By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — A boardwalk birdwatching platform overlooking the Saugatuck River. A shuttle bus stop. A shaded pavilion that would allow parking beneath.

Those are a few of the possible features envisioned for the Imperial Avenue parking lot presented by architect Nancy Thiel on Wednesday morning to the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee.

New name for new park wrapped around parking lot: “Newman Park”

She said they are calling it Newman Park for the late actor Paul Newman, as a tribute to all he did for Westport.

“We came up with the idea of wrapping a park around the parking lot,” she said. “It would allow views to the Saugatuck River, it would allow paths along the Deadman’s Creek, and also connect the parking lot across the river, the existing bridge and over to the library parking lot.”

At the north end, she said, restrooms and a storage facility are proposed for the farmers market, as well as a shuttle stop. 

Also at the north end would be benches, and a boardwalk looping out to the river for birdwatching. 

“We’re really trying to emphasize the idea of connecting to nature,” Thiel said.

There also could be a nature pathway along the river, a picnic area, a splash park for children in the southeast corner and an esplanade in the southwest corner, it was suggested. The esplanade also could have a boat launch for kayaks and other craft.

Invasive vegetation now surrounding the lot could be replaced with native trees and a picnic lawn, Thiel said.

The market pavilion in the lot would not take away any parking spaces, she said. 

The lot would have trees for shade, helping reduce the heat, she said. Electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels on the pavilion roof are other possible features.

“Dramatic” changes questioned

Several people praised the vision, but others had concerns.

“I’m a little taken aback by the change here,” said Matthew Mandell, a committee member, Representative Town Meeting member and executive director of the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce.

“Specifically in terms of the theater. It knocks out the theater completely here,” he said of the Remarkable Theater’s Drive-In, which has been using the lot to screen movies.

“And I’m not sure this should have been happening (before) having a conversation with them,” Mandell said. “You can’t have trees and a pavilion and have a movie screen.”

“This is a dramatic change,” he added.

“This basically removes this as my snow storage area,” said Public Works Director Peter Ratkiewich.

Snow cleared from parking lots downtown is trucked to the Imperial lot during winter until it can be spread out and melted.

“I have no other place to store snow,” he said. “This is the last place that we have.”

“This is a multi-use property, and I think that needs to be considered a little more carefully,” Ratkiewich said.

“We have been thinking about the snow removal,” said Lori Cochran-Dougall, executive director of the Westport Farmers Market, which also has used the lot for 13 years. 

“We have been thinking about Remarkable, Levitt, the Women’s Club, Yankee Doodle,” she said. “All of those things are incredibly important.”