Connecticut is expected to allot $3.1 million for improvements at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, Gov. Dannell Malloy”™s office has announced, saying the money would be approved at the next meeting of the state Bond Commission.
The commission meets Friday in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
Sherwood Island is the state”™s first state park. It was pieced together in 1914 and today is 238 acres. Its pavilion was built in 1961 and is to be part of the overhaul.
The funding will allow the Department of Construction Services, in conjunction with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, to install a new roof on the pavilion along with solar panels for electricity and hot water. The plumbing and bathroom facilities will be updated, upgrades will be made to the concession area and necessary site landscaping will be completed.
“Sherwood Island is Connecticut”™s first state park and is visited by hundreds of thousands of parkgoers every year,” Malloy said in a statement. “It is also home to the state”™s 9/11 memorial and therefore has a special place in the state park system. The main pavilion has not seen any major renovations in nearly 25 years and is showing its age.”
Malloy also said, “Our state parks are destinations for millions of people every year and provide many recreational opportunities, including swimming, fishing, boating, and hiking. They also contribute significantly to the state”™s economy.”
Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Robert Klee said, “The improvements we plan at Sherwood Island State Park will greatly improve the park-going experience for the thousands of visitors the park receives every year.”
“This year we pay tribute to the environmental vision of Connecticut”™s early leaders. Our state has an expansive system of 107 state parks and 32 state forests,” said state Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton. “Sherwood Island State Park was the first of its kind in Connecticut. It is also the home to Connecticut”™s victims of Sept. 11 and their families. This beautiful memorial overlooking Long Island Sound may be the only place for some family members to reflect and to pay their respects. It is a moral obligation for the state to keep this area in good repair.”
“As vice chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, I”™m especially pleased with the solar panel installation on the pavilion roof,” said state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport.
