Last week, with the help of a few numbers, I compiled a list of questions about Saugatuck for the Selectman and P&Z candidates. The answers I've received so far are posted below (everyone except Jim Marpe and Jon Olefson). If additional responses are submitted, I'll update the post as soon as they come in.
Thanks to all the candidates who participated and please remember to vote on Tuesday!
P&Z CANDIDATES:
Jennifer Johnson
What are your top three priorities for Saugatuck?
1. Traffic control
2. Scale-able mixed-use development, emphasizing smaller housing units and giving priority to local businesses
3. Maintaining access to the river and creating new green spaces
What are your are your short- and long- term plans for the Cribari Bridge? Do you agree with the decision to forego state funding made earlier this year?
I do not agree with the decision to forego state (and federal) funding. We should keep all options on the table while the situation is being studied and until we can have a fact-based, town-wide discussion of realistic alternatives.
What is your assessment of the current state of the Transit Oriented Design Study? Are there recommendations you agree with/disagree with? (Specially interested in views on the appropriateness of the amount of new housing proposed.)
Generally speaking, I applaud the Saugatuck study as a first step in an unfolding process. It goes a long way toward addressing my priorities listed above. I do not yet have enough information to say how many housing units are appropriate, but whatever the ultimate number may be, it has to be determined by taking pedestrian safety, traffic and mobility into account and it has to be coupled with attracting small businesses that will serve community needs (eg, pharmacy, hardware store, etc.).
What ideas do you have for reducing traffic congestion and improving the pedestrian experience in Saugatuck, especially along Rte. 33 and at the Cribari Bridge?
A determined group of “moms” in Darien succeeded in having the DOT prohibit trucks on Rte. 136 between MLK Boulevard in Norwalk and I-95 interchange 12 in Darien. There is no reason why we cannot do the same for that portion of the same road which serves Saugatuck. Then, of course, we need sidewalks and bike lanes to discourage driving, and we need more and better public transportation.
How would you describe the types future development you'd like to see for the area (scale, density, commercial/residential, etc)?
Smaller housing units, a mix of smaller, Mom and Pop stores which primarily serve the local residents and smaller offices and office services. The goal should be a neighborhood where one can [safely and easily] walk to the station, walk to work and walk to dinner. As a side note, in 2012 I authored and successfully lobbied the Board of Selection to approve Westport’s Pop-Up Café ordinance.
I hope it is Ok for me to provide this one further comment on Saugatuck:
Saugatuck’s future may well depend on how the P & Z handles these issues going forward. It will require a clear-eyed and realistic approach. It will also require us to reject the kind of misleading hysteria spread by Save Westport Now (SWN), which last week (for example) claimed that a proposal to change zoning regulations in Saugatuck would lead to crippling traffic.
In fact, the Saugatuck Plan has many good features. It would: (1) enhance waterfront access, parks, & landscaping; (2) encourage multi-modal transportation choices, including transit service to the train; (3) provide parking strategies for both commuters and local businesses ; (4) promote a mix of uses while protecting the area’s vibrant character; and (5) reduce congestion and discourage cut-through traffic.
The Plan is far from perfect and there is much work that still needs to be done. But I believe the overall vision to plan for the future of Saugatuck is exciting.
Back in the 1970s, NASA recognized Westport as a “Community of the Future” for its unique “mini-bus” system and our overall commitment to progress. Now, with the onset of Google Maps, Waze and other technologies, we need to regain that spirit of innovation. With the future of private land in Saugatuck very much in play, we need to keep every reasonable option on the table for consideration. We must recognize change, for better or for worse, is at our doorstep. It is up to us to take actions now to ensure a vibrant future for Saugatuck. I hope to be a part of that process and ask for your vote on November 7.
Cammeyer-Dobin-Rutstein Campaign:
1). What are your top three priorities for Saugatuck?
Our top three priorities for Saugatuck are (i) to protect against overly dense residential and commercial development that will make the traffic worse for residents and commuters and change the character of the neighborhood (ii) support the retailers, recreational businesses and restaurants who make Saugatuck such a special place and (iii) make Saugatuck more pedestrian and bike friendly and improve the street scene with trees and landscaping.
