A controversial project to upgrade and improve facilities at Silver Sands State Park in Milford has run into serious trouble as a result of two fires last month that destroyed newly constructed buildings at the site and burned other materials.
The first fire occurred March 19 and severely damaged three buildings that were almost complete. Authorities are still investigating the cause of that blaze. The second fire happened early March 24 and burned construction materials in two trailers. Officials are treating that fire as suspicious.
State efforts to improve Silver Sands have been underway for more than seven years. In 2012, the state Bond Commission allocated $509,000 for design of the park upgrades, and another $9.1 million was authorized by the commission in November 2017.
Milford state lawmakers and officials originally opposed the state’s plans to make major improvements to the park, saying traffic from the improved park could hurt local businesses and that local residents didn’t want expanded parking and other upgrades. Park advocates claimed some Milford residents didn’t want to see lots of non-local people coming to the beachfront park.
State officials say the fires won’t derail plans to provide visitors to Silver Sands with improved access and facilities, but the project has certainly been delayed once again and there is no current schedule for rebuilding the burned facilities.
Here’s a quick look at the park and the improvement project, by the numbers:
1955
That was the year Hurricane Diane swept across Connecticut and destroyed an estimated 75 homes along the beach in Milford. In order to help the town recover from the devastation, the state began buying up devastated properties along the shore.
297
The number of acres eventually purchased by the state, involving more than 300 different properties, for the planned park. The land acquisition was complete by 1960 and Silver Sands became Connecticut’s fourth shoreline state park.
$9,659,584
The total state bonding that has been committed to the project to pay for construction of several buildings, repairs to the boardwalk, and paving parking lots.
$6.987 million
The winning bid by New Britain-based Scope Construction Company Inc. for the Silver Sands project. Actual construction began in 2018 and was due to be finished in time for this year’s summer season. Scopes has a performance bond of more than $7 million and insurance.
$3.14 million
The total construction cost spent so far on the three buildings that were almost totally destroyed on March 19. State officials say the question of whether Scope’s project insurance will cover repairs to the damaged facilities “is still under review.”
$2,500
The reward being offered by the state for information concerning the suspicious fire set March 24 in the two construction trailers at the park.
