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“We need to complete some projects,” Marconi said, including the Route 35 improvements and the natural gas line installation to Main Street.
Also on the list of “what to do” is the Schlumberger property on Old Quarry Road. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection signed off on 10 acres of land that the town plans to sell, Marconi said.
“We are in the process of hiring a planner who will look the property, work with Planning and Zoning to come up with a residential development that works for that sight,” he said. “He is looking at the density and seeing if what type of zoning would work best.”
Getting a cell tower into the northern part of town is another project for the town. Ridgefield no longer has a viable location for a tower, but a private company has been looking for a site, Marconi said.
Another long-term project for Marconi is fixing Main Street. “We need to do something about the traffic flow in the downtown area. It’s just getting worse and worse. ... I’ve asked the state of Connecticut to assess the synchronization of the lights here in the center of town.”
The town is also working with the state on a redesign of Main Street, including lane realignment, paving, drainage and other aspects. The design phase has started, Marconi said, and he hopes to bring it to a town meeting within the year so work can begin in 2014-15.
Other road projects are also a concern for Marconi. “We’re waiting for a pavement review. We hired a consultant to do that and they’re collecting data now.” The goal, he said, is to have the survey done by budget time so Ridgefield can budget an appropriate amount for roads and repaving.
Given the state of the federal and state deficits, it would be best to not make big changes in the upcoming budget cycle, Marconi said. “I’ll tell you this much, I will play it very, very conservative.”
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