Meadgate, Unit F, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830Courtyard at Meadgate, 101 Lewis Street, Greenwich, CT 06830
Carolyn Anderson is the Managing Broker of Anderson Associates. She has her B.A. in Sociology from Boston University and holds a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. Carolyn has a degree from the New York School of Interior Design. She is certified as a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and holds a license as a designer. She has a Real Estate Brokers’ license and has been active in Real Estate for more than 15 years. Before becoming a Realtor, Carolyn bought and renovated homes in Greenwich. She has lived in Greenwich for over 30 years.
The Greenwich High School Young Democrats Club recently hosted a voter drive on Greenwich Ave.
GHS students, left to right, Laura Dacosta Locatelli , Darcy Anderson, Nina Rowell, Gabriella Meyerhoff and Elliot Greenbaum. Contributed photo.
The students provided voter registration forms and spoke to dozens of people and shared information about who is running in the local elections.
“Voting is a right and one of the most important things we can do to have a say in our government. Even one vote can make a difference,” said Elliot Greenbaum, club president.
The students also engaged in a letter writing campaign to voters in Texas to remind them that their vote matters, especially in swing districts.
“Many of us are also out canvassing and phone banking to support local as well as national political candidates,” Elliot said. “It’s essential for young people to get involved in their communities and learn about the people who seek to represent them.”
Any GHS student who wants to be part of the Young Democrats can contact the club leaders by email at YoungDemsGHS@gmail.com The club’s advisor is Jessica von Brachel.
On Monday, P&Z representatives gave a presentation to the RTM Land Use committee about statewide efforts to increase affordable housing in Connecticut.
P&Z director Katie DeLuca said Greenwich’s moratorium on its section 6-110 statute to incentivize moderate income (workforce) housing was in response to a public outcry about the size and bulk of proposed buildings, as well as loss of community character.
That is distinct from the State’s 8-30g statute to incentivize affordable housing.
The 8-30g statute, passed about 30 years ago, mandates that all towns maintain a minimum of 10% of their housing as “affordable.”
Currently, only about 5% of Greenwich’s housing is affordable, so 8-30g remains an avenue for predatory developers.
RTM Land Use committee chair Peter Berg acknowledged the shortfall of affordable housing.
He noted that the Greenwich United Way recently reported that 29% of Greenwich households fall into the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) category – and that was prior to Covid.
P&Z chair Margarita Alban talked about consequences of Greenwich falling short of the required 10%.
“An 8-30g application can completely ignore all of our zoning regulations and force a building of any kind into a town,” Alban said. “An 8-30g application can only be denied if there are significant factors of health or safety or environmental damage. No other consideration can lead to a denial.”
P&Z Commissioner Dave Hardman said 8-30g eliminates P&Z controls relating to density, height, green space and parking, and noted that out-of-town developers use it as a way to negotiate a better deal. He said denying 8-30g applications risks litigation.
(Last November P&Z announced a settlement with a Milbank Ave developer whose application for a multi-unit apartment building to replace a row of turn-of-century houses was denied. The developer had hinted he might re-submit under 8-30g. It went to court and the settlement was for 30 units).
Ms Alban said beyond 8-30g, new threats have emerged at the state level.
“The proposed bill requests significant changes to how zoning authority is exercised in Connecticut and continues the uncomfortable trend of transferring power from local government and concentrating it at the state level.” – CT Federation of Planning & Zoning Agencies Quarterly Newsletter, Fall 2020
She said DeSegregate Connecticut wants to eliminate ‘community character’ as a consideration from any zoning decisions. They also seek to eliminate large lots. The organization asserts that ‘community character’ is “a code for racism and classism.”
She said two-acre and four acre zoning would become illegal and multi-family housing would be allowed throughout communities.
She said the issue of single family zoning could work its way up to the Supreme Court.
Third, a bill sponsored by State Senator Saud Anwar, who represents East Hartford, Ellington, East Windsor and South Windsor, went before the State legislature and contains many of DeSegregate CT’s initiatives, but would also mandate that towns provide sewer or multi-family septic systems for new multi-family housing developments.
“They are looking for two, four, six-family homes throughout towns,” Alban said. “They would make single family illegal. At the end of the day the impact on Greenwich could be tremendous.”
Alban said the threats are real, and that single family zoning has already been eliminated in the state of Oregon, parts of California, and in Minneapolis.
“Because we think it’s the right thing. Because 38% of our school kids are minority. Because 20% of our students are on the free and reduced lunch program. Because we have a lot of people here who are under the poverty line, it’s the right thing to do,” she said. “But it’s an uncomfortable legislative environment.”
Commissioner Dave Hardman said the ability of the national and state movements to require infrastructure be added to the town was a potential “hit to the Town’s finances.”
“This movement to deny using ‘community character’ is also very discomforting and disruptive,” he continued, adding that there are two ways for Greenwich to retain local control. One is for the Town to achieve the 10% affordable housing goal. The Town has roughly 26,000 housing units.
The second is to quality for a five-year moratorium, for which the process includes accruing points for housing unit equivalents, rather than building new units.
“We’re talking about hundreds of additional units to satisfy even the moratorium,” Hardman explained. “We’re working with Greenwich’s housing authority to try to qualify more of their units (as affordable).”
He said that under 8-30g, units built before 1990 do not qualify toward the count of affordable units.
However, he said, if some of the older units were rehabilitated, they could count toward the 10%.
“This notion of being unprotected is not a comforting one to us,” he added.
Commissioner Dennis Yeskey said said most of the Town’s affordable units fall under the purview of the Housing Authority.
He said the Housing Authority has major financial constraints against building new units, but could potentially provide sites for development or renovate units in collaboration with the Town or private donors to build points toward earning the moratorium.
Mr. Yeskey said the challenge was how to fund the projects, and it might be worth the Town considering taking on debt or creating tax rebates.
“Achieving the 10% (affordable units), short-term, is probably too expensive but achieving the moratorium in the medium-term, a couple years down the line, is a lot more realistic,” he said.
Land Use committee member Lucy von Brachel said she didn’t have an issue with some density, but Greenwich’s existing dense neighborhoods continue to absorb new developments, which adds to density and contributes to the very segregation that DeSegregate CT is pushing back against.
“Are we making space to spread out units across town?” she asked.
Ms Alban said she wished more residents knew they can create an affordable apartment in their house without going to the commission for approval. They can instead with with staff for an administrative approval.
“That spreads affordable and senior living throughout town,” Alban said. “Initially we didn’t allow it in (the R6 zone) because it already has two-family as of right. But DeSegratate CT also wants to reduce parking requirements, which we’re concerned about when we think of it in a neighborhood like Byram because there’s already not enough space to park.”
