Politics & Government
Ridgefield ECDC Seeks Sugar Hollow District Plan, Reviews Route 7 Traffic Safety Ideas
Ridgefield's ECDC is seeking a Sugar Hollow district plan while reviewing Route 7 traffic ideas and commercial development.
RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Ridgefield Economic & Community Development Commission is seeking outside help to develop a formal plan for the Sugar Hollow area along Route 7, while also discussing traffic changes intended to address concerns raised by businesses along Danbury Road.
At its Sept. 14 meeting, the commission agreed that Chair Bob Knight would draft a letter to the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, or WestCOG, outlining the ECDC's vision for a Sugar Hollow District plan and asking whether the regional agency could help identify a consultant and funding.
The commission also said it will rename the recurring "Gateway District/Route 7 Gateway" agenda item as "Sugar Hollow," reflecting the area's historic Sugar Hollow Turnpike name.
The meeting was held in the Large Conference Room at Ridgefield Town Hall, 400 Main St.
Route 7 Traffic Changes Discussed
Commissioners returned to concerns from businesses about traffic along Danbury Road in Sugar Hollow.
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The ECDC discussed the possibility of an additional traffic signal, reducing the number of curb cuts and creating easements between neighboring commercial properties to allow interconnected driveways. The concept would be similar to access arrangements along Danbury Road in the Copps Hill area, according to the minutes.
Those ideas have not been approved as projects. The commission said they could be incorporated into a future WestCOG planning effort if that work moves forward.
Commissioner Nadia Blair also said most of the town's portion of the Branchville Plan has been carried out and that additional development there would largely be private and occur over time.
Three Commercial Real Estate Deals Reported
Commissioner David Perlmutter reported three recent commercial transactions in Ridgefield: two condominium units at 90 Grove St. and the sale of 650 Danbury Road.
Perlmutter said he had met earlier in the summer with the owners of ARC, which purchased 650 Danbury Road.
He also reported meeting with Zoom Prospector, a real estate platform that uses geographic information system data along with demographic, population and income information to help businesses evaluate potential locations. Wilton is currently using the software, according to the minutes.
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Perlmutter and Commissioner Peter Kearney attended a Fairfield County Commercial Broker Network meeting, and Kearney offered to host a Ridgefield event April 30, 2027. A location has not yet been selected.
Tiger Shark Tank Draws More Than 14 Applicants
Vice Chair Kay Gelfman reported that interviews had begun for the commission's Tiger Shark Tank competition.
The ECDC received more than 14 applications and plans to narrow the field to five finalists. Interviews are expected to be completed by Oct. 1.
The commission also reviewed plans for its Sept. 15 Ridgefield Connect event featuring Prospector Popcorn at Nod Hill Brewery. The event was to include a tour of the new popcorn manufacturing facility and a look at Nod Hill's new brewing process.
Cultural District Work Continues
Commissioner Corrin Arasa reported attending her first Ascend meeting with Air Collaborative and the Connecticut Office of the Arts.
The working group discussed alternative funding sources and continued development of Ridgefield's Cultural District as an economic hub.
Arasa also reported that the Cultural District had finalized its logo and applied for a state encroachment permit to decorate roadside traffic-control boxes. The commission was awaiting a response from the state Department of Transportation.
According to the minutes, a Cultural District social media post concerning ARC had received about 30,000 views, while a post encouraging visitors to spend a weekend in Ridgefield had received about 100,000 views.
Arasa also discussed the CT Artisans program with Ian Duncan. She said Duncan was interested in positioning Connecticut as an artisan hub and had asked whether Ridgefield could serve as one of the program's starting locations.
Regional Economic Development Coordination Planned
Knight said he had contacted ECDC chairs in Redding, Danbury and Wilton and plans to arrange quarterly lunches to discuss regional economic development, particularly issues and opportunities along the Route 7 corridor.
Several Ridgefield commissioners also attended a WestCOG meeting Sept. 14 connected with the regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.
The minutes state that the discussion emphasized coordination among stakeholders and the value of a cohesive townwide economic development strategy rather than separate initiatives by individual departments. Knight asked commissioners to consider ways to strengthen working relationships among Ridgefield's boards and departments.
Knight Says Ridgefield Has No Data Center Plans
After a brief executive session concerning a real estate matter, Knight addressed his upcoming participation at a telecommunications conference in New Orleans.
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Knight said he had been asked to speak in his official capacity about data centers because of his professional expertise in the telecommunications industry. He stated that Ridgefield has no plans to attract or build data centers and said his conference participation would be informational.
The commission entered executive session at 8:24 p.m. after a unanimous vote and returned at 8:38 p.m.
Commissioners also unanimously approved their August meeting minutes and unanimously voted to adjourn at 8:40 p.m.
