Neighbor To Neighbor Ready To Relocate Again

GREENWICH, CT — Neighbor to Neighbor is one step closer to relocating yet again, after the Planning & Zoning Commission approved a Municipal Improvement request on Tuesday night.

Neighbor to Neighbor, a nonprofit organization which aims to create access to food, clothing and basic living essentials, has been operating out of the North Greenwich Congregational Church on Riversville Road in the Backcountry while their permanent headquarters is under construction.

While the Backcountry location has been successful, Town Administrator Ben Branyan said in a memo to the Board of Selectmen last month that the location "has created some negative operational impacts for Neighbor to Neighbor with additional travel time and significant drop in food donations. A more central location would mitigate some of the impacts."

The Board of Selectman granted MI status for Neighbor to Neighbor to move into the temporary fire station located at 1 Horseneck Lane downtown, and on Monday, Planning & Zoning approved the MI. The Representative Town Meeting must now grant final approval at their September meeting.

The lease would run from Sept. 28 through Nov. 30, with opportunities for renewals through March of 2022 if for any reason the permanent headquarters is not finished.

Neighbor to Neighbor Executive Director Margaret Goldberg said she expects to move into the headquarters in late fall, coinciding with the end of the lease.

The building on Horseneck is also being used by the Byram Fire Company, as renovations continue on their fire station in Byram.

As part of the temporary lease, Neighbor to Neighbor will reimburse the town for gas and electric service. They will also be responsible for refuse and recyclable, telephone, and cable services. Greenwich will provide general outdoor maintenance like snow removal and water service.

Goldberg said Neighbor to Neighbor coordinates with approximately 50 households for curbside food pickup on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, as well as Saturday mornings. The Transportation Authority of Greenwich also comes in the morning to pick up pre-packaged food bags for delivery.

Goldberg said the pickup and delivery times don't interfere with each other, and flow would not be interrupted in front of the building.

Goldberg added that parking would be needed for eight staff members, and anywhere between five to eight volunteers on any given morning.

Alan Monelli, Superintendent of Building Construction & Maintenance for Greenwich, noted that 10-12 cars can fit behind the building on Horseneck.

P&Z Chair Margarita Alban asked if Monelli could find more spaces, and he said he'd work with Parking Services to get parking passes to accommodate everyone.