By John Schwing
WESTPORT — Money to design a new Parks and Recreation Department maintenance building, the subject of debate spanning five months, was approved Monday by the Representative Town Meeting — but not before a blistering exchange between First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker and veteran RTM member Dick Lowenstein.
A plan to replace the deteriorating maintenance building, constructed in 1975, was rolled out in January as the first feature of the multi-faceted, $40 million Longshore Capital Improvement Plan.
Back-and-forth between boards
A $222,000 request to design a new maintenance building at a different location in Longshore Club Park — addressing health safety issues for workers and increasing storage capacity — immediately hit a roadblock when the Board of Finance refused to approve the Tooker administration’s proposal.
Board members raised concerns about the structure’s potential cost — initially estimated at about $7 million by the capital plan’s consultant — as well as to avoid spending money to design a building for a site the Planning and Zoning Commission might not approve. The plan instead was referred to the P&Z.
The P&Z, however, in February declined to issue a positive 8-24 municipal land-use report for the project, citing a lack of details about the plan as submitted and a general preference for the building to be moved entirely out of the park.
A revised plan filed with the finance board in April — slightly higher in cost at $238,000, but stripped of a specific location — won approval, but not before another round of acrimonious debate.
Hot potato arrives at RTM
That set the stage for Monday’s RTM action on the $238,000 request for, as the resolution read: “Site Analysis, Architectural study, schematic design, Land-Use permitting, and preparation of an Opinion of Probable Cost for a Parks Maintenance Facility.”
The new maintenance building, as previously discussed, would be designed to encompass about 7,000 to 8,000 square feet, with the search no longer restricted to a particular location, including the previously rejected Longshore site.
“It was never, never, and I want to be on the record … the property was never meant to be transferred to the town for whatever use. Never.”
First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker
The search also would not be limited to properties at least 30,000 square feet in size, as officials initially proposed. But the site should be large enough to accommodate a building that meets Parks and Recreation Department maintenance needs in one place, officials said, rather than several smaller facilities scattered around town as some have proposed.
Monday’s discussion of the revised plan began harmoniously enough as chairmen of the RTM committees that had reviewed the proposal all reported support for the project.
Lowenstein: Why wasn’t state collaboration sought?
But Lowenstein, a longtime RTM member from District 5, came to the podium to say he felt the town had “lost an opportunity” to collaborate with the state, which has indicated a slice of its property at 900 Post Road East — where a vehicle maintenance building is now being built by the Department of Transportation — is available for Westport’s use.
Acknowledging that option now probably has to be “ruled out,” Lowenstein said he was disappointed town officials had not explored his suggestion to collaborate with the state on a plan for both maintenance facilities that could have saved money. He said he would still like the state land to be considered among potential sites for the town’s project.
Tooker explodes in anger
Mention of the DOT project prompted Tooker to come forward immediately, although Moderator Jeff Wieser tried to explain that segment of the meeting was reserved for RTM members’ comments.
Nonetheless, after Wieser granted Tooker “privilege” to speak, the visibly angry first selectwoman unleashed a response, saying, “This narrative about the state property being available for parks and rec’s maintenance facility needs to stop. Stop. Now.”
Tooker insisted discussions about using part of the property — under a scenario where the state Department of Transportation would transfer land to the state Department of Housing for possible development prior to her administration — “had nothing to do with me or anybody in Town Hall making it happen, not making it happen.”
“It was never, never, and I want to be on the record … the property was never meant to be transferred to the town for whatever use. Never,” she added.
Her voice rising, Tooker said, “I am looking all of you in the eye right now, this narrative has to stop!”
For emphasis, she added, “There is no interest by the state giving land to this town to put a maintenance shed for our Parks and Recreation Department at the Sherwood Island Connector. Period. Stop the narrative.”
“How dare you tell me I can’t raise these questions. I would like to hear from you, who have you spoken to at the state level? Who have you asked, can it be done?”
RTM member Dick Lowenstein
DOT: Still room for town on its tract
For context, however, a state project engineer told Westport Journal last November that the 1.8-acre site on the DOT property once earmarked for affordable housing is still designated for the town’s potential use on state maps.
And a DOT spokesman in March confirmed to the Journal the state’s new maintenance building “will not prevent local redevelopment projects on the site.”
“How dare” Tooker?
An angry Lowenstein returned to the podium to respond to Tooker: “How dare you tell me I can’t raise these questions. I would like to hear from you, who have you spoken to at the state level? Who have you asked, can it be done?”
Saying that Tooker ignored his earlier suggestions about cooperating with the state, Lowenstein continued, “For you to tell me to stop the narrative, I want to hear what you have done. I want to hear what you have done to make something happen …”
“I am furious,” Lowenstein said as Wieser tried to cut him off. But, he was able to add, the state has never indicated the share of land designated for Westport’s use is restricted only to housing.
Trying to “turn down the temperature”
Seth Braunstein, a District 6 member, addressed the meeting in an attempt to “turn the temperature down on this discussion.”
The design phase for the maintenance building is one step in a multi-stage process, he said, which was “derailed” when the Board of Finance “pushed off” the proposal to the P&Z without the details needed for its decision.
“Before we start talking about where it’s going to go,” he said, “we first have to know what is it,” with details about specifications, requirements and “what is it that this building actually needs to function and perform, to accomplish.”
The $238,000 appropriation, which Braunstein said he supports, would help officials make informed decisions about the project, while discussions right now about specific locations or costs are premature.
