Home Care In West Hartford, CT

WEST HARTFORD — The Vision Zero task force charged with creating an action plan meant to eliminate all roadway fatalities and serious injuries over the next decade is nearly finished with its initial work.

The group, which was formed in January following the deadly year on West Hartford's roads that saw six deaths, has just one meeting left on Jan. 8 before it finalizes its action plan and sends it to the Town Council's Community Planning and Economic Development subcommittee for review.

Before that, the public will have one last chance to influence the task force's work at their final public meeting, which will be held at the Noah Webster Library on Dec. 6. from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The open house style meeting will include a presentation at 6 p.m.

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But once that plan is done, work for the town — and its task force — will really have just begun as it works to create safer roads. For now though, the group's work has started to narrow, with glimpses of how West Hartford might implement the action plan starting to appear.

Under the proposed action plan, the town would be required to conduct road audits and safety assessments guided by a list of at least 15 action items. That includes everything from excessive pedestrian wait times at traffic signals to gaps in the sidewalk networks to missing or inadequate crosswalks.

"Instead of trying to tackle all of these different topics and issues all independently, we look at safety audits and assessments," said Adam Tecza, a project manager with consultant FHI Studio, at the group's Nov. 13 meeting. "The town would be required to identify all those same issues we had identified. This would consolidate all of those major topics that everybody had identified and really focus the attention on the Vision Zero focus areas."

Those safety audits, Tecza said, would then lead the town to create plans that would improve roadway safety. That could include quick actions like testing traffic calming, like the town is doing now on Woodrow Street, to long-term implementation of drastic roadway changes.

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"The town would be required to develop conceptual plans to help build community buy-in and identify quick build solutions, short-term solutions and long-term solutions," Tecza said. "That would mean we’d simplify the actions so it becomes very clear how many safety audits or assessments the town needs to do. It would give the town very clear guidance on what are the topics and issues that need to be addressed in those safety audits."

Under this plan, certain stretches of roads in town would be placed under four categories: urgent, high, medium, and low, all depending on how frequently they show up in research and surveys.

For instance, the interactive web map that garnered nearly 1,800 responses is one of those tools the consultants is using to determine where West Hartford road users feel unsafe and think roads could be improved. The three biggest takeaways from that process was that the majority take issue with road design, intersections, and traffic signals, followed by walking and street crossing, with vehicle speed finishing third.

"It ranges from making sure children have safe ways to get to and from school with their families ... to having considerations for our older adults," said Shawna Kitzman, the deputy project manager from consultant Toole Design. "It really ran the gamut and I think people put a lot of time and thought into how they think about and communicate their concerns."

The consultants matched up the areas of town with the most responses to their high injury network — which are essentially the most dangerous roads in West Hartford — and found that the Farmington Avenue and Main Street intersection in West Hartford Center was a frequent recipient of safety suggestions.

"It’s always a hot topic. That intersection came up again and again," Kitzman said. "But you’ll also see Trout Brook, Mountain Road, Fern Street, and Albany Avenue … that shows where there were more comments from the community."

The idea, Tecza said, is that instead of the town independently studying interconnected topics like crosswalks and traffic lights, they can instead study those topics within specific priority zones that have seen the most amount of serious and deadly crashes. He said that work would put West Hartford in good shape for grant funding, like the one it recently received to install speed enforcement cameras.

"It brings a much more holistic approach," Tecza said. "It doesn’t put the town in a position where it's trying to manage 15 different studies ... trying to figure out what is the priority there, but really focuses on priority locations and then identifying known or common issues in those locations."

Residents of a new apartment complex in West Hartford will be living alongside a congregation of nuns.

A historic convent belonging to the sisters of Saint Joseph of Chambery is now home to a new 300 unit apartment complex on the Park Road property.

Plans to convert the chapel and nuns’ quarters into an apartment complex began more than a decade ago when the sisters determined they didn’t need all the land.

After blessing the new building, Sister Sally Hodgdon said the convent’s repurposing is a response to a declining number of nuns.

“As our numbers became fewer and fewer, and as life changed for women so that they could serve the church and the people of God in different ways than being sisters, that we would not need this very large property for very long,” Hodgdon said.

About 20 congregants live in the separated west wing of the complex, but share common spaces with secular apartment residents. The west wing consists of 36 rooms renovated for the sisters that act as a separate condo, Hodgdon said.