“One of the things we’d like to do is put very small scale developments across town, where they become invisible and blend into the fabric of the town without changing its character,” Alban said.
ZBA chair Pat Kirkpatrick said affordable units are vital for many people to stay in town, including divorcées or young people out of college looking to get their start. Alban said the new regulation about affordable units in homes can be as big as 1,200 sq ft, which would suit the needs of, say a divorced mother with children.
Alban said DeSegretage CT’s model was “urban,” and she wondered what would happen to rural areas, farmland, open space and environmental preservation. “It’s all geared to creating small lots,” she said.
“The assumption is if you make small lots and make affordable housing, you’ll have more integration,” Alban said. “Some other towns in the area are not finding they’re getting more racial and ethnic diversity as they build affordable housing. They’re getting economic diversity. My guess is you need to create jobs first.”
Alban said the movement represented by DeSegreatgate CT is not unique to Connecticut, but rather part of a national movement, and the fight is against having heavy concentration of minority population in limited parts of the state. “That’s what they’re fighting.”
Alban said that Greenwich is going to have to find money to support affordable housing that is consistent with what the town looks like. She said that might involve funding the housing authority, recently renamed “Greenwich Communities,” which the Town has not done before.
“That proposal that the housing authority has to renew Quarry Knoll is going to be 90% market rate (apartments) and 10% affordable, so that the housing authority can raise money to cover affordable,” Alban said. “That may be a bad percentage mix, but they’re looking to raise money. If I show you the age of their units, you’ll be shocked.”
Currently Quarry Knoll has 50 units on 7 acres, and is considered underdeveloped.
(The Housing Authority seeks to replace Quarry Knoll’s existing 50 units for seniors age 62+, with 175 to 225 units, including a mix of elderly, affordable and market rate units across 5 different buildings.)
“What can we do to make Greenwich adapt so these threats aren’t always around us?” Alban asked.
Land Use committee member Christine Edwards pointed out that many residents rent out rooms to boarders to make it possible to continue to afford to live in Town. She suggested that incidents were examples of affordable housing that might be counted at the State level.
Alban said those situations could not be counted. “It’s not deed restricted. It isn’t in set-aside developments, etc,” she said.
In the past, the commission has considered whether the housing provided to teachers by private schools and employees of country clubs might be counted toward the 10%, but learned that was not possible for the same reason.
DeLuca said there was opposition across the state to the major land use and zoning reform initiatives.
Asked who qualified for affordable housing, Alban said people earning 60-80% of the state median income, (with 15% at 60% of median income and 15% at 80% of median income.)
“When you’re at 80%, maximum rent for a studio apartment would be $1,268, a one bedroom would be $1,335, two bedroom would be $1,583, three bedroom would be $1,803,” DeLuca said.
Land Use committee member Frederick Lee said it didn’t seem fair to compare Greenwich, with a median income well over $100,000, to the entire State.
“They’re trying to equalize,” Lee said. “Greenwich is a target.”
Commissioner Hardman said those rents are very low considering the high cost of land and construction in Greenwich.
“Greenwich Communities, formerly the Greenwich Housing Authority, needs 90% market rate units to subsidize 10% affordable units,” he said.
“We have to come up with different ways to subsidize the unit that doesn’t end up in massive amounts of housing units for the community,” DeLuca said.
Hardman said it might be appealing for the town to put in 5-10% of total capital, but should get some return. This could be a feasible investment for the town,” he said.
Mike Warner asked if it might make sense to take units too old to qualify for an affordable designation, and renovate them with incentives to developers.
“Absolutely, yes,” Hardman said.
“We should have strategies. We should have plans,” Alban said.
Warner said the town should work with elected representatives. Ms Alban said they had been briefed, and the issue had come up in one of the debates.
“We’re trying hard to influence the outcome,” she said.
At Thursday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, Greenwich Police Deputy Chief Mark Marino described proposed upgrades to the mid block crosswalk in the vicinity of Agnes Morley senior apartments at Milbank Avenue.
Marino said recommendation was the result of a collaboration between Greenwich Police, the DPW Engineering Division and Parking Services.
The upgrades include a rectangular rapid flash beacon that will be installed on both sides of the mid block crosswalk with the goal of enhancing visibility to vehicles and drivers of the potential of a pedestrian in the crosswalk.
The project will also provide enhanced lighting in the vicinity and improve the line of sight for vehicles traveling in both directions by eliminating four parking spaces on the western side of Milbank Ave.
A letter had been sent to residents in the neighborhood explaining the plan.
“I have not received any concerns or feedback from any of the residents in response to that letter,” Marino said.
First Selectman Fred Camillo said the crosswalk had been of concern for a while.
More recently, in January 2020, a 77-year-old woman was hit by a car while she was crossing Milbank Ave in front of Agnes Morley Heights. She later died of her injuries.
“We’ve heard from residents there about sight line and cars blocking their views,” Camillo said. “It’s a win-win for pedestrians and residents, both in Agnes Morley and houses and condos there.”
Jim Michel from DPW said the existing in-street signs will be removed once the work is completed.
He said the in-street signs are frequently damaged by cars anyway.
The new flashing lights will be similar to the ones outside Town Hall on Field Point Road, with the exception that the one at Town Hall is a more decorative pole then the one that will be installed on Milbank.
The Selectmen voted unanimously to accept the recommendation to amend the traffic ordinance for the Milbank Ave crosswalk safety improvements.
A Greenwich Dept of Public Works project to improve the intersection of Greenwich Avenue at Elm Street was presented for “a first read” by engineer Jason Kaufman at the Oct 22 Board of Selectmen meeting.
The preliminary cost is estimated at about $300,000.
DPW is seeking Municipal Improvement approval. If the Selectmen approve the project, it would next go to P&Z. Jim Michel, deputy DPW commissioner said, if those approvals come, there are conditions on the funding through BET.
If those hurdles are met the project would begin in March 2021 and be completed by Memorial Day.
Kaufman said the top goal of the project is to increase pedestrian safety.
Greenwich Police officers no longer direct traffic at Greenwich Avenue intersections during the day.
Other goals are to build ‘a sense of place,’ increase landscaping greenspace and increase general accessibility for people with disabilities, people pushing strollers, people in high heels, etc.
Kaufman said this intersection project would also serve as a model for other intersections on the Ave.
He said about 300 pedestrians use the intersection during the pm peak, and 800 pedestrians use it during a one hour period on a Saturday. About 3,500 vehicles travel through the intersection a day.
