Final Installment: Officials, Residents Debate Long Beach West

Previously, we have heard from Mayor John Harkins, two members of the state Department of Environmntal Protection (DEP), three members of the CT Audubon Society, Town Conservation Administrator Brian Carey, and several residents. 

Next to speak was Susan Hendrick Wilson, a Lordship resident, who bemoaned the fact that she was “silly enough to hold a sign up for five hours about the [Long Beach West Sale] referendum and now you’re saying it didn’t count and that the money was never there?” 

She was referring to Mayor Harkins’ assertion earlier that evening that the $10 million price that some in Stratford thought the Fish & Wildlife Service would pay the town to purchase Long Beach West “never existed … and the referendum should have never been held.” 

Wilson nevertheless remained in favor of the town selling Long Beach West. “Why don’t we approach them [Fish & Wildlife Service]? … This town has no money,” she said.

She asked where town officials thought they would find the money to make improvements and to maintain Long Beach West “when we have no money? … we’ve cut the library budget … so how are we going to afford to take care of this property properly? 

“We owe it to the 60% of the people [who voted in favor of selling Long Beach West in the 2008 referendum] to try” to sell it, Wilson said. 

At that, Connecticut Audubon Society Senior Director Milan Bull answered, “That window for transfer has closed for now.

“We need to do what the mayor has said – to work for environmental goals – achievable and do-able,” Bull said.

The state DEP’s Brian Thompson then added, “our role, our only direct role in this is if there is a proposal" made below the high tide line, for instance, if there was a proposal to install a dock or a structure. "Then, we would have a direct regulatory role and we would be involved.

“But as far as planning for use, Carol [Szymanski, another DEP official attending] will work with the town gladly. But ultimately that decision [of planning for use] would rest with the town and whatever they decide to do.” 

“Were there any other options?” someone asked. What about building on the site in the future, Lordship resident Walter Rimkunas asked? 

Town Conservation Administrator Brian Carey noted that “there is a development restriction” held by the federal government in the amount of $900,000, which is equal to the amount in federal stimulus funds spent to complete the recent restoration including tear-down of the cottages. 

“It’s called a conservation easement,” Carey said, and that’s the amount that would have to be paid back to the federal government if some entity including the town of Stratford wanted to propose something other than the full preservation of the property. 

Bull added, “In other words, for about a million dollars you can buy the development rights.” 

Someone then asked, “What if Bridgeport builds another bridge [to access Pleasure Beach]?” What if Bridgeport at some time decides to develop Pleasure Beach, not now, but maybe in the future?

Mayor Harkins fielded that one. “Bridgeport is not on that path,” he said, adding that Bridgeport is currently talking about having a water taxi provide seasonal service to Pleasure Beach. 

Another asked about safety and emergency access to Long Beach West?

Carey noted that the Stratford police department “has a new marine unit,” and that a fire department’s land response would take about 15 minutes or less. “That is not a big problem going forward,” Carey said, especially with the cottages now removed. 

Rimkunas then asked about the rock boulders blocking access. “That is on the punch list and will be corrected,” Carey said.

And with no more questions forthcoming, the meeting was ended, with the next step being Mayor Harkins, along with the Town Council, naming a Long Beach West Advisory Task Force that would report back to the Council and townspeople.