See the clip! Fairfield Police came to speak to Realtors today during the Greater Fairfield Board of Realtors meeting hosted by the wonderful Audubon Society, and the @raveisfairfieldsouthport office had a strong presence! Officers, Tony Granada and Ed Nook shared crime trends, gave safety recommendations, and answered questions. They also emphasized how the police are here to help the community.
The TOP CRIME TRENDS in town were “opportunity crimes” like theft of cars left unlocked with keys in them 😳 and identity theft, as well as people stealing checks from mailboxes, “washing them” adding to the amount, and making the check out to themselves.
We also learned that the police are not permitted to chase stolen vehicles!
So the top🔝tips are:
1) LOCK 🔐 YOUR CAR 🚘 AND TAKE YOUR KEYS 🔑! 2) Avoid mailing a check, but if you have to, take it directly to the post office. 3) Be sure to report 📣any signs of a crime asap to the police department. If you can’t get through, call 9-1-1. There are officers at the ready and on patrol around town, and they can get to a scene quickly if given the alert ‼️ 4) Neighborhood Watch 👀 is recommended. DM me to learn more.
During a recent meeting of the Greater Fairfield Board of Realtors, a panel of town officials from several departments presented updates and information for discussion among the group. I was struck by the new Conservation Director’s announcement that the volume of inland wetland violations has skyrocketed recently with all the new homeowners moving into town and being unaware about the presence and importance of wetlands. He asked if we could help him get the word out to people.
So (on an unseasonably hot day in November!) I met with Fairfield’s new Conservation Director, Tim Bishop over coffee to talk about how I can help homeowners in town learn how to protect our precious wetlands. Tim is an expert environmentalist with almost two decades of experience. He is an excellent resource for our town and truly wants to collaborate with homeowners to help them get their home improvements done while protecting our fragile natural resource, the inland wetland areas.
When meeting with Tim, I learned that most people are not aware of the importance of protecting wetlands. I learned that protecting our inland wetlands is critical to controlling flooding and stormwater run-off, maintaining our water quality, and preserving natural ecosystems that need still (vs. flowing) water to breed and live. Healthy wetland areas hold onto water which allows a natural cleaning process to occur and provides the environment necessary for wildlife survival, while controlling flooding.
People don’t realize that their actions could be permanently destroying this critical natural resource, and they don’t realize that what they do in their yard impacts other people. So I assembled the information below to address the key issues and also put it in a handout for people to use and share.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY PROPERTY IS REGULATED?
Call the Conservation Department. Ask your REALTOR® to check your deed.
Your property may have a water course, wetland soils, a buffer zone from adjacent wetlands, or a conservation easement to preserve another fragile natural resource.
Your property may have wetlands and be regulated even if it appears to be dry. Regulated activities include any “digging” (even 1 inch down) and “dumping” (depositing any material in wetland areas)
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF ACTIVITY ON MY PROPERTY IS REGULATED?
Call the Conservation Department to learn what impact your future plan would have on the environment and how it can be done safely. They will tell you if your project needs a “staff level permit”, a “commission level permit”, or no permit at all.
Be sure to come in for a Concept Review before submitting a permit application online! After your Concept Review, you can submit your online permit application.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?! Water Quality: Healthy wetlands hold onto water & enable a natural cleansing process for clean water. Flood Control: Healthy wetlands control flooding & prevent storm run-off.
Ecosystems: Healthy wetlands hold onto water that is critical to wildlife’s ability to breed & survive. Prevent Permanent Loss: Once a natural wetland area is damaged or destroyed, it can never be restored to its original natural integrity. Prevent Violations: Conservation violations are costly to the department, to you, and to the environment.
Resource to Help You: The Conservation Department is led by expert director, Tim Bishop who is here to help you plan your project and protect our inland wetlands.
Just Give Them a Call!
CALL BEFORE YOU START. Learn whether your property is regulated, what you can do, and where you can do it.
Tim Bishop, NEW Conservation Director 203-256-3071
FAQS:
Q. I’ve heard horror stories about getting Conservation involved in any projects. Why should I jump through hoops and pay the town extra money?!
