Another Fabulous Year!
So much steady progress towards putting shovels in the ground! 2025 Will Hopefully be a Year of Construction!
Dear Friend,
As we endeavor to start a bold expansion year in both directions in 2025, we’ve so much to be thankful for from the work completed in 2024. It has been a productive year of permitting, engineering design and capital raising with hopes towards completing construction over the next 12 months. This expansion will see the trail effectively double its length to five miles, extending from Russell Street in the heart of Litchfield, through the heart of Bantam and terminating at Stoddard Road near the Morris border. The year was filled with things happening behind the scenes to set us up for what is ahead. We are so excited and thankful to you, our supporters and partners.
A few quick links to highlight if you’ve not yet seen. First is a link of the trail via Google Maps as well as via the newly launched Connecticut Trail Finder platform which is useful for more trails in the area as well as the Litchfield Land Trust among others. Also, have a look at a fun video ride of the future Phase 5 Russell street expansion, starting at the recently restored Litchfield Train station.
We started our year keenly focused on further construction fund raising and finalizing design work, securing all permits and executing all land use agreements for both Phase 4 (Trail to Bantam) and Phase 5 (Russell Street). This will put us in a great position looking into 2025.
In JANUARY, taking advantage of good weather, our team of soil scientists began flagging wetlands soils along the proposed trail for Phase 4 in collaboration with our surveying and engineering team. Maps were completed and our application was submitted to the Litchfield Inland Wetlands Commission in February for consideration.
Through FEBRUARY, engineering design and new grant applications were developed, completed and submitted in early MARCH. Our wetlands permit was secured after two meetings with little fanfare, and we submitted our big grant application for $320,000 to the CT DEEP Recreational Trails Program. This will be used to fund construction of Phases 4D & 4E, (High Bridge Road to Stoddard Road.
We thanked you again in APRIL, closing another successful Give-Local campaign helping fund our operating and maintenance costs for part of the year. We quickly put those fun ds to work getting much needed mowing and maintenance completed to have the trail ready as the weather warmed up. The FLCGW Board of Directors also approved adoption of a new administrative software platform to better track our supporters and streamline our communications.
….Big Grant News in May from CT DEEP’s RT Program…
In MAY, we were thrilled to announce we’d successfully secured our grant request from the CT DEEP Rec Trails Program for $320,000, putting us on very solid footing towards putting shovels in the ground once design and permitting is complete. We also submitted our designs, draft land-use agreements to the Litchfield and Bantam Planning & Zoning Commissions towards advancing our permitting process through the summer.
In JUNE, we were so thankful to finalize a land-use agreement with Valiant Energy to allow the Greenway to avoid an existing driveway along the Eversource easement and divert the trail on to their property as the trail approaches Bantam Lake Road. This agreement will also accommodate parking. We are so thankful for their support in making this possible, eliminating what could have been a considerable hurdle. This section will be known as “Valiant Way”.
Throughout JULY, our engineering and Board of Directors sought to address questions, consideration from both the Litchfield and Bantam P&Z Commissions, the Litchfield Water Control Authority as well as those presented by the Department of Public Works. We also initiated our permit work with CT DEEP towards crossing the Bantam River. We celebrated the official opening of the Russell Street Train Station office with the Litchfield Land Trust and other tenants, many supporters and elected officials. It was a fabulous celebration despite the powerful storm that rolled through knocking out power.
….and Steady Progress through the Summer.
AUGUST was filled with public hearings at both commissions after public notices were circulated. We were so thankful to receive substantial public support at both meetings both in person as well as via email. This really helped and underscored the enhancement this project will be for Litchfield / Bantam.
After further comments and design tweaks, the FLCGW secured conditional approval from both Commissions in SEPTEMBER, pending final approval of the pedestrian bridge crossing the Bantam River. With this behind us we can now focus our attention entirely towards finalizing engineering design review with Eversource and CT DEEP.
OCTOBER brought some additional good news! The Town of Litchfield Board of Selectman approved the purchase and installation of the Advance Warning Rapid Flashing Beacons system for White Woods Road crosswalk area. This system will greatly enhance the safety and well-being of all Greenway users crossing at this intersection. Funding will be made possible by funds made available from the Town’s recently disbanded Traffic Safety Community Action Group budget.
Unfortunately, initially scheduled meetings with Eversource needed to be postponed due to their dispatch to provide mutual aid support to utilities impacted by the recent hurricanes in Florida and North Carolina. We’ll regroup with them in DECEMBER with hopes to secure approvals in early 2025.
We’re Keenly Focused on Shovels in the Ground in 2025!
We look forward to starting construction as soon as practical and once final approvals, permits, etc. are in place. There are many details still to be addressed but thankfully the big things have been addressed.
We are hopeful to extend the Greenway in both directions in 2025, northeast from South Lake Street along Russell Street to “The Station”, the recently renovated former Shepaug Railroad station which today serves as the headquarters of the Litchfield Land Trust as well as a not-for-profit organization hub housing the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society, Litchfield Community Greenway, Litchfield Housing Trust, and Rivers Alliance of Connecticut. If you’ve not visited, come have a look at the recently renovated building.
At the same time, construction heading West and Southwest starting at North Shore Road, through Bantam and terminating with new parking just off of Stoddard Road should also be complete in 2025. These two large projects will nearly double the length of the Greenway to just over five miles making it a true landmark asset for the overall community.
But We Still Need Your Support !!
A longer trail will come with added maintenance, insurance as we seek to create a sustainable organization to protect this wonderful new Greenway trail. We need your continued support to make this a reality. In addition, please continue to send us your pictures / videos so we might post them on our website and social media! Also, let us know if you have additional ideas or are interested in joining us – drop us an email at [email protected].
Thank you again for your continued support and we look forward to updating you on our progress in 2025.
We’ll see you on The Greenway!
Sincerely,
The Friends of the Litchfield Community Greenway Board of Directors
Clifford A. Cooper, President
Berta Andrulis Mette, Vice President
Dan Walden, Secretary
Gwen Burgess, Treasurer
John Clock, Marty Connor, Diane Field,
Marc McCarthy, Jeff Pratt
