Another Stretch Of Trail Planned At FFH

By Kendra Bobowick

Another trail will may soon cut a swath through Fairfield Hills, if Trails Committee Chairman Scott Coleman’s plans work out.

After speaking recently with Fairfield Hills Authority Chair John Reed, Mr Coleman understands that the concept for a trail around the circumference of the campus, which has long been in the planning, is not budgeted for several years, but he hopes to get work done sooner, rather than wait.

“I thought maybe we could do something; we can get people excited about it,” Mr Coleman said. He explained to the Parks and Recreation Commission Tuesday that he would like to see volunteers, with help from recreation crews, create a successful trail through grassy areas.

He envisions extending the current highly used walking and hiking paths from the Keating Farm Road near the baseball fields through the grassy area near the Victory Garden — visible from Wasserman Way — and looping back around.

“It’s not a trail in the woods,” Mr Coleman explained, but something through grass that would require only mowing. “We can mow it short and do a walking trail,” he said.

“I think it’s the perfect spot,” said recreation commission Chairman Edward Marks. He liked the thought of “taking people to a corner of the property where they never go.”

Considering the past several years of planning, which included discussion about trails locations on the Fairfield Hills campus, Ms Mangold said, “It will be nice for people to see where it goes.”

Members agreed with Mr Coleman that they would like to “keep an interest” in the idea of trails at the campus.

Recreation commission member Jan Brookes said, “The interesting thing about Fairfield Hills is it has a gravity; if you build it, people will use it.”

Mr Marks added, “It’s the intention, too, to show that there is a plan in place for a trail, which may have been forgotten.” About plans to complete a trail around the campus perimeter, Mr Marks said, “To get people to use [a portion] of it will be helpful, and make sure it stays in the plans.”

Included in other trails plans is Mr Coleman’s interest in reestablishing a walking connection between Sandy Hook School off Riverside Road and Treadwell Park, which is on Philo Curtiss Road, that connects to Riverside. He spoke of other trail concepts in town, such as creating a system through corporate areas in town.

Both Mr Marks and recreation director Amy Mangold agreed that it was a good idea.