BlogStamford

Bye For Now

2010-12-23T16:09:00.000-05:00

BlogStamford has really become “the hole in the ground” as of late in the Stamford Blogosphere. Occasionally I’m down here pushing around some dirt or planting some bushes around the perimeter, but end of the day, there’s not much going on.

Definitely not due to lack of interest in the CTW, there are just a number of factors competing for my attention right now. I’ve decided to make official what has essentially been the case lately and go on full hiatus.

I have no interest in turning over the name or the site to someone else. I own the domain, and I intend to hold onto it for now. I suspect I’ll be back in 2011 at some point, and between now and then I will give some thought to tightening the focus of the blog on a more specific angle or mission if and when I return.

Until then…

Boarded Up Windows, Wild Dogs, Gas Stations Without Pumps

2010-12-14T09:36:00.001-05:00

Stamford had "The Office", Bridgeport has "Family Guy".

Have You Seen The Mullet Man?

2010-11-15T23:07:00.004-05:00

An election hanging in the balance on Bridgeport's uncounted ballots... Former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy ascendant... the center of power in Connecticut has never seen its focus shift so dramatically as it has now to lower Fairfield County. Lurking in the summer and autumn nights, a harbinger foretold our anointing. From his native land of New Haven Towne he turned, traveling the coast to make more frequent appearances in The City That Works. I speak none other than The Nature Boy aka The Mullet Man Ric Flair of New Haven!

The gentleman first caught my eye in the Brick House weeks back, adorned in a suit and brandishing a mullet that would make the year 1989 kneel down and beg for mercy. At one point he approached a beer mirror and raised a hand to his mane, only to pause and realize it was perfect - not a single hair on the business or party end required further attention at the moment.

The experience stuck with me and when I mentioned it at a gathering days later parties in attendance spoke that they knew of the character before I could even finish the tale. He was identified as the Mullet Man - a fixture on the New Haven County bar scene. His Facebook fan page alerted me that he has increased his exposure as of late in Downtown Stamford. Further research indicates he is also infamous on the amateur & professional wresting fan circuits nationwide.

My field study is not yet complete - but there are several key characteristics you can use to identify the New Haven Nature Boy.

- Sweet mullet.
- Slick suit.
- Four finger hand gesture indicating his affiliation with the "Four Horsemen" wrestling stable
- Hair brush - holstered in pocket, often utilized in the reflection of back bar or decorative beer mirrors to brush hair.
- Fur coat - weather appropriate.
- Pouring and drinking Heineken a sip at a time from a glass. (Although I've heard conflicting reports on his beer of choice.)
- Ladies abound.

While we seek to determine his intentions, I suggest all gentlemen keep close tabs on their women.

* Before I'm accused of picking on someone for their hairstyle and dress - all indications point to The Nature Boy aka The Mullet Man Ric Flair of New Haven breaking the first law of mullitude - wearing his mullet ironically. Not in a "hipster" sense, but perhaps more in a "wrestling gimmick" sense.

Run & Tell That Malloy, Malloy, Ma-Ma-Malloy

2010-09-23T11:05:00.006-04:00

Dan, let's not politicize Antoine Dodson. The search for the Bed Intruder is not a left or right issue!

Asian Fusion, Hard Liquor, & Worthy Causes

2010-09-18T11:28:00.003-04:00

Party People! Excuse my absence of late. Shaking off the dust and climbing back in the saddle to clean up this town! First stop Chinese Mirch this Wednesday, September 29. Stamford Notes has been incredibly cool about pulling together a food bank benefit. Spread the word to benefit this worthy cause.

Here's the copy & paste for details.

Ever wonder who is behind some of your favorite Stamford blogs? Come meet them over drinks and raise a glass to Stamford!

On Wednesday, September 29th, starting at 5:30pm, join us for “Cans and Cocktails” at Chinese Mirch, 35 Atlantic Street in Stamford. Each blog will sponsor a cocktail, and each cocktail helps fight hunger in our community. All profits from the event benefit the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County. The event is co-sponsored by:

- Stamford Notes
- We Can't Stop

With support from:

- Stamford Talk
- Streets of Stamford
- The Lunch Break Chronicles
- CT Bites
- BlogStamford
- Always Home and Uncool
- PeculiarBliss

Chinese Mirch is also donating 10% of food sales from Monday, September 27th through Thursday, September 30th to the food bank. There will be specialty Stamford souvenirs created just for this event. For extra good karma, bring a few cans of food to donate.

Additional information available at www.stamfordnotes.com and www.wecantstop.com. Please email stamfordnotes@gmail.com to RSVP. Hope to see you there!

Stay Classy Stamford.

2010-09-17T09:58:00.006-04:00

Brief recap from the City That was Gridlocked.

Interesting to see a mainstream party candidate for Governor mingling among signs using some oh-so-clever wordplay comparing our president to a wanted terrorist:

If only poster board and sharpie had spell check:

Kids, tell them what's up:

Pics from the Stamford Advocate.

There's Nobody Left to Rant With Anymore

2010-08-16T09:51:00.003-04:00

Man, the Advocate comments have become boring. In a sick way I miss the days of it being a loony bin. A story on the Urban Transitway funds and all we get is 6 re-tweets in the comments? Did internet access go down in Crazy Town?

Running the Ladder Ball Racket in Latham Park

2010-08-11T08:34:00.002-04:00

Comedy Club Back in September

2010-07-19T08:11:00.003-04:00

After a false start at the Hibernian Club some time back, roaming Comedy Club franchise Treehouse Comedy is back in town Saturday nights upstairs at BUtterfield 8 starting September 18th. This is a great spot for it, BUtterfields upstairs has been very underutilized and the club can probably pick up the foot traffic it never would down a wooded side street. We'll keep an eye out for the first announced shows.

Save Reinventing Stamford

2010-07-08T07:51:00.005-04:00

I've been a fan of work the Urban Redevelopment Commission's Reinventing Stamford forums has been involved with over the last year in sparking conversation among all walks of life in the city about the challenges & solutions Stamford must face. As they pivot from ideas into specific action, it's the start of an exciting time for Stamford. I was discouraged to read in the Advocate Mayor Pavia considers this initiative a perversion, rather than an evolution of the URC's charge.

I wonder if there is a narrative slowly building with Pavia that no one has really picked up on yet.

One of Pavia's campaign promises was to make government more "service oriented" to residents. So far we've only seen a cut back in services - from impending branch closings and operating hour reductions at the libraries to personnel cuts in departments like environmental protection & engineering boards, parks, social services, etc. which will most likely translate to diminished returns for residents in some form.

Up until this weeks "service hotline" announcement, the only improved service I've seen him point to is longer office hours at the government center for departments like the Environmental, Zoning, and Building boards. All departments builders and developers need to access. Longer hours to receive, less staff to scrutinize I suppose.

Even in the recent Advocate article about re-evaluating the city boards, all the examples Pavia cites as the need to reorganize are about city boards challenging developers. The charter was sacrosanct when it came to the fire department issue - but on issues relating to development its necessary to review.

It also made me think back to a question Pavia answered in one of the election debates when asked something to the effect - what would you tackle if given unlimited resources? Pavia's answer was tied to development - a new Master Plan. I found that rather esoteric for a softball question and strange since the city only recently finished a master plan in 2002. Again - how to better service development was top of mind.

Slowly a common thread starts to emerge from the former developer's words and actions - streamlining building and development. I don't consider that a bad thing. I'm not one of the fist shakers about development. I also am not accusing Pavia of some dastardly plot as a developer himself to make money for his friends. What concerns me is we don't have the level of detail expressed publicly on the type of development Pavia wants to see to match his words and actions on streamlining the path for development. It's obvious he's excited for the business generated from development - but what are his thoughts on the product? What are the areas/ neighborhoods to prioritize? How should new development relate to transit, energy, the public realm, use & form? Those are precisely many of the discussions being had at Reinventing Stamford. It would be unfortunate if Pavia didn't see that as a compliment to his efforts.

Alive@Five Tonight

2010-06-24T09:44:00.001-04:00

Summer is upon us in the City That Works kids.

Gin Blossoms and Soul Asylum are on tap tonight. My soundtrack to pretending to do homework and playing Gameboy.

That’s right – BlogStamford isn’t going Deepwater Horizon deep – but were saying any blog that embeds Runaway Train today is lame.

If you’re out early enough – try and check out a great band and first Battle of the Bands winner, Ten Feet Deep. How could they not win, strapped for battle like this?

Rock!

Stamford on The Daily Show

2010-06-08T07:36:00.003-04:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

John C. Reilly

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Check out John C Reilly giving a shout out of his Black Bear karaoke performance on The Daily Show, first spotted on the interwebs by Stamford Talk. Stamford isn't repping very strong in the crowd, much to John's disappointment.

Stamford Chainsaw Massacre

2010-05-30T10:10:00.008-04:00

As part of sidewalk replacement undertaken in the last few years on Atlantic & Main Streets the city planted new rows of street trees. Since then several have already been cut down.

What special kind of douche bag cuts down a newly planted street tree downtown?

Seems a strange choice of vandalism for your garden variety hoodlum. I'd imagine not too many punk kids carry saws on their person either. The trees are also in the vicinity of a number of bars - but breaking down a tree is a pretty daunting task even for the most aggressive beer muscles. Both of these types of random acts of stupidity don't lend themselves to lugging away the evidence. There aren't too many street trees hanging on a teenagers wall next to stolen Penny Lane & Abbey Road street signs. Random vandalism simply wouldn't have the tools on hand and and willingness to dispose of the fallen tree.

So who then has the reason to bring the tools, cut the tree and haul off the cut? Its the businesses! Sure the evidence isn't conclusive, but what fun is the internet without anonymous accusations! Some of the downtown businesses aren't fans of the trees blocking their signage from certain angle from the road. Instead of working with the city on a creative way around the issue of their somewhat obscured signage (for instance - utilizing street light poles for flags or banners), its easier to hack the tree at night and spirit it away in a pickup. This senario makes infinite more sense than random vandalism or some well cordinated tree hating Captain Planet villain.

If its not the businesses - then I'm sure they are just as concerned someone has taken a saw to a newly planted improvement to the public realm. Perhaps they won't mind making a donation to replace the trees?

Stamford in Jeopardy…

2010-05-27T09:12:00.001-04:00

…of winning big on a Daily Double! Stamford’s own Bill Benison from Star Wines on Bedford St. will be on Jeopardy tonight! Do us proud Bill!

Walkscore Fail

2010-05-15T22:06:00.005-04:00

The worst part about living in Downtown Stamford? Disappointing a Belgian couple on the street with the fact that we don't have a bakery and having to tell them you buy your fresh bread at the supermarket (which is also not technically downtown!)

Doubling Ridership vs. Doubling Parking

2010-05-07T11:37:00.010-04:00

The Stamford Station parking garage consists to two sections, the older of which is apparently deteriorating.

The Advocate ran a piece last week about the lack of representation from the downtown & South End on the city’s planning and zoning boards. While the Stamford Metro North Station is the State’s jurisdiction, there still seems to be a decidedly more northern Stamford mindset at play in Governor Rell’s recent announcement that train station parking capacity will be doubled when the older portion of the station garage will be rebuilt in its original spot along with a new 1,000 space garage nearby.

This is a departure from previous announcements from the CT DOT that the deteriorating portion of the garage would be replaced with a mixed use structure and the replacement parking spread out across multiple locations in short walking distance of the station. Part of that thinking was it would mitigate traffic going to a central location.

Details on the new plan are a little sketchy outside of the following:

- Current garage will be rebuilt on original spot.
- Interim parking will be created in conjunction with a developer on a nearby site.
- That interim parking with remain after the other garage is complete doubling total current parking capacity at the station.

All the press describes the new parking as a “lot”, I’m not sure if that term is being used inter-changeably with “garage”. The location is a not yet disclosed – but is assured close by. It appears not to be Metro Green according to the Advocate. Harbor Point’s Gateway seems the other logical site in that it has been floated was at a replacement point for either 1,000 or in most recent counts 500 spaces. Reports seem unclear as to whether a separate garage will be newly constructed on a developers property or rather synch up with the parking facilities for something already underway. It’s also unclear if the plan to replace the current garage with something “mixed use” is totally dead or will it serve some function in addition to garage parking. It’s hard to critique with that much up in the air, but I will challenge some of the basic assumptions.

Is it a smart move to work to increase station parking? I would argue the smart move is to increase train ridership - convenient parking as an enticement to ride could be one component in that larger strategy. When adding parking is viewed as the end – and not a means to be weighed carefully with other considerations, there could be other unintended consequences.

First off, doubling the parking capacity at the train station is essentially doubling traffic on local streets coming to the garage. What’s the cost of that added capacity? Is the city committed to the tens of millions in cost of building out “urban transitways” in every direction and all the implications of widening these roads? Sure you’re taking cars off I95, but the burden is still on our local streets.

