FBRA Thanks Town Departments, PAL and More This year, the FBRA Board also voted to make a donations to the Police, Fire and Public Works Departments because they have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Here are some of the things we are grateful for: - The Police Department diligently enforces the Zero Tolerance Policy and has supported our traffic calm-ing initiatives with the town. - Public Works has removed dangerous debris from the beach upon our request and has put fog lanes on Fairfield Beach Road to narrow the lane and reduce speeding.
-The Fire Department initiates a Reverse 911 system to let us know about possible flooding and other neighbor-hood emergency situations. (Note: Reverse 911 only goes out to published telephone numbers. If you have an unpublished telephone number, you can register for Reverse 911 by going to http://www.fpdct.com/reverse911). For the past 3 years, the FBRA has been working with the town to imple-ment a plan to create a safer beach district. Based on one of our requests, First Selectman Ken Flatto obtained federal funding to have a sidewalk installed this spring on the north side of Fairfield Beach Road from Rowland Road to the Burr Court complex (see photo). While some residents object to this initiative, the FBRA believes sidewalks are important to the safety of all residents. In addition, members of the FBRA helped launch the Fairfield Bike/Walk Coalition which is advocating for the creation of a bicycle/pedestrian plan for the entire town with the assistance of the Greater Bridgeport Regional Planning Agency. Ken Flatto recently gave his commitment to proceed with this plan starting in March 2010.
Fairfield Beach Area Litter Clean-Ups Please note that in case of an emergency, beach area residents will be permitted to park overnight at Veterans. The Fairfield Storm/Disaster Info Line is 203-254-4899. For non-critical emergencies, call the Police Department at 203-254-4800. The FBRA will pay $50 toward the planting of your street tree. Please contact Alyssa Israel at 203-256-1779 by February 28th in order to participate in the 2010 tree planting program. A limited number of trees are available. Beach Erosion and Property Tax Committees Residents who wish to appeal their property taxes must do so by February 19, 2010. Go to www.fairfieldct.org/revaluation.htm for instructions and to obtain an appeal form. Slow down in our town car magnets FBRA Safety Committee is Formed For the 2010 year, the Committee will focus on defining the local issues in the Beach area and developing an overall plan. There are several initiatives under way, including a series of articles to be published in the Fairfield Citizen-News describing the traffic-related issues and providing recommended solutions. - Increased awareness to this broad area of concern
From left: Robert Seirup (Police Athletic League), Paige Herman (President, Fairfield Beach Residents Association), Jill Walker (FBRA Special Events), Joseph Carpenter (Police Athletic League)
The Fairfield Beach Residents Association was happy to make a donation to the Police Athletic League (PAL) with proceeds from our Annual Sand Sculpture Festival. PAL sponsors many activities for children in town including the annual sand sculpture contest to be held this summer on August 7th, 2010.
In addition, the FBRA is proud to support the Fairfield Historical Society and the Fairfield Beach Garden (shown below), maintained by a dedicated group of neighbors who have made the entry at the end of Beach Road such a gorgeous and welcoming doorway to the beach.
Safety Initiatives Update
The FBRA hopes that you have noticed how tidy our neighborhood has been. We have hired SJP Landscaping to conduct a monthly sweep of the area including all of Fairfield Beach Road, Reef Road up to Veterans Park, College Place and portions of Beach, Lalley, Rowland, Penfield and Penfield Place. A special thanks goes to Fairfield University for contributing $2,000 to our litter cleanup initiative and to the many residents who regularly pick up litter around the neighborhood.
No More Overnight Parking at Veterans Park
Over the years, Veterans Park has been a source of disturbance because it is used by Fairfield University students and others for overflow and overnight parking. This past October, the FBRA argued to the Police Commission that parking after dusk is not permitted in other town parks, thus no overnight parking should be allowed at Veterans Park. With the support of Chief of Police David Peck, the Fairfield Police Commission voted in favor of placing no overnight parking signage at Veterans Park (see photo).
FBRA Contributes to the Cost of Street Tree Planting
Our town offers a fabulous street tree planting program for homeowners. For only $100, the town will plant either an ornamental or large growing deciduous tree in your front yard within the public right-of-way. Ken Placko, Fairfield’s Tree Warden, will come to your house to make a recommendation based on the types of trees in your neighborhood and whether there are wires or cables in the way.
The FBRA will be reconvening the beach erosion committee and launching a new committee to evaluate inflated property taxes in the beach area. We are seeking members who are interested in joining either one of these action oriented FBRA subcommittees. Meetings will be held 2-3 times a year depending on need. Please contact FBRA President Paige Herman at 203-259-0747.
