Stamford to Receive State Grant to Purchase Easements for Mill River Greenway

The city of Stamford is set to receive a state $263,647 grant for the acquisition of trail easements along the Mill River for the Mill river Park and Greenway, as part of a program announced by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Tuesday.

The grant is part of nearly $7.8 million in state grants designed to assist 25 communities in purchasing 2,237 acres to be preserved as open space.

“Conserving land is an important investment in our future, and today’s grants move us closer to meeting our goal of protecting 21 percent of Connecticut’s land as permanently protected open space,” Malloy said in a statement. “Preservation projects such as these are fundamental to maintaining our high-quality of life, protecting the immense natural beauty of our state, and making Connecticut a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

The grant will pay for the negotiated trail easements with 11 separate property owners along the owners’ back yards that abut the Mill River. Approximately 50 feet in width, the trail easement will add to the 28-acre, three-mile long Mill River Park and Greenway. Acquisition of the easement will not relocate residents or businesses, but it will restore natural habitat along the river. A long time goal of Stamford, the trail easement along Mill River will provide public access to Long Island Sound.

Malloy also said in a statement, “Our residents and visitors will soon have many new open space areas in which to enjoy family time together outdoors and all that nature has to offer. It is also important to note that these lands will provide very convenient access to the outdoors, as more than 685,000 Connecticut residents – or about 20% of our population – are within a 10-minute drive of one of these properties.”

The open space grants will help the State of Connecticut achieve its goal of protecting 673,210 acres of land by 2023. Connecticut now has 496,948 acres designated as state or local open space lands, 73.8% of the goal.

Have a news tip? Email barbara.heins@patch.com. You can also post your own news, events and announcements on Patch by following these directions. Curious about how our new commenting platform, Disqus, works? Learn more about it here and start interacting with your neighbors on Patch.