The quality of the relationship between station and surrounding neighborhoods should also be a strong consideration. Stamford is a rather despotic station to pull into. On either side one is bunkered in between I95 and a dreary parking garage. There is nothing that would ever entice someone pulling through to want to explore the city. There is not the kind of street life around the station that makes residents feel comfortable about walking home, especially on the South End side. Every effort should be made to extend some kind of human scale urban activity towards the station, not creating an even wider asteroid belt of precast concrete parking bunkers separating the transport hub from surrounding neighborhoods.

From a urban design perspective – parking garages are dead spaces. People are the currency in a great neighborhood, a vibrant downtown, and a successful city. Cars aren’t shopping, conducting business, or adding to culture - they sit ideally taking up space while their owners do those things elsewhere. At the very least, the garages, trains station adjacent and the proposed floater, have to serve some dual purpose.

Placing the goal of increasing ridership at the center – instead of a sole focus on parking opens up a look at improving the efficiency of getting commuters to and from the station by making options like buses, biking, and walking safer, more pleasant and efficient.

New Rochelle has just unveiled a plan to increase non-motorized trips to work by 50%. Stamford seems to be working off the backwards assumption that downtown population growth needs to go hand and hand with increasing station parking capacity.

Pavia said Rell's announcement about the two-phase approach and the long-term retention of the existing parking garage helped resolve concerns about having adequate commuter parking as Stamford's downtown population grows.

Stamford’s downtown population should largely be discounted from concerns about train station parking. At the farthest reaches – the Downtown and South End population lives within a 15 minute walking distance of the station. With lights and traffic – a walk to the station and a drive to the station can almost net out the same. Safety and aesthetic improvements to the pedestrian experience are more relevant. Also – many of the new large downtown development offer jitney services to the station.

This is not to say new station parking shouldn’t’ be considered, just that there are smart ways of doing it the mitigate the concerns outlined above.

Creating shared parking space within new develops is an option. I think incorporating commuter parking into the Gateway development’s underground garage is a great idea. Many of the new residential units going up in the South End are also all being built with enclosed parking garages. Those garages most likely have many spaces that sit empty during the day when residents go to work themselves. It would be interesting to try and work out a system where commuters can pay to utilize the spaces residents leave empty during the day. It could even be a way to subsidize developers whose costs are often driven up by parking requirements and encourage more housing near the station.

Any new free standing parking garage should be built with some mixed use component, even if it’s something as simple as ground floor retail. This way the garage is still interesting and active on the street level. The Maritime Garage in SoNo is a great example in that it’s a garage partially wrapped in office, residential & restaurant space. You can see in the examples below what a difference an effort towards blending a garage into the neighborhood can make. This is something that should be incorporated into the re-built station adjacent garage as well – whether retail and/or some kind of multi mode transit hub for buses, cabs, bikes, etc.

Bad:

Better:

Found Footage Festival @ Avon

2010-05-01T20:46:00.005-04:00

This event at the Avon sounds amazing. I unfortunately missed it last year - but intend to make it tomorrow night. The Found Footage Festival starts at the Avon Theatre at 8p Sunday May 2nd.

From the Avon site:

The Found Footage Festival is a one-of-a-kind event showcasing videos found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters throughout the country. Curators Pickett and Prueher host each screening in-person and provide their unique observations and commentary on these found video obscurities. From the curiously-produced industrial training video to the forsaken home movie donated to Goodwill, the Found Footage Festival resurrects these forgotten treasures and serves them up in a lively celebration of all things found. Among the videos to be featured in the 2010 program:
- A collection of the worst Saturday morning cartoons ever to surface on VHS
- Highlights from a 1987 video dating reel found by David Cross
- A home movie taken at a 1985 heavy metal festival outside Washington, D.C.
- A brand-new compilation of exercise videos featuring Dolph Lundgren, Milton Berle, and WWF’s The Bushwhackers.

UPDATE:
Here's something you missed on display by not attending.

And yes, this is probably what you think it is.

Building the Perfect Neighborhood

2010-04-18T11:28:00.003-04:00

What is your models of a perfect neighborhood? GOOD Magazine digs into the essential components beyond the "low-hanging fruit like pretty architecture and access to nature".

What makes their list?

A Signature Event - "a recurring event to celebrate and shape a neighborhood’s identity" according to Good. Speaking of which - the polls in the right hand column of the Downtown Stamford Events Blog is usually a pretty good indication of who we might see at Alive @ Five.

Third Places - An informal meeting place. Could be a bar, coffee shop, etc. Sing yourself the Cheers theme and you get the idea.

Public Spaces - Lantham Park on Bedford Street tonight was a veritable photo shoot for families and couples taking snapshots. (props to the kindergarten looking kid in the "stud muffin" shirt rocking the sunglasses and rock star poses) Lantham is a small but beautifully kept spot. Stamford could definitely benefit from more spaces integrated into neighborhoods that are shown the same care.

Check out the rest of the list in the article.

Not a bad set of components to consider as the CTW embarks on a number of projects aimed at breathing new life and cohesion into neighborhoods like the South End, West Side, East Side, Springdale & Glenbrook.

Pack the Palace

2010-04-10T22:53:00.005-04:00

Great set by Jim Gaffigan at the Palace Theatre tonight. Caught the first show, the one that was preempted several months ago because Jim was attending a Super Bowl party.

The Palace must be the single most under utilized asset in Stamford, downtown or otherwise. I thought the bankruptcy of the SCA was going to bring more outside events to the theatre. The demand certainly seems there for anything pop culture passing through the venue. A second show was added after the first show sold out. Before and after the show those attendees are fanning out across the downtown to support local business. How do you not want that every weekend?

Benefit Concert for Vets

2010-03-27T12:48:00.001-04:00

Although a few of my friends beat me to it, this is still a cause worth plugging.

The Stamford Unitarian Universalist Society in Stamford is hosting an upcoming benefit concert supporting No Vet Left Behind, a local organization dedicated to finding transitional housing for homeless veterans in our area. Info is below.

On Friday April 9 at 7PM, the Unitarian Universalist Society in Stamford will be hosting a concert to benefit No Vet Left Behind! Tickets for the concert are $30 each, and are 100% tax deductible.

The concert will have two acts. The opening act will be Superband, a local group who plays regularly in the Stamford / Bridgeport area. They have a monthly gig at Tracks on Hope Street. They play a wide range of music, from Pink Floyd to the Beatles to the Allman Brothers!

The main event will be recording artist Grayson Hugh. Grayson had two successful albums released in the early 1990's. His album "Road to Freedom" was named one of Billboard Magazine's Top 10 Albums of 1992. His hits "Talk it Over", "Bring It All Back" and "How 'Bout Us" can be viewed on YouTube. After a long hiatus from the recording industry, he is releasing his first album in 15 years this March. Grayson will play some old hits, new music, and several songs he wrote and never released during his break. He will be available after the concert for a meet and greet and autographs, and we will be selling his new CD as well! Grayson will be performing with his wife and long time backup singer Polly Messer.

Advance ticket purchase requested! Email Joe Gonzalez at trustees@uusis.org or call 203-348-0708 for information on reserving tickets and receiving payment instructions!

NVLB is a CT-based organization dedicated to providing transitional housing to homeless veterans. They will be taking over occupancy of the housing unit on UUSIS' property most likely in the late spring or early summer. See www.thenovetleftbehind.org for more info.

Internet Distracts, Super Fast Internet Distracts Super Fast

2010-03-25T14:31:00.002-04:00

Google is looking for a pilot city to install and test super high speed fiber optic internet lines that are 100 times faster than most current services. In order to draw attention to themselves, many cities are engaging in all manner of zaniness including mayors jumping into icy waters and swimming in a shark tanks. Don’t think that the CTW is on the sidelines just because you haven’t seen Pavia don a Google emblazoned Speedo and swim laps down the newly undammed Rippowam River. When I emailed Reinventing Stamford about the project they assured me they are already on the case in submitting a proposal.

According to NPR, the merits by which a city is judged in the competition are extremely loose.

Google has been a little vague about exactly what does have merit in this competition. But Ingersoll points to a couple criteria: Google wants to be able to install its fiber lines quickly, so infrastructure is important; and Google is looking for a place that can actually use ridiculously fast Internet — and not just for lightning-quick downloads of the latest episode of Lost.

How we plan to use that speed, is Google’s keen interest. Development of next gen apps is one of their suggestions.

We want to see what developers and users can do with ultra high-speeds, whether it's creating new bandwidth-intensive "killer apps" and services, or other uses we can't yet imagine.

Tomorrow is the deadline response date. If you care to help make a case for Stamford follow this link.

Waterside (Although Not Really Anymore) School

2010-03-17T08:05:00.004-04:00

Waterside School #1 Education Lab LLC 20090717 from Walter Patrick Smith, AIA LEED A on Vimeo.

Here's a look at the Waterside charter school ready to break ground in the South End as part of their expansion and relocation from, where else, Waterside. I dig the use of the roof for playing fields.

New South End Buildings

2010-03-06T10:55:00.008-05:00

The Advocate unveiled earlier in the week a look at the new proposal for Harbor Point's train station adjacent Gateway property. Gateway started at two towers, dropped to one, and is now back to two, albeit shorter glass box towers. Back is the train platform extension/ connection to the development. The parking garage that once towered over the river now looks to have gone underground, one marked improvement in my opinion. Somewhere on the footprint is proposed 200 units of housing, 25 of which are in the first phase. The extension of the greenway along the river seems intact. Hopefully they have some thoughts on how to activate the plaza between the buildings, which can often end up as dead zones.

New Gateway:

Previous Designs:

Gateways neighbor to the east is rising as their South End doppelganger. Another station adjacent, mixed use office/ residential development, Metro Green is different in that they are leading off with the residential portion of the plan, with a heavy emphasis on affordable housing. Here's a first look at their phase 2 affordable housing building that will go somewhere along Atlantic:

I’m All Lost In The Dharma Station

2010-03-04T11:09:00.000-05:00

Any Lost fans out there in Stamford? I’m thinking we need to get a bar in town to show the finale and host a party.

It would be great to be with a group of fans when the one of two possible outcomes occur.

#1. A disappointing ending to the continuity dense series with lots of questions left unanswered leading to a group bitch session about how much all us Lost fans hate Lost.

#2. A hugely disappointing ending to the continuity dense series that raises even more new questions without answering the many of the existing questions. A readymade mob with then be on hand to riot – flipping cars, smashing in store fronts, starting fires in dumpsters, throwing rocks at those large plastic police shields, choking on tear gas, the works!

Anyone game for a public showing? Any willing establishments?

Register for Reinventing Stamford Pivot Point

2010-03-02T16:28:00.003-05:00

The Reinvetning Stamford project which has been underway by the Urban Redevelopment Commission for the past year has reached their pivot point and is ready to look to the public to help start implementing projects. From their site:

The eighth Reinventing Stamford Town Meeting will take place Wednesday, March 10th, from 6pm to 9pm at Ferguson Library. This event will be the launch pad for four action teams to implement the projects proposed in

Pivot Point: The First Year of Reinventing Stamford. A PDF of the report can be donwloaded from the Resources section of this website. Pivot Point shapes the ideas generated by the seven 2009 Reinventing Stamford town meetings into a coherent strategy for Stamford that lays a foundation for long-term economic growth, energy efficiency, environmental quality and reduced economic disparity.

- Finding Opportunity in Emerging Conditions
- Creating an Innovation-Capable Workforce
- Building a Creative Habitat
- Expanding Regional Networks

As the name of the report suggests, we are pivoting from a focus on research and information gathering to strategy-in-action. The small group discussion at the March 10th event will be organized by the themes of the four teams:

Finding Opportunity in Emerging Conditions
Creating an Innovation-Capable Workforce
Building a Creative Habitat
Expanding Regional Networks

Each small group will identify "goldmines" and "landmines" for the work of the action team...the key conditions, people, institutions and projects that are likely to help or hinder the work of the team. To stimulate the small group discussion, Duane Hill will moderate a set-up panel of a convener or representative of each of the four teams, who will have a similar discussion of goldmines and landmines.

In effect, this event will enable the participants to try on the work of an action team to see it is of further interest. There will be a range of ways to be involved in the work of a team, from serving on the core group that drives the team, to serving as an occasional resource to the team, to just following the progress of the team on this website, which will be reconfigured to serve as a communications platform for each action team.

I'll be on vacation unfortunately, and looking to be involved at a later date. Go forth as my acolytes! I think they are particularly interested in getting more 20 and 30 somethings involved. Registration info is available on their site.

Fixing Autocentric Development

2010-02-28T20:35:00.004-05:00

This first episode in a new Street Films series called "Fixing the Great Mistake", examines what was lost when our cities began catering exclusively to the automobile.

Teabagged at the Library

2010-02-28T00:47:00.003-05:00

I noticed today Teabaggers are now jockeying for protest space with the anti-war crowd outside the Ferguson Library on Saturday mornings.

