URGENT APPEAL TO NEIGHBORS, GUESTS OF WILDERNESS LAKE, AND FRIENDS
The Connecticut State Police are proposing a new Firearm Training Facility with two of the three potential sites in Willington.
The proposed new facility would include 55,000 square feet of multi-purpose training buildings, a pistol range, rifle ranges, and an active shooter training range, as well as 125 parking spaces encompassing approximately 30 acres. It would be used for training and continuing education by the State Police and would also be shared with other law enforcement agencies on the federal, state, and local level. The three candidate sites were honed from a short list of 20 that were 100 acres or larger.
The proposed Willington sites are on 326.58 acres east of Ruby Road, and 153.02 acres at the end of Eldredge Mills Road.
At last week’s meeting, residents overwhelmingly oppose this facility. Some of the concerns voiced were the noise of the gunfire, the potential contamination of lead poisoning (soil and water), significant loss of property value, stray bullets, and other concerns.
As owners of Wilderness Lake Campground, the impact to our pristine park that offers a rural setting getaway, a quiet solitude setting in which our guests share and balance with nature and animals, we heavy heartedly recognize this shooting facility would change the setting of this town treasure. As stewards of this land, we have protected the water, the wildlife and provide ability for our guests to submerse themselves in our surroundings, sitting lakeside, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, or just floating on the lake under the open sky immersed in natural quiet beauty. Our guests would not return to experience our setting to the background of a fire range that is being equipped for all levels of law enforcement and their weaponry.
This weekend we opened our facility to 14 LOCAL Girl Scout troops with over 150 guests who utilized our park. We are host to Boy Scout troops and have been the site for Eagle Scout Award ceremony.
As personal residents, we work diligently to protect our land, raise chickens for our own fresh eggs, and ride our horses through our property as a family recreation. We are acutely aware of the change a firearm facility would have on our existence. Our animals would be stressed and not produce eggs, we could not engage in our lifelong enjoyment with our family of horseback riding while firearm training is occurring. Much of why we moved to the town of Willington would be taken from us as well as devastate the value of our property.
We ask our neighbors, our friends, our guests, to please use your voice and speak out to oppose this potential violation to Wilderness Lake Campground, our land, our property, our hometown, our quality of life.
Your voice needs to be heard:
• Monday, June 1st: open meeting at 6:30pm at Willington Town Library. This is a crucial public opinion meeting!
• Contact town leaders including Willington Board of Selectman (860-487-3100) and discuss with neighbors and townspeople.
•
Written Comments being accepted until June 4, 2015 –
EMAIL Jeffrey.bolton@ct.gov
FAX (860) 713-7250
MAIL – Jeff Bolton, Dept of Administrative Services, Division of Construction Services, 165 Capitol Ave, Room 483; Hartford, CT 06106
• Governor’s Office : 800-406-1527
• Senate Majority Office: 800-842-1420
• The House Majority Office: 800-842-1902
Below is the Public Scoping Notice:
State Police Firearms Training Facility Proposed in Willington
Reminder: The State of Connecticut and State Police are proposing a new Firearms Training Facility in the Towns of East Windsor and Willington. The information on the proposed facilities and scope are listed below. There will be a public hearing (for the Willington sites) on Thursday, May 28, 2015 at 7PM at the Willington Public Library. (Doors will open at 6:30 PM). Residents are encouraged to attend this meeting. Information regarding how to contact the State Police is indicated below:
Public Scoping Notice
Project Title: Connecticut State Police Firearms Training Facility Relocation
Municipalities where proposed project might be located: Willington and East Windsor
Address of Possible Project Location: Apothecaries Hall Road & Windsorville Road, East Windsor (“East Windsor Site”); Ruby Road, Willington (“Willington – Ruby Site”); and Eldredge Mills Road, Willington (“Willington – Eldredge Site”). See attached Figures.map proposed firing range.pdf – Shortcut.lnk
Project Description: The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), Division of State Police (CSP) is proposing to relocate its existing Firearms Training Facility and Program located on Nod Road in Simsbury to a new site. The proposed sites are:
• East Windsor Site: is located south of Apothecaries Hall Road, west of Windsorville Road, and east of a railroad line. The site is comprised of two parcels: parcel IDs: 048-65-007 (124.8 acres) and 057-65-001 (98 acres). Total Site acreage: 222.8 acres.