A. Good news! There is a NEW director of conservation and new staff, all of whom are experts at protecting the inland wetland environments. They want to collaborate with Fairfield residents to ensure we can all enjoy the benefits of preserving healthy wetlands. They are very reasonable and are streamlining pricing, guidelines, and the way they work with homeowners. They truly want to connect with you to help you get your project done in a way that is safe for the environment and protects it for generations to come.
Q. Why would activity on my property be regulated by the Conservation department?
A. There are three possible conditions: 1) There are watercourses or wetland soils on your property. 2) There are wetlands or wetland soils on a nearby property with a protective buffer zone extending onto your property. 3) There is a conservation easement on your property deed (I.e. to protect a meadow). If any of these conditions exist, activity on your property is regulated by Conservation. This does not mean you will always need a permit or that you can’t implement your plans. It means that the experts in the department need to work with you on a plan that is safe for the environment.
Q. Why does conservation regulate my land?
A. The department only regulates activity that has an impact on the environment in regulated areas. It does not regulate your land. What you do in your yard impacts other people and the environment.
Q. What activities are regulated?
A. Any activity that involves digging (even an inch down) and dumping (depositing material in a wetland area) that disturbs wetlands. Some examples are: Installing pools, fences, patios, generators, sprinklers, koi ponds, dumping branches, brush, animal waste, etc.
Q. Can I plant stuff?
A. Check with conservation first if you have a regulated property to learn which species are native vs invasive. A permit will be needed for anything requiring trucks or heavy equipment, but manually planting native species might not even need a
Q. How long will it take to get a permit?
A. There are two types of permits, the CWC (Certificate of Wetland Conformance), and IWP (Inland Wetland Permit). CWC is a “staff level” permit which takes 1 to 1.5 months. It includes a 15-day waiting period for the public to weigh in on the applicant’s posting in the newspaper regarding their proposed activity. The template for the post is provided by conservation.
IWP is a ”commission level” permit which takes 3 to 4 months. The inland wetland commission is a self-managed group that adheres to regulations from the state. They meet monthly. Some projects may need discussion in more than one meeting.
Q. How much will it cost me to get conservation involved?
A. The new director, Tim Bishop is in the process of revamping the fees to make them much more cost effective. There will be a simple menu of activities, each with a very reasonable associated fee.
Q. How can I stay informed about inland wetland information?
A. Tim posts new information each month on the department homepage at Fairfieldct.org/conservation. But you can always call and ask your questions directly. Tim says, “Just give us a call!” Of course you can also stop in during office hours and visit the wetlands map.
If you are thinking of buying and/or selling a property and have questions, you can reach out to me below.
We all showed up in the neighborhood at different times. We each arrived during the appropriate chapter for our individual story lines. As usual, we each had our own priorities, pursuits, and interests.
Our dear neighbor, Linda, (pictured above center with the orange lei), has lived on our street since 1995. She has seen many neighbors come and go.
If there ever was a perfect neighborhood role model, Linda would be it!
She knew everyone, and we all knew her. Not only did she know everyone, she pretty much knew the back story of each neighbor’s entire family tree including their pets!
Whenever she saw you, she would ask how you were doing, how your children were doing, your mother, brother, your pets. She genuinely cared and wanted to know. In the winter time, she would march right to your door with a shovel and begin a conversation while clearing your front porch of snow. If anyone needed the name of a contractor or a cup of sugar, Linda was our go-to.
And as a bonus to her model behavior, Linda was not shy about going the distance during our summer block parties with spirited festivities that lasted well into the night. 🙂
But when Linda decided to move away to be closer to her family and friends, it became very clear how meaningful she had been to the fabric of our neighborhood.
I went door to door to invite each neighbor to a surprise party for Linda. Everyone had the same reaction. They expressed loss at the thought of her leaving, well wishes for her next chapter, and a sincere desire to send her off with good spirit and a proper celebration. So we had a lovely gathering for Linda, which helped to bring us all a little closer together too.
It truly made me feel the impact of having a great neighborhood.