Dudes, The library? That's like the public option of books! Socialists.

Wouldn't the mall plaza outside Barnes & Noble be decidedly more free market.

Move the protest there next time and see how cool that is with Paul Blart.

YMCA Post sans Village People Pun

2010-02-23T17:31:00.006-05:00

Here’s a look at the revamped Bell Street facade of the downtown YMCA. Both the Advocate and the Stamford Times have articles today on the first phase of construction which includes the new entrance, lobby and cardio room. Some additional renderings from future phases are below. The glass looks to be an improvement to the dingy, rather depressing wall that’s there now.

The Y has been closed since selling their lobby and upper floors to a developer for conversion into a boutique hotel. Stamford Notes recently did a run down on what to expect out of the new Y opening in March. Before the hotel deal, the Y considered deserting it’s downtown location in order to stay afloat. Looks like aside from allowing the institution remain downtown, the changes are breathing some new life in terms of both form and function into the building.

Bike Racks & Parking Meters

2010-02-08T11:08:00.000-05:00

New York City is offering a bike parking/ street meter upgrade worth emulating.

200+ meters will have their heads removed and refitted with a circular bike rack that slides over the pole. The solution is cheaper than ripping up the sidewalk in order to remove the poles or place new dedicated bike racks. A rack to lock two bikes would correspond with each on-street parking space for a car.

Motorists would pay for their parking at pay stations at the end of the block. I’m assuming this is similar to the pay stations in our city garages where you bring your number to the station, select your time and pay. Pay stations usually accept credit & debit cards, so the time allotted for you to park would no longer be contingent on the change stuck to the bottom of your cup holder. While it would force the driver into a short walk to the pay station in place of paying right at their space, there could also be an overall convenience. If all the downtown pay stations were integrated wirelessly, a person could add additional time to their meter from any pay station in the area. Imagine you could park your car in the Summer St garage to see a movie, walk to Bedford St for diner afterwards, and simply add time at a pay station on the street if you decide to stay longer for a drink at a pub. This system would increase the convenience of leaving one’s car in one location for a multiple stops on a trip downtown and not punish someone for wanting to stay longer by forcing a truncated visit, a walk back to the meter, or an orange love letter from the city waiting under the wiper.

Multi-Low-Culturalism

2010-02-07T09:53:00.003-05:00

No need to wait for the census, here is confirmation we are the most diverse community in Fairfield County. Overheard this weekend in Stamford from some stock white guy:

“Me and this Korean guy almost got in a fight the other night outside Beamers with some long haired European and four Indian dudes.”

The location of the near scuffle would fall squarely between Eastern Bloc topless entertainment and the famed El Charrito taco truck in a predominantly African American neighborhood, turning the street outside the strip club in that brief moment into the most diverse cross section of the community in town.

Mr. Met Steps Up to the Plate

2010-02-04T11:41:00.007-05:00

Shortly after news that famed manager and Stamford native Bobby Valentine would be tapped to help mediate the city’s long standing fire department conflict, Mayor Mike Pavia announced he would dip yet again into the hall of Mets legends and appoint Mr. Met to a commission to offer independent analysis on the $46 million in capital projects under consideration in the 2010-11 budget.

Mr. Met, pictured here with Wally the Green Monster at last summer’s “Meeting New Economic Realities in the Mega-Region” summit, is the beloved baseball headed mascot of the New York Mets. “Mr. Met is no stranger to responsible capital investment,” Pavia said. “Under his leadership, Citi Field was brought in under time and under budget. This is exactly the comically exaggerated eye we need looking down the list to help prioritize our needs in these tough economic times."

Still, other officials are skeptical. “It’s not entirely clear whether Mr. Met even has the ability to speak,” noted Land Use Bureau Chief Robert Stein. “Can we really rely on mime to help drive policy? Does his exaggerated swing and amusing fall to the ground convey the danger or overextending our capital expenditures in a recession or endorse the need to continue to invest in additional playing fields amidst a citywide shortage?”

Mr. Met answered the criticism by patting Stein on the head and giving a thumbs up with his oversized hands.

The anthropomorphic analyst will chair a public hearing tonight at 7:30PM in the Government Center to discuss which capital projects should move forward and which should remain on hold.

The Philly Fanatic could not be reached for comment.

Stamford Devil Rays?

2010-01-30T14:45:00.006-05:00

What what what?

From the Stamford Times:

A prominent baseball columnist has sparked the idea of a Major League Baseball team coming to Fairfield County.

Peter Gammons, a columnist for MLB.com and analyst for MLB Network, wrote in a column "there are smart people in the Major League Baseball offices wondering if there's hope of even discussing a potential move of the (Tampa Ray) Rays to New Jersey or Southern Connecticut ...

The same article notes this is most likely a long shot.

Gammons, who did not return messages seeking comment, went on to say in his column published Jan. 22 that any move would have to overcome "certain protests from the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox and Phillies."

Major League Baseball uses an anticompetitive territory allocation system and it is believed that the New York Mets and Yankees territories spread through Southwestern Connecticut.

It’s a fun prospect to entertain none-the-less. Former Mayor Malloy confirms the Sound Tigers original interest in Stamford over the Bridgeport for the minor league hockey stadium. JR from Streets wrote up the tale at some point but it seems lost in the internets right now. Pitney Bowes objected to the stadium becoming their neighbor in the South End and threatened to move their factory as leverage. Few years later Bridgeport lands the Stadium and Pitney Bowes moves out anyways.

Malloy even stated in the article the Nets entertained interest in the City That Works. At least we can breathe easy we were sparred any chance of the Frank Gerry starchitect clusterfuck that was his Atlantic Yards design for the Nets move to Brooklyn.

Even if unlikely, were a new sports stadium to come to Connecticut, one could imagine Stamford as a top contender (particularly with a sympathetic Governor in Hartford…) The only potential footprints in town are in reasonable distance of the Metro North. Mass transit would have to play heavily into the stadium in this congestion-clogged region in order to keep such an enterprise from plunging us into full-blown traffic apocalypse.

Putting aside any entertainment value for the area residents, the question has been raised whether bringing a new stadium to a city is worth the effort. Often taxpayers heavily subsidize them with questionable return on investment. Many times attendees drive in, spend their money in the bubble of the complex and leave nothing behind but back ups on the on & off ramps. Bridgeport has little to show in economic revitalization near their two stadiums.

Baseball though does seem to offer an exception in “context stadiums”. Old school in the architectural style & layout, these ballparks front city streets and are in walking distances of retail, restaurants, housing and transportation. A number of minor league ballparks have been built in this style and embedded in an existing urban fabric. Major League baseball has some prominent and beloved examples in Fenway & Wrigley. Hell, the apartment buildings across the street from Wrigley have stadium seats built atop them to watch games. You can’t weave a stadium and city any tighter together than that.

Could something in that style be a fit for Stamford? I think so. Let’s do Devil Rays, put your bat in our hole and let’s make a stadium!

UBS on the Hunt

2010-01-06T12:44:00.004-05:00

UBS is on the hunt for as much as 800,000 sq ft of office space in the NY area as leases expire.

Other NY metro space, not the Washington Blvd HQ adjacent to the Stamford Train Station, seem to be up for abandonment. A spokesman for the bank is quoted in the Advocate:

"We have a number of leases that come up in 2013, so we have started to look at various options including new buildings, existing building, etc. A decision probably won't be reached for several months. It's safe to say that our lease at 677 Washington Boulevard runs through 2017 with renewal options. Our intention is to maximize the use of this site."

There aren’t a lot of high capacity vacancies in Stamford that could absorb that space in any significant, central way. The Financial Center Building, available as Gen Re moves north, is the only one that comes to mind.

As for new construction, I wonder if this means some of the expansion phases for the Stamford HQ are back in consideration. Here is a rendering of towers that could replace some of the parking lot space surrounding the current build out.

Could UBS also be Malloy’s mystery tenant for the Gateway development? That would be odd, but the then Mayor made that announcement seem imminent and there is only a small list of companies that have popped up shopping space that large locally as of late. Excavation seems to have picked up on site there as of late as well...

The Brickhouse Abridged

2009-12-23T23:49:00.006-05:00

I love little stories or anecdotes that perfectly sum up an establishment. My girlfriend told me one tonight that I think pretty much captures the spirit, the collective unconscious, the zeitgeist of The Brickhouse.

"I parked my car once overnight in front of the Brickhouse and when I came to get it the next morning their was a piece of deli meat on my windshield."

UPDATED:

GF: "I don't know that it came from the Brickhouse"

Me: "Yes it did"

Are you Going to Go My Greenway?

2009-12-04T17:45:00.006-05:00

Now that the initial phase of the Mill River restoration is nearing completion, eyes seem to be looking north along a potential greenway linking up to Scalzi Park.

The info and invite from the Mill River Collaborative’s latest newsletter.

Initial design concepts for the Greenway between Scalzi Park and Mill River Park will be shared with the public at a workshop on Thursday December 10th. Design consultants Milone & MacBroom will be on hand to discuss and receive feedback and suggestions on their initial design schemes.
The plans are intended to lead to the restoration of the native plant environment along the west side of the river and the creation of a continuous path for walking, jogging and cycling.

Thursday, December 10, 2009
7:00-8:30 PM
888 Washington Boulevard - Lobby Atrium

Toters Rolling Wild

2009-11-30T16:05:00.002-05:00

Can Downtown Stamford lose the “high school cafeteria” look we are rocking with the giant toter bins everywhere? They seemed to have replaced the old decorative garbage cans. For the last year or so they’ve been popping up all over the parks as well to similar effect.

There is no sense of permanence to the toters, creating a rather cheap and undignified look. On a more practical level, the toters can pose hazards to pedestrians and drivers. The cans are light enough to be easily tipped, dumping trash and blocking the sidewalk and streets.

I’m sure the reasoning is they are cheaper & easier for the city. And that’s precisely how they look. Class it up a little CTW.

What 1989 thought 1995 Would Look Like

2009-11-24T17:12:00.007-05:00

Talking about the hole has become incredibly boring. That said, “Woonsocket54” on the Connecticut Development News forum page over at Skyscraper City found an amusing picture.

This is the cover of what looks to be a text book from the late eighties/ early nineties (?) called “Contemporary Urban Planning: Second Edition” by John M Levy.

Stamford graces the cover and if you look carefully and you’ll notice infill pictured in the hole – Actual proposal? Academic exercise? Not sure.

Mill River Project Time Lapse

2009-11-23T09:51:00.004-05:00

Anybody else want to see this with some Benny Hill music in the background?

Some of the early time lapse videos are here.

According to the latest newsletter from the Mill River Collaborative, the work on the channel will be completed and have the river re-diverted into it by end of year. Then in the spring the banks will be planted with native species.

Starwood Comes to South End

2009-11-19T09:43:00.008-05:00

POSSIBLE CORRECTION: An existing BLT owned building in the South End, 333 Ludlow St, looks to be the likely destination for Starwood, not the planned Gateway building.

So the mystery company Malloy was teasing for a move to Stamford recently is Starwood Hotels.

Starwood would move to half of Gateway, a Harbor Point property adjacent to the train station and the Mill River.

The move is slated for 2012 – which would mean the building would probably have to break ground in the immediate future to meet that deadline.

This is the last iteration of the project we’ve seen, although it seems there are some changes that might not be reflected in the renderings. Parking has apparently moved below grade and will incorporate about 500 commuter spaces to absorb whatever changes ultimately come to the station garage. That will most likely be an improvement over the clunky garage hanging off the back in the last set of renderings.

The project would also include up to 200 housing units on site and an extension of the Mill River greenway – although both of those elements have some points of contention and are still in flux. The city wants more greenway than is currently offered in the Gateway plan and a commitment to a increased percentage of affordable housing. It looks like two of the properties in the footprint still need to be acquired which might be why this portion isn’t fully flushed out.

As one of the commenters on the previous post pointed out, it will be interesting to see if this has any implication on the Harbor Point Hotel, planned for the Phase 1 of construction, albeit yet to go vertical.

The Tortoise & the Hare

2009-11-03T09:27:00.004-05:00

Election day – get out and vote!

I haven’t blogged much on the election, mostly because neither candidate excited me very much to be honest. I filled my bubble this morning though for Martin.

To me, this campaign has felt like the Tortoise & the Hare.

Pavia is our hare, he’s flashier, his message is easier to digest. Pavia was here in Stamford first, he’s in government… then out, here.. then off to South Carolina… now back! Pavia’s signs are everywhere, they are twice the size… they have his picture one them! (Random aside - Pavia signs also seem to have a lock on abandoned store fronts, empty buildings & lots. Not sure what to read into that)

Martin is our tortoise. He’s not flashy and has a lame tagline. Martin choose to come live here and stay, and serve in city government for over 25 years. The Advocate endorsed him as more deliberate, in touch and detailed with the particulars. He’s passing out literature while Pavia is beeping horns.

