Government

Main Street Sidewalk Extension to Kiwanis Will Be Completed in Two Weeks

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The widely anticipated sidewalk extension from the bottom of Main Street to Kiwanis Park should be wrapped up in another two weeks, officials say. Deering Construction has installed half of the granite curb and about one quarter of the sidewalk itself is in, Department of Public Works Assistant Directory Tiger Mann said Tuesday at a special meeting of the Board of Selectmen. The total project cost is about $176,000. “That should take another two weeks to finish that, and they will mill and pave that road and put that [project] to bed,” Mann said at the meeting, held in a conference room at the New Canaan Police Department. During the meeting, First Selectman Rob Mallozzi and Selectman Beth Jones approved about $1 million for phase three of the annual local roads paving project, the first two pieces coming in at $900,000 and $422,00, respectively.

Government

New Canaan Eyes State Funds for Mead, Kiwanis Playground Upgrades

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New Canaan will put in for capital project funds from the state to replace what parks officials call aging playground equipment and Mead and Kiwanis Parks. With funds that come through the State Bond Commission, the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (or “STEAP”) serves Connecticut towns ineligible for Urban Action bonds, for purposes that include “quality of life projects,” the state website says. The Board of Selectmen at its regular meeting Tuesday voted unanimously to support an application on behalf of the Recreation Department for $103,750 to replace the playground equipment. “We need to replace equipment at Kiwanis and … at Mead we have a see-saw and spring animals [that are aging],” Recreation Director Steve Benko said during the meeting, held at the New Canaan Police Department. The equipment is inspected every year—some of its dates to 1987, Benko said—and it’s reaching the end of its usable life.

Government

New Canaan Approves 5-Year Lease for Popular Food Concessions

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Town officials on Tuesday approved a 5-year lease with a local merchant who runs popular snack shacks at town parks. Emad Aziz owns and operates the Apple Cart Food Company, whose food concessions at Mead Park, Kiwanis and the Waveny Pool are fixtures among residents using the town facilities. “I can honestly say that I have never heard a complaint about his service or his food, he’s always positive,” New Canaan Administrative Officer Tom Stadler said during the Board of Selectmen’s regular monthly meeting, held at the Police Department. The board unanimously approved the lease, keeping it at $10,000 per year—half of which goes to the Waveny Pool fund, the other half to the town’s general fund. Raising the rate would simply pass that cost onto residents by forcing Aziz to raise prices, officials said.