pleasure beach

Pleasure Beach deal outlined to sell two beach properties

By Bill Cummings and Richard Weizel

February 12, 2008 - Connecticut Post

Bridgeport and Stratford have agreed to join forces in pursuing the sale of Pleasure Beach and Long Beach West to the federal government, preserving the contiguous waterfront properties as a national wildlife refuge.

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and Stratford Mayor James R. Miron announced Tuesday the outline of a deal to sell the sweeping beachfront to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service.

Details of the transaction must still be worked out, but the sale price remains a major hurdle.

Pleasure Beach, the Bridgeport side of the combined property — essentially a long, narrow island off the two communities' shoreline — has been appraised at $38 million, according to Adam Wood, the chief of staff for Finch.

But the federal agency's initial offer of $19 million is considered much too low, he said.

Stratford, which for months has been debating the sale of its share of the waterfront, known as Long Beach West, is said to be close to a $10 million deal.
"The ultimate result of a sale would be a well-maintained beach with public access for swimming, hiking, camping and fishing. It's exciting. If we left it up to the city, we would never have a park there again," Finch said.

Miron said he is "confident" the partnership between his town and Bridgeport will "yield positive results for residents of both communities."

 

"I'm pleased Mayor Finch and I share the same vision for Long Beach West and Pleasure Beach," he said.

Pleasure Beach, the site of an amusement park decades ago, sits on the eastern side of Bridgeport Harbor. Access to the property has been virtually impossible, except by boat, since a fire in 1996 destroyed the lone bridge to the site. The city has been unable to afford the tens of millions of dollars to replace the span since then.

Stratford's beach for years was the site of seasonal cottages. The last dozen of 45 cottage owners were evicted last June after years of litigation resulted in a state Supreme Court ruling forcing them to leave. Since then, the town has negotiated with the Fish and Wildlife Service to sell its share of the beach.

Miron reiterated Tuesday that a potential $10 million deal to sell the Stratford share of the waterfront to the federal agency is close, and that he plans to present the agreement to the Town Council at its March meeting.

"I know some members of the council have indicated they would only vote for the sale if they were assured Bridgeport was also interested in pursuing the same course of action," Miron said. "Well, now we know Mayor Finch is on the same page, and I think this is a win-win situation for both Stratford and Bridgeport."

In Stratford, however, some council leaders are still not convinced they want to sell the property, insisting that proceeds of any sale go into a special trust fund with only the interest on the principal being designated for town projects.

"If that doesn't happen, it's an absolute deal breaker for me," said Town Council Chairman Michael Henrick, R-10. "And even if we approve such an ordinance, I am still not convinced the town should be selling off such a prime piece of waterfront property."

But Miron points out the Stratford deal would include having a boardwalk built that would "greatly improve access" from Stratford, and guarantee future environmental protection of the land. He said the town would also "greatly benefit" from the $10 million and the federal agency's willingness to remove the remaining cottages. "This would preserve a natural, pristine stretch of waterfront property without placing the fiscal burden of caring for it on the town and city," Miron said.

Parts of the beach area are restricted from public use to protect the piping plover, a tiny nesting bird.

Any sale would have to be approved by the Bridgeport City Council and the Stratford Town Council.

Wood said a sale also would be contingent on the Fish and Wildlife Service providing public access to Pleasure Beach. He said city officials' discussions are centering on how that access would be provided, whether via a new bridge or a water taxi service.

 

Finch said the wildlife service would earn fees from youth groups and others who camp or use facilities at the beach, and those fees would be split with the host communities. That money could cover the cost a water taxi service operated by the city, he said.

Wood said of the $19 million federal offer for Pleasure Beach: "It was an initial offer. Nothing has been finalized. It's the beginning of discussions with the wildlife service. Bill is pursuing this aggressively. He wants to see the beach returned to public use."

Finch said he's talking to the wildlife service about removing the old bridge. He acknowledged such work, along with demolition of abandoned buildings on the property and cleaning up environmental contamination, would reduce the final sales price.

 

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