Robert Koch, TheHourNews

Robert Koch

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Past articles by Robert:

Half of Norwalk’s small bridges rated bridges subpar

NORWALK - The Norwalk Department of Public Works is ramping up its attention toward the city's smallest bridges. The Norwalk Common Council this month approved the department's request to hire Freeman Companies, a land development, engineering design and construction services firm with offices in Hartford, to inspect, evaluate and put forward recommendations for 26 local bridges measuring 20… → Read More

Norwalk school officials put out potential $12.9M budget increase request

NORWALK - Officials backed off Friday from a potential $12.9 million spending increase request from the Norwalk Board of Education for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2019. "The attached presentation materials were provided to the Finance Committees in order to facilitate discussions and for both groups to be more informed as they enter into the above budget approval process," said Robert O.… → Read More

Harbor Commission calls for water-quality monitoring during Walk Bridge replacement

NORWALK - The Connecticut Department of Transportation's replacement of the Walk Bridge over the Norwalk River stands to literally stir up the excrement, so to speak, according to the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission Vice Chairman John T. Romano. "You know the old expression, you're stirring up the (expletive)?" said Romano during the Annual State of the Harbor Annual Meeting at City Hall on… → Read More

Inspection fees, classification changing for many Norwalk restaurants

NORWALK - Federally based food-safety rules will kick in in Connecticut on Jan. 1, leaving some Norwalk restauranteurs paying more and others less for inspections, and the Norwalk Health Department adjusting it workload and schedule accordingly. "We're looking at different things now," said Thomas Closter, chief environmental officer in the department. "The basis is going to be a focus on… → Read More

Typo adds week to informal hearings in Norwalk’s revaluation

NORWALK - The Norwalk Tax Assessor's Office is giving property owners an extra week to challenge their preliminary valuations before the company conducting the city's 2018 revaluation. The office has extended from Dec. 29 until Jan. 5 the deadline for informal hearings with Tyler Technologies after a number of preliminary valuation notices mailed out to property owners beginning late last month… → Read More

D’Amelio sues city, Nancy on Norwalk

NORWALK - Weeks after losing his bid for a state Senate seat, Norwalk Republican Marc D'Amelio has initiated a lawsuit alleging the Norwalk Police Department released a report on his drunken-driving arrest five years ago to an online news outlet "in a blatant attempt to influence the election." The lawsuit, delivered to the city's law department but not yet filed with Stamford Superior Court as… → Read More

Massachusetts transportation exec to head economic development in Norwalk

NORWALK - Jessica Casey, an executive with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and an adviser at the Harvard Kennedy School, will start work as Norwalk's chief of economic and community development in January. The Norwalk Common Council on Tuesday evening approved Casey's appointment to the post. "I think that from a transportation/operations background over the last two years, it's… → Read More

Norwalk council extends Walk Bridge consultant’s contract, with conditions

NORWALK - The Norwalk Common Council on Tuesday night extended Walk Bridge program manager Susan Prosi's consulting contract with the city through mid-December 2019 after requiring that she provide quarterly reports and other information as requested. In addition, any further contract extensions will be subject to council approval. The one-year renewal came after questions were raised about her… → Read More

Entertainment Center with food, bocce, music proposed for Lillian August annex in SoNo

NORWALK - Lillian August's SoNo annex stands to be revamped into an entertainment center with bocce ball, upscale bowling, dining and live entertainment under a plan submitted to the Norwalk Department of Planning and Zoning. "The Applicant would be Fairfield County's first alternative social culinary and entertainment destination for the over 18-demographic, providing guests with a place to… → Read More

Opening salvos in Wall Street Place court battle

NORWALK - An attorney for commercial real-estate developer Jason Milligan accused the city of Norwalk on Monday of limiting his client's use of newly acquired properties within the Wall Street Place project. In June, the city and Norwalk Redevelopment Agency sued Milligan after he purchased five properties within the stalled redevelopment project area. On Monday, Stamford Superior Court Judge… → Read More

Historic Broad River School House ‘here to stay’

