Community News

The Planning and Zoning Commission has delayed action on an application to remediate work done by Benjamin Shiff, principal of Love Simply, LLC, at 24 Greenwoods Road West, next to Infinity Hall.

Shiff, who owns both that building and the former pizza shop at 32 Greenwoods Road West, was cited in 2023 for changing the exterior of the building without getting a special permit. Efforts by land use officials since then to bring the building into compliance have been unsuccessful.

Shiff was represented at the P&Z’s Tuesday night meeting by Jack Hollihan of Canaan, who described himself as Shiff’s friend and landlord. He previously said he is trying to help Shiff resolve the zoning violation and the fines that have been levied.

The P&Z members closely questioned Hollihan about the plans to replace the windows removed and boarded up by Shiff. Shiff is proposing to use 12-over-12-pane windows in keeping with the style of the turn-of-the-last-century building, but commission members did not like his plan to leave the lower-level windows on the south side boarded up and to cover them with clapboard. 

Members eventually moved and seconded approval of the plan, but with the lower-level  windows to be restored. Before a vote could be taken, however, discussion turned to the continuing violation and the fines that continue to accrue. 

Commission chairman Christopher Schaut said the fines and the restoration are separate issues, but members questioned what would happen if they approved the restoration plan and then the work not completed. They also wondered whether they could force completion of the work in a timely fashion.

“It begs the question of whether we should vote on this,” said vice chairman Ned Barron. “I want to vote on this, but this is a loose thread.”

In the end, the commission asked Zoning Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik to seek a legal opinion about the issue, and it set a special meeting for Thursday, October 23, at 6:30 p.m.

The town has removed many hazardous trees this year. Unfortunately, while cutting down one on Lovers Lane in July, a member of the Public Works Department suffered a broken ankle and OSHA has directed the town to take a six-week course in safety training.

“It was purely an accident,” said First Selectman Matt Riiska. “The tree kicked back, and a branch hit his ankle. But Connecticut OSHA investigated and found that we need to do safety training.”

The Training and Technical Assistance Center at UConn is conducting the classes at the town’s garage during working hours. Riiska has set up a chainsaw safety and stormwater cleanup class for November 6, with one on work zone safety on Nov. 24.

Winsted and New Hartford want to participate in the classes and will pay $100 for each of their workers who attend. Riiska has also invited other towns in the Northwest Hills Council of Governments to join in. Each class costs the town about $2,000.

“We can’t look at it as a reprimand,” Riiska said. “We just have to bite the bullet to keep meeting all the criteria.” 

The town previously had classes for flagging and snow plowing, but three out of the five current town workers were hired since the classes were offered, making it necessary to offer them again to keep the crew apprised of safety procedures.

Botelle School Superintendent Kevin Case told the Board of Finance Tuesday night that he is getting projected school enrollments for the next decade and is seeking to engage the community by finding 15 to 20 townspeople to help revamp the school’s mission statement. Case and other educators at Botelle will develop strategies from there.

He asked that one finance board member be part of the focus group, which is expected to meet from February through April.

Case and other educators at Botelle will develop strategies from the new mission statement. The concept of consolidation is still on the table, but no conversations are currently taking place on the subject, Case said. He invited Board of Finance members to attend the school board meetings. 

The 2025-26 school year is progressing as planned, he told the finance members, adding that he and the Board of Education are already developing next year’s budget. 

The Foundation for Norfolk Living (FNL) has planned an open house for Saturday, October 25, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., at the Haystack Woods affordable housing development off Old Colony Road. The event will be held rain or shine.

The open house will give prospective buyers and area residents a first-hand opportunity to tour the energy-efficient two- and three-bedroom homes, which are nearing completion.

Haystack Woods will be ready for occupancy by early 2026. Visitors will see homes with fully installed exterior walls, windows and roofs, as well as internal framing. The shared carports are also largely complete. 

The homes are designed to be “net-zero,” and homeowners can expect to have no additional energy costs thanks to energy-efficient construction and a system of solar panels and batteries installed in shared carports.

The foundation is accepting applications. Detailed information about the process and the community can be found on the organization’s website, norfolkliving.org.

The homes at Haystack Woods are available to first-time homebuyers who earn less than the Litchfield County’s area median income and are priced from $159,000 to $261,000. For example, a three-person household with a combined income of up to $83,300 would be eligible. 

Interested applicants can contact Lindsay Larson [LindsayL@thehousingcollective.org] at the Litchfield County Housing Collective with specific questions about eligibility. Questions about the houses themselves can be directed to the FNL [norfolkliving@gmail.com].

To reach Haystack Woods, approach from the intersection of Old Colony Road (currently a one-way street) and North Street/Route 272, turn onto Haystack Woods Road and drive to the top of the hill. 

