July Rainstorms Leave Town Underwater Financially

By Susan MacEachron At its meeting on Oct. 10, First Selectman Matt Riiska provided the Board of Finance (BoF) with an update on the significant expenses the town incurred from the July rainstorms and flash flooding. He stated the flooding cleanup and repair cost the town $566,291. Riiska explained that the town’s application for Federal […]

Board of Selectmen: Costs of Repairing Storm Damage

By Ruth Melville The Board of Selectman began their meeting on Sept. 6 by approving a request from Greystone Electronics to use Town Hall as a staging facility during this year’s 24th annual 10-mile road race, on Dec. 16. The town treasurer, Chelsea Dewitt, attended the meeting to seek clarification on two financial questions. First, […]

P&Z Approval Given for Pop-Up Businesses at Royal Arcanum Building

By Susan MacEachron At the Planning & Zoning (P&Z) meeting on Sept. 12 Joseph Hurst, representing the Norfolk Foundation, described the plan for the space in the Royal Arcanum building previously occupied by the Healing Nest and briefly by Dawnie’s Delights.  Hurst said the foundation would like to offer the space for a variety of […]

Blasting, Gravel and Marijuana

By Susan MacEachron The major item on the agenda of the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) meeting on Aug. 8 was the request from the Foundation for Norfolk Living (Foundation) for additional blasting to clear ledge on the Haystack Woods development site.   In a previous P&Z public hearing, the foundation had secured approval to blast […]

Board of Finance Focuses on Repairs

By Susan MacEachron At the Board of Finance (BoF) meeting on Aug. 8, First Selectman Matt Riiska described the multiple road and bridge projects, including those underway before the heavy rains and the work required to repair roads and bridges after the rain.  Riiska highlighted the fact that he had been promised that the new […]

Remediation and Erosion Issues at July Wetlands

Eye on Town Government By Susan MacEachron Work at a Doolittle Lake house and along Roughland Road was discussed by the Inland Wetlands Agency at its meeting on July 10. Dan Green represented the homeowner of 358 Doolittle Drive where stone piers supporting the house are failing. Green proposed using helical piles to support a […]

Special Permit Amended and Pop-Up Bakery Approved

Eye on Town Government By Susan MacEachron At its meeting on July 11, the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) continued deliberations on the application to modify the existing special permit for Consolini & Tonan Landscape (C&T). Under new business, P&Z reviewed a proposal to open a pop-up shop selling baked goods in the Arcanum building. P&Z […]

June EDC: City Meadow, Affordable Housing

Eye on Town Government By Ruth Melville Andra Moss, a member of an informal group of “friends of Robertson Plaza,” visited the June 8 Economic Development Commission meeting to ask for money in support of two concerts the group is planning for this summer on Robertson Plaza, one in July and the other in August. […]

P&Z June Meeting: Three Public Hearings

Eye on Town Government By Susan MacEachron Three public hearings were held at the Planning & Zoning meeting on June 13. Two related to Consolini & Tonan Landscape Design (C&T) regarding their properties at 290 Bruey Road and 15 Pine Ledge Way. The third concerned the need to blast ledge and crush rock at the […]

Selectmen: Fire Department Eager to Move Forward With Plans for New Firehouse

By Ruth Melville A delegation from the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department, lead by Fire Chief Matt Ludwig, appeared before the June 7 meeting of the Board of Selectmen to discuss lack of progress with finalizing plans to build a new firehouse. Ludwig told the selectmen that the fire department was ready to start a capital […]