NORWALK - The telephone started ringing Friday at Fairfield County Bank on New Canaan Avenue with callers alarmed that the building, a 157-year-old former schoolhouse, would be razed. "On Friday, I received a call from our call center and one of our reps said that someone had inquired, they were concerned that our office was going to be knocked down," said Kareen Perez, customer service at the… → Read More

Long road home for StoneWood residents after December 2017 fire

NORWALK - It was a year ago Tuesday when flames tore through StoneWood Condominium, displacing Mimi Rivera and dozens of others from the 54-unit complex along Richards Avenue. Since then, Rivera and her husband have lived with their daughter in Stamford. But they're eager to return to StoneWood, see their old neighbors and have their own space once reconstruction of the fire-damaged structure is… → Read More

Copps Island a quite retreat facing the Sound

NORWALK - Although off the beaten path, Copps Island has a rich history and timeless beauty for admirers of the Norwalk Islands. "Everything has to be boated out and trucked up the stairs. It's not a pleasant thing, in that regard," said Bill Grey, Copps Island caretaker for the last 15 years. "But when you're out there on the screen porch and hear all the birds chirping and waves, it's nice."… → Read More

Rowayton Historical Society to receive $37K for maritime museum project

NORWALK - The Rowayton Historical Society's plan to reshape the Frank E. Raymond Boathouse at Pinkney Park into a year-round museum highlighting local maritime history is getting a big boost from the State Bond Commission. The commission, chaired by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, is expected to approve during its Dec. 11 meeting $37,000 in bond funds toward the estimated $90,000 renovation project. The… → Read More

Norwalk VFW to honor its gifting of cannon

NORWALK - The French cannon gifted to Norwalk for the city's contribution to the World War I effort hasn't stood outside the Mulvoy-Tarlov-Aquino Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 603 headquarters along North Avenue for a decade. But VFW Post 603, which sold its North Avenue property and transferred the cannon to the Norwalk Green in June 2009, hasn't lost sight of its significance to Norwalk. "It's… → Read More

Oak Hills Park lease likely to include sit-down bar

NORWALK - Flat-screen televisions were recently mounted on the dining room walls of Clubhouse Grille at Oak Hills Park. A plan to build a sit-down bar awaits a go-ahead from the city. With winter setting in, business has lulled at the golf course and restaurant, but Clubhouse Grille Executive Chef Tim Erway hopes to return in the spring and see the white-linen cloth tables gone and a sit-down… → Read More

YMCA eyes SoNo Community Center

NORWALK - Six years after closing its West Avenue facility, the YMCA could be returning to Norwalk as a tenant of the South Norwalk Community Center. Riverbrook Regional YMCA, based in Wilton, has responded to the city of Norwalk's request for proposals to lease and manage the community center at 98 South Main St. "It wouldn't start off as your gym and swim-type YMCA, because A, it doesn't have… → Read More

DOT, Norwalk seek to keep road closures to minimum during Walk Bridge replacement

NORWALK - While the Connecticut Department of Transportation's upcoming replacement of the Walk Bridge stands to disrupts traffic in Norwalk, it remains unclear how bad those disruptions will be. The Norwalk Department of Public Works has set a bar for what will be tolerated when the bridge replacement gets under way late next year. "Alternating one-way traffic," said Lisa Burns, principal… → Read More

Saying ‘Norwalk is at a crossroads,’ Brinton launches 2019 mayoral bid

NORWALK - The city's 2019 mayoral race got off to an early start Monday with independent Lisa Brinton, who placed second two years ago, registering herself as a candidate with the Norwalk Town Clerk's Office. In a statement, Brinton, a self-described fiscal conservative and social progressive, said, "Norwalk is at a crossroads" and in need of non-partisanship leadership. "This city needs… → Read More

Battle to build crosswalks continues in Norwalk

NORWALK - In November 2004, 79-year-old Bernard Wood was struck and killed by a car while trying to cross the road near the intersection of Silvermine and New Canaan avenues. For years, the Broad River Neighborhood Association had pushed to have crosswalks painted at what neighbors described as one of the most "dangerous and unsafe" intersections in Norwalk. The tragedy finally brought the… → Read More