Selectmen approve $327,255 contract to repave two downtown lots
Board of Selectmen · Meeting of March 3, 2026
New Canaan selectmen approve $327,255 repaving of two downtown parking lots. The Board of Selectmen, meeting remotely due to a weather call, unanimously awarded the contract to FGB Construction, with Town Engineer Maria confirming the redesign will cost the lots 21 parking spaces while adding three accessible spots. The board also approved a $46,800 emergency purchase of 400 tons of road salt after supplier Morton went back on a promised delivery schedule, with Highway's Lou saying Morton was "untruthful with the 50 ton a day." Selectmen additionally backed a $14,500 engineering contract toward a $1.42 million state-funded redesign of the Route 106, Old Stamford Road and Farm Road intersection, and approved an $84,778 replacement dump truck purchase from Carl Chevrolet of New Canaan.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,037 words
Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of March 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
NEW CANAAN — March 3, 2026 — The New Canaan Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday to award a $327,255 contract to FGB Construction to mill, reclaim and repave the Park Street and Playhouse parking lots downtown, the single largest expenditure approved during a meeting held fully remote because of a weather call.
The board, chaired by First Selectman Steve, also approved an emergency $46,800 purchase of 400 tons of road salt after a supplier, Morton, failed to deliver on promised shipments during a difficult winter, and signed off on a $14,500 engineering contract tied to a $1.42 million state-funded overhaul of the Route 106, Old Stamford Road and Farm Road intersection.
The Full Story
The board convened remotely at 8:30 a.m. after a snow-related weather call forced the meeting off site, but proceeded through a full agenda of contracts and purchase orders. Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the meeting's regular business, including special meeting minutes from a February 25 session, after a brief exchange over a missing dollar sign in the text.
The largest action of the day was the vote to hire FGB Construction for $297,255, plus a 10 percent contingency of $30,000, to repave the Park Street and Playhouse lots. Town Engineer Maria told the board the project will reconfigure parking spaces from 8 feet by 7 feet to a wider 9 feet by 8 feet to meet current regulations, resulting in a net loss of 21 parking spaces, partly offset by three new accessible spaces. Selectmen pressed engineering staff on whether additional spaces could be recovered near the lot's Park Street entrance, but were told the layout had been maximized. Work is expected to begin in mid-April, with the Playhouse lot done first so vehicles can be relocated to the Park Street and Locust lots.
Selectmen also approved a $84,778 purchase from Carl Chevrolet of New Canaan for a replacement Chevy 3500 heavy-duty Silverado truck and accessories, including a $7,700 contingency, after Parks Department staffer Ryan recused himself from the discussion. The board pressed for documentation of competing quotes, which came in at $56,610 from one dealership and were not submitted at all by a third.
DPW Director Tiger detailed an emergency salt purchase after supplier Morton reneged on a commitment to deliver 300 tons and later offered only 50 tons a day, an amount insufficient to cover a single storm. The town instead negotiated a reduced price of $117 per ton, down from $135, from Chemical Equipment Labs for 400 tons, totaling $46,800. Highway staffer Lou said Morton had delivered only about one load a day rather than the promised 50 tons.
The board additionally approved a $14,500 contract with engineering firm Fussen O'Neal to prepare a formal application for state transportation funding for the Route 106, Old Stamford Road and Farm Road intersection project, which the Western Council of Governments has already endorsed for $1.42 million in construction funding. Tiger said the town's total exposure before receiving a funding commitment letter from the state Department of Transportation would be $35,000.
Other approvals included a $55,000 contract with Greg's Garden Center and Landscaping LLC for planting bed maintenance, a $12,789.78 purchase order with Superior Products Distributors for small equipment including an electric backpack blower, a $10,000 increase to a blanket purchase order with East Coast Sign and Supply for plow blades amid rising carbide and tungsten prices, and a $14,335 tree removal and pruning contract with a tree service the board referred to during discussion as Homestead Tree and Shrub Care.
"Obviously Morton was just untruthful with the 50 ton a day, and thank God we didn't have to rely on them to be honest with you because we'd be in a bit of trouble." — Lou, Highway Department
"There's actually a loss of 21 parking spaces, but we did gain three accessible parking spaces to offset that a little bit." — Maria, Town Engineer
"So they brought their price down from 135 down to 117." — Tiger, DPW Director
Why It Matters
Downtown drivers will lose 21 parking spaces at the Park Street and Playhouse lots once the $327,255 repaving project begins around May 1, a significant reduction in a district selectmen acknowledged already gets crowded on weekend evenings. The lots will close for roughly a week each during construction, and the board discussed, without committing to, waiving parking meter fees on Elm Street during that closure.
The town's exposure on the Route 106 intersection project is capped at $35,000 in engineering costs before a state funding commitment is expected, with $1.42 million in state construction money already endorsed by the regional council of governments. A full application is due to the state by April 21. Meanwhile, the emergency salt purchase underscores a winter that has strained the public works budget, with the board noting it is still early March and storms could continue.
Key Motions & Votes
- Vote: Add purchase of treated salt to the agenda Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Approve the agenda as amended Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Approve February 25 special meeting minutes as amended Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with Greg's Garden Center and Landscaping LLC for planting bed services, not to exceed $55,000 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with Carl Chevrolet for a Chevy 3500 HD Silverado, not to exceed $84,778 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Purchase order with Superior Products Distributors Inc. for $12,789.78 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with Chemical Equipment Labs for 400 tons of road salt at $117 per ton, totaling $46,800 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with FGB Construction for Park Street and Playhouse lot repaving, not to exceed $327,255 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with Fussen O'Neal for a $14,500 state transportation funding application for the Route 106, Old Stamford Road and Farm Road intersection Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Increase blanket purchase order with East Coast Sign and Supply by $10,000 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with a tree service for tree removal and pruning, not to exceed $14,335 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Adjournment Tally: Approved unanimously
Source
Town Of New Canaan: Board of Selectmen meeting, March 3, 2026