Hold off criticism of Stratford plan

7/1/07
Residents of Lordship need to take a deep breath.
A proposal for a greenway that would link parks and open space along the town’s waterfront has people in the Sound-front community in a tizzy. They are raising objections that make no sense, and overreacting to a proposal that will likely be decades in the making.
The first thing to remember is that the waterfront is a communal resource. It’s true that properties on Long Island Sound or the Housatonic River are among the town’s most expensive, and those owners pay the most in taxes. But encouraging people to take advantage of the outdoor benefits in Stratford makes good sense. The greenway concept has been successful across the country, including in many of this region’s communities.
Towns and cities in the Naugatuck Valley have worked to create open space along their riverbanks, with the idea that the area’s greatest resource had for too long gone untapped. Stamford is turning its own Mill River into a destination for walking and other recreation. And New York City has made the greening of its waterfront a top municipal priority for the coming decades.
Fearing the worst from possible visitors, Lordship community activist Robert Sammis asked, "Are they going to be knocking on people’s doors to ask for a glass of water or to use their restrooms?" No, they aren’t. The full plan likely couldn’t be completed for 20 years, giving the town plenty of time to work out logistics and funding issues.
Litter and traffic are legitimate concerns, but for now, it would behoove people to take some time and learn more about the benefits and possibilities from such a project before ruling it out. A greenway could be a real community treasure, and town officials should be given every opportunity to state their case.
In the meantime, nothing has yet been decided. Lordship remains a part of Stratford, and the communal waterfront is everyone’s resource. Give this plan a little time to develop before jumping to conclusions.