Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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An entity identifying itself as ‘New Canaan Merritt Apartments LLC’ has filed a lawsuit saying a town man has failed to pay rent on a Park Street unit while subletting it out. The defendant lives on Valley Road and he didn’t pay rent in March or April, then failed to clear out of the unit as instructed, according to a complaint filed April 29 in state Superior Court in Norwalk. According to the New England Real Estate Journal, a limited liability company more than three years ago purchased the 4-building, 34-unit Merritt Apartments in New Canaan. New Canaan Merritt Apartments LLC has dissolved, according to records on file with the Connecticut secretary of the state. ***

The Oak Street homeowner who had applied to the Planning & Zoning Commission for approval to rebuild the multi-family structure there has since pulled that application, Planning & Zoning Commission members said at their most recent meeting.

Around Town

PHOTOS: Caffeine & Carburetors Makes 2016 Waveny Debut

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Despite a rainy forecast and some early-morning precipitation, scores of locals and auto enthusiasts gathered in New Canaan Sunday for the 2016 Waveny debut of Caffeine & Carburetors. Directed by police as well as by volunteers recruited by Doug Zumbach to help operate the popular event, attendees moved strolled around the grounds near Waveny House, chit-chatting and snapping photos of classic and specialty cars parked on either side of the main road through the park from Lapham Road and in the lots near the mansion. Zumbach, who founded Caffeine & Carburetors as a small Sunday gathering outside his eponymous gourmet coffee shop on Pine Street, told NewCanaanite.com that the event went “very, very well.”

“I think more and more locals are coming,” Zumbach said about one hour into the morning gathering. “They’re poking their heads out of the window and still coming. It’s turned out to be a very good show.”

Sunday also is set to be a busy day downtown, with the 7th Annual Dog Days New Canaan to run at 1 p.m. at Pet Pantry on Grove Street.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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Studio Elan, an established business on Burtis Avenue, is moving into the former Candy Scoop space on Elm Street, up the alley by Chef Luis and next to New Canaan Music. ***

New Canaan Public Schools cafeterias recently earned the No. 1 “Best Food Ranking” from Niche.com. Here’s a peek at the top-10 (Darien is No. 23—nanny nanny boo boo):

New Canaan
Middlefield
Weston
Westport
Wilton
Chester
Killingly
Waterford
Simsbury
Glastonbury

***

Police responded to a call at 1:28 p.m. last Saturday that a dog near Forest Street and Locust Avenue was “going crazy in a car.” The dog’s owner, who was inside the nearby New Canaan Diner, paid her bill and left the restaurant to take care of the barking animal.

Business

Spring Opening Planned for ‘Pine Street Concessions’; Owner Seeks Four Vendors

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The new Grand Central-style marketplace that’s taking shape on Pine Street is on track to open some time before May 1, its owner said. The roof of the 1.5-story ‘Pine Street Concessions’ is nearly finished, and passersby soon will see windows installed, leaving only sheet rock, electrical, plumbing and heating work to do over the next six weeks, according to Peter Lane of NCLC. The site work—all new sidewalks, trees, paving and granite curbing—will take place simultaneously, said Lane, who also owns Halo Studios. “I’m excited to deliver a marketplace with these four vendors,” Lane said. “Just like with Halo, it’s about finding great vendors, so that’s our objective now as we bring this to completion.”

“It should be a great opportunity for the right vendors to get into what I would call almost a food truck-type environment, where the cost going in is not a lot—the building is done, bathrooms are done, heating and cooling.

Around Town

Parks Officials Support May 22 and Oct. 16 Caffeine & Carburetors at Waveny

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Following a successful trial of two Caffeine & Carburetors gatherings at Waveny in 2015 that yielded zero complaints, the event’s founder on Wednesday night secured support from parks officials to pursue two more dates this year. The Park & Recreation Commission voted overwhelmingly in favor of May 22 and Oct. 16 for Caffeine & Carburetors at Waveny—both Sunday mornings. Commissioner Jason Milligan was the sole member of Park & Rec not voting in favor of the event. Doug Zumbach, owner of the eponymous gourmet coffee shop on Pine Street where Caffeine & Carburetors was born as a far smaller gathering of automotive enthusiasts, told the commission at its regular monthly meeting that he’s already garnered Police Commission support for April 17 and Sept.