Refurbished Trail Extends Into Newtown

By Kendra Bobowick

Are the trails ready to use? “Yes!” said Trails Committee Chairman Scott Coleman. Stepping carefully over compacted ground knotted with exposed tree roots and old railroad ties, he walked a recently cleared path on property bordering Monroe along Newtown’s Swamp Road.

Watching his footing as he moved through the now-vacant former Batchelder iron smelting plant property strewn with debris and rusted containers partially swallowed by the soil, he stopped at a junction with old railroad tracks saying, “Somewhere around here there should be a pink ribbon…”

Recent surveyor’s work determined the boundaries between Newtown, the Batchelder land, and Housatonic Railroad property, which all intersect at a certain point before the trails are entirely in Newtown where they extend to the Monroe town border. Current public access is from Monroe only. Newtown’s portion of the recently refurbished trail runs roughly 1,200 feet into town from Monroe until stopping at a turn-around before the Batchelder site begins.

The rails-to-trails line runs into Newtown from neighboring Monroe where developed pathways see constant foot and bicycle traffic. But Newtown’s paths were overgrown or nonexistent before Mr Coleman had enlisted the help of young men aiming to complete Eagle Scout projects. The trail had ended as hikers or bicyclists entered Newtown, but on Friday, July 30, several people on bikes rode past Mr Coleman, while other trailgoers left their impressions in the muddied path.

Pressed into the ground were dog tracks, deer hoofprints and bicycle tread, all indicating recent use and activity. Mr Coleman found these and other hints to be encouraging. “The fact that this has not grown [back] in says that people are using it.” The scouts — Matt Bodwell and John Moller — had worked with volunteer groups to clear and open the path for passive recreation in past months.  Standing at the turn-around and looking toward Monroe, the path narrowed with distance and disappeared around a bend.

Mr Coleman explained, “The idea was to keep it meandering.”

Signs went up welcoming travelers entering the Newtown trail extension.

On the trail that day were Katie Rzasa of Trumbull and Ken Benedict of Monroe.

Extending a leg to balance on her bicycle where she had stopped, Ms Rzasa said she likes the newer trail. “Is it going to be extended?” she asked.

“We do want it to continue on,” Mr Coleman answered.

“Where will it go?” she asked.

“We have to figure that out,” said Mr Coleman. Depending on what may happen with the Batchelder site, which is in private hands, plans for trails must wait. Former congressman James Maloney is now the CEO of a company holding the site in trust.

“When Batchelder is sorted out, the rest will continue, that’s the idea,” Mr Coleman said.

 

Where It Started

After riding through other towns’ rails-to-trails sections, Mr Coleman and his wife and children noted the trail ended in Newtown, which prompted Mr Coleman to contact Parks and Recreation Director Amy Mangold. “I have known Amy since kindergarten; I asked her about it [more than one year ago].”

After several discussions with the Parks and Recreation Commission, Mr Coleman began contacting scouts to complete projects along the Swamp Road location. Matt Bodwell and John Moller each completed 600 feet apiece of clearing and marking the trail location in Newtown.

Describing the trails efforts in town, Mr Coleman wrote a draft including a mission: to become the focal point for all trail activities within Newtown. All trail activities within town will not be under the control or management of the Newtown Trails Committee, but the committee will strive to coordinate, promote, bolster, expedite, and leverage the efforts of various groups in town for best effect and overall advantage to the town.

Future trails plans are also underway, and the next focal point is town open space at Point O’ Rocks Road near Dickinson Park.