Setting Sun over Myrtle Avenue Cherry Blossoms
The setting sun gave bright light to a cherry tree along the canal at Myrtle Avenue, near Route 1.
Westport Cumulative COVID-19 Cases Up 6; No Deaths; State Positivity Rate 2.41%
The Westport-Weston Health District reports that Westport has added 6 positive or probable COVID-19 cases, and has added 0 new deaths.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 1,690 cases. Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 31 deaths.
State Daily Test Positivity: 2.41%
First Selectman Jim Marpe Announces He Will Not Seek Re-Election: “every organization benefits from regular changes in senior leadership”
Press ReleaseFirst Selectman Jim Marpe announced today that he will not pursue re-election for a third term in the upcoming November municipal general election.
Mr. Marpe said, “It has been an honor to serve my community as its Chief Elected Official for the past seven years, and I deeply appreciate the bi-partisan support and encouragement I have received throughout that time. While the Westport Town Charter does not place term limits on our elected officials, my experience in the private sector taught me that every organization benefits from regular changes in senior leadership. I am proud of what my administration has accomplished or set in motion, including our responses to COVID-19, fiscal responsibility, physical improvements, and addressing social justice concerns. We have prioritized the delivery of superior services at a predictable cost to the taxpayer. As such, I am very proud that we kept the mill rate stable throughout my entire term in office.
I also know that the real key to our success as a community is the professionalism and commitment to serving our residents that is exhibited every day by the women and men who are employed by the Town and the Westport Public Schools. It is also the result of the remarkable dedication and creativity of our dozens of citizen volunteers and elected officials. I am so fortunate to have led a team of employees and residents that is the envy of my counterparts in other communities.
During the remaining seven months of my term, I will continue to focus on leading Westport safely out of the pandemic tunnel we have been in for the past year, as well as achieving or launching the initiatives that I have described in various budget and State of the Town presentations. When I first ran for election to the Selectman’s Office, I committed to bringing a citizen-centric, professional management style to my responsibilities, and I assure you that will continue into November.
I want to thank the voters of Westport for allowing me the opportunity to have the special privilege of serving them in the First Selectman’s Office. I remain humbled by, and grateful for, the responsibility you have granted me.”
Old Mill Beach’s Eyesore Construction House on Agenda for Blight Committee Meeting Tonight
Screengrab from Realtor.com233 Hillspoint Road is on the agenda tonight for the Town of Westport Blight Committee meeting.
The house, which used to be Positano’s Restaurant, or Cafe de la Plage, on Old Mill Beach, started to be constructed several years ago. Due to the home not meeting building regulations, a legal Stop Work order was put onto the house over a year ago - and all construction on the house has stopped ever since while the Town and developers figure out how to handle the current eyesore.
The house currently sits without windows, doors, or siding, and is often a place for people to walk through and explore the shell of a home (illegally), while neighbors have a view of the decaying construction materials without any end in sight.
The home had begun to be built by Westport’s PEN Building Company, owned by Westporter Peter Nisenson, and was designed by Bruce Beinfield of Beinfield Architecture in Norwalk. The original asking price for the pre-construction listing was over 7 million dollars.
The former Positano’s building, which was demolished to make way for the structure, was just over 110 years old when it was destroyed. Positano’s moved to Playhouse Square in 2014.
Tonight’s meeting begins at 7:00 PM, and can be reached by Zooming in at this address:
Meeting ID: 850 5590 9260
Passcode: 999999
Dial by your location +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)