Flood Recovery
We have made significant progress on flood repairs. FEMA money has been coming in, we have applied for additional grants, and recommendations have been made for IT work at the library and rebuilding the tennis courts. To say that the work involved recovering from the flood has been been a monumental effort is an understatement. I am so pleased with town hall staff on their coordinated efforts to move these projects along and think outside the box to keep costs down saving the Town significant money in the process.
Southbury Town Pool is Open!
The Town welcomed almost 300 patrons at the grand opening, and almost 1,500 patrons in the first week of pool operation. When you count our summer Sharks Swim Team and swim lessons, that’s nearly 2,000 swimmers in the first month of summer! Please visit the Parks & Recreation website for information on how to get your pool passes and hours of operation.
More photos from the grand opening are on web album.
Economic Development
The Economic Development Task Force (EDTF) held their last meeting on July 8, 2025 and made the following recommendations:
- EDTF members agreed that there was no reason to get an appraisal of the Volpe Rosen property at this time.
- The EDTF made a recommendation that the Economic Development Commission (EDC) prepare questions for a public survey on the development of the Vope Rosen property for commercial use.
- The EDTF made a recommendation that the EDC prepare a job description and expectations for the Economic Development Director position.
Grant Approvals
Public Works
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) approved funding for two new bridge reconstruction projects that provides over $1 million in funding to Southbury under the State Local Bridge Program (SLBP).
CTDOT awarded 15 State Local Funding for 15 projects including two for Southbury.
- Southbury: Replace Bridge #130006, Bucks Hill Road over Walnut Hill Brook ($581,100)
- Southbury: Replace Bridge #130029, Munn Road over Walnut Hill Brook ($562,250)
The Connecticut General Assembly created the Local Bridge Program in 1984 as part of the State’s Infrastructure Renewal Program. In Connecticut, there are approximately 4,200 local bridges and culverts on locally maintained roads. Construction and maintenance of these structures is the responsibility of the cities and towns who own them. The State Local Bridge Program provides significant financial relief to municipalities.
For more information on the State Local Bridge Program, visit the program’s website. To read the official press release in its entirity, visit the CTDOT’s website.
Police Department
The Police Department was approved to receive a $16,000 grant award to purchase and install ticket printing systems in police vehicles.
In other police news, the department is working on completing their Tier 3 Accreditation from the State of Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council.
I am very pleased with town leadership for their diligence in pursing alternative funding sources to decrease costs to the Town.
Senior Center Receives Focal Point Designation
On June 13. 2025, Southbury Senior Center Director, Andrea Corcoran, attended the quarterly Western CT Area Agency on Aging Regional Leadership Breakfast where our senior center was formally designated as a Focal Point for the period of October 1, 2025 through September 20, 2028.
Focal Points are central points where seniors and/or caregivers can access a variety of services. The concept of community focal points for service delivery was developed to simplify access to the service delivery system for older people. Designation of community focal points decreases fragmentation and duplication of services at the local level. Focal points create an identifiable place for older people to come together, receive services, and develop skills.
Dog Licensing
A push by Animal Control Officer Kristen Cedar to have all dogs in Southbury licensed led to the most dog licensed in the month of June since COVID at 1,170. I encourage dog owners to license their dogs. Dog licensing benefits the community by promoting responsible pet ownership, returning lost pets, tracking rabies vaccinations, ensuring local regulation compliance, and supporting our local animal services. Information on how to register your dog can be found at https://www.southbury-ct.org/doglicenses.
Land Use Updates
Jordan Marcinko, Southbury Land Use Administrator, provided the Board of Selectman with an update of two recently approved zoning amendments.
Planned Developments: The primary objective of the Planned Development amendment was to alleviate the restrictions that carried over from the development of Heritage Village. The revised regulations now provide additional flexibility for mixed-use, residential over retail, style developments within commercial business districts.
New Industrial Zone: The Zoning Commission approved the creation of a new Industrial (IND) Zone in addition to a zoning map amendment to the former IBM campus located at 150 Kettletown Road from R-60C to the new IND Zone, which will now allow for a range of light to medium industrial uses.
First Summer Concert at Settlers Park
Southbury Parks and Recreation’s first outdoor concerts at Settler’s Park Gazebo have been a tremendous success! The new location provides more space to spread out and entertain larger crowds.
The location move came about thanks to Don Feuerstein who had the wonderful idea of building a permanent stage at the Town Hall Green for summer concerts and town events. After working with our Parks and Recreation Director, Meghan Lennon, they felt making improvements to the Settlers Park gazebo would work even better.
Ellie Hanna, singer of the band One Track Mind, and her bandmates jumped onboard to help. One Track Mind donated their time and talent to raise money for the gazebo improvements by performing a benefit concert at Woodbury Brewing Company. In addition to the fundraiser, together with Don they installed the gazebo ceiling, ceiling baffles, lights, hooks, and a hanging backdrop that projects the sound to the audience and away from the nearby home. A sign that reads “Southbury Rocks” will provide the finishing touches. Southbury Public Works assisted with preparations and will continue maintenance of the grounds.
What a fitting example of how our community and town government can work together. Thank you to everyone who worked on this project.
Please join us at Settlers Park on July 28 for Jukebox 45, a premier 50s and 60s show band and on August 7, 2025 to see Logical Pretzel, a Steely Dan tribute band. Come see what everyone’s talking about. For more information about concerts and other events in Town, please visit our website events page.
Southbury Public Library Keeps Children and Teens Busy This Summer
Crafts, cooking, family game nights, writing workshops… all this and more can be found at the Southbury Public Library this summer. The Southbury Public Library Youth Services department announced extensive offsite and virtual event list for children and teens. For more information and to register online please visit our library website.