2). What are your short- and long- term plans for the Cribari Bridge? Do you agree with the decision to forego state funding made earlier this year?
We strongly believe that the Cribari Bridge should be repaired and restored but not be changed in any way in terms of design or structure. We believe the Cribari Bridge is traffic calming, not the cause of traffic. The traffic is caused by people in a wide area funneling into a much smaller area to catch the train and access 95. The bridge could be four lanes and it would not change the nature of the traffic. In fact, a wider, higher bridge would drive more traffic onto Greens Farms Road and through the area and would do nothing to alleviate traffic at all. We absolutely agree with the decision to forego state funding. We simply don’t trust that the state money would not have come with a loss of control that would result in a replacement bridge of greater height.
3). What is your assessment of the current state of the Transit Oriented Design Study? Are there recommendations you agree with/disagree with? (Specially interested in views on the appropriateness of the amount of new housing proposed.)
We are generally skeptical of studies performed by outside, non-local consultants, particularly a study that has been labeled a “Transit-Oriented Design Study” from Day 1, which suggests that the “recommendations” were a foregone conclusion from the start. The state – which funded the study – appears to have an agenda here that is not necessarily consistent with the character of Saugatuck or greater Westport.
Please note that (1) upon preliminary inspection we like the idea of adding street parking on Riverside and Franklin and (2) we strongly agree that the pedestrian access, landscaping and river access should be improved throughout the “public realm” and where possible, the private realm as well.
However, we have strong reservations with regard to both the amount of housing proposed and the concept of a “one story parking structure” aka a garage to be hidden by liner buildings. With regard to the multifamily, we think an expansion of this level is simply inconsistent with the feel of Saugatuck and the resulting multifamily units will crowd the roads with cars, overcrowd our schools and stress our school and town budget. We think any kind of structured parking is a terrible idea – we do not need to attract more non-Westporters to park in Saugatuck. Our trains are already full (sometimes we can’t get a seat) and attracting more cars just adds to our traffic woes. Residents of Saugatuck should not be saddled with even more cars on their roads to suit Hartford’s agenda for dense multifamily development. It’s also critical that we protect Westport commuters’s ability to get to the train on time. Too much housing and additional parking that is open to anyone in Norwalk, Weston, Wilton, etc. is the wrong choice. Moreover, the amount of retail being proposed makes little sense given the major tumult of the retail sector and even less sense when you consider the mall being built just down 95 in Norwalk. People purchased houses in Saugatuck and Westport relying on our current zoning regulations to limit overbuilding and these regulations shouldn’t be amended without very careful consideration and without good reason. Particular consideration should be given to the unintended consequences of any zoning changes.
4). What ideas do you have for reducing traffic congestion and improving the pedestrian experience in Saugatuck, especially along Rte. 33 and at the Cribari Bridge?
There’s no magic bullet to reducing traffic congestion but as we outlined in our answer above we believe that redeveloping the Cribari Bridge and rezoning Saugatuck for more dense multifamily development will definitely make the traffic exponentially worse.
Michael Cammeyer added language to our POCD suggesting that we explore adding a cycling and pedestrian bridge adjacent to or next to the Cribari Bridge to enhance pedestrian and cycling access to both sides of the river without impacting the bridge.
One idea we think is potentially helpful is to disallow left turns onto Greens Farms Road from the Sherwood Connector during rush hour in the morning. This would help clear “waze” traffic from cutting through Saugatuck.
Existing public transportation should be improved but we do not believe most Westport commuters will be willing to take public transportation to/from the train when they work. However, we do think that it is worthwhile to explore how Uber or other ride hailing apps could help alleviate traffic flow in and out of Saugatuck at prime hours.
Lastly rather than have an outside consultant look at Saugatuck with the idea of creating transit-oriented development we think it would be worthwhile to have a traffic engineer look at the existing streets and density and consider what creative solutions (i.e. making certain streets one way at a certain hour) may help the flow of traffic.
5). How would you describe the types future development you'd like to see for the area (scale, density, commercial/residential, etc)?