Four parking spaces would be removed south of the intersection to make room for green space, increasing the existing 340 sq ft of green space by 1,860 sq ft.
“It’s not ideal to have vehicles backing up directly into a crosswalk, which you see quite frequently on the Avenue right now,” Kaufman said. “But there are 94 spaces between Elm Street and the intersection with Arch Street.”
A Greenwich Police officer directs traffic at the intersection of Elm Street. January 2020
The proposed plan includes curb bump outs.
A feature of the raised intersection is that pedestrians approaching at the sidewalk elevation won’t have to ramp down and back up.
“That is an added safety and accessibility benefit for the general population, and specifically for persons with disabilities,” Kaufman said.
The center of the intersection would have the same decorative paving used on Sound Beach Ave in Old Greenwich and in front of the Senior Center on Greenwich Avenue.
Four existing light poles owned by Eversource would be moved closer to the intersection to improve visibility of pedestrians and drivers.
Kaufman said “buildouts” would reduce by 41% the crossing distance and crossing times for pedestrians.
With the intersection being raised, it becomes one large de facto speed hump.
Vehicle speeds are lowered and visibility between pedestrians and drivers is improved. The intersection will remain a 3-way stop.
The project will be ADA compliant and factor in wheelchair access. There will be pockets for green town benches.
Parks & Rec will assist with the landscaping plan for the increased green space.
Two permanent bike racks, for four bikes each, will be installed in the northern corners of Elm Street.
Catch basins and a manhole will be relocated on the north side of the intersection.
“I love it,” said First Selectman Fred Camillo, who described the project as a win-win.
Selectperson Jill Oberlander asked why the proposal was being considered piecemeal as opposed to looking at Greenwich Ave functions as a whole.
She noted the future of the “nodes” for outdoor dining, parking, and the closure of the bottom block of Greenwich Avenue are set to be discussed in a public hearing on Tuesday on Zoom at 9:00am.Click for ZOOM info.
“Perhaps you can show us what the rest of the Avenue will look like and the intended plans for the rest of the Avenue,” she said to Mr. Michel. “Perhaps we can incorporate that into the general schematic.”
“The reason why we’re doing one (intersection) at a time is we have to crawl before we can walk,” Camillo said. “We want to show people how it would look. These things take time and to do it at each intersection at the same time would bring things to a grinding halt.”
The second read and vote by the Selectmen will tentatively take place on November 12.
Aerial view of intersection at Greenwich Avenue and Elm Street. Photo from DPW presentation
Every category above decreased in numbers from last week. Possibly the first time that we have seen a slight slow down in everything from new listings to pending contracts since this year’s recent real estate boom. Although it is not significant enough to draw conclusions or make any projections, it is something we will be watching as Thanksgiving is just one month away.
247 Riverside Ave, Riverside, CT
247 Riverside Ave, Riverside, CT – Click on photo for details247 Riverside Ave, Riverside, CT – Click on photo for details
A 2009 Masterpiece custom designed by Sound Beach Partners. This classic, bright 6 bedroom colonial w/pool, spa, waterfall and cabana features 4 floors of elegant living on a half acre lot. Spectacular gourmet kitchen w/adjoining family room. Master suite w/his and her baths & dressing rooms. Lower level features exercise room, custom bar, media area, wine cellar, bedroom, bath & customized built-ins. High ceilings throughout. Stone courtyard. 3 car garage w/custom shelving, superior craftsmanship, no detail has been overlooked. Close to the Old Greenwich village, train and schools. Come be surprised.
45 Lake Drive South is hosting an open house, Sunday October 25, 1:00-3:00
45 Lake Drive S, Riverside – Click on photo for more details 45 Lake Drive S, Riverside – Click on photo for more details
Four bedroom, two bathroom gracious Riverside classic colonial with an oversize lot on a quiet cu-de-sac in a very desirable neighborhood. Walk to train and schools. FAR allows ample expansion.
Stefanie Lacoff is a licensed real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services New England Properties in Greenwich, CT. Contact Stefanie for assistance selling your home or purchasing a new one. Text/call: 203-536-9403, email: slacoff@bhhsne.com, stefanielacoff.bhhsneproperties.com
On Monday, Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo issued the following statement regarding the recent spate of vandalism to and thefts of political signs:
“The recent vandalism and theft of political lawn signs is improper and is being investigated. This is something that will not be tolerated here in Greenwich. These signs, no matter what our personal thoughts are, have been paid for by someone and shall not be touched, defaced, or taken.
“If you see a sign that you believe has been improperly placed or removed, please report it to the Greenwich Police Department by calling the non-emergency number: (203) 622-8004. If caught doing any of the aforementioned actions, you may be subject to arrest.
“I believe in our Constitutional right of freedom of speech, and have not and will not condone the removal of political signs by anyone, including Town employees.
“Let’s continue the tradition and time-honored participation in the political process by advocating for issues and candidates, but do so with respect for all sides of an issue and candidacies. We all love our Town, State and country. Let’s extend that civility towards those who don’t share our opinions, politics and even views on sign policies. Please remember, we are neighbors and friends before, during, and after elections.”
From the Registrars of Voters, Fred DeCaro and Mary Hegarty
To Our Greenwich Voters,
If you have applied for and received an absentee ballot please use it. We want to clear up several misconceptions.
The ballot boxes are safe, and under video surveillance. They are emptied multiple times a day.
Worried about security? There is a box in the police station lobby.
If you deposit your ballot by 8:00pm on election day, it will be counted. The laws of the state of CT guarantee that. There is no possibility of legal challenge for a ballot received by election day.
News reports indicate that COVID is seeing a recent spike in Connecticut.
Much like mask wearing, using your absentee ballot is in fact a way to flatten the curve.
Are we confident in the precautions taken in our polling places? Absolutely, but if everyone who has not yet returned their absentee ballot does so, that is 300-400 people who will not be visiting the polling place. Simple math tells us that poll workers and voters will be incrementally safer, and lines will be that much shorter.
You’ve done the hard work. You’ve applied for and taken receipt of the ballot. This weekend, please take a leisurely drive to Town Hall and deposit your ballot in the drop box there or at Police HQ, as a favor to your neighbors and yourself.
At the last Board of Selectmen meeting First Selectman Fred Camillo said he had recently met with Cos Cob residents in Mill Pond Park.
“Lots of enthusiasm there,” he said. “There is a little bit of uncertainty about the building that used to house the Starbucks coffee business. And it doesn’t look like they’re going back in there. But we’re going to wait and see about that.”
Camillo said the owner of the property is a Greenwich resident.
