Thumbs Down to Trump's Styrofoam Debris!

Yeah, Advocate! I love your sassy new "Thumbs Up/Down" feature. Life is just too short not to get in little jabs, and I am happy my local paper is getting on board the opinion express. I was pleased with a recent installment:
Thumbs down to Trump Parc. Police last Thursday [Feb. 12] investigated reports that a piece of Styrofoam blew off the unfinished luxury apartment building. There were no injuries in the incident, and police reported that an inspection of the site showed that that items were properly secured...

That's all good, but the incident was an unwelcome reminder of the rain of debris that fell from the building during a relatively short period last summer, all of it much harder and hazardous than Styrofoam. In those incidents, inches or minutes meant the difference between mere incident and catastrophe. Let us hope the latest incident does not portend a return to the bad old days.
I am glad the Advocate took on the mantle of reminding Trump of that. Trump got really lucky no one was killed, and they need to not forget it.

It still pisses me off that I have to think about possibly getting my head smashed in when I drive by Trump. I am not nearly as worried as I used to be, but I still worry. A construction site towering over a very busy road-- well, that's how things are if you want development! I hear people saying-- well, Trump itself proved why that was a bad idea. The string of debris accidents was just absurd. You cannot run a loosey-goosey operation like that OVER A BUSY ROAD.

Honestly, it was like the Trump workers were taunting us, right? Crap was flying off that building left and right- wood, metal, leftover lunches- and each time we thought, Surely this latest case of a car getting smashed will be a wake up call, another incident would occur. Either the site was badly run, or the workers did not care. I do not know how else to interpret all of those incidents.

So, I agree with the Advocate: looks like Trump has shaped up, but we'd be stupid not to still worry a little.

Also, a Stamford Talk Thumbs Up to the writing style of the Trump Thumbs Down. I thought it was very succinct and descriptive. I appreciate that.

Stamford Train Station Parking Guarantee?

When I heard the DOT was planning on redoing the Stamford garage, but not really planning to have any backup parking, I got a bit freaked out. How could a major train station do without hundreds of parking spaces? I just kept telling myself they'd figure something out, because who would do something that stupid, right?
Today's Advocate's "Thumbs Up/Down" has an update. Thank goodness state lawmakers are putting the screws on the DOT, so they don't screw commuters!
Text from Advocate:Thumbs up to lawmakers fighting for an "insurance policy" protecting parking availability at the Stamford train station.

The state Department of Transportation is seeking proposals from private developers to build "transit-oriented development" around the station, a project that would include demolishing the obsolete garage there. The DOT's plan replaces an earlier one to simply build a new garage.

The department has repeatedly promised to provide enough parking for Stamford commuters before construction work begins. But members of the Stamford delegation to Hartford want parking guaranteed by law. "We need this protection in place because it would be absolutely ludicrous to remove parking for the train station without adequate replacement spots," says state Rep. Jim Shapiro, D-Stamford.

The DOT hasn't always been the most reliable or stable of state agencies. Stamford's delegation is right to demand protection for their constituents in this case.

You tell them, Advocate! I agree!
And, I like your new Thumbs Up/Down column! I like opinions!

New Strip Mall on High Ridge a Good Idea?

Uh, isn't that obviously a bad idea? Some dudes want to build a strip mall just across from Town Fair Tire- you know, just north of the Turn of River stop light (the light by Kit's and Dunkin Donuts). If you've ever sat in the 5pm traffic that starts right at that stoplight, you may be a little PO'd that this new set of stores would necessitate another stoplight right at Town Fair. Yes, a city engineer recommended another stoplight to deal with the traffic that would need to turn into the stores. Can you imagine the gridlock on Fridays before holidays? I've seen traffic back up 1/2 mile or more.

I wonder what stores are interested in the proposed mall. I understand that something needs to go into that lot (right now it's just a vacant office building), but I just don't know if an already congested intersection is the right place to put something that will draw a lot more cars.

I do know that we need more shopping downtown, not up near the Merritt. We need to drive less in Stamford. We need to be able to park our cars somewhere where we can eat, shop and chill out for a few hours before getting back in the car. There is nowhere to do this in Stamford except the mall. Bedford St. has food, but only two stores of interest to me: glass and chocolate. (OK, and liquor and bridesmaid dresses.)

Last weekend, I suggested to my husband that we stroll around Stamford. "Stroll where?" he asked. "Bedford St.!" I answered. I wanted to eat outdoors at Capriccio, then walk around and enjoy the weather and pop my head into a few stores. However, my husband declared he had no interest in glass and chocolate. Instead, I drove to Target, then the gym, then Westport to shop. I did not get to enjoy any outdoor time in Stamford.

I reaaaaaaaaaaaaally think they should make Bedford St. more pedestrian friendly, even if only on weekends. Pedestrians need things like clothes, toys and knick-knacks to look at. Instead, we're talking about more shopping far from the center of town.

