Grant Funds to be Redirected Toward New Planning Efforts

As far as First Selectman Jeb Walker is concerned, the conversations about what type of business development New Canaan needs, how to solve its nagging parking problems, and what to do about deteriorating municipal buildings should all be the same conversation.

"It all has to do with the long-term plan for the town," Walker said.

And he's putting the money where his mouth is.

At the inaugural meeting of the Town Center Planning Group Monday the first selectman said two grants the state originally awarded to New Canaan last fall for discrete studies of transit-oriented development and downtown market demands would now be used to pay for consultants as the the newly-minted group starts conceiving of a master plan for town.

Walker said at the meeting that a $75,000 Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant promised in September is finally in hand. Back in the fall the plan was to use the money to look at what type of businesses could be attracted to downtown, and the Planning & Zoning Commission had put proposed changes to business district zoning on hold awaiting the research. But Walker said he had spoken with state officials and that New Canaan could use some of the funds for a new study of traffic around downtown to benefit the new planning efforts.

"It's a broader thing, to be sure," Walker said in an interview later. "Originally the concept for the traffic study was for Zone D," he said, explaining that a traffic study had nonetheless always been intended to be part of the research paid for with the STEAP grant. "We can [now] serve two purposes at one time."

Town Planner and ex officio Town Center Planning Group member Steve Kleppin is working to identify consultants qualified to conduct the traffic study as his first assignment for the group. Walker hopes the study, which he estimated would cost $25,000-$30,000, would be underway by the fall when New Canaanites are back from summer vacation and back on the roads.

Walker says figuring out how to improve with traffic flow and parking is essential if any new development downtown is to get underway.

"I have a personal belief that we have to solve at least part of that problem first if we're going to get buy in on what will probably involve a parking structure."

New Canaan is still waiting on a $75,000 transit-oriented development planning grant, but Walker said when that shows up, it too would be directed to support the work of the Town Center Planning Group.

Planning Group Chairman Jim Beall and member Christine Wagner will be at the Board of Finance meeting June 15 to request that a capital project account be set up for the grant funds and any other monies that may be directed to the group's efforts.

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Harold Cobin contributed additional reporting to this story.