Townspeople agreed to increase the amount approved to build a new firehouse from $9.3 million to $10.4 million and authorized a borrowing increase from $3.5 million to $4 million during a short town meeting Monday night. The vote was unanimous and there was loud applause when moderator Richard Byrne announced the motion was carried. 

First Selectman Matt Riiska said the town has a number of funding avenues going forward, including a $2.5 million grant from the state, $500,000 in Congressional funds, an expected $3.1 million from a local capital campaign, and $500,000 from town funds. The state will release its substantial grant in three phases as work is completed.

Riiska said some of these monies would be used to get the project started, perhaps as early as November. The town would seek a bond anticipation note to meet expenses as the project progresses. 

No decision has been made about the amount that will be taken out in the bond anticipation note. It is hoped that interest rates when the project is finally bonded will not exceed 4.25 percent and that the town can stretch the debt over 25 years.

Riiska will retire as first selectmen in November, and the town has been advised not to initiate borrowing until after the new Board of Selectmen is seated.

Asked if the project will increase taxation next year, Riiska said any increase is more probable in fiscal year 2027-28. 

The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department has received $188,570 worth of self-contained breathing apparatus (SBCA) and other equipment through an Assistance to Firefighters Grant administered by FEMA.

The 18 SCBA units are lighter than the aging ones currently used by the Norfolk firefighters. An additional18 spare air bottles, one RIT-Pak—a specialized kit designed to assist in the rescue of downed or injured firefighters—and “accountability” software that allows incident commanders to track and manage personnel and resources at fires were also acquired through the grant. 

The company worked with the Winsted Fire Department to secure a larger grant, which totaled $535,000 for the two companies. Winsted received 35 SCBA units, spare air bottles, a RIT-Pak and accountability software. 

The equipment arrived at the end of September and will be in use soon.

The bridge wall on Ashpohtag Road that was struck by a vehicle last week and knocked off its footing should be repaired within two weeks. 

First Selectman Matt Riiska said that the insurance company representing Mountainside recovery center in Canaan, whose driver was responsible for the accident, has agreed to pay $73,200 for the repair work.  

He predicted that the work might take a week or a little more if the weather cooperates. The same cut stone used in the original wall will be reset.

This week was Fire Prevention Week and during it Norfolk Fire Marshal Keith Byrne urged residents to practice fire safety in their homes. His page on this website offers practical tips that can help keep homes safe.

First, the Litchfield County Fire Marshals Association has a video with recommendations for preventing kitchen fires. Among other tips, it cautions that kitchen fires most often stem from unattended stovetop cooking and urge cooks to turn off burners if they must leave the kitchen for any reason.

Lithium-ion batteries represent a growing home hazard. They are prone to create fires that grow quickly and are hard to put out. If one occurs, the home occupants should leave the building and call 911 from outside.

When buying a device charged with a lithium battery, look for the stamp of a nationally recognized testing lab to ensure it meets safety standards. Always use the cables that came with the device to charge it and follow instructions from the manufacturer. Unplug the device when it is fully charged and charge large devices such as electric bikes, scooters and power tools outside.

To dispose of the batteries, tape the positive (+) side of the used battery with clear packing tape, electrical tape or duct tape and put it in a clear plastic bag. Visit call2recycle.org to find the nearest drop-off location. Do not put it in the trash or normal recycling receptacles.

Smoke alarms can save lives, but only if they work properly. Test all alarms monthly by pushing their test buttons. Install them in every bedroom, in hallways and on each level of the house, including the basement. For best protection, they should be interconnected. 

Look for alarms with new enhanced sensing technology, as these alarms detect fires faster and help reduce false alarms often caused by cooking. When the smoke alarm sounds, leave the building before calling 911.

On Tuesday, November 11th, there will be a Veterans Day Breakfast at Northwestern Regional School District No. 7 at 8:00 a.m. followed by a program to honor and thank those who have served. Read more.

The major gas spill that took place in November 2022 continues to absorb town leaders’ time and energy. First Selectmen Matt Riiska is seeking an additional $752,000 in insurance compensation for expenses on Maple Avenue resulting from the spill.

He recently submitted all the required documentation to the insurance company representing Soundview Transportation, the company responsible for the spill. 

The state reached a settlement with Soundview in March 2025, fining it $350,000 and requiring it to pay for ongoing remediation and cleanup. The spill, which sent 8,200 gallons of gas cascading over the landscape and through the town’s storm water system, is said to be the largest in Connecticut’s history.

The town had already planned to reconstruct Maple Avenue but had not yet voted on improvements at the time of the spill. Riiska has segregated invoices from the construction firm, which did both the cleanup and the municipal upgrade of the road, that he contends relate specifically to the spill. 

He has also included costs such as the tax abatements given to property owners on Route 44, which has resulted in a loss of income to the town.