Speeding has become pervasive throughout town and it is the number #1 problem cited by members of the Fairfield Beach Residents Association (FBRA). An April 2005 traffic study conducted by the Fairfield Police Department found that 12% of the 1,775 vehicles counted on the southbound lane of Reef Road were traveling at speeds of 40 mph or greater and 3% were traveling at speeds of 50 mph or greater. That’s why the Fairfield Beach Resident’s Association created special car magnets that encourage motorists to “Slow Down in Our Town.” Proceeds from the sale of the car magnets will be used to improve the quality, safety, beauty and ecology of
Residents who would like to purchase a car magnet can send $5.00 to the FBRA, P.O. Box 513,
The FBRA Safety Committee is working closely with the Fairfield Police Department, Police Commission and Town officials to ensure our neighborhoods are safe and our quality of life is enhanced. The goal is to make the Beach a truly world-class neighborhood, safe for pedestrians and families to enjoy this beautiful resource.
In the near term, efforts are being directed at speeding and other related automobile violations. Specific 2010 activities include
- Defining structural “traffic calming solutions”, and building an overall plan for the Beach area
- More sidewalks throughout our neighborhood
- Better traffic signage
- Better markings on the street
The CT Insurance Department thankfully rescinded its ruling of several months ago which otherwise would have permitted carriers of homeowners insurance to require expensive hurricane shutters for those with property within three-quarters of a mile from the shoreline.
Full Schedule of Town Meeetings click below
http://www.fairfieldct.org/calendar.htm
Litter & Mutt Mitts
Having considered many alternatives, the FBRA decided to attack the litter problem directly by hiring an individual to pick up litter throughout the neighborhood on a regular basis. Litter will be picked up twice a month for nine months (March through November). The Town graciously agreed to provide garbage bags and removal of the litter. Many thanks to the Town for following our suggestion to put “Mutt Mitts” at Penfield Beach. Look for the dispensers at Penfield I.
Student and University Relations
At the urging of the FBRA, Ken Flatto has organized regular meetings with Police Chief Peck and his officers, Fire Chief Felner, Director of Health Art Leffert, Assistant Town Attorney Eileen Kennelly, Fairfield University Dean of Students Thomas Pellegrino, Off-Campus Coordinator Dwayne Melzer, FUSA President Hutch Williams and FBRA representatives. Meetings were held in April, August and December 2006 and the group will meet again at the end of April 2007. A variety of issues are discussed including ongoing problems such as litter, noise, disruption and fires on the beach. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Police Chief Peck and his staff for developing an action plan for our neighborhood and for actively enforcing the Zero Tolerance Policy.
We exoect this relationship to contiue throughout 2010.
Stormwater Pollution
Stormwater pollution can be a real problem especially during heavy rains. See what homeowners can do to help alleviate the problem at the Environmental Protection website
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/solution_to_pollution.pdf
Copies of the EPA brochure called "Make Your Home The Solution to Stormwater Pollution!" are also available in the Fairfield Public Works Department (phone: 256-3010)
BEACH EROSION
Nine percent of the CT shoreline is critically eroding (Coastal Management 27:187-217). Ct has lost one foot of shoreline per year over the past 50 years - and in some areas more than a foot per year - Fairfield Beach is one of the most eroded beaches in CT with 4.6 mile affected.With global warming we can expect to lose more of the beach and shoreline faster. Homeowners along the shoreline are in jeopardy of losing their property and houses to erosion - and the town will lose one of its most valuable assets - the beach!
Last summer the FBRA supported a Bill presented to the State of CT Department of Environmental Protection to look into a proven technology that would add sand to Fairfield an Milford beaches by using natural wave energy. The technology - E-Fast - which is an undercurrent stabilizing system - would slow the wave energy and allow the sand to drop naturally. The Bill which was written and presented by board members Greg Sarno, Kathy Strachan and Phil Kocsis, and supported by the FBRA and State Representative and board member, Tom Drew, was passed unanimously in the Legislature, House of Representatives and Senate - it was signed in June by Govenor Rell.
The Bill 5803, is as follows:
AN ACT CONCERNING A PILOT PROGRAM TO EVALUATE SHORELINE EROSION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2006) The sum of ____ dollars is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection, from the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, for grants to Milford and Fairfield to establish pilot programs to permanently reverse Long Island Sound hypoxia and shoreline erosion by engineering, designing, purchasing and installing a system of stabilizing bars running parallel to the shoreline and a series of fingers extending into Long Island Sound perpendicularly from such stabilizing bars, causing water currents to reverse shoreline erosion through natural water current force and wave motion.
