McHugh: Haddam Land Swap Win-Win For State, Environment

In past columns, I have talked about the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce’s strong support of the proposed land swap between the town of Haddam and Connecticut. Within this plan, the state would exchange what is essentially a 17-acre sand pit in its possession for an 87-acre tract of forest land, owned by the Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station. 

It is an absolute win-win situation for the state to agree to this land swap. This forest land, once acquired by the state, would connect Cockaponset State Forest to Route 81 in the Higganum section of Haddam. It would give the Department of Environmental Protection and residents of the community better access to this pristine area of forest in Connecticut’s famous River Valley. 

Accessibility aside, the land swap presents a tremendous amount of economic opportunities for not only the county, but the state. The state has a chance to develop a 17-acre scrub sand pit in a way that will create hundreds of jobs and, equally important, serve as a continuing source of tax revenue.

The proposed developers, the owners of the Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station, have extensive experience in land development and a proven track record for doing what is right for the county and the state. Since 2007, the Riverhouse partners have been outstanding corporate citizens and would develop this land in both an economically and environmentally responsible way.

The Riverhouse and its partners plan to create a tourist destination at this former 17-acre industrial site along with a boutique hotel or inn. The positive environmental impact of this land swap should be noted. The state will gain 87 acres of virgin forest that can be preserved as open space. The was previously approved for 34 housing units.

Too often, there is a serious lack of vision when it comes to balancing the need to protect the environment with enhancing the state’s economic development opportunities. Contrary to information out there, this project would have no negative impact on the environment whatsoever.

I said before that concerns are raised even when there is no actual threat to local ecosystems. Far too often, people give too much weight to opposition groups and this opposition results in projects that never come to fruition. It is imperative that we move forward with this land swap project in Haddam for the sake of the state’s economy as well as its environmental well-being.

This is a rare situation where state lawmakers can make a decision that results in a win-win. On one hand, development of this 17 acres will result in the creation of hundreds of jobs and a continuing source of tax revenue for the state and municipal governments, as I said before. On the other, lawmakers can preserve valuable forest land and thus the natural integrity of our great state.

On another note, I thank UConn President-Designate Susan Herbst and Gov. Dannel Malloy for speaking at the chamber breakfast last week.

We also welcomed another new member to the chamber: Advanced Fitness Solutions in Cromwell on Route 372. The fitness center chain’s new location is one of four locations, which include Rocky Hill, Tolland and Glastonbury.

I spoke AT&T Connecticut’s event in Middletown on Friday, March 25 as the company unveiled its 2011 network upgrade plans that are designed to utilize 4G speeds.  Rodney Smith, AT&T Connecticut president, and his team continue to do great things for this state.  We are proud of this commitment and I am excited about the possibilities that it continues to create for our business community.

Finally, our Central Business Bureau’s Auction and Taste of Downtown event, which is the Chamber’s Business After Work for the month of March, is shaping up to be a huge hit this week tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Italian Society of Middletown.

There is thousands of dollars worth of items to bid on, and 14 of downtown Middletown’s restaurants will offer some of their featured menu items at the event at no charge.  This event has been going on for 27 years strong, and all of the proceeds will go to our annual Holiday on Main Street series. 

For more information on Chamber events and activities, please contact Matt Fraulino at matthew@middlesexchamber.com or call him at 860-347-6924.