Oddly, the Advocate article ends by suggesting there is no opposition to this project:
...controversy over the development has died down since last month's public hearing, when many Turn of River Road residents who live behind the property expressed concerns over possible traffic and noise. They subsequently met with representatives of the developers.
By Monday, the handful of residents who showed up at the hearing seemed relatively satisfied. "I arranged the meetings on the first and the second," Turn of River resident Joseph Gabriele told the board. "They came through on everything."
A few still had reservations. "The road is fairly stressed now," said George Shepherd, who also worried about the new traffic light. The redevelopment of 969 High Ridge has been in the works for more than three years.
I think we should be worried about that traffic light. Do you agree, or am I being a paranoid development-phobe?

So, Can I Go to the Trump Parc Roof or Not?

The headline of this Stamford Times article is "Trump open for viewing" but nowhere does it say, "Anyone who wants to come get a look at the top floors, call 212-555-9595." The article just quotes a Trump Parc spokesman saying how great the view is, then it tells how much apartments cost.

Ah... am I invited to the roof or not?

The article ends with the spokesman saying, "Things are moving along well. With the roof open we wanted to get up there to show off these amazing views."

Show off to whom? Just newspaper reporters? Or anybody?

I have to assume we are all invited, because that is what the headline said.

Do I sound grumpy? I'm mad because my favorite Project Runway contestant did not win. And, my husband and I "disagreed" on the proper way to make grilled cheese. I can't deal with an ambiguous headline right now, especially where Trump is concerned.

You can read about Trump Parc's and my rocky relationship in my "Construction/Development" posts. In addition being angry that the Trump Parc workers let debris crash down onto cars, I once got irritated at another inaccurate headline relating to Trump in the post "I'm Mad at Advocate Headlines, Trump Meeting."

I'm Mad at Advocate Headlines, Trump Meeting

I'm fighting off a temper tantrum. The Advocate’s article about last night’s Trump meeting provides no answers and leaves gaping, obvious questions. Either the article is incomplete, or the Board did not get any important questions answered. Unacceptable!!!

Maybe I should have gone to this meeting and asked questions, but other people were there who were supposed to do that. I didn't finish dinner until after 8, so I thought it would be silly to park in that creepy Gov't Center lot at night to catch, what, 20 minutes of the meeting? Rrrr! More on this later because I need to go to the gym, big time.

I'm also mad at the Advocate right now because of a couple of extremely inaccurate headlines.

1. "City cites Trump lessons"
No, it doesn't! There was no info in that article about that. Can someone please point out one lesson that got mentioned except maybe this: Trump Parc has proven hazardous because it is being built on a small parcel with little barrier between it and the streets, Barnes said. The type of work being done there tends to generate a lot of debris, he said.
That's what we figured out? Basic construction concepts? Change that headline to "City offers same obvious info we've been hearing for the past 3 months."

2. "Students' test scores become part of teachers' evaluations"
Well then why does the article only talk about observations? There is nothing in the article that says teachers will be judged on their students' test scores. I read the article three times to triple check. I'm a teacher, so this topic affects me directly.
The same article was published the next day in the Greenwich Time with the headline "Teachers judged on students' test scores." Don't title the article that if it's not what it is about! That would be a completely different, more controversial article. However, if teachers are going to be evaluated on their students' test scores, do let me know about it with some actual info.

OK I have to go to the gym and relax.

Trump Parc Debris Meeting Tonight

I really wish they'd put these city meetings on TV. Whereas I might be interested in school closings and parking meter changes, I also like to hang at home with my husband and dog on weeknights. I admire the citizens who drag themselves out to a government meeting after a full day of work. Now, TV, on the other hand, everyone likes to watch TV... just a suggestion, City of Stamford.

I am going to try to make it to the Trump meeting. I've been following the debris drama at the construction site since May, when a 10 pound piece of metal flew from its 27th floor right into an intersection I always (used to) drive through. The Board of Reps meets tonight at the Gov't Center at 7 to grill various people about what the Hades is going on with the disturbing pattern of falling debris. FYI, the crane at Trump Parc is finally down. I feel maybe 1/2% safer. Check out the reader-submitted photo of crane-free TP.

Panel to discuss Trump Parc debris: The Board of Representatives Operations Committee is scheduled to hold a meeting to discuss problems with debris falling from the Trump Parc construction site at Washington Boulevard and Broad Street.
The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the fourth floor of the Government Center. Director of Operations Ben Barnes and Robert DeMarco, of the building department, are scheduled to attend to answer questions. (Advocate, 8/19)

I'm afraid the meeting will be boring. Enh, I'll bring a book just in case. I wonder who else will be there. I'm reading A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash. Reading about smart people is making me feel smarter.

Who's at Fault for Trump Mess? Is Another Disastrous Site on the Way?

Trump Parc is a clusterschmuck of which we’ve not seen the last.