• Willington – Ruby Site: is located east of Ruby Road (Route 320) and north of Cosgrove Road. The site is comprised of two parcels: parcel IDs: 33/019-00 (315.99 acres) and 33/017-00 (10.59 acres). Total Site acreage: 326.58 acres.
• Willington – Eldredge Site: is located at the end of Eldredge Mills Road (west of Ruby Road [Route 320]) and east of River Road. The site is comprised of three parcels: parcel IDs: 33/004-00 (105.71 acres), 33/012-00 (41.7 acres), and 33/001-00 (5.61 acres). Total Site acreage: 153.02 acres.
At this point, the State has not begun the design phase, therefore the actual project layout would occur after a final site is selected and a design team is hired. However, the estimated maximum acreage needed for the main project elements is approximately 30 acres. This does not include axillary infrastructure improvements that may be necessary for the project.
The project proposes to maintain and improve the CSP Firearms Training Program to benefit DESPP’s critical needs. Other state, federal, international, and host community law enforcement agencies would also utilize this facility as part of the inter-relationships DESPP has with various agencies.
The following are the major facility elements associated with this relocation project:
• Approximately 55,000 gross square feet (GSF) multipurpose training building(s). This building (or combinations of smaller buildings) would contain: classrooms to hold up to approximately 100 troopers and/or cadets; firearms simulator room; open area training room; indoor active-shooter training; gun cleaning and smithing; file storage room; staff offices; firearms vault; ammunition storage vault; recruit/staff kitchen and dinning area; reloading area; target storage area; bathrooms with lockers and showers; and a garage.
• 2 Range Control Towers (approximately 1 story high)
• 1 Qualifying Pistol Range (approximately 200 ft x 170 ft)
• 1 Active Shooter Training Range (approximately 200 ft x 170 ft)
• 1 Rifle Range (approximately 300 yd x 50 yd)
• 1 Shotgun Rifle Range (approximately 100 yd x 30 yd)
• Approximately 125 parking spaces
• Well and septic systems, telecom, and electrical~utilities
Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on:~ June 4, 2015.
There will be two Public Scoping Meetings for this project, one in each respective town at:
DATE: May 18, 2015
TIME: 7:00 PM
PLACE: East Windsor High School, 6 South Main Street, East Windsor, CT.
NOTES: Doors open at 6:30 PM; meeting starts at 7:00 PM and will conclude after public comments.
DATE: May 28, 2015
TIME: 7:00 PM
PLACE: Willington Town Library, 7 Ruby Road, Willington, CT.
NOTES: Doors open at 6:30 PM; meeting starts at 7:00 PM and will conclude after public comments.
On Behalf of DESPP, written comments are to be sent to the following participating agency contact:
Name: Jeff Bolton, Supervising Environmental Analyst
Agency: Department of Administrative Services
Division of Construction Services
Address: 165 Capitol Avenue, Room 483
Hartford, Connecticut 06106
Fax: (860) 713-7250
E-Mail: jeffrey.bolton@ct.gov
If you have questions about the public meeting, or other questions about the scoping for this project, contact:
Name: Sgt. Shane Hassett
Agency: Connecticut State Police
Address: 1111 Country Club Road
Middletown, CT. 06457
Phone: (860) 685-8230
Fax: (860) 685-8301
E-Mail: shane.hassett@ct.gov
The agency expects to release an Environmental Impact Evaluation for this project, for public review and comment, in October 2015.
Other information:
Visit the Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality’s Website: http://www.ct.gov/ceq/monitor.html for the following links: What is Scoping? What to Expect at a Scoping Meeting and What is CEPA?
Board of Selectmen
860-487-3100
We look forward to your support.
Regards,
Ray & Joan Crossen
860-982-8381
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