When you feel connected to those around you, it gives a sense of comfort, support, positive energy, and a feeling of belonging. In fact, this is why National Neighborhood Day was created! The mission is to inspire the fostering of neighborhood relationships that in turn build stronger and more caring and effective communities. The dedicated website says, “Communities work better ( students perform better, crime rates are lower, kids are safer, people live longer) when neighbors know one another better. Knowing your neighbor on a first-name basis, as National Neighborhood Day suggests, is a surprisingly effective first step toward a better America.”
Loving your neighbors sure makes a lot of sense, right?!
I hope this post inspires you to be a good neighbor and love your neighbors, even if they don’t live right on your street. This will make you feel more at home and do your part to help build a culture of kindness and acceptance that will enhance our communities in the future for generations to come! In fact, you can start here and now by taking the Good Neighbor Pledge!
If you are ready to join a new neighborhood, send a note below so that we can discuss your plans!
You are invited to partner with Near & Far Aid as we celebrate our 26th Gala on May 6, 2022(TONIGHT!) at Mitchells of Westport. The annual Gala is our largest fundraising event and attracts wide-ranging support from many stake holders in our community Your support through auction purchasing makes it possible for us to fundraise with outstanding results. Merchants, both near and far, have played a critical role by donating to our auction which has a reputation for offering a well-curated catalog of highly desirable experiences and impossible to get items.
Last night, volunteers came together again to help with the auction set-up while professional teams worked to creatively transform our local Mitchells store into a glorious Gala setting on the French Riviera for the guests tonight. Here is a glimpse behind the scenes.
Near and Far Aid is an all-volunteer fundraising and fund-granting organization dedicated to eliminating the causes and effects of poverty in Fairfield County, Connecticut. We accomplish our mission by finding and funding programs that provide life’s most basic necessities, as well as those that seek to achieve lasting change. Our history of funding spans 68 years and since the year 2000 we have granted more than $19 million to community programs that work to support and create opportunities for underserved individuals and families in our community. For more information on the work we do and our events, please visit www.NEARANDFARAID.org.
Near and Far Aid is grateful for your participation in their efforts and are proud to partner with you to target poverty and change lives in Fairfield County.
Warmest Regards,
Linda Raymond, Volunteer
Near & Far Aid is a registered 501c(3) non-profit organization, Federal Tax ID #23-7036523.
Please send a note below or call me if you have questions or would like to contribute.
My listing meeting at the lovely home on the Pine Creek waterway was scheduled for next week. I had met with the homeowners, completed my market analysis, and created a comprehensive custom marketing plan that included professional photos, aerial views, and twilight views. But I needed a nice photo to use in my presentation materials, and as always, I set out to take my picture.
The home was gorgeous from every vantage point, but the money shot had to combine the dramatic walls of glass facing the water, the fabulous dock, and of course, the water views!
I could not capture everything in one view from the edge of the property. But there was a ramp extending into the water just next to the property that I set out towards to capture my shot. Here’s what happened.
Scrapes!
Dirt!
Bruses!
Mud!
….And the winning photo! (Even the professional photographer didn’t capture this angle!)
Raise your hand if the last time you had your dryer vent cleaned was… never! I would be raising my hand if it weren’t for the call I finally made last week. Little did I know I was taking a key step in home fire safety and prevention.
Does your dryer take too long to get a load of towels dry, or even require more than one cycle? Is there more lint around the lint filter compartment than there used to be? If you go outside and look at the vent while the dryer is on, are the flaps barely open? Any of these signs can mean that your dryer vent is long past due for a cleaning!
After seeing excessive loose lint around the lint filter, I began to worry that more lint must be collecting somewhere else behind the scenes. I started thinking this was a fire waiting to happen. Our dryer is upstairs near the bedrooms which made me especially concerned about fire risk. So I calledFiresafe Chimney Service to ask if they clean dryer vents, and sure enough, this is one of their standard services. So they came out the next day to take a look.
Tom Butkier, the business owner and licensed servicer for the company was on the job. First, he checked the hose attachment behind the dryer, and then cleaned the lint from the dryer hose to the wall. He removed a good amount of lint there. Next, he turned the dryer onto the air-fluff setting to send air circulating outward and went to check the vent outside. He climbed up with a ladder and took the vent cover off to look inside. To my disbelief, not only was the vent jam-packed with a trash-bag full of lint, there was also an entire old bird’s nest in there! It’s amazing that any air was venting through the system at all!