TP is a 34-story construction site located on one of the busiest corners in the city. In less than four months, we’ve had four spectacular incidents of debris smashing through cars and a window of the college campus next door.

TP is being built by contractor George A. Fuller Co., which is owned by New York developer Louis Cappelli. Cappelli has a history of safety violations in NY, but I assume he's still scott-free in CT since Fuller's name is on the TP project. Whoever approved this project, and approved Cappelli/Fuller as the builder, should share the blame for the accidents. Approving a project on such a busy corner, with no space between the building and the sidewalk and street below, was obviously a terrible decision. (Question 1: Who approved that?)

Guess what’s even more horrifying than being stuck with Cappelli until Trump Parc wraps up next year? Being stuck with him after that, when he starts construction on another tower in downtown Stamford! I KNOW! I MUST BE JOKING, RIGHT? Nope! He’s building a 400 foot tall building right on Tresser, also known at Rt. 1, next year!

There is no way in Hades that Fuller/Cappelli should build the Ritz-Carlton on Tresser. Call me overcautious, but I'm not sure the company has proved to Stamford that it can do the job safely.(Question 2: Does the city have the right to demand a new builder? Question 3: Who could do that? Mayor? Board of Reps?)

I'm sure the people working the site are great people who want to be safe, but something about the construction process is not working out. After the third Trump Parc incident, the mayor appeared stunned by how much excess debris was lying all over the floors that opened directly onto the street below. He implied that he’d never seen anything like it, which to me suggested gross carelessness. Maybe the workers are overworked. Why else would they leave the site in such a condition, especially after the first two debris incidents?

After the fourth incident, in which wood and all kinds of other stuff got blown off the building in strong thunderstorms, the contractor seemed perplexed by how that accident could have happened: Though the incidents are "inexcusable," weather may have been a factor, [Trump Parc developer Louis Cappelli] said. "You had a perfectly beautiful summer day that turned into a 50-mph wind gust," he said about Saturday's incident when a 4-by-4 piece of lumber fell 27 stories and through the roof of a postal delivery truck… Cappelli said he ordered his foremen to remove or secure stacks of plywood and wood beams from the building by Friday. Cappelli yesterday said he had absolute confidence in the skills of the construction workers at Trump Parc. "I have my best men working on this job," he said, adding, "The 99 things you do right are meaningless when that one thing goes wrong." (Advocate Aug 5, 2008)

What “one thing” was that? The weather? ‘Cause to me, it looks like the error was made not by Mother Nature, but by the people on the site. After the third incident, the city ordered all loose building materials tied down. That obviously didn’t happen, so why is Cappelli saying he has “absolute confidence” in his workers? Was he saying that they did tie the stuff down? I’m confused. That’s nice that his best guys are on the job, but that doesn’t explain what caused the fourth accident, nor does it reassure me that a fifth won't occur.

I'm still wondering why the city-mandated on-site inspector did not notice the loose 4 x 4s on Friday. (Question 4: Does that inspector really exist? Is he impartial, or did the construction company pick him?)

The board of reps has called for a meeting with city officials about the Trump mess: City Rep. Scott Mirkin... urged Mayor Dannel Malloy to bring in help from the federal and state governments, because the city does not seem able to manage the 34-story project. The representatives did not set a date for the hearing. … [Board President David] Martin said he plans to ask officials, including Malloy, Director of Operations Ben Barnes and the city's legal counsel, to attend. (Advocate, Aug 6, 2008) Maybe they can get the scoop on the inspector or figure out why Trump Parc has gone so very badly.

I think the meeting might be Monday, but I'm not sure. I'm at the beach in NH with spotty (stolen) internet, so if you see anything online about the Board meeting, please post a comment or email me. Although I can't always get online, I do check email on my iPhone regularly. Comments go to my email, so they are just as good a way to reach me as email.

Currently at Trump Parc, limited building continues. After the fourth accident, the builders were banned from doing any work on floors that were not completely enclosed. However, don’t start feeling safe. They're allowed to do "safety-related work" on all floors.

Here's a pic of Trump from Thursday. The one at the top of this post is from Friday. I'm not sure what's up with the blue netting- is it stronger than the orange? a replacement for orange netting that may have gotten blown off the building last week?- but I do enjoy seeing UVa colors in the middle of Stamford. Go, Hoos, go.

Mail Truck= FIFTH, not FOURTH Trump Incident

But who's counting? Do we really care any more? Or have you given up, like I pretty much have, that anything can be done about Trump Parc and its builder’s apparent lack of regard for our safety?

(I just read this intro to my husband, and he said, “I hate to say it, but aren’t you beating a dead horse?” If you give a poop and/or want to hear what happened to my friend, read on. If you don't, FYI, this a photo of Trump Parc from Friday evening. Despite the impressive netting and kickboards, many items still flew off the building the next day during the storm.)

