Board of Assessment Appeals

Grand List Increases by $27.6 Million; Top-10 Taxpayer Accounts

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The total value of taxable property in New Canaan—including homes, commercial properties and motor vehicles—increased by about $27.6 million from 2018 to 2019, according to data from the assessor. Given a mill rate of 18.029, the year-over-year increase in funds for the town from the taxable property would come to about $498,000. The Grand List’s $7.7 billion total reflects upticks in the total value of taxable real estate and personal property and motor vehicles. Here’s a table that details year-over-year growth:

 

The Grand List measures the total value of taxable property on Oct. 1 of each calendar year.

Business

Local Businesses and COVID-19: New Canaan Pizza & Taqueria

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For today’s Q&A with a local business owner navigating the COVID-19 public health emergency, we talk to Jose Guttierez of New Canaan Pizza & Taqueria. 

After purchasing the East Avenue mainstay three years ago, Guttierez oversaw an extensive interior renovation and then reopened in 2018 with the addition of authentic Mexican cuisine to New Canaan Pizza’s classic Greek-style pizza menu. The restaurant is open 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day, offering pickup and delivery. 

Here’s our interview. New Canaanite: How are you doing? Jose Gutierrez: We are surviving in this pandemic situation. There are good signs of surviving. 

What has the response been like from the community?

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Police: Woman, 20, Arrested After Discovery of Adderall with No Prescription 

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Police on Saturday night charged a 20-year-old Wilton woman with possession of controlled substance. 

At about 10:15 p.m. on May 2, an officer on patrol spotted a car parked in Waveny. During an investigation, the officer found Adderall pills inside a plastic bag, according to a police report. The woman did not have a prescription for the drugs, the report said. She was charged with the misdemeanor offense and released after promising to appear June 12 in state Superior Court. 

A medication typically used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy, Adderall also has been used as a recreational drug. 

Under the Town Code, New Canaan’s public parks “[e]xcept for unusual and unforeseen emergencies … shall be open to the public every day of the year from sunrise to sunset.”

Government

Brookwood Lane Property Owner Files Formal Complaint about Neighbor’s Fence

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Months after complaining that a neighbor’s new privacy fence is one inch higher than allowed under the New Canaan Zoning Regulations, a Brookwood Lane couple has filed a formal appeal with the town. The fence that runs along a dead-end lane shared by three homeowners presents a safety concern, according to Chris and Carolyn Susanin of 34 Brookwood Lane. “Our primary concern is the safety of our children (6 and 10 years old) and our 2 dogs,” the Susanins wrote in an appeal. “When you are traveling on the accessway, our yard cannot be visualized until you are directly on the property where the fence ends,” according to their written statement of appeal. “This is the point where the fence is at its highest point above finished grade (over 7 feet).

Business

Local Organizations and COVID-19: The Glass House

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For today’s Q&A with a local business or organization, we talked to Greg Sages, executive director of The Glass House, which has its Visitors Center on Elm Street. In past years, the 49-acre Ponus Ridge site laid out with Philip Johnson-designed buildings has opened May 1, and this year the organization won approval from the Planning & Zoning Commission to open April 16. With the restrictions in place due to coronavirus disease, The Glass House has been unable to open and, like other qualified organizations and businesses, is looking toward Gov. Ned Lamont’s planned May 20 date. Here’s our exchange. New Canaanite: How are you operating now and what is your plan?