We would like to see the river access, pedestrian access, cycling access and landscaping of Saugatuck improved. By way of example, the renovated parking lot looks so much better and we love the docks and walkway below Saugatuck Sweets. Generally we are supportive of low density development that enhances and builds upon Saugatuck’s existing character but does not transform or change it. We believe Saugatuck provides a very special option for people who want to move to the suburbs and live in a single family home with a yard but retain some of the walkability they enjoyed in the city. We will fight any effort to turn Saugatuck into a miniature version of Stamford or another densely developed more urban town. We aren’t sure exactly where the energy behind this push to “develop” Saugatuck came from recently– the state, local property owners, the Coalition for Westport, etc. – but we are skeptical of any push to make major zoning changes enabling dense development.
SELECTMAN CANDIDATES:
John Suggs:
1). What are your top three priorities for Saugatuck?
Continue the effort to preserve the Cribari Bridge and prevent access by 18 wheelers. DOT, if it makes any changes to the bridge’s geometry, is bound by regulation to bring it up to current standards for height, so we need to remain engaged.
Work with neighborhood groups and area businesses to conserve the small scale character of Saugatuck and help support its revival.
Address congestion by instituting a No Parking Zone on Riverside Ave near the intersection of Bridge Street during the evening commute.
2). What are your short- and long- term plans for the Cribari Bridge? Do you agree with the decision to forego state funding made earlier this year?
As the architect of the plan to strip the funding for the Cribari Bridge’s enlargement or replacement from the Transportation Infrastructure Plan (TIP), I am in complete agreement with the recent unanimous vote by our regional planning group to do just that. Now Westport will have greater control over the future of our historic bridge.
In the short term, we must continue to closely monitor the Cribari Bridge’s Environmental Assessment (EA) which should be completed in about a year.
Over the long term, I intend to develop a detailed plan of preservation for the Cribari Bridge which I will urge the DOT to adopt. The plan, which will be based upon the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) highly respected guidelines for restoring historic bridges, with specific recommendations for truss repair, new, narrow section crash rails and a recoating program.
3). What is your assessment of the current state of the Transit Oriented Design Study? Are there recommendations you agree with/disagree with? (Specially interested in views on the appropriateness of the amount of new housing proposed.)
I do not support the current recommendations in the draft TOD report; Saugatuck Village is a compact and densely populated area which cannot absorb the proposed additional residential units without degrading the quality of life for residents – and adding to the challenges faced by commuters.
4). What ideas do you have for reducing traffic congestion and improving the pedestrian experience in Saugatuck, especially along Rte. 33 and at the Cribari Bridge?
As previously stated, I’d like to start by instituting a No Parking Zone on Riverside Avenue near the intersection of Bridge Street during the evening commute.
I would also like to experiment with the timing of the traffic light at the intersection of Riverside Avenue and Bridge Street.
With regard to pedestrian enhancements, I’m particularly sensitive to the current crosswalk system at the intersection of Riverside Avenue and Bridge Street. As a pedestrian, it’s a challenge to safely negotiate this area of Saugatuck. I feel that textured pavement crosswalks and possibly pedestrian signalization should be considered.
5). How would you describe the types future development you'd like to see for the area (scale, density, commercial/residential, etc)?
The historic scale, nature and character of Saugatuck needs to preserved. I would prefer to see the existing historic structures around the train station (such as the old button mill) restored and repurposed. Overscaled, high density development, as has been proposed is simply not appropriate for this fragile, highly complex area.
6). [FOR SELECTMAN CANDIDATES]: What is the role of the Selectman's Office in working with developers in promoting land development when the local residents are opposed to the plan?
I do not believe it is the role of the First Selectman to work with individual developers on specific projects. The First Selectman’s responsibility is to represent the interests of the residents of Westport. In that respect, I would be more focused on what the people who actually live in given neighborhood think about a project.
Melissa Kane:
1) What are your top three priorities for Saugatuck?
1-Protecting its character
2- Ensuring better mobility for residents and commuters
3- Finding the right level of density to support a vibrant and sustainable, but also livable, community.
2) What are your short- and long- term plans for the Cribari Bridge? Do you agree with the decision to forego state funding made earlier this year?
As I've said all along, we need to protect and preserve our bridge. We needed to make sure it was protected in the short term, which was accomplished by foregoing the state money. (Although, I would have argued to keep the $2 million in planning and design money.) The next step will be to work hard to negotiate with DOT so that the state pays for the bridge WE WANT (i.e., no 18 wheelers physically able to cross it).