“They’re very civic minded and they want to work with the town and neighbors to beautify and enhance Mill Pond Park,” he said. “We wish them luck in getting them a new tenant.”
Many will remember how for years cars spilled out onto East Putnam Ave as customers waited for a parking spot in front of Starbucks. Then one day it seemed that half the furniture was removed.
The reason?
Starbucks was approved as a Retail Food Establishment and approved for only 12 seats. Plus it did not have enough parking to qualify for more.
What would you like to see in the empty Starbucks building?
A Greenwich Board of Selectmen’s Zoom public hearing on Tuesday drew 85 participants.
The topic? Greenwich Avenue parking and outdoor dining.
Outdoor dining on the bottom of Greenwich Avenue at 12:00 noon on Oct 27, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
The meeting opened with remarks from Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo who said that back in March, the Selectmen and Planning & Zoning worked together within guidelines of the Governor’s executive orders to create outdoor dining and save businesses.
“What was a preventative measure, turned out to be not only a lifesaver for the Avenue, but really has given it new life,” he said.
Originally two blocks were closed at the bottom of the Ave, but after a couple weeks, the block that features Richards department store was reopened, along with Grigg Street.
“The community has responded very well to this,” Camillo continued. “There remains one issue, where I’d like to hear a little more. It’s the last block.”
Selectperson Jill Oberlander said that going forward she would like to see greater public input and transparency.
“This spring was unprecedented for all of us,” Oberlander said, adding, “We didn’t do enough public outreach to determine not only what our retailers want, but what our residents want.”
Panelists in an Oct 27 Zoom public hearing included P&Z director Katie DeLuca, Fire Marshal Chris Pratico, Selectwoman Lauren Rabin, Selectperson Jill Oberlander, First Selectman Fred Camillo, Fire Dept Chief Joseph McHugh and Police Chief James Heavey.
Obelander called for a full and open dialogue. “The good and bad – and not just the restaurants, but how it effects restaurants off the Avenue, and the look and feel of the whole town.”
Planning & Zoning director Katie DeLuca clarified that while the Board of Selectmen serve as the town’s traffic authority, once the Governor’s executive orders expire, authority over outdoor dining rests with P&Z.
Governor Lamont’s executive orders are set to expire on Nov 9, but Camillo said he anticipates an announcement any day that they will be extended until February.
If Lamont’s executive orders are not extended, DeLuca said it is likely the P&Z commission would take the issue up at their Nov 5 meeting, which includes a public hearing.
Outdoor dining on the bottom of Greenwich Avenue at 12:00 noon on Oct 27, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
She said there are questions and issues with tents, including the requirement that they have two sides open. She said restaurants with outdoor dining permits were surveyed and indicated they wished to continue.
Lauren Rabin said the board was eager for feedback. “We’re learning. We reserve the right to get smarter, make changes and adapting,” she said.
Rabin said the First Selectman’s “Reimagine Greenwich” committee was considering permanent jersey barriers and other options to keep the Town’s business districts vibrant.
Camillo said that with the Avenue becoming more pedestrian oriented, and police no longer directing traffic at intersections, officers were freed to patrol on foot and on bicycles.
Outdoor dining on the bottom of Greenwich Avenue at 12:00 noon on Oct 27, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
“We probably will not reassign a police officer to Elm Street,” Police Chief Heavey said, adding that there is a small group of people who would like the officers returned to fixed positions. “We might have to put an officer at Havemeyer at certain times.”
“But we also want to make sure the ladder and engine from station 1 can get in and out of headquarters without delays,” he added.
“All these traffic calming measures and bump outs are being done with emergency vehicles in mind,” Camillo said.
Fire Dept Chief Joseph McHugh said his department needs to maneuver fire apparatus on the Avenue in a safe, efficient and timely manner, especially given the upcoming inclement weather and snow.
Outdoor dining on the bottom of Greenwich Avenue at 12:00 noon on Oct 27, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
Greenwich Fire Marshal Chris Pratico said portable propane heaters are not allowed under tents or canopies.
And, he said, “(Propane heaters) have to be 5 et away from umbrellas and tents. They need a building permit to use them. The only thing that would be allowed, as far as heaters, would be a professional tent heater, which is a separate unit, ducted under the tent. Then you have the issue of where are you going to put the propane tank – the tank has to be 10 ft away from the building and 10 ft away from the tents. It’s a real big debacle.”
“And we’re worried about the snow load,” Pratico added. “They’re talking about a little bit of snow Friday night. I don’t really see how this extension is going to work.”
Mary Hull from Greenwich Green & Clean said her group had been working with landscapers to refill the containers with small trees and flowers.
“I listen,” she said. “I suggest, if we could, continue to put the barriers up in order to enable driving all the way down (Greenwich Ave).”
Outdoor dining on the bottom of Greenwich Avenue at 12:00 noon on Oct 27, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
Hull said people who are permanently or temporarily handicapped have an issue accessing the bottom of Greenwich Avenue.
“An enormous number of people have to be dropped off,” she said. “It’s supposed to be 75% (of capacity allowed) inside, and those people cannot be dropped off at the top and walk down and walk back up again.”
“If it’s humanly possible to get one lane of traffic all the way from the top of the Ave to the bottom, with the use of barriers, that would help both the stores and restaurants,” Hull added.
Local real estate developer John Fareri described the decision to create outdoor dining as “bold and quick.”
“I understand there are concerns from merchants down there. It is good for restaurants,” Fareri said. “But it might not be good for the other merchants.”
Camillo said what was being considered was opening up a single, one-way lane on the Ave to allow people to be dropped off and access the merchants. He said a trolley was still being considered to shuttle people from the parking garage at town hall every 30 minutes.
Outdoor dining on the bottom of Greenwich Avenue at 12:00 noon on Oct 27, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
“We’ll have to make sure people who are dining are protected,” he said. “That would mean some jersey barriers there,” Camilo added. “Your points are well taken.”
P&Z commissioner Peter Levy suggested mountable curbs and warming mats to melt ice and snow and create access.
“I think the mountable curbs present some safety concerns,” said DPW deputy commissioner Jim Michel. “That’s all stuff that could be looked at. I don’t think its feasible this year, but for long term it might be.”
Nancy Burke said she wanted to see Greenwich Avenue reopened.
“I’m very concerned about Greenwich Ave and the merchants. Older people like myself have to walk pretty far to get to those stores downtown,” she said, mentioning St. Moritz Pastry Shop and Michaelangelo fine engraved gifts specifically.
Mrs. Burke said the weather is turning colder and when she and her husband recently dined inside a restaurant, the doors were kept open and they were cold. “I won’t do that again,” she said.