I'm so over this subject that I don't even feel like summoning the brain power to write about how, just before a mail truck got skewered by a 4 x 4 from 27 stories up, a similar piece of lumber bounced off my friend's Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have no idea why the debris did not do more damage to my friend's car. Maybe roofs of Jeeps are stronger because of rollover potential; maybe the lumber fell from a lower story; maybe it was a different piece of debris that hit his car. He said he saw a lot of stuff lying on the road as he hauled ass out of the area, not just the lumber. In any case, something chipped off paint pretty deeply on the top of his car.

But really, who cares. None of us are surprised. I'm not surprised that despite the fact the entire site got shut down last week, and despite the fact the construction company was told to secure all loose building materials, they DIDN'T secure loose materials, and those materials blew off during the storm.

At this point, I just do not know what else to say about the negligence of the builders and our city's failed overseeing of their negligent behavior, so I’ll just tell you what happened to my friend.

My friend was visiting from Boston and helping us get ready for the party we were throwing for my father-in-law that night. He was cutting through town to get to 95. He said he turned right off of Summer, at the intersection before the bars- that's Broad. He was sitting at the light-
"Are you sure this was by Trump?" I demanded as I listened to the story on the phone that afternoon. (Trump debris hitting my friend's car seemed too ridiculous to be true, so I was really grilling him for details.)
"I have no idea- what’s Trump? I just saw scaffolding and all kinds of trash in the road- wood, and concrete, and garbage bags, then something hit the top of my car."
"Did you see it bounce off your car?"
"No, I looked in the rear view mirror and saw it."

I'd have to guess that all that crap came off Trump. According to the Advocate, when they inspected Trump after the storm, The mayor said the building's upper floors were strewn with not only construction debris but also trash such as soda cans and plastic drinking bottles that were half-full.The messy conditions may explain why Stamford resident Greg Sendly said he saw a plastic bottle of orange juice falling from the sky 11 days ago as he was driving home on Washington Boulevard. "I heard it hit the ground, and I thought to myself, 'That really could have hurt someone.' " Sendly said Tuesday.

So, not only have we been in danger from wood and metal pieces, we've been at risk for being hit by the workers' trash. Great.

I have nothing else to say about this, except I’m vaguely eager to see what sanctions the construction site will get, if any.

Trump Debris Hits My Friend's Car: Really?

Just before I was alerted to breaking news about the FOURTH (officially documented) incident of Trump Parc debris smashing something, I was on the phone with our friend who's staying with us. He said he was near a construction site downtown, debris like plywood was all over the road, and suddenly he saw what he thougt was a 2x4 bounce off the roof of his car. I sorta doubted it bc come on how absurd; a friend of Stamford Talk getting hit? However go check out the Advocate home page. Debris crashed into a mail truck around the same time. Gotta run I am sneaking this post in from a bathroom in Long Island but did want to get out this juicy gossip.

Photos of New Trump Parc Safety Measures

Here are the photos I promised yesterday. You can see the orange netting and "kickboards" to prevent further accidents at the Trump Parc construction site. Actually, when I looked back at my older photos of TP (I've been stalking the building for a while), I see that there were already kickboards on the lower levels and orange netting on all floors except the top 6-10, where they relied on a black net placed outside the building.

Mayor Malloy said the upper floors were cluttered and unsafe, so I'm guessing that black netting is what failed. You can read more about Trump Parc's drama and destruction in my "Construction/Development" category.

Current Trump Parc netting as of 7/26:



Former Trump Parc netting, 5/23, below, just after the first incident- a ten pound piece of metal fell 25 stories and through a truck's cab: "The fallen object appeared to be a piece of bracing used when construction crews pour concrete... Similar objects were found caught in the construction site's safety net, [police spokesman] Cooney said, but one must have fallen through or missed the net. 'It's par for the course for the smaller pieces of debris,' Cooney said. 'Little pieces come off, but nothing that would cause any damage. This is the first incident of this degree that I'm aware of.'" (from Advocate) Oh, but not the last!



Because of my hard drive crash, I lost photos from June and July, but on my flickr site, there's a pic of TP from June and you can see that it looks pretty much the same.

Here are two pics of current TP netting/kickboards:




And here is a close up shot of the shattered glass panel at UConn, which was the third debris damage incident. It only shattered the darker, outer panel, which is why it's a lighter color than the windows beside it. The darker panel had a 5 foot hole smashed into it when a 2-inch piece of metal sailed across the street from God knows how high up. That is one tall-ass building.

Odd Advocate Headline About Trump Parc

A reader posted disgust at yesterday's Advocate/Time article "Trump Parc leads transformation of Stamford." The headline also caught my eye: the building is not even finished yet, and the only remarkable thing it's done for most of us is enrage us by sending debris crashing into the street below, at least 3 times, from oh, 20, 30 stories up. My commenter wrote, "If you haven't already read it, you're not going to believe the SPIN BS that the Stamford Advocate wrote today on Trump Parc." He/she called it unbelievable and outrageous and wondered if the Advocate got paid off to write it. While the article did not strike me as that nefarious, I do have a couple of reactions.

