17 Connecticut towns get state bond money for harbor improvements

The state’s Bond Commission on Wednesday approved $4.01 million in funding the Connecticut Port Authority had requested for harbor improvements.

A little more than $550,000 of that bond money will go to five New Haven-area municipalities: Clinton, Essex, Madison, Milford and West Haven. Some of the funding is being matched by the towns that will receive the bond money, according to officials with the Old Saybrook-based Port Authority.

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The money is being made available through the Authority’s Small Harbor Improvement Projects Program, which is designed to support economic development in Connecticut’s waterfront communities.

“These projects will create jobs and opportunity for working families across Connecticut,” Scott Bates, the authority’s chairman, said in a statement. “By partnering with local officials to identify and fund projects, we have developed a new road map for investing in Connecticut's small harbor infrastructure and the long term growth of our maritime economy."

Among area towns, the largest amount of funding is going toward redecking the docks at Milford’s Lisman Landing Marina. The docks were installed in 1985 and no improvements have been made since then, according to authority officials.

The marina, located on Helwig Street in the city, has docking space for 35 vessels. Ray Swift, operations director at Lisman Landing, said the redecking of the marina “is an aesthetic thing.”

“It’s not lke the marina is falling apart or anything, but after 20 years the decking and floats could use an upgrade,” Swift said. “This was a good opportunity for us to get that done. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next step is in the process.”

Madison will get $90,000 to conduct a study on whether the town should expand its recreational boatig area at Garvin Point into a full fledged marina with room for 4o to 50 boats as well as a boat launching ramp and a mooring for the municipal fire boat.

West Haven will get $9,800 to complete a conceptual design for a new boat launch ramp on state-owned property on Kimberly Avenue adjacent to Interstate 95. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection already has approved the use of the property for that purpose, according to authority officials

Clinton will receive $110, 000 to undertake engineering design for a project that will replace the boat ramp at the town’s marina. Essex will get $42,500 from the state and use $30,000 of its own money to update the town’s harbor management plan.

The authority made a request for applications to the competitive grant program in March.

Tribune Content Agency
Infrastructure Connecticut
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