Milford One Step Closer to Stopping $10M Silver Sands Project

MILFORD, CT — Senator Gayle Slossberg today announced the bipartisan committee 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 until it received municipal approval. The bill passed in the Environment committee by a vote of 16-13. It now moves to the calendar of the Senate for further consideration.

“This bill ensures that this controversial, expensive buildout cannot be forced on the people of Milford,” said Senator Slossberg in a statement. “Hundreds of people have spoken their opposition to this major construction project being proposed for their community, but their concerns have been ignored. The passage of 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 this project.”

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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 Opponents to the project are concerned that the project is based on an outdated Environmental Impact Evaluation and is underestimating the damage that this construction project will have to local plants and wildlife.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 year, according to Slossberg's office.

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 without approval from the town of Milford. This bill would establish a moratorium on construction of the project until such time as the Milford Board of Alderman votes to approve it.

Slossberg and other Milford residents have requested more information on the proposed buildout, including environmental and traffic evaluations, as long as short and long-term cost projections. To date, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has not responded, prompting Senator Slossberg to submit a Freedom of Information Act request in order to obtain the information, Slossberg's office said in a news release. The DEEP has said they'll honor the FOI request.