Martin is addressing Scofield with the more permanent, albeit somewhat slower process of laying underground pipes to bring in the clean water. Pavia wants to immediately lay above ground pipes – without first considering that they would probably freeze in the winter.

In a debate each candidate was asked what one project would they tackle if they had unlimited resources to do so. Martin picked his one project as establishing the UConn satellite as a full residential college in Stamford – as both a way to enliven the downtown and providing an intellectual base for future leadership. Pavia picked developing a great master plan… and addressing the Scofield issue… and reopening Wright Tech… and puppies and kittens for everyone.

Pavia wants to bring his business sensibility to government. That’s certainly not a theme unique to Pavia - but it feels especially tired in the age of sector after sector of business lining up to the government for a bailout. As the sins of our collective past are forming up like Voltron to attack – it’s probably best not continue our government in the “business model”, which can be chronically short sided immediate gain at the expense of long term stability.

In more ways than one way it felt like Pavia had the lead the race, but then again we all know the end to the fable. We’ll see tonight who reaches the finish line first.

Hookah!

2009-10-23T14:46:00.006-04:00

On my walk home last night I caught something new, full on hookah party going on in the outdoor seating of Layla's Falafel across from Columbus Park. Anyone partaken yet?

NYC's On-Street Bike Improvements

2009-10-21T09:32:00.003-04:00

Check out this video 101 on the different types of on-street bicycle designs that make up the New York City’s 200 miles of bike infrastructure.

Stamford is woefully behind the curve on developing a bike infrastructure. The recently completed stretch of the Urban Transitway is the only stretch of roads in town striped with a dedicated bike lane. The recently completed Traffic Calming Master Plan only peppers them sporadically and does not add up to anything cohesive you could actually use to get around. To put it into perspective, the Downtown Ambassadors, paid city employees, ride bikes on the sidewalk. That would be unheard in any kind of progressive bike plan.

What say my receny uncharacteristically chatty crew? Is every square inch of pavement needed for cars or can we make some concessions for the public looking to traverse Stamford on bike, whether for commute or recreation?

Central Hole

2009-10-16T09:31:00.002-04:00

The infamous hole has been upgraded to Stamford’s “Central Park” apparently courtesy of Google Maps.

Since the first comment will probably be what a great idea that would be, I’ll throw out my opinion about that being a horrible place for a park. With barely a trickle of people on the streets there and walled in on ever side with buildings larger unfriendly to the street – you would basically be setting up a base camp for what Jane Jacobs coined the “leisured indignant”.

Empty Lots

2009-10-09T06:20:00.007-04:00

Building off Streets of Stamford's post on temporary uses for empty store fronts, the New York Times recently published an piece on one solution in NYC for an empty lot delayed for development. If only there was a city nearby with that issue...

The 37,000 sq ft irregular shaped lot was loaned to the city and transformed into a temporary park and outdoor art exhibit space.

When the Trump Parc lot was waiting for development it served as a temporary pocket park landscaped with trees, paths and benches. There are a number of lots though spread out through Downtown Stamford today that could benefit from some temporary life beyond construction equipment parking or pseudo forest. While its fun to play with 3D models and renderings to imagine what might one day inhabit a spot, finding creative ways remake these dead zones in the interim is not only more pleasant for current inhabitants, but also effective for helping outsiders visualize city spaces as places they would like to be. Its kind of like one of those TV shows where a lady comes to your house and nags about rearranging your furniture and changing your paint color and then suddenly your house is easier to sell.

Downtown Stamford Workshop

2009-10-07T18:08:00.006-04:00

Streets of Stamford & I are going to try and attend this workshop tomorrow night put on by the DSSD & URC.

From the DSSD newsletter:

Scout us out and you can buy us drinks after. For reference, here is a picture of Streets:

Blog Cure

2009-10-02T09:00:00.004-04:00

Our friend Kevin from Always Home and Uncool has asked me to post this as part of his effort to raise awareness in the blogosphere of juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease his daughter was diagnosed with on this day seven years ago. The day also happens to be his wife's birthday. Happy Birthday Mrs. Uncool.

Our pediatrician admitted it early on.

The rash on our 2-year-old daughter's cheeks, joints and legs was something he'd never seen before.

The next doctor wouldn't admit to not knowing.

He rattled off the names of several skins conditions -- none of them seemingly worth his time or bedside manner -- then quickly prescribed antibiotics and showed us the door.

The third doctor admitted she didn't know much.

The biopsy of the chunk of skin she had removed from our daughter's knee showed signs of an "allergic reaction" even though we had ruled out every allergy source -- obvious and otherwise -- that we could.

The fourth doctor had barely closed the door behind her when, looking at the limp blonde cherub in my lap, she admitted she had seen this before. At least one too many times before.

She brought in a gaggle of med students. She pointed out each of the physical symptoms in our daughter:

The rash across her face and temples resembling the silhouette of a butterfly.

The purple-brown spots and smears, called heliotrope, on her eyelids.

The reddish alligator-like skin, known as Gottron papules, covering the knuckles of her hands.

The onset of crippling muscle weakness in her legs and upper body.

She then had an assistant bring in a handful of pages photocopied from an old medical textbook. She handed them to my wife, whose birthday it happened to be that day.

This was her gift -- a diagnosis for her little girl.

That was seven years ago -- Oct. 2, 2002 -- the day our daughter was found to have juvenile dermatomyositis, one of a family of rare autoimmune diseases that can have debilitating and even fatal consequences when not treated quickly and effectively.

Our daughter's first year with the disease consisted of surgical procedures, intravenous infusions, staph infections, pulmonary treatments and worry. Her muscles were too weak for her to walk or swallow solid food for several months. When not in the hospital, she sat on our living room couch, propped up by pillows so she wouldn't tip over, as medicine or nourishment dripped from a bag into her body.

Our daughter, Thing 1, Megan, now age 9, remembers little of that today when she dances or sings or plays soccer. All that remain with her are scars, six to be exact, and the array of pills she takes twice a day to help keep the disease at bay.

What would have happened if it took us more than two months and four doctors before we lucked into someone who could piece all the symptoms together? I don't know.

I do know that the fourth doctor, the one who brought in others to see our daughter's condition so they could easily recognize it if they ever had the misfortune to be presented with it again, was a step toward making sure other parents also never have to find out.

That, too, is my purpose today.

It is also my birthday gift to my wife, My Love, Rhonda, for all you have done these past seven years to make others aware of juvenile myositis diseases and help find a cure for them once and for all.

To read more about children and families affected by juvenile myositis diseases, visit Cure JM Foundation.

To make a tax-deductible donation toward JM research, go here or here

Lil’ Angels

2009-09-24T15:41:00.000-04:00

You don’t officially live in Stamford unless everyone you know sent you this news story today.

What's in a "Transitway"

2009-09-18T10:47:00.003-04:00

Old man McCain tried to make a play at Stamford’s Urban Transitway funding, seeking cuts here and a number of Northeast transportation centric projects. In any case, it didn’t work and we can all take solace in the fact his state will dry up and blow away one day.

The Urban Transitway is one of those projects tough to love for a lot of people. You hear it attacked from all angles. There is the crowd that typically disapproves of any public investment. Another perspective views the project as a highway ripping through city neighborhoods, creating a decidedly pedestrian unfriendly environment. With the first stretch is now open and work continuing east – some of the detractors should take a trip down. In meantime, I think these the issues that riles up the bad blood.

#1. The benefits of the projects by its boosters are slightly overstated. The UTW will not be a silver bullet for any city traffic, new roads rarely are. Additional capacity in the long run doesn’t help traffic – less cars on the road is usually the only equation that adds up to traffic reduction. (The UTW actually addresses that reality by opening improved opportunities for walkers, cyclists, and buses as I’ll mention later). The UTW doesn’t even add much capacity so much as it improves flow. I also find it hard to believe the UTW will have much impact diverting downtown traffic south of the tracks. It will however be effective in improving flow to and from the station and several neighborhoods (South End, Cove, Shippan, & the East Side)

#2. Location. Billed as some as the “road to nowhere”, the attack has some sticking power since that side of the tracks is literally the road less traveled for many residents. If the government expenditure directly effects me - essential. Ex: a garbage man walking into my backyard to pick up trash for collection. Goddamn American right protected in the constitution. Expenditure doesn’t directly affect me - vile example of graft and government waste. If one was to pick a list of important locations in town to improve access, it’s hard to find one better than the train station. Still, not everyone is a commuter, not everyone has cause to shuttle between the South End, the East Side, and everywhere in between.

#3. The cost. Multi-millions doesn’t makes sense for people who don’t see this as more than a road pave. In reality – it involves everything from sewer, lighting, signaling, power cable, & bridge work – in addition to land acquisition and all the usual stuff like paving associated with road work.

#4. The name. “Transitway” - a slightly misleading name when measured against the reality of the project that has riled an opposition that accuse the plan of cutting a high speed highway through a neighborhood.

Let’s break that apart. Neighborhood – implies to many residential, children skipping off to school, and all that good stuff. The UTW runs essentially parallel to the train tracks. If there was an ideal place, even for the type of road the UTW is accused for being – this is it. It abuts a highway, train yard, a working water channel, and runs primarily through an industrial zone. While all that is true - the UTW is also rather transportation and pedestrian friendly and Stamford’s best if not only example of a “complete street”. While far from a model of perfection in this sense, it incorporates many best practices only talked about elsewhere in the city. Wide sidewalks & marked bike lanes running the entire length of the road. Lanes that are neither excessively wide of straight to discourage speeding. Landscaped medians and shoulders that have been pointed to as visual cues effective for traffic calming. Colored & textured crosswalks to define pedestrian space. Medians for crossings. Curb bump outs in dedicated HOV lanes so busses do have to pull over in order to make stops. There are few roads in Stamford that can claim any of those features – let alone that many in tandem. It’s the only stretch of road in town I’ve felt at ease on my bike.

In short, any number of downtown or corridor roads in Stamford could benefit from similar treatment – next time with some Trolley space to boot.

Meadowlands Rail

2009-09-16T15:44:00.003-04:00

With the opening of the new Meadowland train stop – Stamford is now officially a two hour train ride from the game.

Figuring out the eight page brochure explaining the service is hurting my head – but I’m sure it makes more sense once you do it a few times.

Lil' Buddha

2009-08-23T22:27:00.002-04:00

NY Times gives a thumbs up to the new BYOB Thai restaurant, Little Buddha, in Ridgeway.

No Staycation

2009-08-17T22:17:00.001-04:00

Taking the week off for vacation. (Kind of like I took the last week off) Catch you when I'm back...

Springer in the CTW

2009-08-11T09:46:00.000-04:00

Just posting a up thread for anyone who has been going to the NBC tapings. Any good stories? Is the baby his?

View from the Top

2009-08-07T09:49:00.005-04:00

Birds eye of the last Alive@Five of the year – staring Sugar Ray.

As Streets was first to note (but had to call it a night and head home at 8p to achieve the feat I might add!) Springer was in attendance last night. More random was Sugar Ray’s call out of Baba Booey being off stage with them.

Sky high can also get a couple looks at things being to flesh out.

YMCA - hotel conversion is unveiling its facelift one façade at a time.

Down the other end the Old Town Hall addition almost has all its bones in place.

Build a Great Building

2009-07-28T18:51:00.010-04:00

UPDATED - Here's a look at the building proposed to replace the St. Andrews rectory. In the words of Eric Cartman, "Ah Weak!" Hope that's not final.

I’m going to step in and solve this St Andrews Rectory controversy.

First the background.

St. Andrews is a downtown parish next to UConn along Washington Blvd. Their campus consists of a Gothic church, a Victorian style rectory, and a funky old graveyard (complete with what looks like a couple busted open tombs I've noticed). The parish though is broke, saddled with crumbling buildings and the desire to carry on in their current location ministering to the flock through mass and a number of social services.

The church has had an on and off again hope of selling part of their property for development to remain solvent, in their current location, and to keep their church building standing. It had been suggested the rectory could have been moved and a few proposals for condo towers were put forward over the years. They were tall… and never built. (v1 & v2)

Now the church is sitting on a slightly more modest proposal for a 93 unit, 5 story residential building and a new church hall. Now for the controversy. Moving the historic rectory, estimated at $400,000 isn’t a priority for the parish who has no physical use for the building anymore. They have offered it for sale for $1 – but the buyer would be responsible to move, and there haven’t been any takers for that expensive project. The historic building would come down under this plan.

On one side you have the preservationists. Notable members of this camp include Renee Kahn of the Historic Neighborhood Preservation Program & Don Russell, columnist for the Advocate. They are arguing against a historic building & example of Victorian architecture disappearing from the city.

The parish stand is pro development. They need the infusion of cash in order to survive. A new hall is also more conducive to their current work. Other groups, like the DSSD is interested in the idea of more downtown housing the development would bring.