The Govenor allocated $450,000 to the project in June 2006.
You can take a look at the technology and see some amazing results atwww.BeachRecovery.com
The State took back this funding and allocated it to other uses - please contact the State officials listed bleow to get this money put to the use it was intended for!
Please contact your state representatives, senators and the Govenor directly to encourage them to get started on this very important beach erosion issue.
Key Bill 5803 Contacts:
Gina McCarthy, Commissioner Dept. of Environmental Protection gina.mccarthy@postate.ct.us - 860-424-3001
Senator Bill Finch -- finch@senatedems.ct.gov
Rep. Thomas Drew -- Thomas.Drew@cga.ct.gov
Rep. James Amann -- Jim.Amann@cga.ct.gov
Members of the House of Representatives -- http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/hlist.asp
Members of the Senate -- http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/slist.asp
State Web Site http://www.ct.gov
Penfield Beach Cleanup
Annual Penfield Beach Cleanup
Every spring, on a Saturday morning in late April or early May the FBRA sponsors the Penfield Beach Cleanup. In recent years we have teamed with the Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County to conduct this event. Volunteers, armed with bags, brooms and rakes, clean Penfield Beach, the area around the pavilions, the parking lots and the immediately adjoining streets. Coffee, cider and donuts fuel the work and a feeling of community prevails. This important event is actually a fun way to meet your neighbors and contribute to the community.
Please come out and help clean up your beach area.
Welcome Sign and Garden
The FBRA designed and installed a Welcome Sign and planted a garden at the corner of Reef Rd. and One Rod Highway.The sign says - Welcome to Fairfield Beach - and has a tag-a-long sign beneath it for timely messages.The FBRA has received many compliments on the sign and garden - noting that it is a nice improvement to the community.
Food Drive
Annual Food Drive Penfield Beach
The first annual food drive was conducted by the FBRA at Penfield Beach on November 4th. Every year since we have organized this very important initiative we typically collect 500 pounds of non perishable food items. The food is delivered to the Operation Hope Pantry located on Commerce Drive.
Clean Water Fund
Fairfield’s upgraded sewage treatment system funded with $37.5 million in state financial assistance (Clean Water Fund) is producing significant results toward a cleaner Long Island Sound. Nitrogen discharge from Fairfield’s sewage treatment plant has dropped by more than half, since the new sewage treatment plant went online and became fully functioning. The nitrogen reduction program put into effect by the town of Fairfield Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) is producing results in improving the quality of Long Island Sound. This is a case of state and local cooperation making a difference in helping to reduce nitrogen in the water which benefits our beaches and local marine life.
We need to continue funding these programs to improve sewage treatment and enhance water quality in Long Island Sound. Fairfield’s end of pipe total nitrogen discharge has fallen by more than 50 percent and is well within the limits set by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
Clean Water Funding has had a positive impact on Fairfield’s effluent outfall. Nitrogen discharge is decreasing. The Fairfield WPCA recently implemented a nitrogen optimization project. The goal being to further reduce nitrogen output using technology already in place at the treatment plant. This project is being funded by both the Fairfield WPCA and the Clean Water Fund on an equal basis.
http://www.dep.state.ct.us/wtr/lis/monitoring/lis_page.htm
Neighborhood Disturbances
The FBRA monitors police activity in the beach area on a weekly basis. The specific area under review includes all of Reef Road, all of Fairfield Beach Road, and all roads south of Edwards Street that connect to Fairfield Beach Road.
In conjunction with the Fairfield Police Department the FBRA receives three weekly reports: 1) Police Beach Report, 2) Press Arrest Log, 3) Citation List. From these three reports a cumulative report is generated by the FBRA that can track incidents by house and /or neighborhood.
In direct response to the statistics the FBRA has collected and tracked the Fairfield Police Department developed a new action plan entitled “Problem Area Response”. The new policy was implemented in the beginning of the 2006/2007 academic year. This action plan coupled with newly appointed Chief David Peck’s adopted policy of “Problem – Oriented Policing” has had positive results.
The FBRA’s goal is to bring complaints in our neighborhood to a level that commeasures with any other neighborhood in Town.
If you have a situation that requires police action please call the Fairfield Police Dept. at 254-4800 and file a complaint.
Contact: FBRA 203. 256.2779
PO Box 513
Fairfield, CT 06824
