Historic Foote’s Bridge Road

NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION GROUP

[Featured Photo]

Progress Made on All Fronts

5-Feb-06

Perry Bessas has added some new photos submitted by John Weber. They start here.

Just before Christmas, Roxanne Ignatius, Donna Pittorie and John Weber met informally with the Town of Guilford to discuss what was going on with Foote’s Bridge Road.

We were pleased to hear that the town officials agree that our access road proposal (Playing Fields Road) is also considered by them as the most reasonable and desirable solution if a road is required to access a new development on Goss land. We were advised that wetlands would not be an issue, as the Town can return developed land (Sullivan Drive access to the Stump Dump) to wetlands, in an even trade for moving the bridge to Playing Fields Road. If this occurred, the new road at Playing Fields Road would service both the Stump Dump and the new Goss Development. The new bridge at Sullivan Drive would most likely be hauled out (it’s precast concrete) and moved north to Playing Fields Road, and the land past the Sullivan’s driveway to the Stump Dump would be returned to natural wetlands. Encouraging! It was very good to hear that the town is behind us on this issue.

We also heard that the town has not given up on the idea of purchasing (some or all of) the Goss property to keep as open space. The issue here of course is that the town will have to put up a fair market offer for the property in order to be taken seriously. The amount of money to be raised is considerable and the town is very busy researching what monies could be available from State and Federal grants to support an outright purchase. We understand that the Audubon Society is fully supportive of preserving the land as open space, and is an active participant in the grant research. This is also encouraging news, as the Audubon Society has extensive experience and success in supporting projects like this. The Goss family is open to consider any reasonable proposal from the town.

Not much is happening on the PZC side. The Goss development plan has not yet cleared all wetlands issues, and until it does, is not likely to appear on the PZC agenda for discussion. We will keep monitoring progress and will alert you to any developments that require your active support.

Goss Proposal Tabled Again

16-Nov-05

It is expected that the Goss proposal will be tabled once again at tonight’s meeting, this time until 12/21. It is still at an early stage (just a consideration for open space) and specific details need to be hashed out. Please check back here periodically for updates.

Goss Proposal Postponed

18-Oct-05

The Goss proposal was withdrawn from the Oct. 19 meeting agenda. The earliest that it will come up again is Nov. 16.

Article Re: New Goss Proposal

3-Oct-05

The Guilford Courier did a nice write up on the new Goss proposal.

Oct. 19 Public Hearing Scheduled

18-Sep-05

The current agenda for the Planning and Zoning Committee meeting for this Wednesday evening, Wednesday, Sept. 21, indicates that the Goss development plan is being scaled down from 110 lots to now 100 lots. The 1st part of the PZC meeting shows that the original development plan is being withdrawn (Public Hearing, item 6). Alternatively, a smaller development is being presented for consideration as an open space subdivision, with a public hearing date of Wednesday, Oct. 19. This revised, smaller development is located in the “Regular Meeting” side (item 2).

Obviously, the key meeting will be the public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 19, but anyone who is interested in the details of the new development plan should attend this Wednesday evening’s PZC meeting—starting at 7:30 PM at the Community Center. It is expected that the new plan will show a subdivision with access from East Bearhouse Hill Road and Podunk Road, with most roads within the subdivision ending in cul de sacs, and no planned access road over the East River. This means that the Goss proposal to use Sullivan Drive may no longer be part of the current subdivision plan. We shall see.

For those of you who can’t attend the PZC meeting this week, we will provide a recap of any items or discussion that touches on Foote’s Bridge Road.

Meeting agendas can change at the last minute. Call 453-8039 (at 3:00 PM or later on the day of the meeting) to check the latest agenda.

List of Supporters Continues to Grow

Currently, over 80 people who have registered to say they support this cause, and the number grows every day. It is vital we continue to grow our list of supporters so please spread the word to friends and neighbors. Thank you so much for supporting us.

Peter Kindlmann Photos

8-Sep-05

Peter Kindlmann just submitted these lovely photos of the Foote’s Bridge Road area. Take a look.

[click on thumbnail of photo to enlarge]

Town may buy Goss property

5-Sep-05

The New Haven Register reports that the town of Guilford may buy about 500 acres of rural land form the Goss family in order to prevent it from being developed. While this is great news, it is far from a done deal. It is now more important than ever to register your support for our cause, so that we can show a united front in backing this initiative and so that we can keep you informed of the latest developments.

Excerpts from the New Haven Register article:

Balestracci said the selectmen are looking into buying the land from the Goss family, using a combination of state and federal grants and bonding.

…

he [Balestracci] said the price of the land likely would be minimal compared with the cost of services for 110 more families moving to town.

…

The proposal [Goss housing development] has generated controversy from residents concerned about the developer’s plans for accessing the subdivision.

…

The proposal is scheduled for a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission Sept. 21.

We made the Courier’s front page

2-Sep-05

There is a lengthy article about our cause in this week’s Guilford Courier, so take a look and spread the word to your friends and neighbors.