Here’s the question no one has bothered to ask – what will the new building look like? How will it physically relate to the church, the street, the downtown? Will it be attractive and add to an active streetscape? From my perspective, deciding to put up a great building is the answer and could be something that bridges both sides. So far – it doesn’t seem to be a concern to either side.

Pro development seems to be working off the assumption that the building will be shit. Most anything built in American cities after WWII is either uninspired or confounding so it’s a safe assumption. I see no reason though why the RMS building can’t be something that enriches downtown.

The preservationists might have the same fear, but my hunch is the “historic” nature of the building trumps anything that could possibly go in its place for this camp. Don Russell has made the case to keep the murky pond making Mill River Dam on historical grounds. Renee Kahn was involved with getting the “white shoe box on a hill” Lord & Taylor building put on the historic register.

The reality is the owner of the property doesn’t need or want the rectory. The building is “historic” on the grounds it is old – other civic & architectural reasons to grant it that designation are there, but mostly limited. Size, structure, and location limit it’s reuse for other purposes. An equally historic church stands next door in need of repair.

Replace the rectory with a great downtown building. Make that the focus going forward. Stop apologizing like you are dropping some giant turd downtown. Don't position the decision as "people vs. buildings". RMS – show us renderings!

Wonka Factory on Summer

2009-07-24T20:53:00.002-04:00

The exterior looks mostly done on this new Indian Place coming to Summer St. The candy cane looking things light up at night and look kind of cool in the dark. I believe it's going to be called Curry Craft.

Livable City

2009-07-24T12:59:00.001-04:00

A Yale Architecture student looks at what Stamford has and is doing right from an urban design perspective to become a “livable city” in the Hartford Courant. None of these are accidents – but a slow and steady shaping from city leadership. We are on the right trajectory at least - it’s just up to us to keep kicking the city in the ass down the path.

The Empire Expands!

2009-07-22T14:38:00.001-04:00

BlogStamford... now also appearing on Twitter...

Twitter.com/blogstamford

Coalhouse Pizzeria Cometh

2009-07-22T10:17:00.006-04:00

It may have missed this year’s Pizza Tour but from the sound of it we could have a contender for a future crown. Stamford will finally with have a coal fired pizza house to compete with the likes of Sally's & Pepe's by way of Coalhouse Pizzeria opening in Bulls Head Shopping Center (across from Lord & Taylor) this fall. From owner Gerard Robertson:

MISSION STATEMENT: We take personal pride in the timely and consistent preparation of the finest foods using the best ingredients obtainable in an environment that is exceptionally clean and uniquely welcoming. Our portions are generous, our staff is well trained and friendly, and our kitchen is clean. We strive to provide an excellent experience for everyone and we measure our success one satisfied customer at a time.

COAL OVEN: The benefits and uniqueness of using a coal burning pizza oven include:

1. Tradition – coal was used in the first ovens used to bake pizza in the United States.

2. Eco-friendly cooking process – contrary to the image of some coal types, anthracite is one of the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuels – cleaner than wood fires and cleaner than a gas grill. Additionally, we support the economy by using an abundant American natural resource mined by Americans.

3. Process – coal pizza ovens maintain an average temperature of 800 degrees allowing for pizzas to cook in approximately 2 minutes. This high temperature gives the crust of every pie a unique crispy taste and texture – qualities not attainable with common gas or wood burning ovens. This unique crust, combined with our high quality ingredients, some imported from Italy and some grown locally, distinguishes us from all other local pizza restaurants.

It’s not all about the pizza kids.

We have lots of creative marketing ideas, all of which focus on interaction with the Stamford community in the form of a "give back." For example, if we can get permission from the town, we want to offer free summer movies projected outside during the summer, a kind of summer film festival, focusing on the Blues and on Jazz music. We would also love to host an annual outdoor music festival. I am a runner, so I want to host a local road race to benefit the Stamford YMCA. And those are just a few, so we are very excited about the whole project. Most important, we are excited about giving something of quality back to our hometown, the Stamford Community.

Nice!

Portraits of Jazz & Blues legends commissioned for the restaurant:

The Woodstone oven trucked across country from Washington state and craned in:

Oh Snap Highgrove!

2009-07-19T19:15:00.003-04:00

When high end developments get bitchy with each other. From the New York Times:

Over at Highgrove, people take umbrage at the suggestion that Trump Parc might be viewed as their competitor. “There’s really no comparison,” said Ms. Hirsch, the sales director. “This is a Robert A. M. Stern-designed building. It’s much more upscale. It’s not next to Target. It’s not an office-looking building.”

Alive @ Five Recap

2009-07-16T21:22:00.002-04:00

Props to the Cowbell Man. You didn't just work the cowbell, your worked the stage brother.

More cowbell, less of the wacky radio DJ interludes between sets.

Dog Friendly Offices & Adaptive Re-Use

2009-07-14T11:21:00.003-04:00

Here is an interesting gimmick for some office space above Twenty used distinguish themselves in a sagging commercial market. Dog friendly... last week they got a park – now they are getting offices. The Advocate recently quoted office vacancy rates at almost 20% in town, so competition is high.

In light of those vacancies I think we’ll also continue to see adaptive re-use of many smaller office building into housing. Increasing centralized housing stock while decreasing excess office space would be beneficial to the city. The Metropolitan & 100 Prospect are among recent examples. Conversion I’m assuming is cheaper for developers. From what I’ve seen it can give awkward layouts to some units but I’ve also heard the steel and concrete construction of these converts is less flimsy than some of the stick construction which can significantly cut down on neighbor noise. The conversions thus far have also spruced up the exteriors. A lot of these small office “shoe boxes” age really poorly and start to look pretty bad with only the slightest touch of entropy. They aren’t architectural wonders to begin with so a high degree of upkeep is needed that the office landlords don’t seem willing to provide to keep them looking halfway decent. So far the re-uses examples have all been marketed as luxury. The word “luxury” in apartments though is kind of like “extra strength” in the pharmacy – “regular” is just not something that’s made anymore. Market realities though might help make some existing or new re-uses available at more affordable rates.

Mojitos on Atlantic

2009-07-10T12:32:00.003-04:00

I always felt that when this place finally opened it would correspond with the end of days.

Prepare for the streets to run green in some horrible orgy or house music and underage alcohol consumption.

A Jackie Treehorn Production

2009-07-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

Tonight is part of three thousand years of beautiful tradition, from Moses to Sandy Koufax... The Big Lebowski at the Avon Theatre as part of the weekly Cult Classic night!.

Stamford Hospital Plan Update

2009-06-29T09:05:00.005-04:00

After some speculation, here’s a look at phase 1 or what The Stamford Hospital / Charter Oak Communities tag team intends to do with their land swaps.

Stamford Hospital has bought upwards of 35 properties surrounding their facility in recent years intent on a rather large expansion. Meanwhile, you have Charter Oak Communities, a renamed Stamford Housing Authority, looking to replace the outdated Vidal Court Housing Project next door. Both organizations are trading land to give themselves an optimal footprint. Looks like the hospital takes some of Vidal Court and the replacement housing snakes around the outside from Stillwater past Lione Park to West Broad St.

Stamford Hospital will end up with a rather impressive campus. On the east side of their property they will construct a new building said to house an expanded emergency room. All the surface parking is most likely land banking for future expansion.

Charter Oak gets to continues to work on some impressive projects aimed at replacing barrack like housing projects with mixed income, architecturally designed townhouses. In addition to the work around the hospital, I believe Charter Oak might also take over some hospital property on Palmers Hill Road owned by of Stamford Hospital and build a community similar the Fairfield Court project that’s currently in construction.

All The Rude Boys and Hooligans Know One Thing For Sure…

2009-06-24T11:17:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow of course kicks off Stamford’s Alive at Five concert series with Smash Mouth. I know what you are thinking, what will I do afterwards now that the teens have been kicked out, who will I mull around with aimlessly on the streets until all hours of the night?

A message to you Rudie - you are skanking over to Seaside Tavern in the Cove for the Ska/ Reggae Party the Fairfield Happy Hour Club is throwing. Two fine bands – The Void Union & The Stress are booked. Details at the Happy Hour Club.

I'll Go If This Dog Shows Up

2009-06-23T09:35:00.003-04:00

According to their site, the Stamford Dog Park officially opens next Tuesday. They are looking for volunteers on June 29th from 1p - 5p to help finish work.
The park has been completely volunteer driven – so if you are interested, check out their site to donate money or time to the effort.

Potential Replacement for Station Garage Steps Forward

2009-06-18T15:22:00.006-04:00

I wrote a few weeks ago about the Connecticut DOT’s plan to bid the Stamford Train Station garage out for development as a mixed use project. Admittedly, the plan seems somewhat crazy on the surface, especially if the city is trying to encourage mass transit. The plan though is forward thinking in that Stamford’s downtown and South End will most certainly continue to densify in the near future. In 10 years there may be as many commuters living in a 10-15 walk of the station as there are driving to it today. A plan that weaved the station into a broader urban fabric while also remaining convenient to park and ride commuters is hard to argue.

I suggested the Gateway and Metro Green developments were best situated to make the plan work should they throw their hat in the ring. While each has its own challenges, both locations could offer replacement parking next to the station. While today The Advocate mentioned Metro Green was weighing whether to submit a proposal, Gateway appears to be definitely moving forward with a plan according to this letter to the Board of Reps.

According to the letter, the former factory site would include “open space for the Mill River Park system, an office building, a residential building and convenience retail for commuters” in addition to a new garage with direct access to the train platform replacing the 800 spot garage adjacent to the station. No mention of if they also has plans to take on development of the station garage plot.

The potential for direct platform access from the replacement garage gives them a leg up. Finding a way to connect the location to the mutli-million dollar Urban Transitway investment would most likely need to be addressed. All other proposals are due next month. Should be interesting.

Wholdega

2009-06-17T15:04:00.002-04:00

So I checked out the Fairway in Harlem yesterday, mostly as a scam to park for the Dinosaur BBQ across the street. Stamford’s is scheduled to open next year as part of the Harbor Point Yale & Towne development.

I would describe Fairway (at least this location) as “Whole Foods meets bodega”. Anyone else have more experience with Fairway care to share?

Archstone

2009-06-16T13:18:00.003-04:00

I was tooling around on the Newman Architect site after posting about Park Square West and found some renderings for the proposed Archstone Building. Outside a tiny pic in the Advocate awhile back I’m not sure these have been disseminated yet. This is another Urban Redevelop Commission project.

The developers are calling the 5 story rental apartment/ retail development a counterbalance to Stamford’s tallest structure, Trump Parc, across the street. It would essentially be built into the new Mill River Park, the footprint is the fenced off plot of land in the park along Washington Blvd. Many of the proposed amenities are open to the public and tie into the park including a “tower lantern” with light integrated walkways and a field house with equipment rentals and season food & beverage.

One of the more unique features is a “street front interactive Wii playspace”. I’m translated this as “we get to watch you play Wii from a window”. Bold move latching yourself to a specific platform in the rapidly evolving console gaming space Archstone, especially knowing how long it takes these developments to finally be realized. Somewhere I’m sure there are some abandoned plans for a condo tower with a “Sega Saturn Lounge” and a “Laser Disc Library”.

Park Square West Gets Slapped on the Ass

2009-06-15T08:27:00.009-04:00

The Stamford Advocate is reporting the Urban Redevelopment Commission is setting a deadline for developer Corcoran Jennison to move forward with future phases of Park Square West downtown.

Park Square West was one of the first large scale modern infill projects for Downtown. If your lost - we're talking about the The SBC/ formally Kinkos building.

The Urban Redevelopment Commission works like this. (Someone feel free to correct if I'm off base here) They purchase key plots of land and sell to developers if the propose a plan the city likes.

Now that we are all sitting at the big kids table lets look at the pictures from Newman Architects.

Phase II - in the parking lot next to the majestic. Before anyone looses it on that - there is a brand new parking garage right next door. 16 stories of luxury apartments (hold it together Streets!) and a row of ground retail.

Phase III & IV will bookend Curley's looking out over Columbus Park.

New BYOB Thai in Ridgeway

2009-06-07T23:54:00.007-04:00

Little Buddha was announced awhile ago as a new Stamford location from owners the popular Little Thai Kitchen of Darien. Looks like its moving into an abandoned ice cream shop in Ridgeway.

I'm not aware of any other BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze) places in Stamford. Little Buddha might have a nice gimmick carved out to distinguish themselves in a crowded market. I was under the impression restaurants turned their biggest profits on beverages, but every extra incentive is probably increasingly necessary to fill seats in this economy.

BYOB is a big scene in other cities (Philly is a good example). What say you? Do you want to see more BYOB restaurants in Stamford?

New Blog in the Cabbage Patch

2009-06-07T19:01:00.002-04:00

Show the new kid Stamford Notes some love. She's been a frequent commenter here and an occasional guest blogger at Stamford Talk. She's already outpacing the old guard in frequency of posts.

