Westporter Jack Mathews Awarded Baseball All-NESCAC Honors as Trinity College Freshman
Bantam Sports photoRelease from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Trinity College first-year Sean Meth (Sands Point, N.Y.) was named to the 2021 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Baseball All-Conference First Team, while Bantam senior co-captain Alex Rodriguez (South Windsor, Conn.), senior Alex Shafer (Baltimore, Md.) and first-year Jack Matthews (Westport, Conn.) were each named to the All-NESCAC Second Team. The Bantams, coached by Bryan Adamski (8th season), finished the 2021 season with an 11-6 overall record and finished second in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) East with a 4-3 division mark.
Meth played in every game with 16 starts at 1B as a rookie for the Bantams in 2021. Meth led the Bantams in doubles with seven (2nd in NESCAC), home runs with two, and RBIs (3rd in NESCAC) with 19 to go with 22 hits (7th in NESCAC) in 58 at-bats for a .379 batting average (8th in NESCAC), 12 runs, five walks, a .603 slugging percentage (8th in NESCAC), and a .446 on-base percentage (1.049 OPS). He is a graduate of Paul D. Schreiber High School and is the son of Donna and Richard Meth.
Rodriguez, an All-NESCAC Second Team selection in both 2017 and 2019 and the NESCAC Co-Rookie of the Year in 2017, started 16 games behind the plate and at DH in his fifth season as a starter on the Bantam squad. A captain since 2019, Rodriguez batted .314 this spring with 16 hits in 51 at-bats to go with 12 runs, three doubles, a home run, 11 RBIs, eight walks, five steals in five attempts, a .431 slugging percentage, and a .403 on-base percentage (.834 OPS). He registered just two errors and one passed ball while throwing out four of nine potential basestealers this spring. An alum of South Windsor High School, Rodriguez competed for the Bantams as a graduate student in public policy this season after receiving his bachelor's degree in sociology in 2020. He is the son of Junior Rodriguez and Theresa Walker.
Shafer, also an All-NESCAC Second Teamer in 2018, was 2-0 on the mound this spring with a 2.04 ERA (2nd in NESCAC) in four appearances and three starts. The right-hander struck out a team-high 19 batters and walked just four in 17.2 innings pitched and notched a shutout and a save. An alum of the Gilman School, Shafer competed for the Bantams as a graduate student in public policy this season after receiving his bachelor's degree in political science in 2020.
Mathews started every game in the infield, predominantly at shortstop, as a rookie for the Bantams in 2021. Mathews led the Bantams in hits with 24 (3rd in NESCAC) in 66 at-bats for a .364 batting average, runs with 13, and stolen bases with 11 (led NESCAC) in 12 attempts. He also had three doubles, a triple, three RBIs, three walks, a .439 slugging percentage, and a .391 on-base percentage (.830 OPS) while committing just a single error in 51 chances in the field. Mathews is a graduate of the Brunswick School and is the son of Cara Lyn and Sean Mathews.
Town of Westport Meeting Schedule: 06/09/21
Board of Selectmen - REVISED: 9:00 AM (in person attendance permitted, Town Hall Auditorium)
Morning Weather Report [06/09/21]
Today
A chance of thunderstorms before 8am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Calm wind.
Tomorrow
Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. East wind 7 to 9 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 55. East wind around 10 mph.
RTM Votes “No”: P&Z Decision Remains, Hiawatha Lane Project Trudges Onwards
Westport RTM Moderator Velma Heller counts the final vote for agenda item #2 via Zoom. The Westport Representative Town Meeting voted tonight to uphold the Westport Planning & Zoning Commission’s decision to create a new zoning district boundary, paving the way for the 157 unit Hiawatha Lane housing development. If the decision was overturned, the project would have been left to the Connecticut court system to rule on, with a settlement no longer in play. The meeting also approved the spending of $1.47 million to replace a portion of the Saugatuck Elementary School roof this summer, while all of the police and fire department officials who listened to the meeting until it’s adjournment at 11:40 PM were told they had to wait longer to hear their agenda item, as it was tabled for a later meeting date.
Overturning the Planning & Zoning Commission’s Decision
The agenda item was added after more than 20 Westport Town Electors petitioned the RTM to add the item to their meeting, with hope that RTM representatives would vote to overturn the commission’s May 13th decision - stopping the town’s acceptance of the project.
Although the town may not want the multi-story building in the residential neighborhood, the decision to allow Summit Saugatuck LLC to go forward with their plans to create the complex was backed by legal battles that surround the topic. Westport Town Attorney spoke to those battles, saying that although he usually doesn’t speak publicly, “I’ll be as candid as I can.”
