Town Settles Dispute; 157 Housing Units Coming to Hiawatha Lane Neighborhood

Artistic rendering of the courtyard between the three buildings. The Monroe Partnership architects. 

Last night with a 5-0 vote in the affirmative, the Town of Westport settled a decades long dispute - confirming that a 157 unit housing complex will be built in the Saugatuck neighborhood of Westport in the Hiawatha Lane, Davenport Avenue area. The 8.8 acre property will rest on the Norwalk town line, with three buildings - one of which will be a maximum of four stories tall, according to the Planning & Zoning Committee paperwork. 

The dispute between the Town of Westport and Summit Saugatuck, LLC has faced several waves of public outcry and legal battles. The property developers claimed Westport was discriminating against them and low income residents after the Town declined original applications for the development - in which 30% of the units must be made affordable housing. The applicant is currently challenging the Town of Westport’s multiple denials of the project in various courts, including the Connecticut Supreme Court, and has also filed a legal challenge to overturn the 2019 Moratorium awarded to Westport by the Department of Housing. The legal settlement approved last night is contingent on the withdrawal of all related litigation. 

Neighbors worry about traffic and the overall destruction of the historic neighborhood, where many of the community’s immigrants settled upon their arrival to Westport - as well as the many residents who were displaced from their original homes when the Interstate 95 was constructed through Saugatuck. These are not factors the courts will consider when evaluating appeals of 8-30g applications. 

The applicant and his allies argue this is opportunity to allow more affordable housing in the community during a time when rent has soared in the pandemic market, as well as for land owners to have the freedom to use their land in cooperation as permitted by State law. 

Regardless of the decision - the vote ended a long chapter in the Westport housing development book, and began a new one that will tell the story of the new Hiawatha Lane neighborhood and the ongoing changes to the Westport community. 

Easton Joins Westport-Weston Health District; Community Input Needed for New Name

Press Release

Effective May 1st, Easton, CT has joined the Westport Weston Health District.  Mark Cooper, Director of Health, is delighted that Easton is an official member of the Health District. “Residents of Easton will now have full-time access to the comprehensive services provided by our trained and certified staff.  We are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all residents and serving as a source of information for health-related concerns.”  He adds that the move increases efficiencies and fosters collaborative efforts. Health District Board Chairman, Otis Crawford, formally welcomed the town to the Health District during May’s regular Board of Directors meeting. 

Easton First Selectman, David Bindleglass, attended the Health District’s May meeting on the Town of Easton’s behalf while Easton’s Board of Selectmen appoints a Board member who will represent Easton on an ongoing basis. He stated “ Joining the WWHD replaces our previously part-time health department. I am thrilled at the additional public health and sanitation services we will be able to provide our residents and looking forward to working with the health district.” 

WWHD Community Health Division’s Public Health Nurse, Loren Pace, is excited to work with the neighboring community.  “We’ve been offering homebound COVID-19 vaccination visits and community clinics over the past few months. Residents have also dropped off many ticks for identification and testing.”  She encourages everyone to take advantage of the services offered through the District.  The organization has added a full-time sanitarian to cover the added environmental health load.   For the convenience of residents, the sanitarian has been holding office hours at the Easton Town Hall  Monday through Friday.

Formed in 1965, the Westport Weston Health District is the first recognized health district in Connecticut. Member towns include Westport, Weston, and now, Easton.  With the addition of Easton to the Health District, the Board of Directors has begun discussing the need to change the Health District’s name to be more inclusive and is open to suggestions. Anyone with suggestions should send them to publichealth@wwhd.org.  The Health District services more than 40,000 residents.  It is responsible for environmental health and code enforcement, health education and promotion, disease monitoring and prevention, and public health emergency planning and response.

Staples Rugby Team Ranked #20 in Nation; Heading to National Championships with the Help of Donors

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The Staples High School Rugby Team celebrated on Tuesday with congratulations from community leaders. The team is flanked by First Selectman Jim Marpe and Staples High School Athletic Director Marty Lisevick (left) and Superintendent of Westport Public Schools Thomas Scarice, and Staples High School Principal Stafford Thomas (right). Contributed photo. 

For the first time in its history, the Staples High School Rugby Team will be heading to the National Championships in Kansas City, Missouri this June as the #20 team in the country. The team is actively seeking donations to fund the trip to the championship matches so they can compete.

Founded in 2003, the team has grown significantly in the past five years alone - going from 30 players in 2016, to 85 boys and 25 girls on the roster today. This is not just the case in Westport.

Nationally, the contact sport has grown in numbers with USA Rugby claiming 110,000 registered players as of this past Summer, and “at high school level, there are over 26,000 people participating, eight times more than there was a decade ago” according to Sport 306’s Senior Editor Niall McCague. Staples High School head coach Dave Lyme says the current number of youth and high school players is currently over 40,000 members.

While rugby grows, Forbes reports that youth football participation has dropped by over 30% since 2009’s peak seasons, and “It seems almost certain that 2020 or 2021 will see overall high school participation in tackle football drop to below 1 million players, a level of participation not seen since 1998.” (Roger Pielke).

To those unfamiliar with the sport - rugby is not seen as a pillar for safety and grace, however players and coaches describe their technique as their brain’s saving grace when it comes to taking down an opponent - leading with parts of the body such as the shoulder instead of their head, and using body mechanics that protect them from injury while attempting to gain possession of the ball - especially during stereotypical scrums.

The Staples High School Rugby Team is lead by Head Coach Dave Lyme. Lyme is not a stranger to championship matches, In 2016 he took a men’s team to the USA Rugby National Championship as head coach for the Fairfield Yankee’s; they won against a Texas opponent. Lyme also serves as Head Coach for the Westport PAL rugby team, and the Sacred Heart University rugby team. The Australian native has been involved in the sport for 45 years.

This year’s Staples Rugby Team captains are Staples Seniors Felix Pollmann, Ben LaFontan, Sam Seideman, and Dylan Garra - all of whom joined their teammates in losing an entire season due to COVID-19.

The Staples Rugby Team is seeking the community’s support as they embark on their journey to the national championships - with a fundraising goal of $50,000 through a GoFundMe campaign. Team members are looking forward to the match, which will also be attended by Connecticut’s Greenwich High School’s team as well as the Aspetuck Valley high school club. “These experiences increase player ability and opens larger opportunities for college recruitment as hundreds of college coaches and scouts will be in attendance” the club described in a release.

To learn more about the Staples High School Rugby Team, visit their website. To donate funds towards getting them to the National Championships this June, click here for their GoFundMe campaign.

edited 05/15/21

Morning Weather Report [05/13/21] Sunshine and Warm Weather through Weekend

Today

Sunny, with a high near 67. Northwest wind around 6 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Light west wind.

Tomorrow

Sunny, with a high near 72. Light and variable wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the morning.

Tomorrow Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. Calm wind.