The Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial is set to quietly open to the public on Sunday, November 13. Visitors can enter the memorial site and park in its adjacent lot at 28 Riverside Road in Sandy Hook.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal has confirmed there will not be a formal public dedication of the Memorial; it will simply be open to the public everyday thereafter from sunrise to sunset through December 14 each year.

“After December 14th it will be open on a weather permitting basis as it will not be maintained during and after snow and/or ice fall,” Rosenthal told The Newtown Bee this week. “Parking is limited, however, so we respectfully ask for patience when visiting.”

No pets except for qualified support animals are allowed on the property and there are additional guidelines that guests are requested to follow when visiting, which appear on a Memorial Etiquette sign on the path leading to the site.

The sign states: “This is a place for reverence and quiet reflection. Please be considerate while sharing this space with other visitors. Be respectful with your language and tone and allow space for private contemplation.

*Please do not climb on, or throw anything into the water feature.

*No swimming, bathing or wading.

*Children must be supervised at all times.

*Please be respectful of the landscaping, walk only on paths and leave all plantings, including flowers, undisturbed.

*Any items left behind will be removed and disposed of on a daily basis. Please, only leave your thoughts.

*Gates will be closed and locked at sunset.

*Grounds will not be maintained in the winter.

*No organized gatherings permitted.

*This area is subject to [24-hour] video surveillance by Newtown Police Department.

*Property is subject to all rules as set forth in Town Parks Rules and Regulations.

The completion of the memorial and its opening roughly one month before the community and the world mark ten years since the tragedy, is the culmination of work that involved hundreds of volunteers, contractors, staff, local and state officials, and 12/14 survivors and the families of those killed that has been chronicled in dozens of reports in The Bee since plans for the permanent memorial were announced in 2013.