Good News If You Oppose The $10 Million Silver Sands State Park Project

MILFORD, CT — Senator Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, today announced the bipartisan Senate passage of Senate Bill 605, which would halt the controversial buildout of Silver Sands Beach State Park in Milford.

Hundreds of Milford residents have expressed their opposition to this project. Senate Bill 605 will prevent the buildout from moving forward for two years, unless it receives municipal approval. The bill passed with unanimous, bipartisan support. It now moves to the calendar of the House of Representatives where Milford’s House Delegation, Representative Kim Rose, Representative Pam Staneski and Representative Charlie Ferraro will work for its final passage.

“The people of Milford don’t want this buildout of their beach, and the state of Connecticut simply cannot afford it. It simply makes no sense to pursue such an expensive, unwanted construction project, particularly in the current financial climate, when we are struggling to even keep our state parks open. This project was ill-conceived from the start, and I’m glad we were able to put a stop to it,” said Senator Slossberg in a statement.

“People deserve to have a say in what happens to their community, particularly when it comes to major, transformative construction projects like what had been proposed at Silver Sands. Hundreds of people spoke out against this buildout, and now their voices will be heard. This bill will put Milford residents on equal footing with the state officials pushing the buildout of Silver Sands, which will help us reach a fair conclusion that can be supported by the people who would be living with the effects of the construction," Slossberg said in her statement.

The Silver Sands proposal, which is currently estimated to cost $10 million, has been in the works for some time now. Public hearings held in Milford attracted hundreds of town residents. Opponents to the project are concerned that the project is based on an outdated Environmental Impact Evaluation and is underestimating the damage that this construction project will have to local plants and wildlife. They are also concerned that the plan to begin collecting tolls for people to park at the beach will make it too expensive for community residents to visit the beach they have been going to for years.

The proposed buildout of Silver Sands would include construction of a maintenance garage, concession stand, viewing stand, entrance booth and other facilities. Senate Bill 605 ensures the state could not pursue this controversial construction project at Silver Sands for at least two years without approval from the town of Milford.