2,900 home clothes dryer fires are reported each year and cause an estimated 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss.
Failure to clean the dryer (34 percent) is the leading cause of home clothes dryer fires.
More home clothes dryer fires occur in the fall and winter months, peaking in January.
It is recommended by the USFA and FEMA to clean your lint filter after every dryer use and to have your dryer vent ductwork cleaned every year.
Tom also told me about an excellent wifi-enabled product now available that can alert you via an app on your phone and also send an alert to Firesafe Chimney when your dryer venting is showing signs of being clogged. It can also send alerts for dangers from your washing machine. This is a key tool for added safety and peace of mind, especially for anyone with rental properties or vacation homes. Simply contact Firesafe Chimney to find out more, then just order it, plug it in, and download the app!
And now that ‘after shot’ I’m sure you’ve been waiting for- Here it is, a spic-and-span dryer duct!
So, if it’s been more than a year… (or 10!) since you’ve had your dryer ductwork cleaned, and assuming you do laundry, I suggest you wait no longer. Free your dryer ducts from the debris accumulation that’s sure to be stuck in there, and eliminate this fire risk from your home.
Give Tom at Firesafe Chimney a call to clean your dryer vents and your chimney as well, (203) 270-9400 and tell him Linda sent you. You’ll be happy you did! 🙂
For questions about this article, properties, or any real estate needs, feel free to send me a note using the form below, and I will get right back to you.
We all love open houses. Open house events have many virtues, but what you may not know is that they also come with some risk.
Open houses offer the perfect chance for buyers to start looking for a new home and getting a feel for what’s available. Open houses help sellers gain exposure for their property in the marketplace. And they are an opportunity for buyers and sellers to meet Realtors they may want to work with for their next move.
But there is a risk. While promoting the property and the open house event, Realtors are also promoting the fact that they will be alone in a house at a specific address, date and time. This leaves an opportunity for people who may have ulterior motives. Some people visit open houses with the intent of theft of valuables or prescription medications. Others may have assault in mind.
There are educational programs for Realtors to help them prevent potential dangers and know what to do if the unthinkable were to happen. The photo shows the Fairfield police captain and an officer delivering a training session to agents at the William Raveis Real Estate office in Southport. Some of the information pertains only to the person hosting the event, but there are important open house safety tips that guests and neighborhood residents should be aware of.
Most of us would agree that it’s important for everyone to contribute to a safe neighborhood. Open houses are an integral part of neighborhood activities. So we all need to take watch, especially during these community events. Please keep the following safety tips from the police in mind.
First and foremost is to be aware of your surroundings. As a neighbor, you may see open house signs quite often. Try to be aware of the activity during the open house near you. Does it seem typical?
Does anything seem “not normal”? If something stands out to you as out of the ordinary, take notice. Are there too many people in that car? Did the car park much further away from the open house than needed? Does something seem odd? Not normal?
Trust your gut. Whether you are participating in an open house event or are a neighbor observing from across the street, if something just doesn’t feel right, it most likely is not. If you assume wrong and err on the side of cautiousness, no harm is done, right?
Take action. It’s best to park on the street when you attend an open house if possible so that you won’t be blocked in. If you are in an open house and don’t feel safe, try to exit right away. Go outside, call 911 and immediately provide the address. If you are a neighbor and notice that something is not right, call 911, or if you feel it is not urgent, call the police and ask them to drive by. And last, but not least, if you see a frightened Realtor heading toward your house, please let them in!
We can all work together to keep our neighborhoods and our open houses safe and enjoyable. For more information on this topic or to discuss your moving plans, please send a note using the form below.
First, he checked the hose attachment behind the dryer, and then cleaned the lint from the dryer hose to the wall. He removed a good amount of lint there. Next, he turned the dryer onto the air-fluff setting to send air circulating outward and went to check the vent outside. He 
climbed up with a ladder and took the vent cover off to look inside. To my disbelief, not only was the vent jam-packed with a trash-bag full of lint, there was also an entire old bird’s nest in there! 
It’s amazing that any air was venting through the system at all!
Linda Raymond Real Estate Blog, Fairfield, Westport & More 