History of Foote Cemetery

1-Sep-05

Below is an excerpt from a letter Thomas Ward Foote (descendant of General Andrew Ward of Nut Plains, Guilford) recently sent to Selectman Bishop. It brings to light in a personal way some of the history of Ward Cemetery (also known as Foote Cemetery):

The Ward Cemetery was founded by General Andrew Ward who served under General Washington in the revolution, and who lived in the immediate vicinity of the cemetery. When on of the General’s grandsons died, the body of the youth was hand-carried by a relay of bearers from Nut Plains to the Guilford Green. During this sad task on a hot day, one pallbearer collapsed and died. Following this tragedy, and to prevent a reoccurrence, General Ward founded the cemetery virtually in his backyard.

In the book Old Guilford published in 1939, the historian Charles Hubbard described our cemetery as follows:

It meets the salt tide near a little round knoll. Once I overheard the stream talking to the knoll, but what stream could refrain from talking? And the great white oaks stand on the little round knoll and about the pasture lot and talk back to the stream and they speak to the white pine and they speak to the tall locusts and they speak to the pale dim stones in the little graveyard on the little round knoll. The stream talks and the oaks talk and the stones talk of the quiet valley—and of the Beechers and of the Footes and of all those who once journeyed this way to meed the great tide from the other shores.

While the cemetery itself is private, the Shoreline Greenway trail runs adjacent to the cemetery and is used by members of the community to enjoy this peaceful part of the countryside.

Photo courtesy of Peter Kindlmann. See more of Peter’s photos.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Foote’s Bridge Road worth saving?
What are the issues?
What are the alternatives?
What is the Foote’s Bridge Road Neighborhood Preservation Group?
Which town officials have received the Preservation Group’s proposal?
How can I get involved?

Why is Foote’s Bridge Road Worth Saving?

The reasons for this decision to preserve and protect Foote’s Bridge Road are important:

Historical: Foote's Bridge Road represents one of the last unpaved sections of the original New York to Boston carriage road. The current bridge itself dates from the 1800's, and the East River ford crossing there is as old as the town itself. This area of town was home to Guilford's historical families: the Foote's and the Evart's, and the historic houses front Foote's Bridge Road. The Foote family home was the girlhood residence of Harriet Beecher Stowe. The Foote Cemetery dating from the 1700's is the resting place of Guilford's historic Foote and Ward families, and is still in use today. Additionally the town historian points to this road and surrounding area as the camping ground of the Sachem and her tribe after the original sale of land to the Guilford settlers in 1639.
Rural Town Character: Foote's Bridge Road is without a doubt one of the most exceptionally beautiful areas of all Guilford, owing largely to the unpaved nature of the road, the ancient trees, and the historic buildings and sites that surround this East River setting.
Environmental: Foote's Bridge Road and Bridge form the focal point for viewing the abundant wildlife found in these tidal wetlands. This area is already designated an environmental Salt Marsh Sanctuary for Plants and Wildlife, protected by both State and Federal law, and the Connecticut Audubon Society.
Recreational: in spring of 2005 the Board of Selectmen presided over the dedication and opening of first Guilford section of the Shoreline Greenway Trail for non-motorized hiking and biking. The trailhead starts at Foote's Bridge Road and continues through historic farmland and forest via the original Bearhouse Hill Road. The Goss family has actively supported the Shoreline Greenway Trail, and has made access to the trail from Foote's Bridge Road over the fields and through the forest to Podunk Road open and available to the Guilford public for walking and recreation.

What are the Issues?

In order to move forward with the next phase of property development (approximately 110 houses on this site), the Goss development plan requests approval from the town to build an access road from the Goss property across a section of the town stump dump to connect with the town road, Sullivan Drive. The town has recently improved Sullivan Drive by installing a new concrete bridge capable of sustaining the existing heavy truck traffic to the stump dump, and wide enough to accommodate any increase in traffic.

The Goss family has offered to pay all costs for building the Sullivan Drive access road, including all work on the east side of the new town bridge (stump dump), as well as improvements to the paving and grading of Sullivan Drive up to Goose Lane. Because the Goss development plan proposes to cross a small section of town property (currently used as an access road to the stump dump), the board of Selectmen must approve the use of town property for this plan. In consideration for the use of town land, the Goss family has offered in return to donate the open meadow boarding the East River between Foote’s Bridge Road and Sullivan Drive to the Town of Guilford for recreational use.

At a recent site walk on 11-AUG-05, the town engineer outlined his concerns with the Sullivan Drive access road, citing pros and cons, and expressing his disappointment that this plan does not provide a direct east-west road through to Nut Plains Road. As an alternative to the Sullivan Drive plan, the town engineer, himself a Madison resident, has suggested as an alternative the destruction of Guilford’s historical Foote’s Bridge Road to accommodate a 2-lane east-west highway for through traffic from Madison to Route 1, following the route of Foote’s Bridge Road, Half Mile Road, Nut Plains Roads, and State Street. Since the town currently has no immediate or viable east-west traffic plan going west beyond Nut Plains Road and State Street, this is essentially a plan for improving Madison residents’ access to Wall Mart and the already heavily congested section of Guilford’s Boston Post Road (Route 1). Aside from the loss of an irreplaceable natural resource, the town engineer’s proposal to destroy historic Foote’s Bridge and the surrounding environment would only make the current traffic congestion on Route 1 worse, not better.