When Wieser called for a vote, it passed with a show of hands by all RTM members present with the exception of one abstention.
John Schwing, consulting editor of the Westport Journal, has held senior editorial and writing posts at southwestern Connecticut media outlets for four decades. Learn more about us here.
Just unbelievable authoritarianism on display last night, in what can only be described as FSW having an out and out tantrum or hissy fit.
Bound and determined to get her own way and forgetting her place which is to listen to all questions and remain calm. She does after all work for us. We are not her subjects.
Though it’s very clear there are many on the RTM, who have politicized their positions now, and even at the ruination of green space and what makes this town special, will stop at nothing to assure she gets her own way.
I sincerely hope Mr. Lowenstein has received an apology.
The RTM does not, and should not answer to the FSW, they are elected by the public.
Same goes for PZ, and BOF, ZBA and BOE.
Nice to see the RTM Rubber Stamp is still as powerful as ever. Group think reigns.
SOMEONE… anyone…. Needs to initiate a discussion with the state for use of their land. Any use. We need land for a million different projects. Where are the state reps on this? Please step up Steinberg, Maher, Johnson.
Hopefully this November we will have First Selectpersons who will get an answer to Mr. Lowenstein’s question.
Also looking to new town leaders to show respect to fellow town officials and constituents. This is the second inflammatory outburst in a month in which the FSW has spoken out of turn and with furious demeanor. Good luck with that approach in Hartford.
I will not comment on our FSW’s comments to Mr Lowenstein, other to say that, Mr Lowenstein has always fought to get the facts out and to make an informed decision. He has always put the town above ego. What a great example of how a RTM member should act and be that necessary voice of the people and the necessary check on the other parts of our town government.
Tooker’s tirade against Dick Lowenstein is egregious but not surprising. Jeff Wieser allowed her to interrupt the RTM-comment part of the meeting to speak “with privilege” and then to blow her top for several minutes. Lowenstein was cut off by Wieser during his response, and as usual, Tooker never provided any proof to back up her stern tirade. (The video of the May 5 meeting (https://play.champds.com/westportct/event/804) went up this morning. The yelling starts at around 1:56.) For someone who has made such a point of civility during her administration, Tooker seems to have abandoned her own advice. (Though the meetings of the Board of Selectwomen are regularly dotted with rude comments from the stage.) I look forward to a new administration, a new transparency, regular responses to emails, and a general feeling that the person we pay $160,000 annually is earning his or her salary by at least trying to do the job.
This video will be helpful for her gubernatorial campaign. Thank you Dick Lowenstein for asking the questions many have been wondering about.
It makes me sad to read this. Adversarial positioning rarely leads to satisfactory results.
I have, over the last few years, heard a few of our local elected representatives and official mouth the platitude that the State of Connecticut dictates and is hard to work with. Let me debunk that.
For more than forty years the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation has listened to and usually satisfied the needs of Westport activist residents in the matter of the William F. Cribari Bridge. They scaled back plans for a high rise structure after listening to the concerns of the PTA of what was then Saugatuck Elementary School and is now The Saugatuck. They met the challenge of maintaining respect for Westport’s history by reconstructing the National Historic Landmark William F Cribari Bridge, the naming of which was the stellar achievement of Saugatuck’s Italian-American community.
Throughout that history of respect and restoration, there were adversarial moments, and—to put it bluntly—the several local politicians who tried to ignore what Westport residents thought was best for them, watched their political careers sizzle when they hit the third rail that the iconic bridge has been.
CTDOT will begin the next series of meetings next week. The outcome of these meeting will decide the future of our cherished bridge (the dimensions of which restrict heavy truck traffic from our local, residential roads.)
I urge all to set aside the grudges, attitudes, sloppy and misleading behind-the-scenes misinformation campaigns that feed the current adversarial climate and work for our mutual safety, well-being, health, and prosperity.
Just the biggest joke ever.
Thank you Tom prince for that entertaining video link.
Perhaps this is why as few meetings as possible are recorded.
Priceless and embarrassing.. mortifying actually..
let’s start with weisers allowing FSW to interrupt dick lowenstein, that was the start of the show..
then we had the testimony from Wendy batteau, which amounted to a Hail Mary.. I mean an absolute joke. She most certainly appealed to colabella over her constituents..
Followed by shouts from Izzo and colabella..
from Lou mall and braunstein, Hayes..
it’s like DEI for dummies with this group.
You can’t even write how asinine these sheep are.
It’s become a skit to watch these recorded meetings. None of these characters should ever be elected again. We were only missing Keenan, o’day, Tait, mandel,
Let’s predict the next move.. PZ will punt approval conditionally to the RTM., knowing that the majority numb nuts will pass it like an A+ inspite of their electors.
Hamlet will be the same crap. And will end up in court ! As it should at this point.
None of these characters have the first clue about building costs etc..
actually as utterly clueless as they are, it is of great concern they can speak for us.
Might I suggest microscopic due diligence in the November election..
look at what your rtm voted for. Didn’t vote for.. look at the past 4 years.
The vast majority of these characters deserve to be kicked to the curb !
As for malls, tirade about politics ?
There’s nobody more political than himself.
The “democrats” on the rtm, do far less damage than the likes of mall, colabella, braunstein, karpf, weiser, Tait, Keenan etc..
and Clarence Hayes.. etc.. etc..
don’t forget these characters voted for the hamlet nightmare !!!
And continue to be the biggest advocates.
An absolute joke.
Happy Mother’s Day, Ciara