The three-member Greenwich Board of Selectmen to support of a statue of George HW Bush proposed by First Selectman Camillo to be located outside the Havemeyer building on Greenwich Ave.
The statue would reflect a private donation from former State Senator Scott Frantz.
The proposed location is inside a landscaped island outside the front door of the historic Havemeyer building, where today there is a tree.
Camillo said the vote was symbolic as the board’s approval was not a required part of the approval process.
The lone Democratic board member, Rachel Khanna, abstained after posing a series of questions to Camillo about the statue, including whether a sculptor had been chosen (No), whether there was a MOU about the gift and ongoing maintenance (Yes), whether the public arts policy had been followed and public arts committee had reviewed the proposal (No), whether a design of the statue was available to review (No), and whether there had been a public hearing on the proposed statute (Yes, at HDC and P&Z)
Original proposed location for the statue, prior to mature tree at left being removed. Contributed photo shows Maple tree before removal and flags/sticks marking out proposed location of George HW Bush statute.
Landscaping in front of the Havemeyer building. Dec 10, 2025 photo: Leslie Yager
The statue was initially proposed to be illuminated along with a water feature in the small triangular park in front of the historic post office building at 310 Greenwich Ave, in front of the World War I obelisk, but the Historic District Commission rejected that location.
The statue was next proposed to be located outside the Havemeyer building, next to the cluster of war monuments for people from Greenwich who died in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, but P&Z commissioners feared the lawn would begin to look like a cemetery, especially given the loss of the tree canopy.
(One mature tree was removed last summer, and the town tree warden said a second one will have to be removed as well.)
Maple being removed by Town of Greenwich on Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 Photo: Leslie Yager
Maple being removed by Town of Greenwich on Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 Photo: Leslie Yager
Instead, at the suggestion of commissioner Nick Macri at the Dec 9 P&Z commission meeting, the commission approved locating the statue outside the Havemeyer building’s front door where today there is a tree.
“Everybody seems to be happy with where it’s going,” Camillo said on Tuesday. “They made it pretty clear it didn’t need BOS approval but I thought it would be a symbolic gesture.”
Last summer, the location outside the Havemeyer building was selected for Camillo’s re-election campaign kick-off event.
First Selectman Fred Camillo held his re-election campaign kick off outside the Havemeyer building, where there is a landscaped circle. Camillo proposed a statue of George HW Bush be located in that landscaped circle. July 14, 2025 Photo: Leslie Yager
Democratic Selectwoman Khanna, who said she was proud to live in a town with a tradition of honoring its veterans, and President Bush was well deserving, had questions starting with the town’s public art policy and whether a committee reviewed the proposal.
Camillo said he appointed a public arts committee several years ago, but its activity had dropped off.
Khanna asked if the BOE needed to approve the statue.
Camillo said their approval was not necessary, and that he anticipated they would not remain housed in the building anyway.
Camillo said Parks & Rec director Joe Siciliano had done some research and determined that the triangular park outside the former post office as well as the lawn in front of the Havemeyer building comprised “Veterans Plaza Park.”
“Nick Macri proposed and it was voted on – to go over maybe about 20 feet. He thought it was a more prominent spot. It’s in the front of the building, but in the little circle with a little dirt there,” Camillo said.
Selectwoman Khanna said there was no rendering of the statue to approve.
Camillo explained that previously a rendering a statue at the Bush Presidential museum, was proposed as part of the application, but the sculptor had made it clear that it was not supposed to be presented, “because it was his work.”
“We had to show something. It was nobody’s fault, but it got put into the packet at HDC and he asked that they not do that,” Camillo said. “So we took it out.”
Camillo said he had planned to visit the foundry where the statue would be created and make a selection.
Selectwoman Khanna asked if a sculpture had been selected.
“We’ve narrowed it down to two,” Camillo replied. “We’re going to be making the selection in January.”
Once a sculptor is selected and there is an actual design, the HDC will review the design and materials, having made that a condition of their approval.
Khanna asked if the town had a MOU (memorandum of understanding) with the donor. “Are they covering the full cost?
“Yes, and he has offered to pay for everything,” Camillo said, adding that local Yale alumni had offered to contribute.
Town attorney Barbara Schellenberg said, “It will go through the full process of gift acceptance that normally happens at the BET and RTM. The committees will have the opportunity to ask any questions and address all possible concerns.”
Khanna asked if there had been a public hearing on the proposed statute.
Camillo said public hearings took place as part of the P&Z application.
“Also, HDC was very open and they had a lot of people coming there,” Camillo said. “It’s been in all the papers and it’s gotten a lot of positive feedback.”
“This is not final approval. It is part of the process. It could get through everything and then get to the RTM and fail there. Then you’d be back to square one,” Camillo said.
Khanna said she would prefer a second read on the application.
“Do we rally need a second read on this? This has been in the news. I don’t think we have to,” Camillo said, adding he would like the gift approval to be on the RTM January agenda.
“I would like to see a design,” Khanna said.
Selectwoman Lauren Rabin proposed a motion to approve the gift and location of the proposed George HW Bush statute.
Khanna abstained noting she would like to see a design first and more comment from the public.
Rabin and Camillo voted yes. The motion passed.
See also:
P&Z Approves Bush Statue Located Close to Havemeyer Front Door Dec 10, 2025
P&Z Watch: Havemeyer Might Resemble Cemetery with Addition of Bush Statue and Loss of Mature Trees Oct 31, 2025
Location of George HW Bush Statue in Front of Havemeyer Building Gains Support of Historic District Commission July 11, 2025
Camillo Shares Proposal for Illuminated Bush Statue & Fountain with HDC: To “liven up the Avenue a little bit” Feb 13, 2025
No Notice to BOE before Mature Maple Removed from Havemeyer Property Aug 26, 2025