Bloom described that if the decision was overturned and the case is ruled on by the courts, that Westport would may not have enough burden of proof to prove why the complex couldn’t be built. If Westport were to lose the case, it would open up a large space for not only the Hiawatha project, but also other projects throughout the town. Cases like Westport’s are being fought around the State, Bloom said, continuing to say that “70-75% of those cases are lost because the burdens are quite high.”
“We do not have a high probability of prevailing” Bloom continued. “It’s preferable for the town to control its own destiny.” Right now with a settlement, the town is able to work with developers to help shape the project as much as they can to better serve residents - such as demanding they add 3 bedroom housing options, as well as cosmetic features to beautify the area, and having them foot the bill to repair an old drainage culvert.
The settlement also leaves an 8-30g housing moratorium hanging in the balance, according to the Connecticut Department of Housing. The DoH told the Town of Westport that they are tentatively willing to continue a current moratorium on 8-30g housing if the Town and Summit Saugatuck LLC are able to settle the dispute, however if not, they are “not able to guarantee that they will uphold the moratorium.” The current moratorium is at risk of being rescinded by the DoH due to a loss of records at the State’s office, which would allow more 8-30g projects to enter the community instead of the several year postponement.
Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Danielle Dobin echoed Bloom’s sentiments, explaining why the Commision made the choice to accept the project to better protect Westport in the future. Dobin warned members that if they voted yes to overturn the commission’s decision, that they could potentially be allowing not only 157 units, but 187 units on Hiawatha Lane as the Town will no longer have any say. In addition to that, it could be leading the way for developers to apply for sewer extensions into parts of town not currently able to be heavily developed due to the current sewer or septic systems in place, such as Greens Farms or Coleytown communities. “The developer is holding all of the cards” she said. “Westport failed to build affordable housing that counts towards 8-30g since 1989”.
8-30g is a State chapter that allows housing developers to bypass town building codes if their housing development is at least 30% affordable housing, and the Town does not have at least 10% of its housing stock approved as affordable already.
Former Planning & Zoning commission chair Cathy Walsh responded to current Chair Dobin’s statement, saying “The neighbors know the risk of getting the extra units, they’re willing to go the whole nine yards to fight this.” Walsh served on the commission for 13 years, resigning from her spot in April.
A group of Hiawatha Lane neighbors spoke up and fought back during the meeting. The lead petitioner, Gloria Gouveia, asked if the judge had ever visited the site, and wondered why the Westport Fire Marshal’s fears were not being heard loud enough by the Planning and Zoning Commission - citing his worry over the complex only having one entry/exit point for vehicles and fire apparatus in case of emergencies. Gerald Romano gave the example of someone needing an ambulance or a fire engine response to the area, “what if they can’t get through the traffic?” Carolanne Curry, a longtime Westporter, told the RTM that Westport did not fail - because they’ve been fighting this battle over Hiawatha for 18 years. “We are the have-nots. We realize it.” she said. “This neighborhood is the history of Westport.”
RTM members shared their thoughts, ranging from sentiments of thanks to P&Z commission members to a shared statement between RTM representatives Kristin Purcell (District 1) and Chris Tait (District 1): “this sucks.” Tait continued to say “we failed the residents of Saugatuck.”
Summit Saugatuck LLC’s attorney Timothy Hollister told the RTM meeting that they were going against their own Town charter by interfering with court proceedings by way of holding the vote, also adding in that grievances such as traffic congestion are not factored into the decision to allow the project or not. Town Attorney Ira Bloom rebutted Hollister’s feeling that the meeting interfered with the court hearing and went against Town charter, saying “I do not agree with his analysis at all.” He later confirmed Hollister’s statement that items such as traffic congestion cannot be figured in, while matters of safety can be factored into a decision.
In the end, the final vote carried in the negative: keep the Planning and Zoning Commission’s decision as it is.
Final RTM Vote:
“To take such action as the meeting may determine, at the request of at least 20 electors of the Town of Westport, pursuant to Town Charter C5-1F and C10-4, to review and reject the Planning and Zoning Commission decision issued on May 13, 2021, in adopting a new zoning district boundary: SV District as seen on “Proposed Zoning Map - SH Z2, entitled: The Village at Saugatuck, Hiawatha Lane, Town of Westport, CT for Summit Saugatuck LLC,” dated May 10, 2021.”
Yea Votes - overturn the P&Z Commission amendment:
2 (Lou Mall, Carla Rea)
Nay Votes - oppose the overturning of the P&Z Commission amendment:
30 Members
Abstentions:
1 (Arline Gertzoff)
Recused:
1 (Matt Mandell )