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Norwalk Committee begins early planning for Richards Avenue–Cedar Street rotary landscaping
Summary
Committee members discussed landscaping goals for a planned rotary at Richards Avenue and Cedar Street, emphasizing sight lines, soil depth and low-maintenance plantings. Design work by TMP and a separate West Cedar Street Bridge project will affect timing; staff said construction is likely in 2026 or later.
Members of the Norwalk City Tree Committee discussed preliminary landscaping plans for a planned rotary at the Richards Avenue and Cedar Street intersection and agreed to wait for design drawings before finalizing plant selections.
The discussion matters because landscaping decisions must balance sight-line safety, long-term maintenance and planting substrate: committee members emphasized low-growing, hardy plants and adequate soil depth to support plant survival in a former roadway footprint.
A committee member said the rotary will be constructed after the West Cedar Street Bridge project and that TMP is completing design plans. Staff said the bridge project’s scheduled completion is Nov. 30 and that any rotary construction would most likely occur in 2026 or later, depending on TMP’s schedule and the timing of bidding and contracts. The committee heard that Ben Young, a senior traffic engineer, is the staff contact for the project and that public input is expected once a preliminary design is available.
Committee members and staff discussed planting options and constraints. One member urged low-height foliage to preserve sight lines and suggested shrubs or low groundcovers rather than trees in some parts of the rotary. Another member noted soil depth is critical if planting in a former roadbed and said “you gotta go down…a rotary has to be 60 foot,” commenting on size and vehicle-turning needs. The committee discussed alternative turf-reduction approaches such as sedge mixes to reduce maintenance and ecological instability from lawn species.
Staff advised that the committee should prepare design ideas and that the appropriate point for formal input would be when TMP reaches roughly 30% design and begins public outreach. The committee agreed that it would provide landscaping input at that preliminary-design stage; no formal vote or binding approval was taken at the meeting.
Next steps: staff will monitor TMP’s design schedule, coordinate a meeting with project staff (including Ben Young) and present landscaping suggestions when a preliminary design and public-outreach timeline are available.