The original structure was renovated, with additional floors and 292 apartments built attached. Ten percent of the apartments are designated affordable, for residents earning 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

About 7.4% of West Hartford’s housing stock is considered affordable, which is slightly below the state required 10%. Of the 26,396 total units in West Hartford, 2,091 are considered to be affordable, according to a report by the nonprofit Partnership for Strong Communities.

Redevelopment of the land was many years in the making, as the project faced several roadblocks, including a failed land sale, West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor said.

“We knew that there were some significant challenges to preserve the historic chapel, to preserve the historic façade, to keep the green state space,” Cantor said. “Many people know the sisters have contributed to our community in so many ways, either being teachers or social workers. They've made the lives of our community members better, and we are so grateful. They now have a quiet space to live, bond and to really enjoy the many amenities on Park Road.”

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WEST HARTFORD — Developers of the former University of Connecticut campus have made some changes to their proposed residential and commercial mixed-use development ahead of a Nov. 6 wetlands public hearing.

The new plans submitted by developers West Hartford 1 LLC contain a downsized version of the assisted living facility on the west side of the property, which will also be moved further away from nearby wetlands. The new building, which will be 50,000 square feet smaller than previously proposed, will now offer 117 housing units instead of the previously planned 158. Another 106 apartments would also be built on the west side.

The development team behind the project, has also reduced the number of townhouses they plan to build along Asylum Avenue and Lawler Road from 34 to 24. The ones located on Asylum Avenue have also been moved further back from the road.

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Overall, this now decreases the number of total proposed housing units from 620 to 569. Plans still include commercial spaces for a "small neighborhood grocery store," as well as other spaces for a restaurant, coffee shop and other retail uses, which developers wrote on their website is "incredibly important to our village concept" and will provide residents and neighbors "accessible, walkable and welcoming places to visit."

These changes, the developers said, is a response to feedback they heard at a public meeting at the end of September. Residents are concerned about the scale of the proposal, while others are worried about the impact the development might have on the site's wetlands and traffic.

Residents will have their chance to speak for or against the proposal at the Nov. 6 town Planning and Zoning and Inland Wetlands Watercourse public hearing, which will be held at Town Hall at 7 p.m.

Christine Feely is among the residents who started a petition speaking out against the property.

"We’re trying to make it really clear that we’re against the proposal as it is now and why," Feely said. "We want the Town Council to understand that, so it doesn't get to the point where it’s too late."

Feely said their main focus right now are the wetlands. The property contains around 12 acres of wetlands consisting of two perennial stream reaches, two freshwater ponds, lawn wetlands, and forested wetlands. The property also has special flood hazards, including 100-year floodplain, a regulatory floodway and a 500-year floodplain.

“The preparation is still focusing on wetlands, because that’s the first barrier... to get really significant changes to the development based on wetlands consideration, which are huge," Feely said. "The developer wants to build right up to the edge of the wetlands, so much of the west parcel is the wetlands."

On their website, the developers acknowledged potential problems heavy rainy seasons like this past summer could bring to the property. Developers also said they are working with the town, who currently has plans to install larger pipes, replace culverts and create access to new outfall areas.

"With one of the rainiest summer seasons in memory, stormwater and flooding were a focus of discussion at the September 26th meeting," they wrote on their website. "Our development will provide a comprehensive stormwater management system that will mitigate peak stormwater flows offsite and maintain the flood-holding capacity of 1700 and 1800 Asylum Ave."

Jessica Rubin, who lives near Bishops Corner, is also concerned about a few impacts the property might have, including "commercial creep."

"It’s important that people learn as much as possible about the proposed development and share their opinions with the relevant town officials… so that the process is informed by science and town official expertise, but also the opinions of the people in the town, especially those who live in the area," Rubin said. "It needs to be developed in a way that’s responsible through comprehensive urban planning. It needs to be developed with a townwide perspective and a long-term perspective."

Rubin said she doesn't feel like that area of West Hartford is suited for the commercial aspects of the proposal.

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"What’s different about this development… is that this is taking property that is not currently commercial in nature and spreading commercial creep," Rubin said. "This stands out because it is not renovating something that’s already in a commercial area."

Plans for the east side of the property remain the same, where developers hope to construct four buildings that would provide 322 housing units.

