1. Notice of Proposed Land Transfer in Old Lyme

Complete Address of Property:  Halls Road, Old Lyme

Commonly used name of property or other identifying information: A parcel located on the east bank of the Lieutenant River, situated adjacent to 11 Halls Road to the north and Route 1 (Halls Road) to the south.

Number of acres to be transferred:  0.67± Acres

Click to view map of property location

Description of Property

Below is some general information about the property. It should not be considered a complete description of the property and should not be relied upon for making decisions. If only a portion of a property is proposed for transfer, the description pertains only to the portion being transferred.

Brief description of historical and current uses:  The parcel to be transferred to the Town of Old Lyme was historically under the custody and control of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, and was associated with Route 1 and the prior Route 1 Bridge over the Lieutenant River. The parcel became surplus when it was no longer needed for highway purposes. In 1979, this parcel was transferred to the Department of Environmental Protection (now the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection or DEEP) for public access to the River.  

The property to be transferred contains the following: 

	Building(s) in use		Building(s) not in use		No Structures
	Other Features:	X	Paved areas		Wooded land
	Non agricultural fields		Active agriculture	X	Ponds, streams, other water, wetlands
	Public water supply		On-site well		Water Supply Unknown
	Served by sewers		On-site septic system		Waste Disposal Unknown

Click to view aerial view of property

Click to view photographs of property 

Links to other available information: Click to view property surveys

The property is in the following municipal zone(s): 

	Zoned		Not zoned	X	Not known
	Residential		Industrial		Commercial		Institutional
	Other:	[identify “other” zone]

Is the property in an aquifer protection area and/or a public water supply watershed?  No

Is the property in an area identified by the Natural Diversity Data Base as containing state-listed species and/or significant natural communities?  Yes

Is the property or any buildings on the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places or designated as a National Historic Landmark? No

Value of property, if known:

X	If checked, value is not known.

Type of sale or transfer:

X	Sale or transfer of property in fee
	Sale or transfer of partial interest in the property (such as an easement). Description of interest:

Proposed recipient, if known:  Town of Old Lyme

Proposed use by property recipient, if known:  Public open space and recreational uses.

Is the agency imposing restrictions or conditions upon the transfer of the land or land interest?  Yes. If yes, describe:  The transferred parcel will be subject to such rights and easements as may appear of record and any state of facts which an accurate survey or inspection of the premises may show, and conditioned that the premises shall be used for park, recreational and related parking purposes and it shall be open to the general public or it shall revert to the State of Connecticut.

Reason the state of Connecticut is proposing to transfer this property:  In 2015, at the request of the Town of Old Lyme for future expansion of its open space recreational areas, the DEEP transferred a 0.62-acre parcel on the west side of the River bank.  Presently, the Town is planning and designing a new public recreational trail with ADA-compliant fishing and crabbing pier, new footbridge over the River, and associated designated parking areas. The proposed transfer will enable the Town to finalize professional designs towards enhancing public use on both sides of the River.  Such enhancements will also serve to safely direct walkers off the highway out of vehicular traffic.  In preparing a quit-claim deed to convey the land to the Town, DEEP will ensure that the parcel transferred remains available to the public for open space and recreational uses.

Comments from the public are welcome and will be accepted until the close of business on April 4, 2024.

Comments may include (but are not limited to) information you might have about significant natural resources or recreation resources on the property, as well as your recommendations for means to preserve such resources.

Written comments* about the proposed property transfer should be sent to:

Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management

c/o Paul F. Hinsch

Office of Policy and Management

Bureau of Assets Management

450 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106-1379

paul.hinsch@ct.gov

Please also send a copy of any comments and/or questions about the proposed property transfer to:

Name:  Jamie Sydoriak, Environmental Analyst III

Agency:  DEEP

Address: 79 Elm Street, 6th Floor, Hartford CT 06106-5127

E-Mail:  Jamie.Sydoriak@ct.gov

*E-Mail submissions are preferred.

What Happens Next:

When this comment period closes, the proposed land transfer can take one of three tracks:

1.   If no public comments are received, the sale or transfer can proceed with no further public comment and no further notices in the Environmental Monitor, unless the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) elects to conduct a review of the property (see #3).

2.   If public comments are received, the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) will respond to those comments. The comments and responses will be published in the Environmental Monitor.  Fifteen days after publication of the comments and responses, the proposed sale or transfer can proceed, unless DEEP elects to conduct a review of the property (see #3).

3.    If DEEP elects to conduct a further review of the property, it may submit to OPM a report with recommendations for preserving all or part of the property. The report and recommendations will be published in the Environmental Monitor, and there will be a 30-day public comment period. DEEP will publish its responses to any comments received and its final recommendation about the property in the Environmental Monitor. OPM will then make the final determination as to the ultimate disposition of the property, and will publish that determination in the Environmental Monitor. Fifteen days after publication of that final determination, the sale or transfer can proceed.

To find out if this proposed transfer is the subject of further notices, check future editions of the Environmental Monitor. Sign up for e-alerts to receive a reminder e-mail on Environmental Monitor publication dates.