Conservation Commission
Shelton, Connecticut
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City of Shelton Open Space Marker
This marker is used to identify Public Open Space owned by the City of Shelton. It does not mark the exact location of the property line and may be as much as 100 feet away from the boundary, depending on site conditions. The Conservation and Pedestrian Easements markers have a similar look but different text.
Land Trust Marker
The Land Trust is a private, non-profit group that owns 364 acres of open space in Shelton, marked with these signs. People frequently confuse the Land Trust with the City of Shelton.
Wetlands Marker
These rectangular wetlands marker may be found in some newer subdivisions, usually on 4x4 posts. They mark the location of areas regulated by the Shelton Inland Wetlands Commission. These are generally on private property and are not related to open space.
Reclaiming the Pearl Bach Open Space
May 2021
A sliver of land known as the Pearl Bach Open Space has been reclaimed
for the residents of Pine Rock Park. The property had been used as a
cut-through by summer crowds looking to spend the day at Stratford’s
so-called “swimming hole.” After years of escalating problems with litter,
noise, and parking, an 8-foot chain link fence was installed to separate
Pine Rock Park's tiny open space from Stratford’s much larger Far Mill
River Park, where the “swimming hole” is located (in spite of the name,
swimming is prohibited).
The Pearl Bach property was donated by the Estate of Pearl Bach in 1996 to be used as a small park for the Pine Rock neighborhood, which is densely populated. The park consists of a 40-foot strip of land running for 350 feet alongside Manhassett Trail, comprising just a quarter acre.
Stratford’s Far Mill River Park park dwarfs the Pearl Bach property.
The 58-acre park runs along the river for a full mile. Fifteen of those
acres are located within the City of Shelton, but confusingly owned by
the Town of Stratford. The park was purchased from the water company in
the 1960s as a natural scenic area and intended for fishing and nature
watching. Summer crowds were never anticipated, and there is no
infrastructure to support them.
Parking on the Stratford side has been limited to one or two cars, and
walking through the thick vegetation has been difficult. Historical
access was via Pine Rock Park, mostly fishermen and nearby residents in
relatively small numbers. The real problems began in the 1990s as the
Internet grew in popularity. People as far away as New York and New
Jersey began to learn about the Swimming Hole from online discussion
boards and websites. Parked cars blocked the narrow streets of Pine Rock
Park, and there were problems with litter and people disturbing the
peace.
In response, the Police Department strictly enforced parking
prohibitions and towed illegally parked cars. City officials first
considered the idea of a fence in 2002, but held off installation due to
the cost and concerns about blocking fishermen and residents from
accessing the river.
In 2007, the Conservation Commission asked for public access to the Far
Mill River as a condition of approval for a proposed office/retail
building at #865 River Road. The goal was to relieve the parking stress
from Pine Rock Park while still allowing the public to access the scenic
river. The
Shelton Trails Committee created a trail connecting the office
building parking lot to the existing trail along the river, and multiple
litter cleanup efforts were held.
The new public access worked well for a short time, but coincided with the rise of social media, and within a few years there were twenty or thirty cars parked there on the weekend. Enormous piles of litter were left behind in Far Mill River Park as well as the parking lot. The situation was untenable, so the public access was shut down and blocked with a security fence.
Photo: River access at 865 River Road was shut down.
People continued to try and get inside Far Mill River Park. A loaded
car would pull up in front of the Pearl Bach property and a group of
people would emerge with coolers and grills. The driver would leave,
find a place far away to park, and walk in.
The summer crowds surged significantly in 2020 due to the pandemic, as
they did in many parks. People needed to be outdoors, and some regional
parks were shut down or only open on a limited basis (there was no
swimming at Indian Well State Park, for example). Complaints about
late-night parties escalated, and the Pearl Bach property was degraded
with litter and rogue trails leading to the river. The installation of
“no trespassing” signs had no impact. The Town of Stratford responded to
the complaints by designating their two parking spaces as limited to
Stratford residents only.
All were in agreement that a security fence needed to be installed. ,
with funding coming from a Pine Rock Park beautification fund.
Conservation staff managed the project, with site preparation completed
by Public Works and a fencing contract secured by the Purchasing Agent.
The fence chosen was 8-feet tall, since people had proven to be very
resourceful in their efforts to reach the Swimming Hole. It was coated
with black vinyl to keep the neighborhood attractive, and the abutting
neighbors were asked how they wished the fence to end at their
properties. And a locked gate was added for emergency access.
Going forward, people seeking access to the river will be instructed to
contact the Town of Stratford.