Camillo said he’d talked to mayors of neighboring towns who had not initiated outdoor dining early in the pandemic and many restaurants had gone out of business.
“I heard downtowns that were not thriving. Our goal is to make Greenwich a lot more attractive and have a more aesthetically pleasing avenue with the bump outs,” he said. “It’s nicer and it will enhance public safety and sight lines.”
Margo O’Brien, daughter of Diane Garrett who owns Diane’s Books on Grigg Street, said the store experienced a 40% drop in revenue when two blocks were closed. Now, with just one block closed, they are down 20%. She said the store brings in 30% of its annual income in November and December.
“We will cease to exist,” she said. “I think my mother’s store is a unique thing and makes Greenwich special. I implore everyone to think about the closure of the Avenue. For our business, it would not be tenable…Any solutions you could come up with…The bump outs are terrific.”
A “COVID-19 Mandatory Mask Zone” sign near Elm Street and South Avenue in New Canaan, on Oct. 21, 2020. Credit: Michael Dinan
O’Brien said there are a lot of unmasked people walking around the Avenue and had heard concerns from many elderly customers.
She said she was concerned for her own mother, who is 81, and said it would be nice if the town addressed the mask issue.
New Canaan created “mandatory mask zones” in their heavily heavily foot-trafficked areas “mandatory mask zones.” They are in effect from 9:00am to 9:00pm. (‘COVID-19 Mandatory Mask Zone’ Signs Posted Downtown. Oct 1, 2020)
West Elm Street resident Dan Quigley said his family loved the outdoor dining, and that his young son could play out in the road and ride his scooter.
“It was a necessary thing to do to help the restaurants survive,” he said. “It has a European feel to it, which enhances the town. But it’s a work in progress.”
John Stewart said he and his wife have been tenants at 375 Greenwich Avenue for 15 years, and since the block closed to traffic and parking he had probably lost 30 lbs carrying boxes to his car and that parking is hard to find.
“It’s a building that only has access via Greenwich Ave. It’s been very hard for us not to be able to access our building,” he said. “I can’t pull up to my home with my car which forces me to carry large amounts of my products which I wind up doing late at night.”
Stewart said other residents have trouble with laundry and groceries.
“It’s been very difficult especially when restaurants are busy and there’s no parking,” he said, adding there was no access from the back of his building.
“I’ve reached out to Greenwich Police two to three times a week referencing there are cars illegally parked to go eat dinner and I’m trying to unload and carry things,” he continued.
Darryl Frey said he had developed an app for valet parking, which he believed would help the elderly and merchants. With the app a valet is deployed to meet people at their location.
“My valets are masked, gloved and disinfect,” he said. “It is cashless and ticketless because of the app. It’s almost touchless.”
Marianne Hillmer said people who live downtown are feeding parking meters all day and the bumpouts had removed a lot of parkig spaces.
“That’s their only option,” she said. “I proposed a downtown residential parking permit and opening up the lower level of town hall parking.”
Camillo said he was due to discuss those ideas with deputy chief Mark Marino later in the week.
Mike Pappa, owner of Michaelangelo said he was celebrating 41 years on Greenwich Avenue and is currently located at the very bottom block of the Ave.
Outdoor dining inside tents outside Putnam Restaurant at 12:00 noon on Oct 27, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
“It’s great for the restaurants, but I want everyone to listen: There are 20 retail stores and 8 restaurants,” he said adding that he’d been in touch with retailers who are “totally suffering.”
“Our seniors cannot move to us. Customers are not coming. A few stores have left and more are leaving in the next few weeks,” he said, adding that retailers are walking away from leases.
Pappa said back on Sept 10 the retailers had requested 15 minute parking spots and bump outs.
“St Moritz (pastry shop), 60 years in business, is basically going out of business,” he said. “I get calls every day. Someone permanently parks in the handicapped spot in front of the movie theater. I had to lay off two employees who have been with us a dozen years. We need a solution.”
Pappa said merchants are also unhappy that restaurant seating keeps creeping into their storefronts. “It’s a high rent area,” he said. “We’re really suffering and want the Town’s help.”
Ms DeLuca said merchants are not allowed to put their seating in front of adjacent stores without express written permission from the adjacent business.
“Elm Street Oyster House worked something out with Aux Delices,” she said, adding that she would be happy to talk to the the restaurant Mr. Pappa referred to.
Jason Palmer, who runs Petticoat Lane, said his business was doing well recently. he previously told GFP he could hardly keep bathing suits in stock with so many people spending times in their swimming pools during Covid.
“I feel bad for the people down at the bottom of the Avenue,” he said.
Meredith Bach with Rand Insurance said she is president of New Canaan’s Chamber of Commerce.
“The bottom line is people won’t want to eat outside in the middle of winter. New Canaan has recommended to the restaurants to invest in their air quality systems instead of tents.
Adam Zakka whose family owned business runs Mediterraneo, Terra and East End, complimented the Town of Greenwich on how it executed outdoor dining.
“I commiserate with all the retailers and I want to have the most symbiotic relationship with everybody down there,” he said. “We have benefited from outdoor dining. I’m not sure we would have made it without it. We’d like to retain some outdoor dining and acquiesce to the retailers for some parking.”
He suggested the retailers pivot to online commerce.
Charlie Hubbard, owner of 375 Greenwich Avenue, said he rents out 11 apartments and residents are struggling with lack of access and parking.
Hubbard said he also has a vacant commercial space that was previously a grab-and-go type of restaurant.
“If you have to walk in to grab-and-go, it’s going to be very difficult,” he said. “Opening up the street would be beneficial.”
Alyssa Keleshian Bonomo said she applauded the town on the outdoor dining. But she said, “The backbone of the community growing up here has been our entrepreneurs. Those who have built their businesses and committed to the town in every way, like St Moritz and Michaelangelo.
“I agree with the bump outs and (opening) one lane down the Avenue,” she said. “It’s just common sense to make it work for everyone. It will work for the restaurants and retailers, and for the fire and safety. It’s really time to listen to the folks who are hurting down there.”
Camillo said the Town would continue to work on a solution. “We’ll do our best to make it work for everybody. We don’t want it to work for just 75%.”
“The department heads will circle back on this and go over thoughts and suggestions,” he said.
The Greenwich League of Women Voters has released its 2020 Voter’s Guide. The League makes it easy for all voters to compare candidates and learn what is on the ballot with the nonpartisan Voter’s Guide.
The Voter’s Guide is available on the League of Women Voters of Greenwich website, lwvgreenwich.org. This is the direct link to the Voter’s Guide.