First, I was puzzled by the title. Um... what grand transformation is it leading? More accurately, it has the potential to lead a transformation. Announcing that it is currently doing so seems imprecise and will understandably give some people the impression that the Advocate is being overly positive about the new building.

Interestingly, the Greenwich Time titled the same article "Trump tower changes Stamford's skyline." That's obviously a more accurate title. I wonder if the Advocate gave the Stamford edition a more provocative title just to irk us.

Second, I was somewhat puzzled by the timing of the article. It didn't mention that while some are excited about the building's potential to transform downtown, others are still irritated about the carelessness the contractor has shown so far. If this had been written a few months after the entire site had been shut down for what sounded to me like gross negligence, rather than a few days, I might not be struck by the omission.

I'm not left angry; I'm just very puzzled. I think the main problem is actually the Stamford edition's headline. If you read the article, it presents a pretty balanced view of the project even though it does not mention the three stunning accidents in the streets outside. (I'd be stunned if metal tore straight through my car roof or shattered a glass window of the building I were in.)

From article: But not everyone looks on Trump Parc as a tall beacon of hope for downtown. Renee Kahn, director of the Stamford-based Historic Neighborhood Preservation Program Inc., sees it instead as a harbinger of things to come... "Will this become the prototype where whatever local character we have left will be gone?" she said... Kahn said she is skeptical about whether the city's infrastructure can support a high-density population surge. Kahn's concerns include water supply, traffic issues and whether the city has enough sewage treatment facilities.

I only wish there were a few more people quoted about their concern-- there were four excited people quoted, including a senior managing director of sales and marketing for Trump Parc, and only one concerned person-- and a more balanced headline.

I completely understand my commenter's anger, though. If I did not know that the reporter is a nice person, I might be angrier, but since I do know her (met her at the Malloy Trump conference and have talked to her a little about Stamford blogs), I let some time pass after reading the article before deciding how I felt about it.

Feeling: puzzled.

Trump Parc safety update: Finally, last Friday, after the third debris incident, the mayor took the proper steps to require the site to install safety measures. If you drive by Trump Parc, you'll see they have boards and nets blocking off any open spaces to prevent further accidents. According to News 12 this morning, floors 7-22, the ones that are already mostly glass-enclosed, have gotten the approval to proceed with work. Inspection of the upper floors will continue today. The links in this paragraph lead to my old posts, not old Advocate articles, so have no fear, you'll have access to the info.

I'll post some pics of the netting later today, but right now my camera is locked in my husband's car.

Go, Mayor Malloy! Trump Parc is SHUT DOWN...

until they clear the building to proceed, on a floor by floor basis, starting today. I actually attended the mayor's press conference yesterday, my first ever. There were a few reporters, a cameraman, a photographer, some guys in hard hats, and me. I must have looked odd in my workout clothes, pointing my little camera at the mayor.

The mayor said the bottom 22 floors that are already partially enclosed by windows could be back in action today, but he was "somewhat dismayed" by conditions on the top few floors. He said there was debris on all floors that didn't need to be there; tools and materials they were done working with, but had not cleaned up. While I'm surprised the workers didn't manage to clean up for the mayor's inspection, I guess I am happy they did not try to hide the evidence. Now, I get to gossip about it.

The mayor met with the contractor and outlined new safety measures, including better netting and "kickboards," that must be installed before any other work can proceed. I assume a kickboard is a piece of wood acting as a barrier on the edge of the building, so no one will accidentally kick something from 34 stories into the street. The News 12 reporter showed me the type of object that smashed into UConn Wednesday. It's tiny, but it must have come from the very top of the building to have managed to sail across 6-lane Broad St. The Advocate reports that Wednesday's debris was blown, not kicked, off the building; either way, it sounds like there were plenty of those items lying around.

The best thing: the city will now have an on-site inspector at Trump Parc, every day, paid for by the contractor, until the glass is fully installed in all floors. Yeah! The inspector will have the power to stop work immediately if he finds violations that threaten safety of passersby.

While I commend the mayor for all of these amazing steps, I think the inspector should have been there after the second accident, especially since the builder allowed things to stay sloppy. Malloy said, "We've also instructed that any open areas on floors 8-22 be fully cleaned and that any openings be fully secured with a footboard or netting." There were open spaces where things could fall through; that's not OK when people are walking right below. The contractor should have known that. If he didn't, why wasn't the first- or second!- incident of a smashed car enough of a heads up? I'll give a big Stamford Talk "DUH" on that. The contractor did not take enough care to protect pedestrians and drivers, and that should have been obvious before the third incident. What if Wednesday's projectile had pinged a little baby in the eye? Rrrrrrrrr I am still angry.

