Among the nine winners of the Westport Historic District Commission 2012 Preservation Awards to be presented in a rescheduled Town Hall ceremony at 7:30 p.m. today is the eastbound station house at the Metro-North Westport station in Saugatuck. “After playing second fiddle to the westbound station which was restored some years ago, the eastbound station was suffering from a long period of deferred maintenance,” the HDC said. The station was built about 1849 with renovations in 1890 and 1936.  Although state-owned, the Westport Police Department is responsible for its maintenance. Two years ago Chief Dale Call and Deputy Chief Foti Koskinas and Building Official Steve Smith undertook a combined effort to rehabilitate the building, which will include rooftop solar panels to power the building and 20 electric vehicle charging stations outside. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Among the nine winners of the Westport Historic District Commission 2012 Preservation Awards to be presented in a rescheduled Town Hall ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, is the cottage at 15 Powers Court. According to the HDC, the structure dates to about 1835 and was used to house workers of a local leather manufacturer located on the site of what is now the Westport Country Playhouse. The building was in great disrepair when SIR Development purchased it in 2007. This award is being given for “efforts to achieve an adaptive reuse of a historic structure while retaining many of the significant exterior elements of the original building, including the original clapboard siding, roof lines and shed dormers.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

By Judy Szablak

The National Association of Realtors released its third quarter report showing more areas gaining ground and growth in metropolitan area median home sale prices.

This home at 100 Partrick Road is listed at $1,498,000. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Photo courtesy of William Raveis Westport/Michelle & Company

The median existing single-family home price rose in 120 out of 149 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) based upon closings in the third quarter, and is much better than the same quarter in 2011, where 39 metros were up. Twenty-nine MSAs had price declines.

Locally, Westport ‘s 2012 third quarter sales narrowly edged out 2011 during the same period. However, our area was not one of those enjoying an increase in pricing year-over year based solely on the third quarter. 

The average sale prices dropped slightly in town by just under 2.5 percent, or about $30,000 from $1,325,449 in 2011 with an average sale price this year of $1,293,678 in the third quarter. The number of year-to-date home sales is also down slightly, but YTD dollar volume figures show a rosier picture, and a $50,000 increase in average sale prices overall.