Lake Zoar Properties —

P&Z Endorses Town Acquisition Of Marina, River Overlook

By Andrew Gorosko

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members have endorsed a town proposal to acquire two land parcels alongside the Lake Zoar section of the Housatonic River.

At a February 17 session, P&Z members backed the proposed town purchase of Eichler’s Cove Marina at 11 Old Bridge Road and Great Quarter Road, at the Monroe town line, and acreage at 38 Laurel Trail, upriver of Rochambeau Bridge.

The Board of Selectmen, the Legislative Council, and the Board of Finance all have authorized the acquisition of the two parcels, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal told P&Z members.

Private parties have expressed interest in acquiring the marina property, Mr Rosenthal added.

Acquiring the marina would allow the town to provide public access to Lake Zoar for active forms of recreation, Mr Rosenthal said.

Buying the two land parcels would be subject to voters’ approval at a town meeting. That meeting may occur in late March.

P&Z member Robert Mulholland, who is familiar with the two properties, said, “I think that for anyone who’s been down to Eichler’s Cove [realizes] this is a real treasure for the town…It’s a beautiful beach…Recreation is phenomenal.”

The site has great recreational potential for the town due to the existing boat slips and the marina there, he said.

Although the town owns a boat launch at the end of Hanover Road on the Lake Lillinonah section of the Housatonic River at the Brookfield town line, it has no boat facility on Lake Zoar. Lake Zoar and Lake Lillinonah are separated by the hydroelectric Shepaug Dam, which prevents boat passage between the higher Lake Lillinonah and the lower Lake Zoar.

The Eichler’s Cove property includes 10.5 acres, plus a 100-slip marina. The property contains two two-family houses, four cottages, two trailers, 50 picnic tables for rent, a small sales building, a garage, and a private beach. The marina is on level land, with sloped land near the western and northern property lines. The site has approximately 1,000 feet of frontage on Lake Zoar. The property has R-1 (Residential) zoning.

Kerin, Fazio & Leonard, LLC, an appraisal firm that reviewed the site for the town, places the value of the property at $1.2 million, as is.

If the 10.5-acre property were to be cut into two pieces, a 3.2-acre section containing the marina would be worth $1.05 million, with the remaining 7.3-acre undeveloped section worth $400,000 for a total of $1.45 million, according to the appraisers.

The town would acquire the property from William and Carol Marchetti, Mr Rosenthal said.

Although the town is seeking to buy the property, Eichler’s Cove Marina would remain in normal operation under the Marchettis’ management throughout the 2005 boating season, Mr Rosenthal said. If approved by voters, a town acquisition would occur after the boating season concludes, he said.

Laurel Trail

The land eyed for town acquisition at 38 Laurel Trail in the Riverside neighborhood is owned by Timothy Goergen and Joann Coletto.

The property consists of 17.6 acres of vacant land on the northern side of Laurel Trail. The property has about 1,600 feet of lake frontage with very steep slopes approaching the lake. The site is visible on the right to motorists who are crossing the Rochambeau Bridge on westbound Interstate 84.

The land is in a R-2 (Residential) zone, but does not have frontage on a town road, and thus is not currently subdividable under the town’s planning regulations. The site has access to hiking trails.

The appraisers place that property’s market value at $350,000.

At the February 17 P&Z session, P&Z member Lilla Dean pointed out that the site is “almost impassible” due to its steepness.

Mr Mulholland said that much of the property is a cliff face. If the property’s owner were to eventually subdivide the site, it could become the location for one to three houses, which would very visible to motorists traveling on westbound I-84, he said.

The site is linked to exisiting open space areas, lending itself to hiking, Mr Mulholland said.

Of a town acquisition, Mr Mulholland said, “It keeps that ‘open space look’ for Newtown as you’re traveling on I-84.”

“At this price [$350,000], 17 acres in Newtown is phenomenal,” he said.

The town would issue municipal bonds to raise up to $2 million to purchase both the Eichler’s Cove and Laurel Trail properties.