In the time since this letter was written, the developer looking to redevelop this location reasonably accommodated this concern with an entrance and exit onto state rt 34, a main road. They did not get the same accommodation Toll Brothers was granted for the Simpson's condos, condos on what used to be horse pasture, and before that a Native American camp site. As for the open space concerns, this site is located adjacent to public sports fields, walking distance to Sandy Hook Center, and there is a trail head for a nice walking path in the woods and along the river directly across Oakview. Potential residents would have generous access to open space.
I generally agree with Tom Johnson, re: following the rules of the road, both legal and/or commonly accepted. However, there are times, especially when the bulk of the traffic is using Main Street to bypass congestion on 84, when yielding to turning drivers at the flagpole makes the most sense.
Coming home from Trumbull today, I noticed that several southbound drivers were planning to turn left onto Church Hill, and the line of cars went beyond what I could see. The northbound lane was also very busy.
I admit that I may have waived my right by slowing down to create a gap for a southbound car to turn. I then moved to the staging position within the circle (small car so no disruption to northbound traffic), but the intersection was then blocked by southbound traffic turning left. Of note, that intersection can easily become gridlocked if 6-8 drivers claim right of way (3 or 4 cars in each direction).Thankfully, the third lefthand turner stayed back and waived me through.
To many people, it is not clear who has right of way in such circumstances. IMO, it makes sense to ensure that traffic can travel north and south, and sometimes that means yielding the right of way. Hopefully someday the State will address the traffic issues on 84 and we will no longer have as much congestion at the flagpole.
Not only do the Democratic Women’s Caucus take a name that implies they represent a political party, they do not even endorse the woman who has been serving our town.
Hey all! I know that we're always trying to be nicer in Newtown and all that but I thought you should know I'm 110% on board with "massive ticketing". If there isn't some error in the data and we're really seeing almost 100 violations in a week let's just bring the hammer down. You can "warm up" the driving public with a big fat ticket in the mail. Word will spread quickly! Why people in this state seem to need to apologize for enforcing the law is beyond my understanding.
While I was First Selectman, Town policy was to reserve the CodeRED system strictly for true emergencies. The most significant crisis during my term was the August 18, 2024 flood, which severely impacted homes, businesses, roads, bridges, and park infrastructure. That was a genuine emergency requiring mass notifications over a period of days.
For snowstorms or other weather events that did not wreak significant damage, I used the Town’s News & Announcements system to notify subscribers and supplemented those updates through social media.
It’s important that Town communication channels are used appropriately. CodeRED was intentionally reserved for the most serious events so residents would not become desensitized and begin to tune out critical alerts.
