Road Renamed in Honor of Bigelow Tea

The Fairfield Metro Center development's generated a lot of comment since plans for it were first unveiled about a decade ago.

But the Board of Selectmen's decision on Wednesday afternoon to rename a street that runs alongside the 35.5-acre property "Constant Comment Way" wasn't in tribute to residents and elected officials who have been talking about the massive project through town meetings, press conferences, court hearings and in letters to the editor.

Timko Street was renamed "Constant Comment Way" in honor of the flagship tea of the R.C. Bigelow Co., a longtime company on Commerce Drive in Fairfield that raises money for charities in Fairfield and Bridgeport - most notably through its annual road race in the town's Southport neighborhood.

"It's a big day for us. We're very excited," Cindi Bigelow, president of the R.C. Bigelow Tea Co., said in a first-floor conference room in Sullivan-Independence Hall before the selectmen's 3-0 vote.

First Selectman Ken Flatto said the selectmen don't often get the opportunity to name roads because most roads in town already are named and those constructed as part of new residential developments are generally named in accordance with a developer's wishes.

Flatto said Timko Street was "totally rebuilt and widened" for the Metro Center development and would lead to a "kiss and ride," or drop-off area for commuters, on the New York-bound side of the tracks before it continues to a back parking lot for the tea company. He said he thought it'd be nice to honor Bigelow Tea for its civic and corporate responsibility and that the company always gives to the community without receiving, or expecting, anything in return. Flatto said he hopes the R.C. Bigelow Tea Co. "will always be in our town for many years to come."

Selectman Sherri Steeneck said she hopes Bigelow Tea remains in town forever, and added, as an aside, that Constant Comment was the only tea she drinks.

Selectman James Walsh noted Bigelow Tea's efforts in raising money for charities in Fairfield and Bridgeport and said the company "should be held up as a role model in the community."

Bigelow said the road now named "Constant Comment Way" looks fantastic. "It's obviously a huge compliment to us. We're in this town because we love this town and we don't want anything back," she said.

Bigelow said renaming the street after the tea her grandmother invented 65 years ago, and which remains one of the company's best-selling teas, is a "big deal to us" and will enable the company to reference Constant Comment Way on invoices for deliveries. Constant Comment is a black tea that includes orange rinds and spices and was the company's first tea.

Flatto said the name wasn't too long to fit on a street sign.

The Fairfield Metro Center will include the town's third train station, from 1,300 to 1,500 parking spaces for rail commuters and nearly 1 million square feet of commercial development if fully built out. The train station is expected to open in late fall.

Another road associated with the Metro Center development, which will run from the base of a state Department of Transportation bridge and through the 21 Black Rock Turnpike property before connecting to Black Rock Turnpike around where BJ's Wholesale Club is located, likely will be named next spring.

Flatto said that road would be built in the spring and would be a town road.