Proposed Trail Section Well Received at Guilford Hearing

August 21, 2014
View of East River from Guilford-Madison town line

View of East River from Guilford-Madison town line where proposed Guilford Trail Section would begin

Good News in Guilford! Public comments about our first proposed Shoreline Greenway Trail section in Guilford were very positive from many of c. 50 folks attending an August 13th Public Hearing. Thank you to all who attended and spoke in favor of the Trail.

The nearly one-mile Trail section will be on the south side of Route One, going west from the East River to Boston Street, completely separate from the road on CT DOT right-of-way, and will vary from 10’ to 8’ wide. Homeowners along the proposed section who were present expressed their enthusiasm about the plan. The Trail section will be functional and aesthetically pleasing, using guidelines established by Shoreline Greenway Trail.

Town Engineer Jim Portley succinctly presented the preliminary design developed by his department working with Milton Charlton, co-chair of our Guilford Shoreline Greenway Trail team. Jim and Assistant Town Engineer Mark Damiani have been invaluable partners in this project, and we are very grateful for their support.

View of Route 1 site of proposed Shoreline Greenway Trail Guilford Section

View of Route 1 site of proposed Shoreline Greenway Trail Guilford Section

Now, with help from the federal and State grants awarded to Shoreline Greenway Trail, we are on a roll! However, patience is still needed…the final design approval will hopefully be secured by next Spring, aiming for a groundbreaking by next summer 2015.

Be on the lookout for more Guilford updates and calls for volunteers now that we have a tangible project underway. There is a lot we need to do in Guilford to raise awareness and funds for the Trail, before it is built. For more info, contact Pam Bisbee Simonds, co-chair, Guilford SGT Team.