At its Wednesday, Aug. 20 meeting, Wilton’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) heard an update from EDC Chair Joe Favarolo on an effort to improve the town’s signage — specifically the “gateway” and way-finding signs into Wilton Center from major roads, most notably Danbury Rd.
Favarolo seems determined to get the results the local business community has been clamoring for since at least 2019, when the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) identified numerous recommendations for improving signage — reinforced by the EDC’s own signage survey in 2023 and business satisfaction survey in 2024. Favarolo says the commission is not going to let those studies sit on the shelf.
“The EDC never loses sight of the signage topic — it’s always an agenda item,” Favarolo said in a follow-up phone interview with GMW.
Favarolo noted that the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) is planning to address the broad need to update the regulations for storefront and commercial signs. However, “directional and gateway signage is equally important,” Favarolo said, “and it wasn’t apparent that Planning and Zoning is going to address that.”
That’s because the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT) — not P&Z — controls signage on state roads like Danbury Rd. (Rte. 7), Ridgefield Rd. (Rte. 33) and Wolfpit Rd. (Rt.e 106). But many in the business community believe Wilton Center merchants could benefit more from the thousands of motorists who pass through town each day, often unaware of the many shops, restaurants and other businesses that are located just off the main roadways.
Favarolo told commissioners he recently met with First Selectman Toni Boucher and Wilton Police Department Lt. David Hartman, who serves as the town’s Local Traffic Authority liaison, to broach the topic of how to move forward.
According to Favarolo, Hartman advised the EDC to put together “the business case” that demonstrates the data-based reasons why the state should consider new signage in Wilton. Hartman would then be the point person for communicating that case to the CT-DOT.
Favarolo has begun drafting that business case and shared the preliminary, 20-page document at the Aug. 20 EDC meeting. It outlines the evidence of the problem with existing signage, economic impacts, alignment with the POCD and EDC surveys, and the expected benefits of signage upgrades.
Its hard-hitting executive summary — still a draft — describes Wilton’s signage as “insufficient, inconsistent and nearly invisible,” creating “tangible barriers to economic growth, business viability and community engagement.”
Favarolo also shared photographs of existing signage on Danbury Rd. pointing to Wilton Center — which he lamented was “really pathetic.”
Commissioners agreed that some existing signs welcoming visitors to Wilton Center are attractive, high quality signs, but they do not adequately highlight Wilton Center as a destination for shopping, dining and other business. Favarolo offered some illustrative examples of how signage could better support Wilton Center merchants.
Previous Effort “Stalled”
Favarolo told commissioners a successful outcome will require “collaboration” between the EDC, the Board of Selectmen and other Town officials.
However, at least one other attempt at collaboration in recent years has yet to show any progress.
In September 2023, GOOD Morning Wilton reported an initiative under then-First Selectman Lynne Vanderslice to add Wilton Center signage on the state-controlled roadways. Then-Community Affairs Director Sarah Gioffre worked with Wilton’s Department of Public Works (DPW) and Village District Design Committee to draft a proposal. Some of the work-in-progress was shared with the EDC at the time.
In October 2024, GMW reached out to Vanderslice’s successor Boucher and DPW Director Frank Smeriglio for an update on the initiative. While Boucher indicated she was unaware of it (but thought it was a good idea), Smeriglio reported the effort had stalled, largely due to bureaucratic issues at the state level.
“DOT approval and installation for the signage was not completed,” Smeriglio wrote in an email to GMW. “There were conflicts with existing traffic pedestrian signals that made the work stall. Also, we were coordinating with the State to come down to look to get their list of requirements. We were having a difficult time getting the correct department to come see the proposed ideas.”
On Monday, Aug. 25, Smeriglio confirmed no further steps have been taken since then, “as other tasks took priority.”
The next EDC meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 17.
We love this renewed effort. Since our family moved to Wilton eight years ago, we often call it “Brigadoon.” It is the town and the town center that no one can see in the mist and fog. All the years we lived and worked in Southport, we never even knew that Wilton had a center and was not Route 7. We only got to know it through Cannondale, where we now live. Hope we do not have to wait 100 years like Brigadoon in the Scottish highlands for the mist to clear.
Like Brigadoon, once you get inside the town, you may never want to leave, But how in the world will you find it? May I send someone some great town signs as inspirations that might help?
Oh, please. People find shops via internet searches, then get to them via GPS. “Oh, a sign saying there are shops down this road, I’ll just detour over there and see what they’re like, I’ll bet they’re charming.” Yeah, right.