LESSONS TO SHARE
In Greenwich talk, Westport first selectwoman discusses the two towns’ similarities in traffic, culture, economy
GREENWICH — What does Greenwich have in common with Westport?
The two communities share a similar demography. And according to Westport First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker, if residents of Greenwich are like those in Westport, they also have similar concerns about traffic, economic development, flooding and recreational opportunities.
Tooker, speaking at the Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich Tuesday morning, gave a rundown on the top concerns in her community and what Westport leaders were doing to address them — and what lessons might be imparted in Greenwich.
Westport has a large commuter population and lies near major transportation routes, like Greenwich, and traffic is a perennial source of frustration, she said. “It’s the biggest piece of feedback I get all the time, frustration around traffic,” said the first selectwoman, who is in her first year in the office.
Tooker said she and town leaders convened a panel of experts — from police, fire, engineering and public works — and held numerous workshops with the community on the traffic issue and ways to improve it. She said hundreds of recommendations came from the community, some of which could be implemented immediately — like new signage and the removal of vegetation along town roadways. The first selectwoman said Westport implemented another policy that came out of the community dialogue — assigning two police officers to traffic safety, making enforcement of traffic violations a priority.
She said the traffic-solution study also yielded a number of other smart ideas that
“Westporters, they really need to be heard. I imagine Greenwich residents are the same.”
Westport First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker
would take “manpower and money” to implement, ones that would be pursued over a longer period of time. Tooker noted the process of holding meetings with the community was valuable, giving citizens a forum.
“Westporters, they really need to be heard. I imagine Greenwich residents are the same,” she said.
Tooker said meeting the demand for good recreational services was another imperative for her administration, as it appears to be a generational shift in public attitudes. She said the Westport town administration was working on a master plan to upgrade and enhance parks and facilities, “a road map for us.”
On a similar note, Westport’s top elected official said the community had developed a very attractive and busy retail district. But, she said, “we can’t rest on our laurels,” and plans are in the works to make the downtown district more green with added landscaping and new connections to the Saugatuck River.
“We want to remain a destination for shopping, dining and family activities,” she said.
As to parking problems, Tooker noted they were a symptom of a successful retail district. She said the town was working on developing parking lots a short distance from the downtown district — and making them as inviting as possible, with other attractions alongside them like a kayak launch or a playground to lure motorists to park at those facilities and walk five minutes into town. She said she opposed the idea of a large parking facility for downtown Westport.
Flooding is a big problem in Westport — which is bisected by seven different streams and the Saugatuck River that can cause big problems in heavy-rain events — and a long-term strategy is being developed with community input, she said.
Another goal of her administration, Tooker said, was hard to quantify, but one she said she strongly valued. The first selectwoman said she aimed to make civility and openness a theme of her management style, giving town residents a sense they are “part of a community where everybody feels they belong.”
An RMA organizer, Arnold Gordon, called the talk highly instructive.
“It makes sense to hear from another community that’s similar to Greenwich. We can learn from each other,” he said.