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01/27/2016 09:00 AMIt may be a little cold out now to consider taking a walk down near the beach, but local volunteers are working hard to complete the Hammonasset section of the Shoreline Greenway Trail in time for the warmer weather, according to Trail Vice Chair Virginia Raff.
The Shoreline Greenway Trail is a planned, 25- mile continuous path designed for cyclists, walkers, and hikers. Once completed, the trail will span five towns, with Lighthouse Point in New Haven marking one end and Hammonasset State Park in Madison marking the other.
Raff, who also chairs the Madison group for the project, said there is still a lot of work to be done, but progress has been made.
“The Hammonasset section is going very well,” she said. “There is an unfinished part of the trail inside Hammonasset Park that will be built during the replacement of the park’s underground utilities. The installers will cover a bit of the area they disturb with trail instead of grass. That should be done in the coming summer, along with a safer crossing at the entrance road.”
First Selectman Tom Banisch praised the project and said certain aesthetic features may be in the works for the project as well. Property located at the intersection of Scotland and River roads was recently donated to the Madison Land Trust and Banisch suggested some of the structures on the property might be re-purposed for the Shoreline Greenway Trail.
“They are going to remove the houses, the buildings that are on it, and one of the buildings, which I think is a barn, they are going to take it apart and rebuild it as a bridge down on the Shoreline Greenway Trail,” he said. “They are going to cover that with wood from the barn.”
Raff confirmed the idea, but said it may take time before construction can begin.
“We might make the newly built small bridge over Tom’s Creek into a covered bridge,” she said. “The construction crew wants to do one. We need to finish the rest of the work and be sure we have enough funding. We also need someone to design it.”
In the meantime, the next challenge for the Madison section of the path will be the six- or seven-mile stretch that runs through town and will connect the trail to Guilford, according to Raff.
“More than 10 years ago the trail organization obtained a federal grant, which has been put in the hands of the town to manage,” she said. “The town has chosen to use it along the Post Road between Lovers Lane and Scotland Avenue. So far an engineering firm has been selected to do the design, but they are not able to proceed until the town takes the next step.”
Government roadblocks have been the biggest challenge for the timely completion of the project said Raff.
“I counted some 10 or 11 permits, certifications, approvals, sign-offs, etc., we needed just for the Hammonasset mile,” she said. “Then there was the challenge of raising the money. I worked on permitting and fundraising. And building always comes with challenges—controlling erosion, controlling vegetation, etc. Litterers and irresponsible dog owners who leave their doggie bags lying around make the trail less pleasant for everyone else.”
Despite the obstacles, Raff said the project, which is completely volunteer run, has received an outpouring of support from the community.
“The real hero of the project is Perry Rianhard, our trail master, who has volunteered countless hours and incredible skills and determination over the past eight or nine years,” she said. “Many others have put in a lot of time clearing vegetation, much of which is invasive vines.”
Eagle Scouts have also taken the time to lend a hand to the project.
“Eric Marsh was our first Eagle Scout and he installed the sign and benches that overlook the beautiful marsh vista along the park entrance road,” she said. “Tom O’Sullivan installed a bench and bike rack near the parking lot. They both represent Troop 491 in Madison. Eric Weidman of Guilford planted the rain garden in the middle of the parking lot to catch run-off keeping it from polluting the salt marsh.”
Raff said it will be a long time before the whole trail is completed, but encourages people to go out and explore the existing sections.
“This trail belongs to everyone,” she said. “We love to have people out using it.”
To learn more about the Shoreline Greenway Trail or to volunteer, visit www.shorelinegreenwaytrail.org.