The Voter’s Guide lists candidates in contested races by office on the election ballot and provides their answers to League questions. Because the League of Women Voters is nonpartisan, candidates’ responses to questions in the Guide are unedited and in their own words.
Voters who are unsure where to vote can refer to the District maps in the Voter’s Guide. Voters may also take a hard copy or digital copy of the Voter’s Guide into the voting booth.
The Voters Guide is funded and published by the League of Women Voters of Greenwich Educational Fund, a 501c (3) entity. Voters can help fund the Voters Guide with a tax-deductible contribution to the LWV Greenwich Educational Fund, P.O. Box 604, Greenwich, CT 06836-0604 or by making a secure donation online.
The OGRCC (Old Greenwich Riverside Community Center) Thunder Travel 8u Fall Ball team brought home the GHVBL (Greater Hudson Valley Baseball League) 8u B Gold Bracket Championship on Saturday, October 24. The 8u Thunder team beat out the New Castle Thunder Bolts for the title.
During the regular season, the team had an 0-11 record, meaning they went into the playoffs with not one win. The team had come close to winning several times but lost by 1 run in three games. The players and coaches never stopped trying. They headed into the playoffs optimistic.
The Thunder team clinched their first win by mercying the New Canaan Rams with a score of 11-0. The boys were ecstatic and the coaches relieved. It felt all season like the boys had the right pieces to win games but the pieces just never seemed to fall into place. Samuel Jamieson and Leo Binick combined to pitch a no-hitter! The bats came alive with Joseph Marchetti getting the team pumped up with a big double early in the game followed by doubles from Leo Binick, Alex Morin, and Liam Kirsch.
Jump Shot: “Samuel Jamieson at first base and Mikey Hartofilis at second base – that was the final out recorded in the championship game – a ground ball to second base.Front row (l to r): Michael Casazzone, Mikey Hartofilis, Leo Binick, Trevor Goodwin, Jaden Vazquez, James DePalma, Ford Gearhart 2nd row (l to r): James Slater, Joseph Marchetti, Liam Kirsch, Samuel Jamieson, Alex Morin Back row (l to r): RJ Marchetti, Denise Casazzone, Tom Casazzone, Ken Binick, Angie Hartofilis.
The semifinal game ended with Thunder upsetting the 8u Pleasantville Panthers 11-4. Another team effort with Samuel Jamieson, Michael Casazzone, Liam Kirsch, and Leo Binick all contributing from the mound for a second consecutive combined no-hitter. The bats stayed hot with Michael Casazzone, Jaden Vazquez, Leo Binick (2), Samuel Jamieson (4), Alex Morin, Liam Kirsch, and Trevor Goodwin all getting RBIs.
The big day was filled with so much excitement and hope. Thunder 8u pitchers Jamieson, Kirsh, Binick, and Casazzone threw well from the mound only giving up 3 total hits. James DePalma and Alex Morin anchored the team catching. The Thunder bats came through once again with 15 hits total contributed by Trevor Goodwin, Leo Binick (3), Samuel Jamieson, Alex Morin (3), Michael Casazzone, Liam Kirsch (3), Joseph Marchetti and Mikey Hartofilis (2). The efforts from the team resulted in an 11-4 victory over the New Castle Thunder Bolts.
Throughout the season, other contributions from the team were made by James Slater, Mark Wermuth, and Ford Gearhart.
The OGRCC Thunder 8u team was led by Tom Casazzone as head coach and was assisted by RJ Marchetti, Denise Casazzone, Ken Binick and Angie Hartofilis.
Thunder scored eleven runs in each of their post season victories, a nice turn around from the 0-11 regular season. It serves as a great life lesson to continue to persist, never give up; good things happen to those who keep trying! A special thanks to the OGRCC for providing the platform for travel youth baseball this fall, as well as keeping everyone safe by following COVID-19 protocols.
More information about OGRCC programs, services, and their COVID-19 protocols is available online.
On Friday afternoon about 550 Greenwich High School students and teachers attended a Zoom “We The People” debate among candidates for State Senate District 36, State Rep 149th district, 150th district and 151st district.
The school’s We The People teacher is Aaron Hull, who introduced GHS junior moderators Veda Swaminathan, Marina Zelenz, Winn Glaser and Eva Marder. The girls stuck to a tight timeline, starting at precisely 1:54pm.
“Time’s up,” was the refrain every minute or two. There were no exceptions.
Kicking off, Democratic incumbent State Senator Alex Kasser and her challenger Republican Ryan Fazio, were asked by Veda Swaminathan about improving education during the Covid-19 pandemic.
GHS We The People moderator Winn Glaser via Zoom.GHS We The People moderator Veda Swaminathan via Zoom.GHS We the People moderator Marina Zelenz via Zoom.GHS We The People moderator Eva Marder via Zoom.
Kasser said public schools were the foundation for the economy.
“It’s the reason people move to Connecticut,” she said. “And we have to do everything we can to keep them safe and open. That’s what I’ve been working on for months during this pandemic . …I’ve been trying to drive more resources to Greenwich Public Schools because during a pandemic, you actually need more resources, not fewer.”
“We are in a very, very critical stage where we could be going into a second lockdown, which I don’t want to see,” she added. “I want schools to be safe and open, which is why I have been fighting for more resources.”
Fazio, who said the debate was a homecoming for him because 15 years ago he was on Mr. Hull’s We The People team at GHS, responded, “I think keeping schools open safely needs to be a top priority.”
He said over the summer he agreed with the Governor that in-person school needed to be a priority. “Senator Kasser, by contrast wrote a letter to the Governor urging him to keep schools closed for the fall,” he said.
Kasser replied that she’d written many letters to Governor Lamont saying, “Don’t open schools until we have the necessary resources to keep them open, like private schools have. Ryan Fazio voted to cut $3 million from the public school budget, so you can ask him how he justifies that.”
Fazio said he had voted for a budget that “increased funding and resulted in no staff cuts and no programming cuts.”
“Your letter said, ‘We ask that you re-examine your decision. Keep schools closed and put all your efforts into supporting distance learning.’…That’s an argument for closing schools,” Fazio said.
Moderator Marina Zelenz asked Kimberly Fiorello and Kathleen Stowe, candidates for State Rep in the 149th district, about policies for improving the local economy.
“I just love the name of this program – ‘We the People,'” Fiorello said. “We have to lower taxes and lower regulations on our smaller businesses.”
Ms Stowe, who is vice chair of the Board of Education said the urban exodus from NYC to Connecticut created an opportunity.
“People are moving here,” she said. “Houses are turning over and now we have to get them to stay there. One of the reasons they’re going to stay here is because we have great schools.”
