UPDATE: Proposed Silver Sands State Park Major Upgrades Would Lead to Fees For Access

UPDATE: DEEP WILL BE RESCHEDULING THE PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION ANNOUNCED IN THE STORY. A PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION ON PLANS FOR IMPORVEMENTS AT SILVER SANDS STATE PARK WILL TAKE PLACE, BUT IT WILL NOT BE THE NIGHT OF SEPT. 22.

By Brian McCready, Milford Patch Editor

The Silver Sands State Park project that Milford officials so bitterly opposed as presented in the spring is still on its way, and that means proposed park upgrades would lead to a toll booth and a fee for users of the park including Milford residents.

Because Silver Sands lacks current amenities like Hammonassett State Park in Madison has, users can use the park for free.

Well that could change if the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection proceeds with its plans for park upgrades that include adding public bathrooms, changing areas, lifeguard and law enforcement space, and a snack bar with a wraparound deck.

Instead of having free access to Silver Sands residents will pay $9.57 on weekdays and about $14 on weekends. Milford officials have previously vehemently opposed the idea of a toll booth and residents having to pay.

The issue has resurfaced once again because the DEEP has scheduled a public information meeting in Milford to present plans for improvements to Silver Sands State Park, which is located in that city.

*The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Milford Town Hall. (Note the meeting will not be held on Sept. 22, a new date is going to be announced.)

“This project will continue the agency’s efforts to transform this popular park, much of which was the former city landfill,” said the DEEP in a release.

The agenda for the public meeting will consist of a presentation of the project plans, followed by an opportunity for questions and answers in a one-on-one format with staff. The meeting will conclude with time for citizens to provide public comment on the project.

“Our goal is to provide better services to people who visit Silver Sands State Park,” said DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee. “With thousands of visitors annually, it is important to provide bathroom facilities, a snack bar, and a place for staff support at this popular location on Long Island Sound,”

“The public information session we have scheduled in Milford,” Klee said, “is an opportunity for citizens to view the improvement plans, to discuss the project with our staff, and to ask questions about it.”

The project is the next phase of many years of improvements at Silver Sands State Park. The state of Connecticut has invested more than $10 million dollars since 1960 in acquiring property, addressing landfill closure, and adding park amenities, including the popular Silver Sands Boardwalk.

The project is also part of DEEP’s “Lead by Example” effort and includes many features intended to enhance the environmental sustainability of the area. The new restrooms will be on an elevated deck above the flood zone and behind sand dunes; wildlife habitat improvements are part of the project; and the parking area will include spaces for electric vehicles and handicapped parking

The public information meeting is separate and distinct from a scheduled formal public hearing that is part of an administrative hearing process on a tidal wetlands permit required for the project. That public hearing is scheduled for October 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Milford Town Hall.