I still don't really get how that little object managed to impact the bottom window of UConn. In this left of this pic, you can see plywood and caution tape at the damaged window. You can also see how it was right at "baby in a stroller" height, as opposed to the first projectile in May, which took a more adult-like "rip through cab of a truck and narrowly miss killing driver" path. That was a hefty ten pound chunk of something or other. June's airborne debris was a metal cable that landed on the back half of a car, blowing out the back windows. Ka-blam! Oh, the silly shapes that airborne construction debris can take!

I hope we take this as a lesson to act sooner rather than later in the future. We're lucky to have gotten away from this situation with no one badly hurt... yet. I still plan to avoid the site until the crane is down.

A big thank you to Mayor Malloy, Director of Operations Ben Barnes, and whoever else helped bring about these new measures.

My favorite part of the conference:
Mayor: Any questions?
Advocate reporter Elizabeth Kim shoots her hand up.
Mayor: Yes?
Kim: Will that crane be stopping? (We all look up and observe the 40-story crane lifting something heavy-looking up into the sky.)
M: Yes. We only decided to stop work about two minutes ago, and word probably hasn't reached everyone.
Kim: So that crane will be stopping?
M: Yes, it will be coming down.

I liked her spirit. Read her excellent article on the press conference; it's so much more coherent and organized than mine.

Later, the mayor clarified "coming down." Turns out they are almost done with the crane because all the forms have been laid on the top floors. They're going to start using elevators to bring stuff up soon. YES!!!!!!!! I cannot wait until that crane is gone. That, along with kickboards, should significantly decrease the risk of things falling on us.

Click on the "Construction/Development" tab in the right hand column to read all my posts on Trump Parc.

Debris Falls From Trump Parc for the Third Time: Are You $h!tt!ng Me?

I am so angry. Actually, first let me say I'm happy because a reader posted a comment that debris fell from the Trump construction site today; I appreciate the tip, or I would have been blissfully blogging about trivia. This is the third time an object has fallen into the busy area below. The building is on one of the most heavily-traveled roads in town, the one that leads directly to the train station and I-95, so it's not like we can easily avoid the site. I am absolutely disgusted.

This time, metal snapped off something and flew across Broad St. into a window of the UConn building. You know, that building with the all-glass front. If this situation weren't deadly, it would be funny. How can these people be so incompetent?

It is beyond unacceptable that metal is flying off of a 30 story building. So, my question is, what should be done? Should we close Broad St. and Wash. Blvd? Should we shut down construction? WHAT is the solution? Obviously, the late June "refresher course in safety" for workers didn't do much good.

If these people can't do the job right, I'm sorry, the roads really should be closed. Sucks for us, and sucks for traffic, but I don't want anyone to be killed. I think I'm going to write a letter to the editor and to the mayor.

Here's a pic of the UConn Glass Front from last fall, while they were digging the foundation for Trump Parc. That white wall with windows to the right of the yellow crane is part of Trump, I think, not UConn- I believe that whole face of UConn is all glass panels.

I'm not going anywhere near that building until it's done. In the meantime, I give Trump Parc a big Stamford Talk "F You." It's the only thing I've ever given that, but it totally deserves it.

That building has not heard the last from me.

Update 8/2/08: Stamford Talk Posts on Aftermath of Third Incident
--July 29, 2008-- "Photos of New Trump Parc Safety Measures"
--July 28, 2008-- "Odd Advocate Headline About Trump Parc"
--July 24, 2008-- "Go, Mayor Malloy! Trump Parc is SHUT DOWN..."

--Click here for my post about the second time debris fell; that post has several pics. You can also see more pics of Trump at my flickr site.

--Here is the full text of the News 12 article below.

Debris falls from Trump building for third time

(07/23/08) STAMFORD - Debris fell from the Trump Parc condo building in downtown Stamford Wednesday, for the third time.

The small piece of metal, which is described as weighing a few pounds, apparently snapped off of something and became projectile around 8 a.m. It smashed through a window at UConn's Stamford campus across the street.

The impact destroyed the outer pane of the double-pane window. Crews worked to repair the damage and picked up the broken glass.

The incident is the third since May at the site, located at Washington and Broad streets. Last month, a piece of cable fell from the 29th floor, breaking a car window. In May, a 10-pound piece of metal fell 25 stories. A deliveryman was injured in that incident.

The accidents at the condo construction site have left pedestrians wary. "There's a crosswalk here. After the second incident that occurred here, I no longer use that crosswalk," said Dr. Michael Ego, of UConn.

Watch Out for Trump Crane on Sunday, Stamford!

I am almost- almost!!!!- tempted to go watch them raise the Trump Crane this weekend. That's what they were doing to that crane in NYC when it collapsed in May. According to the Stamford Times, roads around the site will be closed from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. this Sunday.

Don't plan on driving on Broad or Washington, and watch your head if you are anywhere in the area. I wouldn't go shopping at Target on Sunday if I were you, nor would I picnic in Mill River Park, just in case. I do not trust that construction site.