Every time we have a new blog join the ranks I'm thankful BlogStamford jumped in early enough to grab the most generic name, requiring the least amount of thought and effort!

Kayaking

2009-06-07T10:47:00.005-04:00

If your looking to take advantage of the nice weather, or perhaps just get out of Stamford for the day, Downunder Kayaking in Rowayton is highly recomended.

All skill levels are accomodated, beginners can paddle the inlet and the more adventerous can head out into the sound and explore some small islands. Not much skill is required - I've sent my parents out and they returned in one piece. Cost is pretty reasonable as well.

Directions are here. In my experience a reservation is usally not necessary.

Trail Days This Weekend

2009-06-05T14:33:00.000-04:00

From the city website.

Smart Growth Walk – Saturday, June 6 10:00 am to 11:00 am. Downtown South End. This 2-3 mil walk over flat terrain will take participants partially along waterfront, greenbelt, transportation center, and brownfield redevelopment. Meet at Government
Center, 888 Washington Boulevard, Stamford. Please pre-register with Leader Robin Stein, rstein@ci.stamford.ct.us, 203-977-4716.

Trail Maintenance - Saturday, June 6 9:00 am to noon. Mianus River Park.sponsored by Friends of Mianus River Park. Will be armoring wet spots on trails, walking about tow miles on generally level terrain. Bring drinking water and bug repellent; wear work gloves. Meet at the Red Barn on Merriebrook Lane, Stamford; see map at http://tinyurl.com/2bu35w (for those without internet
access, Merriebrook Lane is south of the Merritt Parkway, west of Westover Road in Stamford). Please pre-register with Leader Pete Sofman, psofman@yahoo.com.

Hike- Sunday, June 7, 1:00 am to 2:00 pm. Mianus River Park. Moderately difficult with slight ups and downs, about 5 miles over frequently rocky and uneven trail. Join AMC Hike Leaders for a hike around lesser-known trails in the Mianus River Park and in Treetops (Mianus River State Park). Bring drinking water, lunch And bug repellent. Meet at the Red Barn on Merriebrook Lane,
Stamford; see map at http://tinyurl.com/2bu35w (for those without Internet access, Merriebrook Lane is south of the Merritt Parkway, west of Westover Road in Stamford). Please pre-register withLeader Pete Sofman, psofman@yahoo.com , Co-leader David Roberts.

Mill River Photo Journal

2009-06-02T09:00:00.003-04:00

I stumbled across a very detailed photo blog by Sue Sweeney hosted by Stamford Plus on the Mill River.

The pics stretch from 2003 all the way to today and have detailed accounts of any and all action going down along the river from the Army Corp of Engineer restoration work, the RBS building and riverwalk, the razing of Clinton and Division streets, even a missions to infiltrate the nests of man's greatest enemy, the Canadian Goose. Very cool, very detailed and of interest to anyone looking for both the history and latest on these projects.

The Mill River restoration galleries are rather informative, most people are probably unaware how much work as already been done clearing and regrading the lower banks and removing a long forgotten dam at the mouth of the river.

This pic kind of blew my mind. These are oysters currently surviving the filthy river. If they can hang on now, there is definitely hope for a more full environmental restoration as work continues now and down the line. If the social, civic, and recreational benefits of a centralized greenway park aren't enough, Stamford will at least be unique in having a ecologically sound river run through the center of the city.

Animal

2009-06-01T10:05:00.004-04:00

The downtown Stamford public art show is being set up today. This year’s theme is animals, not Animal, the hard rock Muppet. WTF Animal, are you serious with this pic?! You better have been all f’ed up on something when you took this. Disco? Christ man, you did session work with the Clash.

Also - in all seriousness, I hope we don't have any kind of ape on display. The potential for inappropriate snapshots will make the all the peeking up Marilyn's skirt from last year look tame.

Mmmmmm Juicy Fruit

2009-05-28T14:21:00.003-04:00

"What do you think you are, for Chrissake, crazy or somethin'? Well you're not! You're not! You're no crazier than the average asshole out walkin' around on the streets and that's it."

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest tonight at the Avon Theatre with a reception with director Milos Forman.

DOT Plan for Stamford Garage

2009-05-27T23:21:00.008-04:00

The Connecticut Department of Transportation recently announced a slightly unconventional plan to open up Stamford's train station parking garage to bid for redevelopment as a mixed use development. The garage, operated by the CT DOT is in poor structural condition and is in need of extensive repair of replacement. The backup plan calls to replace the old garage with a newer one with added capacity (1,000 spots vs. 700) The higher “"risk/ reward" option would transform the space into a yet undefined function. "Mixed use" typically refers though to some combination of retail/ commercial/ residential space and it usually marked with an "active & permeable" street frontage. The developer would be responsible for developing a parking solution in the near vicinity of the train station that meets or exceeds the current garage capacity.

Count me among the cautiously optimistic about the potential outcome.

That's not to say there are not concerns, all of which are valid. Stamford station is a major hub along the metro north line and hundreds of commuters park daily at the station and ride the train. The garage currently stands very conveniently adjacent to the station. Moving the parking further from the station raises issue of inconvenience at best, added commuting time walking or riding a shuttle, and reduction in safety at worst, crossing busy roads or having the garage pushed further into a sometime dicey neighborhood. This would only leave commuters with two options, swallow the inconvenience & bear safety concerns or battle an already congested I95 in their cars. That scenario is obviously the opposite intent desired in "Transit Oriented Development".

So why change a good thing? Won't replacing a garage her just necessitate a garage elsewhere? Why not a mixed use building there? Unfortunately the city seems to be in a situation where the garage needs to be replaced regardless, and total replacement will actually be far cheaper than repairing the existing structure. That is 2+ years of demolition & construction to replace the garage on the same spot. 2+ years of displacing parking for commuters at Connecticut's busiest transit hub is a problem in the making any way you slice it. I recently heard a quote from White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel that I find appropriate, "Never let a serious crisis go to waste"

Our Metro North station is a key lynch piece in Stamford's success thus far, helping it function as both a bedroom community for New York and providing convenient access for the reverse commuters coming to work at businesses lured to town by cheaper rents. I do not believe though the asset is fully being leveraged. A a major hub on the Metro North line & stops along the Amtrak, Stamford station is how many experience Downtown Stamford and the city as a whole. It is one of the biggest "billboards" for a city that it is completely walled off from. I95 forms a barrier to the north and the garage walls it from the South End. Breaking a wall and replacing it with an aesthetically pleasing, active building helps develop Stamford into the dynamic, sustainable community it's evolving to become.

Can the guy with the folded up Wall Street Journal and travel mug racing to catch a train appreciate any of that? I still think there are benefits to developing the neighborhood around the station and this plot in particular for commuters that have not been clearly articulated yet. A well designed building functioning as somewhat of a "commuter center" with retail and services focused towards our traveling neighbors has the greatest potential for the garage footprint. Many of these can help commuters save time by eliminating car trips on the way home. A gym to work out in before or after work. A daycare for the rugrats. A cleaner and tailor to drop off clothes. A pharmacy to pick up prescriptions. A market to pick up a prepared meals to bring home for diner. If it is open and attractive to the street, it will also be a benefit to other residents of the South End and act as an asset to this gentrifying neighborhood in general. This type of develop recognizes it is next to the station and provides the most appropriate use. I'd be less enthused about displacing all the commuter parking solely for housing or offices.

Which brings us full circle back to the parking. If the convenience and safety for the park and ride commuters is adequately addressed especially within a very small radius from the existing garage, the situation seems a winner for all parties.

As I see it, there are two developers well positioned to take up the challenge.

W&M/ Jonathon Rose Companies: Metro Green. Directly in back of the current Stamford garage is the site of the planned Metro Green development comprised of 5 buildings: an office tower, three residential building and a parking garage. The first phase, an affordable residential building along Henry St is near opening. The developer recently announced their intention to push forward with the second residential building, now switched to more affordable housing rather than the original plan for market rate units. A few years ago there was talks with the developers to incorporate a larger garage into their plan to absorb parking for the station which seem to have fallen through. Metro Green's adjacency to the station makes them best suited to handle station parking in a location convenient to the park & rides. If Metro Green absorbed the station into their development they could add retail to their planned mix of housing and office space. A garage that served the entire development and the station could be wrapped in other uses and be barely moved from its existing footprint. It is also largely accessible via to the soon to open Urban Transitway. The downside is alternative parking would still have to be arranged during construction since a new garage as part of Metro Green would most likely overlap some on the footprint of the old garage.

Building & Land Technology: Gateway at Harbor Point. To the west of the station the Gateway office tower is planned on the site of a former factory and is one of five footprints in the South End for the massive Harbor Point redevelopment. Rebuilding the station garage as a mixed use development certainly fits in with Harbor Points "sustainable community" and it could be attractive to the developer to tie their project directly up and to the station. The station parking could be worked into the Gateway plot which in earlier drafts actually involved extending the train platform and building pedestrian walkways from the building to the tracks. Reworking those into features back into the plan is certainly doable and keep the walk from parking to the station short and off busy streets. Since the garage is also removed from the current location, it can be constructed while the old garage is still in service leaving no messy in-between time trying to coordinate interim parking. On the downside, the location is not connected to the current termination of the Urban Transitway, which millions was spent on with the express purpose of smoothing auto traffic to the station.

I think in a small way the situation is similar to the recent closing of traffic in Times Square. Both recognize that there are certain areas important to the overall identity of a city and a number of concerns must be weighed accordingly.

Terror Bust

2009-05-22T13:29:00.002-04:00

This is nuts, Stamford was a locale in the feds terrorist bust.

On May 6, the five men drove to Stamford to pick up the explosives and the Stinger, according to the complaint. The location was carefully chosen in advance, but not by any of the men in the vehicle.

The Stamford police were approached by the F.B.I. several months ago, officials said, and asked for help in finding a warehouse where a meeting with the suspected terror cell could take place. A warehouse on the Waterside section of town was chosen and wired for video and audio for the meeting.

The men, after the brief scare about being followed, eventually made it to Stamford. There, they inspected the explosive devices. Each weighed 37 pounds and was inside a canvas bag. None of them, nor the Stinger missile at the warehouse, was operational, having been disabled by the F.B.I.

Locale Chains

2009-05-22T09:58:00.002-04:00

While it’s not always a smooth go for national restaurant chains in town, there has been a mini-boom in local chains/ expansion locations.

Mary Anne’s & BUtterfield8 are NYC transplants and Barcelona joins a long list of Connecticut locations. In Columbus Park, Market was a new addition from Match in SoNo and Layla’s Falafel is new location for owners with spots elsewhere in Stamford and in Fairfield.

Are we craving any new ventures from another locale entrepreneur?

I’m giving an open invite to Chef Jeff to bring his Southern BBQ to the CTW. Jeff’s Cuisine in SoNo is great, but slightly confined in its space. Come on Jeff, you don’t have to abandon SoNo, but an outpost in Stamford that is a combo restaurant/ club would be well received. The old Sabatiello’s location strikes me as a winner.

Any other ideas?

Road to the Future

2009-05-20T16:36:00.003-04:00

Here is a heads up on an interesting sounding documentary on PBS tonight at 8p about infrastructure and transportation modern American cities.

On May 20th, Blueprint America: Road to the Future, an original documentary part of a PBS multi-platform series on the country’s aging and changing infrastructure, examines the choices we can make as the country invests in its infrastructure, and how they can affect the way we live.
Host and veteran correspondent Miles O’Brien goes to three very different American cities - Denver, New York and Portland, and their surrounding suburbs - to look at each as a microcosm of the challenges and possibilities the country faces as citizens, local and federal officials, and planners struggle to manage a growing America with innovative transportation and sustainable land use policies.
With roads clogged and congested, gas prices uncertain, smog and pollution creating health problems like asthma, cities that once built infrastructure to serve only automobiles and trucks are now looking to innovative new forms of transportation systems - like trolleys, light rail, pedestrian walkways and bike paths.

Hopefully it can provide some inspiration to Stamford.

In & Out

2009-05-16T07:42:00.005-04:00

A new bar/ restaurant Butterfield8 on Bedford is now open. Anyone checked it out?

Down restaurant row, Mary Ann's Mexican and Barcelona are both chugging along on construction and look ready to open soon.

The Bon Jovi brother club slated for the Turtle's old spot has a name - 84 Park. Nothing further so far about that.

Uncle Dai's, a solid Chinese joint on Atlantic is under renovations.

Also Houlihan's bit the dust already after 6 months of paying no rent. That space, along with the adjacent, soon to vacate, Trump Parc Sales Center under Target open up some interesting possibilities. Combing the spaces could offer a decent footprint for a natural/ organic supermarket the downtown has been pining for. A really can't see another chain restaurant ready to jump in and follow a failure like that.

11 Forest Gets a Tenant?

2009-05-15T14:37:00.003-04:00

I heard a fairly reliable rumor that a CVS will fill the ground floor retail space under 11 Forest , the reconstructed children's furniture store off Bedford St, possibly as early as July.