"The residences we are developing will help meet the housing needs of West Hartford," they wrote. "The one-floor apartment homes on the east side of campus will be particularly suited to provide the 'age in place' independent living opportunities requested at the neighborhood meeting. Combined with the assisted living residences, the proposed residences will provide a continuum of living options for current West Hartford residents looking to downsize from large homes."

The proposed transformation of the former UConn campus is among 10 ongoing housing developments in West Hartford.

After a deadly 2022 on the streets of West Hartford, the town has been proactively seeking ways to make its streets safer. Now, after receiving a nearly $700,000 federal grant, the town is finalizing plans to install speed enforcement cameras.

The $669,007 grant is part of an 18-month pilot program. It does, however, come with a stipulation. The town must match 20%, which is about $167,000.

If the town council approves this, the hope is to have the cameras installed during the first quarter of 2024.

“I am all about it if it’s going to keep pedestrians and runners safe and prevent car accidents,” West Hartford resident Christy Miller said.

The technology would be installed in up to 15 locations. Town officials say school zones will receive high priority, but definitive locations are yet to be established and will be decided after careful analysis.

“Often times the data will point to wider streets, multi-lane roadways, and in some cases the state highways,” West Hartford Director of Community Development Duane Martin said.

The funding comes from a “Safe Streets and Road for All” grant which, with the town’s match, would bring the total to $836,259. This money would cover the entire cost of the program.

The cameras would be part of West Hartford’s ‘Vision Zero’ initiative, which is a 10-year plan to eliminate motor vehicle-related fatalities.

“Honestly, I feel like it is going to save lives,” West Hartford resident Amy Fernandez said.

As part of Vision Zero, the town solicited input from residents through a survey that included an interactive map.

“They shared with us intersections that they felt were deadly,” Town Manager Rick Ledwith said. “Streets that they felt were where people were traveling faster than they should have.”

Information collected from the survey will help determine where the cameras will be placed. Video captured from those cameras could lead to motorists being fined for speeding infractions.

“I’m fine with it,” Miller said. “If I’m doing something to break the law, I guess I should pay the price, right?”

Town officials say the cameras would only be used to monitor speeding and other motor vehicle-related infractions would not be policed this way.

After the 18-month trial, the results will be analyzed and a decision on whether to continue will be determined.

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Spanish tapas restaurant Boqueria will officially open Oct. 16 in West Hartford's Blue Back Square, at 46 South Main Street.

The menu features Spanish specialties like classic tapas, cheese and charcuterie (including prized jamón ibérico), paella and larger plates like Catalan-style roasted chicken, hanger steak a la parrilla and ibérico salbitxada (a Catalan sauce with Marcona almonds.) Tapas options include traditional dishes like pan con tomate (grilled bread rubbed with tomato and garlic), gambas al ajillo (shrimp cooked in garlic, chili-laced olive oil and brandy) and tortilla española, a Spanish frittata of eggs, confit potatoes and onions. Desserts include churros served with dipping sauces like hot chocolate and dulce de leche.

The kitchen will be led by chef Jonathan Navarro, with the restaurant led by general manager Julian Garcia. Boqueria will offer nightly dinner and a bar menu, with weekend brunch starting Oct. 21 and weekday lunch on Oct. 23.

At the bar, classic cocktails like a Hemingway daiquiri, Negroni and Aperol spritz are featured alongside "fresh and herbaceous" drinks like a shishito pepper-infused margarita and "dark and moody" selections like the Coqueta with Ron Zacapa aged rum, amontillado sherry and apricot liqueur. The menu also features four types of sangria and a wine list heavy on Spanish varietals.

The restaurant is nearly 7,000 square feet, according to a press release, and is opening in the South Main Street space that formerly housed Greek restaurant Balos Estiatorios and before that, Besito. Its contemporary industrial design features a marble bar, rounded wood elements and polished concrete floors, with private dining room space and a large outdoor patio.

“We have been planning a location in Connecticut for years and found a great spot in Blue Back Square,” said Boqueria founder Yann de Rochefort. “We've been visiting West Hartford for the last year and have been impressed with the local culinary scene. It's exciting to be a part of. We're grateful to all our neighbors who have already made us feel like part of the local community.”

Boqueria first opened in New York City in 2006, and now has 10 locations around the country in New York, Washington D.C., Nashville and Chicago. A Boston restaurant opened in September 2023. The West Hartford location marks the tenth, with planned openings for 2024 in Philadelphia and Atlanta.