“People are working from home, but also businesses are leaving New York,” she added. “We need to be welcoming, and bring them here, and we can thrive again.”
Ms Fiorello said she didn’t believe in the government picking winners and losers, “and thinking there are more special people who need more special rules.”
Stowe said she would work to bring new companies to Greenwich and Connecticut. “For all of you who are maybe going to school in Connecticut, – whether it be UConn or Yale – we want you to stay here afterwards.”
Asked how he planned to bring businesses to the area, given vacant storefronts, Republican incumbent Harry Arora in the 151st district, who won the seat vacated by First Selectman Fred Camillo in a special election nine months ago, said, “We are going to encourage business to come here by making sure sure there is no regulatory burden, no excessive red tape.”
“We need to attract capital by using our tax policies, and we need to attract talent,” he added.
Democratic challenger for the 151st district, Hecor Arzeno, whose three older children went through Greenwich High and whose youngest attends GHS, said given so many new residents, it was time to “cut red tape and make sure new businesses have access to capital.”
Asked how they would improve the lives of Greenwich Public School students, Arzeno said he was on record, through his votes on the RTM, to finance Greenwich Public Schools.
“I voted against the cuts the BET passed last year for the Board of Education,” he said. “I believe our public school system should have access to any and all financing to be a top ranked public school system that we are.”
State Rep Arora said the district had done a good job offering in person classes for K-8 and hybrid at GHS, but, he said, “It didn’t start that way.”
“Our virtual programming was really problematic,” he said. “I was the one who basically organized and was the voice for constituents to make sure our BOE take good steps to take that course.”
“I am the most pro-education candidate here,” Arora said.
Mr. Arzeno disagreed. “Unfortunately, the school administration spent very valuable weeks looking for cuts that were totally unnecessary,” he said.
“There were real cuts available,” Arora said. “Leadership means you have to identify the issue, which is important. And many people missed it.”
“On the contrary, our BOE and administration had all the health specialists, and they were working very hard to open the schools the way we did,” Arzeno said.
Hector Arzeno, Democratic candidate in the 151st District.
Moderator Winn Glaser asked incumbent State Rep in the 150th district Steve Meskers and his challenger Joe Kelly for their opinions on the Greenwich Police force, given the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer and “systematic oppression by authority.”
Kelly said the police need to “evolve.”
“Action needs to be taken to the voices that are not heard,” Kelly said. “I’ve spent the last 20 years of my life listening to the voices that are not getting heard – as a coach. I work on the Board of Education, and listen to the voices that are not heard…We treat everyone very fairly at Greenwich High School, which is not a reflection of the rest of the country.”
Mr. Meskers said, the issues of racial justice and equality were “heartbreaking.”
“The issue that Black Lives Matter – we have to adjust our society to be reflective of inclusive space,” Meskers said. “I also respect our police force and understand they are working to protect us. But across the nation and the state, there are issues with performance that we have to review. We need to get to a better place. We need to move the arc of justice and improve our society.”
Mr. Kelly said “taking action” was more important than talking about a subject.
Mr. Meskers said students might think about where they sit in the GHS student center if they wanted an inclusive environment and a better society.
“Even in the cafeteria at GHS, ask yourself where you sit, who you sit with, why you sit there,” Meskers suggested. “We all have to grow and expand who are friends are.”
Joe Kelly, candidate for State Rep in the 150th district.
Moderator Marina Zelenz asked the candidates for the 149th district where they stood on the possibility of adding tolls to Connecticut’s highways.
Ms Stowe said she’d served on corporate boards, worked as an investment banker and in private equity, and would take the same approach to tolls that she did in her work.
‘Tolls are something we should consider,” she added. “It might be a solution. Whether it be on certain highways, or on out-of-state traffic. …I’d rather focus on how we grow the entire economy.”
Fiorello said tolls were a really bad idea.
“Tolls are basically taking money out of the people’s pockets,” she said. “Our economy in the state is going very poorly. …This is exactly the wrong time to think about tolls. You’re basically saying you’re going to have to pay money to go to work.”
Ms Stowe disagreed. “I don’t think it’s ever the reason that people will not move here,” she said of tolls.
“No matter which way you slice it, putting tolls back on our roads is taking money out of the pockets of hard working people,” Fiorello said.
Republican State Rep Harry Arora in the 151st district.
Moderator Veda Swaminathan asked State Senate candidates how they would attract skilled people to Connecticut.
“If we don’t fix the underlying structural problems, we will never create long term prosperity for the middle class and the working poor in our state,” Fazio said.
“We need to reduce taxes for everyone, eliminate it for the working poor, and cut it for middle income people and simplify the tax code,” he added. “We need to reduce regulatory barriers, reduce the state’s debt and restructure its unfunded pensions and health insurance obligations in order to make us solvent as a state.”
Senator Kasser noted that Connecticut had an inflow of new, permanent residents.
“It didn’t just happen because of luck, or because of Covid,” Kasser said. “It happened because of leadership.”
“But it’s not just taxes,” she added. “We have lower taxes already than New York or New Jersey.”
“People are moving here because of the quality of life, because of the modern values, because of the rights, and the protections and services we have instituted and codified in state law – all of which can be reversed.”
State Senator Alex Kasser
Kasser said she passed the first law in Connecticut to address student loan debt.
Fazio disagreed.
“There were no jobs created in the state in the last 20 years before this year’s recession started,” he said. “The writing is on the wall. Everyone knows it. Covid was a good fortune event that brought more people to our state.”
Kasser gave a rebuttal. “What’s bad for our state is this negative narrative we hear from Republicans – how bad the state is and all Democrats’ fault. Well you know what, you had a Republican in this seat for 10 years before I got here.”
Democratic State Senator Alex Kasser in the 36th district.
Asked about the electricity generation in Connecticut Kasser said the situation with Everource was “out of control.”
“That happened before we got to the legislature,” she said, But, she added, “We passed the ‘Take Back Our Grid Act,’ one step toward having more regulatory oversight over Eversource.”
“We have to adapt and advance wind and solar energy because climate change is real,” she added. “We can’t just put our heads in the sand or do what Ryan Fazio suggests which is more nuclear power plants. That is really bad for the environment and human health.”
Fazio said Connecticut had the highest electricity rates in the lower 48 states mostly due to mandates and regulations placed on the consumer by the state government. He said electricity prices were a regressive tax.
“The reason that France, for instance, has such low carbon emissions and such low electricity is because it has an ‘all of the above’ renewable strategy, which includes nuclear.”
