Open Thread

Guess we’re getting ready for convocation…what happened at the meeting last night?

Hey, Anonymous #2–have another cocktail!!!

http://www.norwalkct.org/ReDevelopment/NewRD/index.htm.

can anyone help me out I can’t seem to connect onto the site

OK, Turfie won’t be posting this for obvious reasons, but I’m surprised nobody has mentioned it yet. The same old names keep cropping up as the turd in the swimming pool, so to speak. What’s their agenda?

Traffic, parking woes told at hearing
By Patrick McNamee
The Advocate
Article Launched: 07/18/2008 02:55:35 AM EDT

NORWALK – The long-awaited redevelopment of Wall Street was met with concerns over traffic and parking at a public hearing with the Zoning Commission Wednesday night.

Some residents thought the plans would take away valuable parking spaces and create additional traffic.

“This scale that they are showing is only one-third of the proposed project. When all three pieces are combined it would be like a mouse maze,” said Andrew Kydes, whose wife, Mary Kyriakides, owns the former Globe Theater at 71 Wall St.

Kydes also presented a letter with 50 signatures rejecting the Isaacs Street parking plan to the commission.

Poko Partners LLC, a Port Chester, N.Y. developer, is looking to redevelop the downtown area of Wall Street, which was devastated by a flood in 1955.

The new downtown would be called Wall Street Place and Poko won design approval for the first phase in April. The public hearing discussed only Phase I of the project.

Henry Dittman, a traffic engineer with Barkan and Mess Associates Inc., said that the traffic increase would be minimal.

“We feel that the retail is going to be a wash with what it is now and that the residential portion is a low-traffic volume generator,” said Dittman, who added that he anticipated 30 extra vehicle trips during peak weekday hours.

Urban Mulvehill, a former chairman of the Norwalk Parking Authority, voiced apprehensions about the automated parking system.

“I do know that if it is mechanical and electrical, chances are it will fail and generate certain repair costs, even the most simple parking garages in Norwalk are in need of some repair,” he said.

Kenneth Olson, chief executive officer of Poko, said the fears about the automated garage are unnecessary.

The firm chose Westfalia Technologies of Pennsylvania to build the underground garage in large part because of its close proximity in case of malfunctions.

Sensors will scan a parked car to determine dimensions and ensure the vehicle is empty, and then it will be transferred to a lift that lowers the car to a storage area. Olson said there will be 214 spaces in the garage, and an additional 23 on the surface.

“It’s extremely safe and everyone, especially those with expensive cars love it, because there’s no scratches or accidents and it’s safe because it’s well-lit and well-maintained without having to walk up or down stairs,” Olson said.

The first phase of the three-phase plan involves redirecting traffic along Wall Street and West Avenue, creating walkways to cafes and stores. There also will be residential housing on Isaacs Street.

Also planned are 50 apartments and 53 condominiums. Nearly 40 percent of the apartments and 30 percent of the condos would be classified as affordable.

The second phase of the project includes 120 condos and nearly 20,000 square feet of retail space. The third phase would create an additional 150 living units.

Poko, which was founded in 1993, estimates completion of all three phases would take about eight years.

The group said it hopes to start the first phase by winter and be completed by the spring 2010.