The Guilford Planning and Zoning Committee in its meeting of 22-APR-05, unanimously agreed that using Foote’s Bridge Road as an access road to the Goss development was not an acceptable alternative to the proposed Sullivan Drive access. In the minutes of the Planning and Zoning Committee meeting of 01-JUN-05, the PZC indicated that they were officially “happy that all [are] open and on record that Sullivan Drive will be widened and be a Town road,” supporting the Goss development plan.

What are the Alternatives?

While the Sullivan Drive plan is not ideal, (as it does not fulfill the town engineer’s desire to build a clear-cut east-west highway through heavily populated residential districts), it is certainly a better alternative to destroying the historical, rural, environmental and recreational benefits that Foote’s Bridge Road currently offers this community. However the Sullivan Drive proposal still does represent some extensive engineering requirements to bring the road to the town planning department’s desired standards (heavy filling, grading, and tree removal).

Since Foote’s Bridge Road is not a desired alternative, and Sullivan Drive presents engineering obstacles, we would like to suggest a 3rd alternative that has none of the engineering problems of the other two, and avoids any wanton destruction of Guilford’s heritage. The third and best alternative uses the existing town road (currently unpaved) on the south side of the Nut Plains playing fields as the new access road and east-west connector to the Goss property development. This abandoned road, which we shall refer to as Playing Fields Road, provided access to the town garden allotments which are no longer used. The road runs from Nut Plains Road at the entrance to the playing fields directly to the East River, and the river can be crossed with an inexpensive concrete bridge similar to the one just installed on Sullivan Drive.

The benefits of this proposal will satisfy all concerned:

Access to Nut Plains Road is provided on a level grade with good sightlines, and requires no radical engineering initiatives. (No grading, no road cuts, no invasive roads suddenly pouring traffic onto residents’ driveways.)
Access to the mid-point of Nut Plains Road provides drivers with a three-way choice of traffic flow: north to the schools (Guilford Lakes Elementary, Guilford High School, Baldwin Middle School); south to I-95 over Goose Lane, and west into town via State Street. By meeting Nut Plains Road on the north side of the Goose Lane/Nut Plains junction, this option is in fact the BEST solution for the Town Planner’s desire to share the traffic burden of the new Goss development.
Access to Nut Plains Road over the existing town road (Playing Fields Road) avoids the need to appropriate any resident’s private property for road improvements. (Appropriation of private property would be required by either Sullivan Drive or Foote’s Bridge proposals).
The route over Playing Fields Road will be unseen by any current home owners, and will carry the most intense traffic flow to/from the Goss development without any disruption to local residents.
The route over Playing Fields Road could possibly provide a new access to the stump dump, providing residents on Sullivan Drive with relief from heavy truck traffic.
Foote’s Bridge Road and the surrounding rural and historical environment is preserved intact, serving as the main link of the Shoreline Greenway Trail.
No destruction of ancient trees is envisioned with this 3rd alternative.
The town has a clean and clear road link to residential areas east of the East River, and can link this to further east-west developments at Hubbard Lane if that ever comes to the light of day.
This proposal will require Wetlands approval. However all three proposals involve wetlands. Foote’s Bridge Road in its current natural state is already designated as a State and Federal wetlands sanctuary, and the Audubon Society as well as the State Environmental Protection Agency will certainly be involved in opposition to any suggestion to destroy this sanctuary with major road building. Sullivan Drive and the town stump dump sit in wetlands today, and any major engineering modifications of this roadway will also require Wetlands approvals. Applying for Wetlands approval will be a part of any proposal, and should not be accepted as a reason for inaction or rejection.

What is the Foote’s Bridge Road Neighborhood Preservation Group?

A group of concerned Guilford residents and taxpayers who feel that the town planner, the town engineer, and the Board of Selectmen need to consider all possible alternatives for road development before an irrevocable decision is made that could negatively affect all future generations.

Which town officials have received the Preservation Group’s Playing Fields Road proposal:

The Board of Selectmen
The Planning and Zoning Committee
The Inlands Wetland Committee
The Town Planner (George Krall)
The Town Engineer (James Portley)
Inlands Wetland Administrator/Tree Warden (Leslie Kane)
Town Historian (Joel Helander)

How can I get involved

We ask that all Guilford residents join us in this proposal to use Playing Fields Road as access to the Goss development. With your support, all that is required on the part of the town is some vision, creativity, and common sense. You may register your support by calling any of the numbers below.

If you have not already done so, please register your support by filling out our web form or by calling any of the numbers below.