Today, Norwalk Mayor Rilling was joined by state, local and city leaders for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of Calf Pasture Beach’s new parking lot and pedestrian walkway.
The City of Norwalk prioritized what Norwalkers value most: our beaches, our parks and protecting these assets with green infrastructure. Mayor Rilling emphasized how we continue to make smart investments to maintain, protect and improve these critical assets. By creating this brand-new, car-free pedestrian walkway, the City of Norwalk is providing families with a safe place to walk to and from the beach without having to worry about vehicles crossing their paths and where they can safely unload their coolers, chairs, strollers, etc.
Additionally, since we want as many residents as possible to enjoy our beaches, we redesigned the parking lot at Calf Pasture Beach to create more resident-only parking. We now have nearly 650 resident-only parking spots at Calf Pasture Beach and Shady Beach. The redesign also includes new entrance and exit signage to reduce traffic congestion and enhance safety for everyone.
We also consolidated our handicapped parking spots to make them easier to find and more accessible. Finally, since climate change is one of the biggest threats that we're facing, we are utilizing green infrastructure to continue to protect and enhance our natural environment for the benefit of residents and future generations, including the water quality in the Long Island Sound and aquatic wildlife. By prioritizing resource-efficient, well-maintained, cost-effective, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, we are making smart investments in our long-term environmental community resiliency plans.
Mayor Rilling thanked our Common Council Members who voted in support of the capital funding this project needed, including Darlene Young, who is the Majority Leader of the Common Council and the Chair of the Recreation and Parks Committee and helped advocate for this project. He also thanked Vanessa Valadares, the City's Chief of Public Works and Operations and her team, including Dan Stanton, the City of Norwalk’s Senior Civil Engineer, who led this project for the Engineering Department, as well as Christine Cardascia and Mario Pizaghelli, who were an integral part of the design and construction process. Finally, he thanked Robert Stowers and Ken Hughes, the Director and Superintendent of Recreation of Parks, who ensured every detail enhanced the quality of life for beach and park visitors.
View a video of the Ribbon Cutting HERE.
N