I can’t believe I didn’t see that coming, pharmacies along with bank branches are the few retail developments that typically grab any foothold as of late. (Walgreens in Glenview House and First County Bank in Eastside Commons sit among empty stores in those new developments).

CVS isn’t a bad move for the spot, there is a lot of residential in & around the area within walking distance that is under served by “practical use” retail. If the mini-market on Prospect Street pans out, the area will be in business for convenience in walking distance.

Drugstores are usually among the worst offenders of throw-away buildings. James Howard Kunstler has a great riff on them in one of his “Kunstlercasts”. The potential CVS on Forest, and the recently opened Walgreens under Glenview House on the East Side though aren’t nearly as egregious. They are mixed use buildings with housing above, equally accessible to pedestrians and cars, and simply “programming” in an overall form – meaning the building isn’t entirely contingent on the drugstore chain being there. If the drugstore didn’t go there, something else could. If the store went out of business, it wouldn’t simply be a choice of finding another drugstore chain to replace it or tearing the building down. Compare that to the long delayed CVS up the road in Bulls Head, which will ultimately end be the usual unremarkable mini-big box drugstore outpost complete with strip mined hill/ concrete retaining wall. The location would definitely be better served by a building more in line with Glenview or 11 Forest, something that can help define the neighborhood and move it a few degrees away from the clusterfuck of traffic and crappy buildings it is now.

Alive @ $5

2009-05-14T08:18:00.006-04:00

I believe I called this out months ago. Alive @ Five reached a point last year where it could not sustain itself under the same parameters going forward. Enter two new rules - $5 entry fee after 6:30 and no kids between 12 & 21.

The Advocate quotes are registering their indignation and Topix isn't far behind. They hate the acts, the fee, the size, age restrictions, etc.

Let's take a step back.

The fee. Without a corporate sponsor, what's the alternative? City foots in the bill (and in turn the taxpayers) or the people attending the event? Topix was bitching about the costs to the city last year for a free outdoor concert - this year free outdoor concerts put on by the city are apparently an essential service. Let's also keep the cost in perspective, times are tough - by $5 is the cheapest live entertainment event you'll probably find. I've seen bar covers higher.

The age restriction. I do feel slightly bad for the kids, but the event has always basically been a downtown business booster. While food is part of the that for the Columbus Park triangle, let be honest people aren't walking around with chicken tetrazzini in hand. Booze is driving the profit margin for the night.

The acts. Yes, I fully expect 7 headliner choices to satisfy all tastes. You are going to get mainstream acts a few years out of the spotlight and Idol contestants a few weeks short of the finale. There are more than a few venues showcasing local or indie talent in the area that frankly aren't getting the support they deserve. Rack & Roll, Seaside, and Monster B's all regularly feature original music. Alive @ Five is the corporate gig, enjoy it for what it is.

Mixed Use Yards & Urban Chickens

2009-05-12T11:00:00.005-04:00

KansasCity.com (what’s with all the KC mentions on this blog as of late?) has an article about urban chickens. Some residents are trying to push Kansas City to join the other cities such as Madison, Portland, Seattle, & New York in allowing residents to keep chickens in their yards.

Their battle seems to be up hill. The prevailing sentiment seems to be that they crawled out of rural backwardness towards a suburban ideal and this would be a rollback.

But Councilman John Weber, 77, said he has seen the city grow out of farmland and sees no reason to go back.
“If we’re going to be residential, we ought to be residential,” he said.

I’m not sure how a few chickens negates an area as residential, especially with some basic rules & restrictions (numbers, lodgings, no Roosters, etc). The reaction is part of an increasingly outdated frame of thought largely confined to the last 50 years of the 20th century – that all modes of life must be separated to confined spheres. This is where you live, this is where you shop, this is where you work. Understandable when cities where a mix of smog belching factories and crowded tenements. Ultimately though it wrought other miseries like traffic, sprawl, destruction of countrysides, loss of community, traditional towns and real outdoor space. “Mixed use” is a effort in urban planning to shift the pendulum back to a more happy medium. Most only equate mixed use with the “apartments over stores” model leaving only downtowns and neighborhood centers to participate. As the article touches on, mixed use can even apply to the more suburban areas of the city in meaningful ways like providing locally grown food.

KT LaBadie, an Albuquerque graduate student who started urbanchickens.org, said people are tearing out lawns to grow vegetables, and chickens are a natural next step.

Could the central northern ends of Stamford even trade yards of lawn, mulch, and shrubs to vegetable gardens and pens? The Advocate had an article last week on where it is already happening in Stamford.

Are chickens legal in Stamford? I'd imagine so if wine sipping, computer literate chimps posed no issue for sometime.

Downtown Parking

2009-05-07T09:51:00.005-04:00

I overheard at diner recently a common lament in Stamford, albeit one that is not unique to any small city looking to foster a traditional downtown.

“There’s no parking downtown”

It’s a strange complaint in a city with three public parking garages, mostly underutilized, all within roughly a 5 block radius of each other. (I’ll qualify my expertise on their use because I’ve used two of the garages in the last three years at different times as my main work & house car hole - Moe Syzlak & I are not fancy enough to refer to our car storage as a “garage”) In between, you can also throw in a few commercial garages and surface lots to boot. Nearly all places of interest downtown are in short walking distance of these garages.

Let’s clarify the complaint being made then.

“There a is not enough parking within a few feet of where I want to go.”

Let’s carry the remedy of that complaint to its logical conclusion. The expectation would not be to add on-street parking. For the most part, downtown has on-street mostly everywhere that it’s feasible already. Even on a strip like Bedford, with lots of store vacancies, the on-street is already heavily used. While close to individual destinations, on-street parking is not the only answer because the existing stock is either maxed out or any new on-street would be a non-factor in added capacity.

This leaves you with more dedicated spots or lots for each individual location to provide the desired convenience. This takes up space, especially if it’s serving each individual function. Suddenly a downtown’s dense, urban fabric is stretched, even broken. Instead of walking past of a wall of storefronts on the sidewalk, they are pushed back behind parking lots. Walks between theatres, restaurants and bars are extended across rows of parked cars instead of densely packed action taking much of the charm & excitement out of nightlife. Space that could be housing, stores,or cafes is now parking. Buildings are spaced out to accommodate cars, making it longer to walk between locations, in which case you might as well drive between stops. All of this makes a downtown indistinguishable from any other highway strip mall corridor.

The trade off for a vibrant downtown (walkable & dense development allowing people to experience more up close in less time) is that the chance of parking adjacent to your destination is diminished. Route 1 Norwalk is your place if that’s your angle. I would even argue that the walk across the WalMart parking lot might be longer than most people would have to make from one of Stamford’s garages to their destination.

This is definately a big picture approach, and maybe on the micro level it can be a pain in the ass to an area conditioned on drive-in/ drive out convenience. I think there is a few steps the city can take to make this pill easier to swallow.

All garages need to be clean, well lit, and safe (The Summer St garage is a good standard it’s brother’s can strive for.) Increased street signage directing drivers to garages would also help.

On-street meters should be modernized with pay stations and credit card acceptance. For instance, you can add time to a meter where you are parked on Summer St from a station at Columbus Park.

The city should draw a clear line to where parking fees are directed. If they funded downtown improvements (planting trees, installing street lights, refurbishing sidewalks, etc) the public might be less inclined to complain about parking fees.

If you still are not comfortable with short walks or nominal parking fees please be ready to trade in the health of the Downtown as a whole for the solution:

Beware… The Shadow Hare???

2009-05-05T17:40:00.002-04:00

Fictional superheroes may have blown us up, some street denizens come close to looking the part, but Stamford is lacking a full fledged superhero like the Shadow Hare of Cincinnati.

Ouch – how often do the homeless laugh at you, especially when you are handing them food.

Shadow Hare is one of many misfits committed to the real life superhero gig. Rolling Stone laid out the sad tale of Florida’s own Master Legend back in the winter. Many are listed in the World SuperHero Registry, a site on the forefront of 1995 web design.

Some fashion advice Mr. Hare. A cape may be part of the superhero aesthetic, but when you’re 5 foot nothing, 100 pounds soaking wet, it’s not to your advantage to lend a adversary something he can use to wrap around your neck and choke you out.

I’ll admit thwarting crime that happens to take place in front of them or feeding the homeless are noble tasks. It’s truly unfortunate that there are no public service professions they can pursue or organizations they can lend time to that tackle these same problems while sparing the public at large the site of their junk in spandex.

Land Use & Light Rail

2009-05-04T09:17:00.004-04:00

I came across this video that’s ties into the Car Dependency post from last week. The piece, created by Arnold Imaging for Kansas City Public Television, re-imagines parts of KC rebuilt among light rail lines.

Most people do not know that Light Rail is a land use issue - and not just about transportation. This video shows how pedestrian friendly developments are created around station locations, making light rail a catalyst for positive change in the community.

In other words, there is potential for a “build it and they will come” phenomenon with Light Rail. For those who doubt, I’d point to projects both proposed and under construction in the last few years around the city’s most prominent transit stop, Stamford Station on the Metro North Line. Harbor Point, RBS, Metro Green (already proposing phase II) all owe their existence in Stamford largely due to their proximity to the train. Rail, which is hard coded into the city, albeit at a higher investment level, attracts these patterns of development whereas bus lines alone do not.

Imagine KC from Arnold Imaging on Vimeo.

Sure overall the video may feel a little corny, and the message at 1:26 in seems to be that Transit Oriented Development can get you laid (not arguing it can't), but it does lay out an environment many would recognize as more attractive to live in than say a car ghetto like High Ridge Road.

Students in the Mix

2009-05-01T12:06:00.004-04:00

The RBS building architect recently bragged in an article in the Advocate that the building he designed would be "will be a city unto itself" no doubt referring to the many amenities enclosed like a bank branch, a cafeteria, gym, & rooftop garden. In other words, RBS is designed to function entirely independent of its surroundings in Stamford.

This of course is not unique, you need only look to Stamford's numerous office complexes nearby to see their contributions to downtown vitality comes in increments quite small in comparison to their size. Downtown vitality or “street life”, the idea of people in public going in and out of buildings, whether for an express purpose (live, work, shop) or just to hang out (recreation, entertainment) fosters a more interesting environment and has a variety of benefits including increased safety business . Developments may be the vessels, but people are the real currency in downtown vitality and different kinds of development bring a better return on investment against street life.

An article in the Calgary Herald, found way of the Making Places blog, points out that students are among the stronger participants and some of the best ROI for this type of vitality.

Just a note - "post secondary" is what chanuks call schooling after high school.

Post-secondary students are great generators of urban vitality, not only because of their numbers, but because of their lifestyle.

Student schedules mean they are in and out of classes at different times of the day, so they can hang out in nearby cafes, bookstores, shops and public spaces almost anytime, any day of the week and any month of the year -- especially on urban campuses, where there are evening and summer classes.

Contrast this with office workers. They generally only work weekdays and have to be at work by about 8 a. m.

They are let out for an hour at noon, and leave for their homes for the day about 5 p. m.

But most post-secondary students don't have to go right home after work to deal with kids and dogs, so they are more apt to stay downtown and socialize.

Post-secondary students are predominantly young and restless. While they are concerned about clean and safe places, they are not as paranoid about this as some condo and office workers can be.

In fact, their increased presence at all hours of the day and night will make downtown safer, which in turn will encourage others to venture downtown.

The more people there are, the safer downtown becomes and the more vitality there is.

This is why a bill recently passed in the State Senate that will require UConn to study alternative uses for its Washington Blvd. parking garage is import. The garage, prone to flooding and at the end of its lifespan can be rebuilt as a another single use parking structure, or it can be re-imagined as some combo of dorm, classroom, retail space. The parking needs of the school could easily be designed into the new structure and UConn could subsidize parking in either the Target or Summer St garages during construction. Additional classroom space or student residency options increases the presence of a demographic beneficial to downtown that would not arrive via office complexes or luxury condos. In a state with issues of youth flight it could also help establish more young adults in the area.

The article also mentions some interesting ideas to incorporate student housing into new developments.

What does all this have to do with condos, you ask?

Well, I am thinking that perhaps some of sites purchased for condos would make good student residences sites.

I think a creative developer might want to strike an alliance with one or more of the downtown post-secondary schools to build student residences.

I also think there might be a market for buildings which have private residences on the upper floors, with student residences in the lower ones.

As the condo market cools, it may be beneficial to developers to consider incorporating student housing as somewhat of a guaranteed fill. It also helps deter creation of what the article describes as a “high end ghetto” of luxury condos, offices and stores with little street life accessible or interesting to “ all ages, backgrounds and wallet sizes”.

Downtown does not need to become a campus, but like any successful portfolio is needs to diversify in order to sustain itself.