Visit my flickr site to see my pics of Stamford's cranes over the past 8 months.

By the way, here is a pic of the littlest crane in Stamford:

It's building something near Greyrock Place, I think. I feel better about this crane since it's half the size of the Trump one.

More Falling Objects in Stamford: Oh No You DI'IN'T, Trump Parc!

WHAT- THE- HECK. One of us is going to get killed by Trump Parc.

Last week, I took this pic of the busy intersection by TP.

Today's Advocate Headline: Object falls at the site of Trump Parc

The article text: For the second time in two weeks, an object fell yesterday from the Trump Parc construction site and struck a vehicle, police said. A 3-foot-long piece of cable about a half-inch in diameter fell from the 29th floor, said Lt. Sean Cooney, a city police spokesman. Cooney said the object hit the back of a VW Jetta occupied by an unidentified Greenwich man at about 2:50 p.m. The driver was not injured, but the car's roof caved in, and its rear and side windows shattered on impact, he said.

CAN YOU IMAGINE? What if there had been a baby in the backseat by those windows? I am PISSED.

Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy said he will speak with the city engineer, the building department and those in charge of construction at the Trump Parc site. "We're going to have to sit down with these folks, maybe close the job, until we get some level of satisfaction about these procedures," he said. "A second incident in a short period of time tells me people are being reckless."

YES, Malloy, you tell those f#&kers. SHUT DOWN TRUMP UNTIL WE HAVE SOME ANSWERS. Stuff falling 20 stories onto cars below is unacceptable!!!

SHUT- DOWN- TRUMP. No "maybe." Shut it down. And invite the public to the meeting.

For your gawking pleasure, here are a four pictures I took of the TP construction site, which looms over the busiest part of the city. You can see how huge the crane is. The last shot is of a concrete truck blocking traffic on May 1; that's my steering wheel in the bottom left corner. I know- I'm an amazing photographer.

Let the Statue Parade Hi-Jinx Begin!

I was downtown today for the first time since the human statues went up, and I was not disappointed. Driving up Atlantic, I was thrilled to see a statue of a little girl swinging on a stop sign who looks like she might fall into the road. That's gonna fool some people and give them a scare, and that's my favorite part of the human statue parade. I love having my mind messed with; I love a shot of drama on a hum-drum drive around town. (No, Trump Crane, that's not a hint for you to mess with me by tossing chunks of metal down at me. Stay the F away from me.)

Outside the Ferg, I saw my first instance of people playing jokes with statues. A man crouched behind the statue of the guy with the camera, made bunny ears, then sprinted back across the busy intersection to a large crowd of his laughing friends! Yes! Mayhem! Danger! Statue Parade, you rock!

Downtown again later today, at the same Ferguson intersection, I saw a person sitting on a bench who I was sure was fake. Nope, he was real. A moment later, on my green light, five people jaywalked right in front of me by the camera guy. I actually honked at them because they were ambling and sipping sodas as if they were at a carnival, rather than jaywalking in one of the busiest intersections in the city. I swear, with the line between fake and real being so blurred, pedestrians feel they can do whatever they want. I like this element of chaos even though it's annoying.

I passed the Marilyn Monroe statue outside the Avon Theatre. Don't forget the Marilyn Monroe Look-Alike Contest Tuesday, June 10. Round up your friends, talk a few of them into wearing a halter dress and a blond wig, and meet at Capriccio at 530 for dinner and drinks. Pre-contest party at the Avon at 615, contest at 7, then a showing of the movie Some Like It Hot. Only complicated thing: you have to submit a contest application by June 4, but you can do it online. Go to the Stamford Downtown website, click "Event Calendar", and scroll down. I think there is a singing portion of the competition, so it's pretty involved, but there are cash prizes! I'm going to try to get some friends to do it. I have one friend who I think might do well.

As I left the downtown area, a banner announced the Live at Five Thursday concerts coming up. Stamford, I feel you gearing up! I'm hearing non-residents talk about the concerts, and Stamford, we are getting so famous!

Related Stamford Talk Posts:

--March 27, 2008- "Human Life-Sized Art Downtown," in which I tell you why the human statues are too much for me to handle.

--May 26, 2008- "Stamford, NYC, Trump's Looming Cranes," in which Stamford residents weigh in on our very own Crane of Danger.

--May 23, 2008- "Falling Metal at the Trump Parc Site: I'm Angry," in which our very own crane finally attacks

--April 5, 2008- Sat AM: "Looming Crane and Road Closings," in which I take another swipe at the crane

--December 6, 2007- "Target Under Attack by Trump Parc?" in which I first bring up the possible danger of the Stamford crane


This guy on the bench is the one I thought was a statue, because he was sitting very still, and his skin tone looked a little odd, just like the statues.

