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Residents Praise Rainbow Crosswalk; Former Council Member Says Town May Have Bypassed Chapter 65
Summary
At Stratford's July 13 public forum, residents thanked the town for a rainbow crosswalk on King Street but a speaker who said she served on the council warned the installation may not have followed Stratford Code Chapter 65 and asked the town to explain the approval process.
At the Stratford Town Council public forum on July 13, residents both praised a newly installed rainbow crosswalk on King Street and questioned whether the town followed the approval procedures set out in Stratford Code Chapter 65.
"Thank you to Sherwin Williams for donating the paint," said Anne Marie Ehrenhaus, a Stratford resident, who thanked Mayor Chess, public works and the police department for supporting the crosswalk and noted it had been vandalized twice and repainted. "This crosswalk . . . means a lot to the LGBTQ plus community," she said.
Carrie Whittam, who said she was on the council when Chapter 65 was adopted in November 2025, told the council that, "based on the information available to me, it appears that the procedures required by Stratford code chapter 65 may not have been followed before the installation of the artistic crosswalk on King Street." She asked the town to say whether the Stratford Traffic Authority, Public Works and the Office of Planning and Zoning reviewed an application, whether the matter was referred to the town council for final review and public comment, and what legal authority permitted any exception.
Some commenters objected to the crosswalk on political and religious grounds. Christine Helm said spending and town direction were concerning and described the crosswalk as "politically motivated and divisive." A resident identified by the chair as Robert urged that the crosswalk be removed on religious grounds, saying the pride flag "was Satan's original sin." Andrea Corcoran urged civility and warned that online misinformation and division were eroding community trust.
Carrie Whittam said she had printed Chapter 65 and offered it to the council for review in hopes of clarifying whether the required public-review process occurred. No formal council vote or action on the crosswalk was recorded during the public forum.
The public forum concluded with no immediate formal response recorded addressing Whittam's procedural questions; the council adjourned the public forum at 06:32.