3) What is your assessment of the current state of the Transit Oriented Design Study? Are there recommendations you agree with/disagree with? (Specially interested in views on the appropriateness of the amount of new housing proposed.)
I haven't been very impressed with the process of the study. I will reserve judgment on the entirety of the plan until the consultants come back with the next draft, based on input. I am hopeful there would be innovative streetscape improvements, as that is very important to me throughout town, and will be especially beneficial to Saugatuck. Their initial density numbers are WAY out of range for what I believe is appropriate and sustainable for the neighborhood.
4) What ideas do you have for reducing traffic congestion and improving the pedestrian experience in Saugatuck, especially along Rte. 33 and at the Cribari Bridge?
As above, I believe streetscape improvement and safer sidewalks will improve the overall experince of Saugatuck. With regard to traffic, we need a multi-faceted approach. Some considerations:
-- Prohibit left turns off the Sherwood Island divider on to Greens Farms Road during rush hours.
-- Create policy so that we can easily move traffic officers as needed into hot spots, including longer hours for the officers at the bridge and Riverside intersection, and when needed additional officers at Treadwell and at the Charles/ Riverside intersection.
--Look at traffic in Saugatuck as part of a larger holisitic program that addresses traffic in WEstport from many angles.
--Consider additional shuttle service for commuters and a train to main shuttle.
5) How would you describe the types future development you'd like to see for the area (scale, density, commercial/residential, etc)?
I don't really see a need to change the scale of development in Saugatuck. I believe developments like the Gault project are a good standard from which to judge size and projects going forward. I believe Railroad Place is a good opportunity for both historic preservation (which should be mandatory) as well as a way to add diversity of housing and retail in reasonable numbers.
6). What is the role of the Selectman's Office in working with developers in promoting land development when the local residents are opposed to the plan?
TJ Elgin:
I believe it is the role of the First Selectman to advocate for the needs of the citizens of Westport, using the office to add strength to negotiations with developers to come up with reasonable alternatives or locations.
1). What are your top three priorities for Saugatuck?
Public transportation is a must in the Saugatuck community for traveling throughout the town especially for the young people who cannot drive yet or for the elderly.
To keep Saugatuck security and preserved as a family oriented area.
Build more community based events(arts, music, entertainment) for Saugatuck to keep everyone united and strong.
2). What are your short- and long- term plans for the Cribari Bridge? Do you agree with the decision to forego state funding made earlier this year?
We should not have given up state funding when the state offered it. We should have negotiated new terms for the contract and forced it to be what the town wanted and not what the state wanted.
Short term is to keep the bridge maintained as needed. Longterm would be to negotiate new terms with the state with the conditions that 18 wheelers cannot cross the bridge. Funding can be appropriated to properly fix all ends of the bridge.
3). What is your assessment of the current state of the Transit Oriented Design Study? Are there recommendations you agree with/disagree with? (Specially interested in views on the appropriateness of the amount of new housing proposed.)
I disagree with almost all of it. I truly feel as though all these outside entities are just trying to make extra work using cheap cost for an extra buck. We need a whole over hall of our states government.
4). What ideas do you have for reducing traffic congestion and improving the pedestrian experience in Saugatuck, especially along Rte. 33 and at the Cribari Bridge?
Offering more public transit for the mainstreaming parts of Westport, if we plan to put tolls up a lot less traffic will be using Westport as a cut though. It’s a matter of time before the state lets this pass we might as well capitalize on it now and put the extra revenue into our roads and town projects. If you live in Westport you wouldn’t pay a toll.
5). How would you describe the types future development you'd like to see for the area (scale, density, commercial/residential, etc)?
I would like to see our community develop more ways to bring the whole community together, we should utilize the river more than we do. I'd only like to see small scale commercial (mom and pop) no more franchises. There's enough people that live in the area just needing more communication amongst them.
6). [FOR SELECTMAN CANDIDATES]: What is the role of the Selectman's Office in working with developers in promoting land development when the local residents are opposed to the plan?
it is the job of the first selectman to voice and stand for the town and all its residents. If the local residents don’t want something and all perspectives have been communicated then respect the tax payers and stop allowing these outside land developers pick the town apart for their own interests.