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Delusion, Dawdling, and Silliness

I recently watched the Guilford Board of Selectmen’s public hearing on the Shoreline Green Trail (SGT) proposal to construct the first segment of its bikeway in Guilford. As a 50-plus year resident of Guilford, I have a few thoughts I would like to share on this project.

For me, it was a three-hour lesson in delusion, dawdling, and just plain silliness. In my opinion the opponents of the project clearly demonstrated the folly of the bikeway.

It appears after 15 years SGT has obtained substantial state grants to complete a small 0.7-mile segment of the bikeway from the Guilford-Madison town line along Route 1 to Route 146. To me, SGT has no concern on the impact that the bikeway will have on the businesses and residents impacted by this scheme.

I question why SGT, a private organization, was able to utilize the Guilford Engineering Department to draw up plans for this segment of the bikeway project. Will the town be reimbursed for this service?

The estimated cost of this project could be as much as $800,000 and, if approved, there is no plan for the next phase or how much or who will maintain the bikeway in the future.

I am disappointed that SGT is pressuring the Board of Selectmen to approve this section of the bikeway knowing that there are almost insurmountable obstacles, both man-made and natural, that will prevent this bikeway from ever being completed.

Also, in spite of the fact SGT has stated it would not use eminent domain to obtain the property needed for the bikeway, it has no control over the process. Eminent domain has been used in other Connecticut towns when building bikeways by the state.

I urge the selectmen to vote against the bikeway project and cease spending taxpayer dollars on it.

Earl J. Swan, III

Guilford