Stamford, NYC, Trump's Looming Cranes

Welcome back from what I hope was a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I spent Saturday shopping at the Stamford Mall; both my sis and I needed more work clothes. We made a rare voyage to Norwalk (husband's idea) to see the new Indiana Jones (horrible) and eat at Kazu (awesome). On Sunday, my sis moved into her NYC apartment and we spent Sunday and Monday walking around the city. It was lovely to be outside and lovely to leave Stamford only because it makes me love it even more when I return.

As I zipped up 95 today on the way home, I caught my first glimpse of Stamford and felt a rush of love- what fun things will I do here this week? Then, I realized I was catching a glimpse of Trump Parc and the teetering crane! You again! I thought. You, hovering over the trees and the roads. You, dropping chunks of metal through car roofs. Anytime I go toward Target or the train station, it's you, totally in my face!

I'm not sure why I have not yet seen angry letters about last week's crane incident in the Advocate. Is the topic just too obvious? Not to freak you out, but click the following link for pics of last winter's crane accident at Trump Soho that killed a worker. Two Trump crane incidents within six months of each other? Not cool!!! I hope Stamford's fearless leaders (who is that? Malloy?) have this under control. Click here to see a pic of the hole the falling metal caused when it crashed through the truck's roof on Broad St. You know, the road where we all drive every single day.

To end on a positive note, I'm going to have a moment of meditation for crane safety: ................ done.

Falling Metal at the Trump Parc Site: I'm Angry

What the heck?!??!? I knew this was going to happen! I'll post more this weekend, but I KNEW something was going to go wrong at Trump Parc. I see that crane teetering every damn day on the way to work. Guys, we are sitting freaking ducks. I am going to avoid Washington Blvd. from now on so I am not killed by falling debris. Any of us could have been hit by that! Screw you, Trump Parc.

Article: Driver injured as metal falls from Trump Parc
By Jeff Morganteen Stamford Advocate 05/23/2008

STAMFORD - A 10-pound piece of metal fell 25 stories from the Trump Parc construction site Wednesday morning, ripping through a truck's cab and striking the driver in the right shoulder, police said.

The piece of construction material left a 6-inch-wide hole of mangled metal and torn insulation in the middle of the Crystal Rock water delivery truck's roof. The driver, a 34-year-old Monroe man, suffered minor injuries. He was waiting at a red light on Broad Street, about to turn left onto Washington Boulevard at about 7:30 a.m., when the metal smashed through the truck, police said.

"A foot more to the left and it would have hit him in the head," said Rick Macari, location manager at the Crystal Rock office on Long Ridge Road. "The important thing is he's OK."

The driver was treated and released from Stamford Hospital three hours later, according to police spokesman Lt. Sean Cooney.

"He's lucky to be alive," Cooney said. Police and Macari would not provide the driver's name.

A compliance officer from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been investigating the accident since shortly after it occurred, said Robert Kowalski, area director of the administration's Bridgeport office. Kowalski said he could not provide details about the accident's cause because it is still under investigation.

Trump Parc, the 34-story glass-and-steel tower at Broad Street and Washington Boulevard, will house 170 luxury condominium units; it has been under construction since last May. F.D. Rich Co., one of the building's owners and developers, did not return phone calls seeking comment.

An official from the tower's builder, George A. Fuller Co., said the company is looking into the incident and still awaiting details from its own investigation, said Chief Operating Officer Paul Slaney.

Mayor Dannel Malloy, who in March called for more construction safety after a crane collapsed in New York City, said the city will aid Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators if needed. "Hopefully, the contractor is sitting down with the supervisor and having some major discussions about this," Malloy said.

The fallen object appeared to be a piece of bracing used when construction crews pour concrete, Cooney said. Similar objects were found caught in the construction site's safety net, Cooney said, but one must have fallen through or missed the net. "It's par for the course for the smaller pieces of debris," Cooney said. "Little pieces come off, but nothing that would cause any damage. This is the first incident of this degree that I'm aware of." After the driver was hit by the object, he approached a police officer directing traffic at the site, who saw the hole in the truck's cab, Cooney said.

Macari said he saw the oblong metal object on the cab's floor when he visited the accident. "Something like this you never expect to happen to you," said Macari, who visited the accident Wednesday morning. "What are the odds?"

Sat AM: Looming Crane and Road Closings

Yikes- heads up on a major traffic disaster coming up today. If I were you, I'd avoid the whole damn area. Note that there is a crane mentioned in the last paragraph of this Advocate article.
Parts of Washington Boulevard and Broad Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to noon tomorrow for construction at the Trump Parc condominiums on the corner of the two streets, according to the city Office of Operations.

Broad Street will be closed from its intersection with Mill River Street to Summer Street. Washington Boulevard will be closed from its intersection with Main Street to North Street.

The Office of Operations Engineering Bureau said the contractor of Trump Parc is completing a slab for the building's 11th story and needs to raise a crane in order to construct additional floors. The luxury condominium tower is slated to be 34 stories.

Trump Parc, you'd better be worth all the trouble you're causing me, because, so far, I am hating you.