WATERFORD, Conn. — The state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is seeking public opinions on how to proceed with the design of the Passive Park concept as the planning process for Seaside State Park in Waterford progresses.
A DEEP release on Friday said that last year, the department announced that $7.1 million of committed funds would help create a Passive Park concept to improve waterfront access along Long Island Sound for visitors while protecting the site from coastal flooding.
The Passive Park concept was considered as an option in the Comprehensive Planning Process, during which DEEP communicated with local leaders, residents and stakeholders. As part of the Passive Park concept, deteriorated buildings on site will be removed, and restrooms, walking trails, shoreline improvements, picnic areas, parking improvements, and features to memorialize and commemorate the architecture and historic significance of the site will be implemented, DEEP said.
After partnering with a consultant, FHI Studio, DEEP is meeting with stakeholder groups and is seeking public participation in a survey that will inform the department what activities or features visitors would like to see in the park, help planners better understand how the site is currently used, and inform the historical commemoration of the buildings that will be removed, according to the release.
Survey responses are due by Aug. 5. DEEP said it will also hold a public meeting later in 2024 to gather more input from park users and the local community.
People are welcome to visit the park, but on-site construction has not yet begun, and the buildings remain closed due to their unsafe condition, the release said. When public outreach is finished, the architectural/engineering firm contracted for the process will take the information and ideas collected during the outreach and planning process and prepare a blueprint for the Passive Park concept, according to the release.
DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said in the release that the department is thrilled to continue moving forward in the planning process around Seaside State Park.
“Engaging with stakeholders to inform the Passive Park concept will help us commemorate the historic buildings, as we work to bring Seaside up to the standard of our other State Parks, and provide residents with an improved, unique, and beautiful opportunity to access one of our greatest assets - the Connecticut shoreline,” Dykes said, in the release.
Waterford First Selectman Rob Brule told DEEP that he is pleased that the state has chosen to seek input from the town of Waterford and its residents concerning the future of the site.
“We look forward to when Seaside Park is able to be fully enjoyed by the public based on a plan which incorporates their needs and concerns,” Brule said, in the release.
State Sen. Martha Marx (D-Waterford) said the opportunity will enable more local residents to provide feedback on what is a significant project.
“Seaside State Park is an important local resource, and this will preserve local shoreline access and invest in the future of the region. I encourage anyone with ideas for how it can be improved to contact DEEP and help move this forward,” Marx said, in the release.
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DEEP, town officials and the community overcame many challenges through due diligence, RFPs and public engagement over many years on park concept designs that weren’t feasible to get to this point, according to state Rep. Kathleen McCarty (R-Waterford).
"It is my hope that education placards regarding the historical and cultural value of the buildings on site and adaptive reuse of some of the buildings' historical features will be part of the planning process and incorporated into the new design,” McCarty said, in the release. “Participation by the public in the survey will be key and will bring new and creative ideas on how best to bring about a unique and beautiful passive park in our community.”
DEEP said Seaside became a State Park in 2014 after spending many years as home to a state health care facility that first treated children with tuberculosis before becoming a mental health complex.
It took DEEP several years to identify future concepts and funding for the park, and community engagement was a key part of the process. The release said DEEP looks forward to investing in Seaside State Park by “honoring its historic legacy while also providing improved access to the Connecticut shoreline for generations into the future.”
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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