Alive @ Five Lineup 2009

2009-04-30T11:04:00.001-04:00

Maybe I’ll blog our write you a comment, maybe I’ll see you on the 9th of July.

June 25 - Smash Mouth
July 2 - Gilby Clarke (of Guns N’ Roses and Supernova)
July 9 - Better Than Ezra
July 16 - Tonic
July 23 - Josh Gracin (American Idol 2003)
July 30 - Bo Bice (American Idol 2005)
August 6 - Sugar Ray

Mopeds

2009-04-29T14:46:00.003-04:00

Anyone else notice more and more mopeds around town? The prerequisite to ride still seems to be limited to A. being Italian and B. being involved with a restaurant, but I wonder if it is a trend that will grow.

A Car Dependent City

2009-04-28T07:17:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I think the best way to gauge the wrong direction Stamford should be heading is to sample Topix posts on Stamford Advocate articles. In response to a recent article on the Stamford Light Rail study a poster dismissed the idea of even pursuing the feasibility study phase because Stamford is, in his opinion, a “car dependent city”.

At best that sentiment could just be a commentary on a current condition in the city, although I would argue that’s not necessarily the case everywhere in Stamford. The downtown, in spite of some of its faults, is not car dependent. Other neighborhoods like Glenbrook, Springdale, the East Side, West Side, & South End have steered their trajectory by varying degrees towards non-auto exclusivity proving total auto dependence can be lessened across Stamford’s varying grades of Stamford’s urban and suburban character.

If the suggestion of Stamford as a “car dependent city” is considered an ideal natural state and something worth protecting, that’s both a sad and dangerous position to defend. The idea of a car dependent city in itself is something of a oxymoron. Cities by definition have a higher density of building and population that allow a citizen to function without a car as multiple uses - homes, shops, work, function closer together. A car dependent city takes a suburban condition, the need to drive everywhere, and marries it to the population density that comes with a city. Approaching it from an abstract angle, the car dependent city of strip malls and cul-de-sacs is a place not worth caring about. There are ways though of framing it in terms perhaps the more auto-centric minded can more easily come to a consensus on. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out lots of people, driving lots of individual cars equals gridlock. If all the other cultural, social, economic, environmental, health, and societal benefits of a system of living not slave to individual automobile transit aren’t enough, gridlock alone should be enough to convince people to consider integrating and encouraging some alternatives that move people about without relying exclusively on individual auto transit. The arguments against almost always look at these alternatives as novelties dropped down as traffic lane blockades rather than a potential agent of change in some new equilibrium.

There are a number of steps Stamford can take or is taking to diversify transit across different levels – moving people in and out of the city, between city neighborhoods, and within neighborhoods, that can drastically improve quality of life. These will be humbly be laid out in a series of posts called “BlogStamford Solves Stamford’s Transit Issues” Stay tuned.

Mill River Update

2009-04-23T07:28:00.004-04:00

The Mill River Park restoration seems to finally be underway. The MRP Collaborative's recent newsletter gives some details about the final design of phase one improvements as well as a construction sequence of how the wall will come down and the river will be reshaped.

Check out the newsletter for more info volunteer opportunities & events.

Downriver RBS has built a section of riverwalk behind their new headquarters that I assume will open once the last of construction ends. This will be of more use once other sections of the riverwalk are built out and connected. Right now I think one would feel kind of shady walking back and forth behind a corporate headquarters.

Adjacent to that stretch RBS bought up a block of multifamily homes and has stated they will extend the trails a block north to Division St after they demolish homes. Any plans they have for the property beyond that (housing, offices?) remain a mystery for now.

The Mill River Park isn't the only major park underway in town this summer. The Advocate recently reported that the city approved plans for Harbor Point's "central park" in the South End and is set to break ground.

A park within a 10-15 walk all housing is the mark of a great city. These a both great steps forward for Stamford.

Hey Kids, I Have Some Wings in my Van

2009-04-18T00:42:00.004-04:00

As Stamford Talk reported earlier (and I failed to mention intentionally to lessen competition) the new Buffalo Wild Winds on resteraunt row on Lower Summer is offering a year of free wings to the first 100 customers thru the door starting tomorrow at 11am. My flavor of choice is "weak sauce" because I'm about to go to bed.

As of 12:30 I can report the line is about 30 deep. These dudes have their place secure.

My chick asked if "there was any issue with putting up pics of a minors online".

Yes Virginia, if they are clothed I assume we're cool.

Coming Soon to Stamford...

2009-04-17T13:13:00.002-04:00

Chicken Tetrazzini! Jerry Springer may be the flagship, but don't forget we are also getting Maury with the NBC filming moving into the Rich Forum downtown.

Taking Advantage

2009-04-16T07:08:00.003-04:00

No, not of your sister (FACE!), but of some of the cool stuff actually happening around town.

I mean, how did Willie Nelson not sell out on Tuesday at the Palace? Did Billie Bob Thorton as the opener scare you away? Fair enough. Comedian Stephen Lynch is performing tonight at the Palace at 8p. Music comedy, but probably as far from Weird Al as you can get. Funny as hell, not very PC.

You can also show some love to two of the concert series coming through the Rack & Roll the first & third Fridays of the month. The shows thus far have brought some kick ass original music to relatively modest crowds.

This Friday the RLP Indie Rock Series brings Kittens Ablaze and The Motorcycle Industry starting at 9p. Pack this one you little mother f'ers! If you can successfully point me out there I will buy you a Captain Lawrence or other libation of your choice (no top shelf people, bloggin' don't pay).

Complete Streets

2009-04-10T10:46:00.003-04:00

I was thinking about StamfordTalk’s post about aggressive Fairfield County drivers on my walk to the train yesterday. Personally I don’t think FC drivers are any more or less crazy than anywhere else I’ve been in the US. As a runner I’ve faced down enough insane drivers all over whose personalities I doubt are as fundamentally hostile when they are not strapped into their one ton metal appendix.

I don’t think it’s a question of personality that makes someone an antagonistic driver, ex. assholes = asshole drivers, nice people = nice drivers. There’s nothing in the water making our drivers personally any more insane, but there may be something in the pavement.

I’m from the school of thought that the majority of drivers take their cues from the environment they are in and act accordingly. So in a city like Stamford what are some of those cues? Roads the width of runways. Mutli-lane raceways (I counted one intersection point today terminating in 7 lanes!) Undefined pedestrian space. I don’t think you can seriously expect drivers NOT to drive uncivilized in these conditions.

Whenever speeding is mentioned many times the first reaction is why aren’t cops out giving tickets. That’s a rather short sided approach though. Set a speed trap and you may stop speeding for an afternoon, define streets physically with cues antithetical to speeding and you control the problem along with a number of positive side effects thrown in to boot.

The answer to the problem may be a concept sometimes referred to “livable streets” or “complete streets”, a viewpoint that streets in cities or neighborhoods are more than a means to move cars as quickly as possible from point A to point B, but a civic space that is at once both “a place” and a means of transit not exclusive to individual automobiles.

Complete streets aren’t a series of hard and fast rules, but more a toolbox of options that when used in different combinations can have a transformative affect. Reducing the number and width of lanes on a street can control speed. Adding dedicated bus, bike, or light rail lanes can move large numbers of people in safety, reduce the number of cars on the road to control congestion, and move existing cars on the road more efficiently by separating alternative transit use from auto lanes. Roundabouts (not rotaries, big difference) can eliminate the number of annoying stops at lights or signs that often frustrate drivers into speeding up. Raised crosswalks, mediums, and sidewalk bump outs can make it easier for pedestrians to cross traffic. On street parking discourages people from crossing in the middle of the road. Wide sidewalks, street trees, furniture lighting, & art create a more pleasant social experience that encourages walking instead of driving for short trips. I found a link through Streetblog to this post that has a interactive feature to illustrate the difference between what is unfortunately a normal American street and a “complete street”.

Some of these tools are addressed in Stamford’s recently completed city-wide traffic calming plan. There is a map on the site where you can see the various proposed treatments. Stamford would do well though to adopt a “complete/ livable street” policy like New Haven has. Many of the main arteries like Tresser, Washington, Broad, Atlantic, & East Main could all benefit from a full complete street transformation. The Urban Transitway currently under construction actually incorporates some elements of the complete street with sidewalks, bus routes, bike lanes, street trees, etc.

If that doesn’t work, by all means load up your paintball guns.

Photo is from Good Magazine.

Affordable Housing Downtown

2009-04-08T11:23:00.001-04:00

The Advocate reports today the city has rejected plans for a 12 story residential complex on Summer/ 4 story complex on Franklin St. The abridged version of the dispute is as follows. To build in downtown Stamford, a developer needs to set aside 10% of the residential space for affordable housing. On the plots in question, to build to the developers desired height & density requires a “bonus” from the zoning board, which requires a higher percentage of affordable housing. In this case that’s 24%. Developer wanted a compromise, city did not – looks as if the project is dead.

Dumb move from my perspective. Let’s put aside the fact Summer St, a series of squat, single use ugly buildings and a streetscape that is essentially dead most hours of the day, could have really benefited from this type of development (going out on a slight limb not having seen the plans) and look it from a broader angle.

What is the current zoning on Summer St? Are 12 stories appropriate? If the answer is yes, why the need for this “special bonus”. If the answer is no, then we should not allow developers to buy the city off and create something out of character and relation to the neighborhood under any circumstances. Wouldn’t it be easier and more effective to develop a serious of guidelines for buildings that speak to form – height, density, setbacks, etc, aimed at promoting the desired character or that neighborhood and stop making each building proposal some back and forth haggle.

The second issue here is affordable housing. The 10% affordable requirement is a noble aim to include lower income brackets in the city fabric. I think it’s important to recognize though it’s basically just a gesture, you are never going to fully satisfy the demand for affordable housing with 10% in each development. Even when the percentage required slides higher what’s the real gain? In this instance the difference between what the developer wants to put forward and the city wants in affordable housing is just 13 units. If an increase in density drives a higher percentage of affordable housing we end up with the current state of housing in downtown Stamford.

1. Fewer projects moving forward keeping more units from entering the market and creating any real competition in pricing.
2. The projects that do move forward are almost always exclusively high end luxury with token affordable units and nothing in the middle.

Excessive affordable housing requirements is hurting everyone in any kind of middle income bracket by keeping downtown housing stock low allowing landlords to keep rents artificially high due to lack of competition and only encouraging construction of housing at a very high point of entry. If more residential housing downtown was built, older or more out of the way buildings would not be able to compete with newer, perhaps more centrally located buildings and begin to naturally form a housing stock affordable at a number of income levels.

The best approach the city can possibly take is to encourage quality buildings designed to last that enhances the character and vibrancy of their neighborhood. Haggling over 10 or so affordable housing units today sets back housing issues for the city for decades. The proposed Summer St building might service one income level today – but an entirely different one 20 years from now. I’m not advocating eliminating the affordable housing requirement, just recognize it as the nice, albeit limp gesture it is and not let it close the market to new housing for anyone other than the “have nots” and the “have alots”.

Yale & Towne a Let Down Thus Far

2009-04-03T11:19:00.005-04:00

I'm not terribly impressed with Phase 1 of development at Harbor Point's Yale & Towne in the South End.

Everyone seems pretty excited for the new Fairway Market, and perhaps rightfully so in an underserved retail area, but the design and use of space was largely ignored in the excitement of something actually moving forward in a down economy.

Fairway Supermarket corner (Y7 on the map below) is designed more as a suburban style development, - a one story, single use building opening to a sprawl of surface lot parking, uninviting with little relation to the street, mostly dependant on cars to access. In short, not very much in line with the sustainable, walkable community Harbor Point hypes on their banners.

The surface parking may be temporary and could be slated for development in future phases. At best the parking lot next to the store could be replaced later with a structured garage with ground floor retail and playing fields and/or courts on the roof. If nothing else the parking lot can remain a temporary blank canvas on the urbanscape.

The actual supermarket building is another story, that’s a wasted opportunity the neighborhood will be stuck with for some time to come.

A good deal of hype was devoted to windows vs. blank walls for the street facing facades when approving the plan. If you are critiquing the structure from the perspective of urban design, that’s criticizing the deck chairs on the Titanic. Blank walls won out by the way to produce this inspiring piece below, keeping in mind this is the “good side” they are choosing to highlight.

The bigger picture is what the building could have actually been in addition to Fairway. It could have incorporated the parking garage into the actual building (think our downtown Target), freeing up the adjacent lot for another use. It could have went higher than one story and included affordable housing on a second or third floor. A little imagination beyond the typical supermarket model could have went a long way, instead they dusted off the same set of plans that could have just as easily been built in some strip mall in Texas.

Sixth Borough

2009-03-27T07:32:00.004-04:00

When you are talking to someone unfamiliar with Stamford, and you are trying to put it in context, do you:

A: Shave the travel distance to NYC? I think I told someone 30 minutes last night. That's practically a stop on the 6 train.
B: Exaggerate how often you go down into the city for fun?