Ridgefield Officials Approve Park Expansion, Address Contamination And Roadwork

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Board of Selectpersons approved the expansion of Sturges Park and reviewed several infrastructure and ordinance matters during a recent meeting, including environmental concerns at a former dry cleaning site and ongoing drainage issues on Laurel Hill Road.

Parks and Recreation requested that a 7.5-acre parcel of land acquired by the town in 2023 be designated as an extension of Sturges Park. The town took legal ownership of the land, located adjacent to the existing park, to recover unpaid property taxes. The board unanimously approved the request, clearing the way for new recreational uses.

In other business, residents of High Ridge Road sought assistance from the board in expediting the cleanup of 145 High Ridge Road, a property once occupied by a dry cleaner from the 1940s through 2016. The site is contaminated due to decades of improper hazardous waste disposal, and the impact has reportedly extended to neighboring properties. The board acknowledged the concerns and noted that remediation efforts are ongoing.

The board also discussed a cooperative plan with Laurel Hill Road residents to address persistent drainage problems and road surface deterioration. Under the agreement, the town will install drainage infrastructure and perform paving work, while residents will fund the construction and installation of the drainage system. Due to fiscal constraints and reluctance from the Board of Finance to approve mid-cycle budget increases, the town will complete a binder course this year, with full paving work scheduled for inclusion in the fiscal year 2027 budget.

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The board additionally scheduled a public hearing and Special Town Meeting for July 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall to address two proposed ordinance changes. The first would prohibit the use of e-bikes and e-scooters on sidewalks in the Village Center. The second proposes changes to the town’s Tertiary Road Ordinance, which governs town-funded paving of roads that end in cul-de-sacs or dead ends.

Under the current ordinance, the town may use capital funds to pave tertiary roads with no more than seven houses. However, recent changes by the Planning and Zoning Commission now allow up to five homes on a shared access way, meaning some tertiary roads could exceed that threshold and become ineligible for town-funded paving. The proposed amendment aims to reconcile the ordinance with updated zoning regulations.