Republican candidate for State Senate Ryan Fazio
Kasser said she had passed a bill in the Senate that would allow more solar energy projects in Connecticut, and supported a law on wind energy.
Fazio said the wind bill, included electricity prices that were higher than the regional price. He said it amounted to a regressive tax on the working poor in the state.
Republican challenger for Sate Senate in the 36th district, Ryan Fazio.
Asked about the policies of outgoing State Rep Livvy Floren, a Republican, Fiorello said she would continue Floren’s advocacy for fiscal responsibility.
“That is a vital role that representatives from Greenwich have played in Hartford,” Fiorello said. “She’s also been a vital voice for democracy, which will be critical when we face threats including regionalization of schools and local zoning control.”
Ms Stowe said she hoped to carry on Floren’s legacy of being a moderate.
“She always found the middle,” Stowe said, adding that Floren had at one point served as GHS PTA president, and was always very supportive of public schools.
Stowe said Floren crossed the aisle to vote with Democrats on the nomination of Andrew McDonald for Chief Justice of CT Supreme Court.
Stowe, who is endorsed by Moms Demand Action for Gun Safety and Planned Parenthood, noted that State Rep Floren was supportive of both gun safety and Planned Parenthood.
Fiorello said that like Floren she cared for the environment.
“I got a patent and invented a plastic bag to reduce reliance on one-time use plastic bags,” she said. “That’s the kind of innovation I would bring to Hartford.”
Incumbent Democratic State Rep in the 150th district, Steve Meskers.
Meskers and Kelly were asked about civility.
“I’ve crossed not only lines politically, but cultural lines,” Meskers said. “I’m fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.”
Meskers noted he and his opponent maintained a civil dialogue.
“The differences in personality should not be the question,” he said. “Absolutism does not work.”
Mr. Kelly said society and politics remove the ability for people to discuss topics they agree on.
“So often we jump into what we disagree on, and nothing gets solved,” he said. “I’ve been a championship coach, getting kids to work together on a common goal.”
Democratic State Representative candidate for the 149th district, Kathleen Stowe.Republican State Rep candidate for the 149th district, Kimberly Fiorello
The State Senate candidates were asked what policies they’d support for CT to transition to a net zero carbon economy.
Fazio said he’d spend his career to date in renewable energy.
‘I want an all-the-above energy strategy…I want regulatory fairness for all types of clean energy. I want an open competitive bid process for power generation in the state. I want to eliminate Eversource’s monopoly power in the state. …We can meet the competing interests of both the environment and the economy that won’t break the back of the middle class and working poor.”
Ms Kasser said she’d spent most of her career as an attorney at a large New York law firm, but had pivoted to non-profits to use her advocacy skills for better environmental policies for the future.
“So that we have a sustainable future. So that you have a planet and clean air and water that you inherit,” she said. “There is so much that we should be doing.”
“A couple of things that Ryan Fazio just mentioned, we are already doing,” Kasser said. “We’re already limiting Eversources’ power. We’re already using an open competitive bid processes for our new contracts.”
“We can expand our environmental infrastructure, not nuclear, which is not the right answer,” she said.
A Greenwich Police press release on Friday afternoon gave an update on the investigation into the damage and thefts of political signs in Town.
Police said they received a large number of complaints about signs having been removed or vandalized.
“We’ve been able to positively resolve some of these concerns,” Police said in the statement. “However, in many of the complaints there has been insufficient evidence to substantiate the complaint or prove who committed the questionable act.”
Last Sunday, a local group, Greenwich Voices for Democracy, said in a statement to local media that about 100 of their anti-Trump lawn signs were removed by the Town of Greenwich in violation of their First Amendment rights.
“It is imperative that the Town take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that this type of infringement of Constitutional Rights does not recur and that whoever authorized their removal and removed them be held accountable,” said Sandy Litvack, former Greenwich Selectman who is chair of GVFD.
Indeed, according to the release from police on Friday, an investigation was conducted throughout the week.
“In one incident from last week, Town Department of Public Works employees were reported to have selectively removed political signs,” Police said on Friday, adding that their investigation included speaking with witnesses, canvassing for video footage, inspecting the signs in question and interviewing the Public Works workers and their supervisors.
“We have completed our investigation and submitted our findings to the State’s Attorney’s Office in Stamford.”
Greenwich Police Statement, Oct 30, 2020
Police explained that earlier this week, a patrol officer witnessed an individual take down and remove a political sign. The officer arrested a 25 year old Greenwich woman and charged her with Larceny and Criminal Mischief.
“In another incident, officers determined that a juvenile removed four political signs from private property. In yet another incident, a physical altercation broke out over someone placing a political sign on public property,” police said.
Police said that the individuals they found responsible for these incidents have come from various sides of the political debate.
On Saturday, Cheryl Moss from Greenwich Voices for Democracy said Greenwich Police returned 18 signs to her on Wednesday morning.
“Although I was permitted to collect some of the stolen GVFD signs at police headquarters, these do not account for all our missing signs,” Moss said. “Besides those retrieved from a dumpster at the DPW depot by the police,there are still many other signs unaccounted for. We are awaiting an update from GPD as to what has been done.”
“We will continue to investigate complaints regarding political signs and will issue appropriate enforcement based on the requirements set forth in Connecticut General Statutes and judicial policy,” police said in their statement. “We encourage the public to civilly engage in the political process, appreciate one another’s right to free speech and respect the property of others.”
“The Greenwich Police Department recognizes that political and social tensions have been on the rise across the country and even here in Greenwich. There has been a lot of speculation how this will play out on Election Day and navigating these concerns in a fair and impartial manner is a priority for us. We are committed to meeting this challenge. As with all matters, our goals are protecting the community, preserving life and upholding the Constitutions of the US and the State of Connecticut. Our pledge is to support democracy in a non-partisan way that protects everyone’s right to vote.”
– Police Chief James J. Heavey
Later Friday afternoon Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo and Congressman Jim Himes issued a statement regarding election civility and tolerance.
“As the Democratic Congressman from the Fourth Congressional District, and the Republican First Selectman from Greenwich, we sometimes have our disagreements. However, we stand together in our hope for civility, respect, and kindness,” Himes and Camillo said. “As we did together years ago as chairmen of the two local political parties, we urge all residents to respect the right of others to express their opinion, refrain from personal attacks, and look for those things that we have in common, not just for those in which we disagree. We encourage debate, but urge that it be done with the respect and civility.”
“We are and will be friends and neighbors before, during and after the election. Where there is antipathy, bad behavior and strife elsewhere, let us be an example to the rest of the Nation when it comes to how we conduct our elections.”
