The laws of the Town of Stonington, CT maintain that wetlands are vital to the stability of our coastal environment. These important natural spaces mitigate real issues like flooding and other weather related property damage (see the Town of Stonington’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Regulations Title and Authority). These regulations on their own, however, offer very little penalty for violators without action from the local community.
"Haley Marsh" as some locals call it, begins behind the playground and across from the baseball field in Old Mystic, CT and continues back into untouched woodlands where it is fed by a brook. Less than six months ago "Coast Development Group" was founded in order to purchase and develop the lots at 13 and 16 Smith Street in Old Mystic. Since acquiring these properties, this out of town development group has committed multiple violations in the process of preparing the land for construction. Although the law requires special permissions for any activity within 100 feet of delineated wetlands, they have already illegally cleared the sites for the construction of several oversized modern buildings. This damage only took 2 days of work, but would take a lifetime of management to repair. Town officials were shocked by this blatant disregard for local law, and ordered them to stop work on November 23rd, 2021, requiring that no further work be done until the boundary of the wetlands can be legally delineated by a certified soil scientist. Nevertheless, if left unopposed these projects will continue as planned, both destroying our natural spaces and setting a dangerous precedent.
By signing this petition you are calling on officials of the Town of Stonington Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission to allow a public hearing for application IW #22-06 - and to reject this attempt to develop Old Mystic's protected wetlands outright.
It is up to us to make our will known to our elected representatives!
Updates
May 13, 2022
I honestly cannot believe how many people have rallied behind this because when I first started typing this out in a fit of rage I figured maybe my neighbors would care but now it feels like the whole town is actually paying attention to what happens out at the marsh. This momentum is completely wild and honestly makes me feel a bit less crazy for being the one who stood out there in the mud to take those first photos of the destruction.
Reached 100 supporters
May 13, 2022
50 Comments
Coastal Development Group is a company only interested in profit and based in California. The regulatory balance requires minimal destruction and maximum economic benefit. It is obvious that there will be zero economic benefit and maximum destruction. This is illegal.
Wetlands are a critical environment that sustains myriad types of plants and wildlife that is the ecological heritage of Connecticut. Once destroyed, it takes dozens if not hundreds of years to rebuild what was lost. Any development that does not respect the local ecology steals from our collective resources and should pay restoration for the damage done
On several occasions I have seen this property submerged due to high waters. Failure to address this situation could be very destructive to the community.
Our wetlands are a crucial habitat — preventing key fauna for native specifies to grow and thrive. They are also an important stopgap in combatting the relentless challenges we currently face with climate change and global warming. As an aside, any recent construction overseen by Coast Development Group is ugly, uninspiring and soulless from an architectural standpoint.
It is vital that Connecticut take seriously the threat of climate change, and protect it's natural resources. Additionally, Old Mystic has suffered severe damage from storms in the past, destroying the wetlands - which serve as a buffer and outlet to such events - will only make things worse in the future.
Outrageous abuse of public trust.
reject the development of Old Mystic's protected wetlands!
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The laws of the Town of Stonington, CT maintain that wetlands are vital to the stability of our coastal environment. These important natural spaces mitigate real issues like flooding and other weather related property damage (see the Town of Stonington’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Regulations Title and Authority). These regulations on their own, however, offer very little penalty for violators without action from the local community.
"Haley Marsh" as some locals call it, begins behind the playground and across from the baseball field in Old Mystic, CT and continues back into untouched woodlands where it is fed by a brook. Less than six months ago "Coast Development Group" was founded in order to purchase and develop the lots at 13 and 16 Smith Street in Old Mystic. Since acquiring these properties, this out of town development group has committed multiple violations in the process of preparing the land for construction. Although the law requires special permissions for any activity within 100 feet of delineated wetlands, they have already illegally cleared the sites for the construction of several oversized modern buildings. This damage only took 2 days of work, but would take a lifetime of management to repair. Town officials were shocked by this blatant disregard for local law, and ordered them to stop work on November 23rd, 2021, requiring that no further work be done until the boundary of the wetlands can be legally delineated by a certified soil scientist. Nevertheless, if left unopposed these projects will continue as planned, both destroying our natural spaces and setting a dangerous precedent.
By signing this petition you are calling on officials of the Town of Stonington Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission to allow a public hearing for application IW #22-06 - and to reject this attempt to develop Old Mystic's protected wetlands outright.
It is up to us to make our will known to our elected representatives!
Updates
May 13, 2022
I honestly cannot believe how many people have rallied behind this because when I first started typing this out in a fit of rage I figured maybe my neighbors would care but now it feels like the whole town is actually paying attention to what happens out at the marsh. This momentum is completely wild and honestly makes me feel a bit less crazy for being the one who stood out there in the mud to take those first photos of the destruction.
Reached 100 supporters
May 13, 2022
50 Comments
Thank you for putting this together. It should be investigated more thoroughly, as someone who both owns a house on this street, and sees reason for it.
Coastal Development Group is a company only interested in profit and based in California. The regulatory balance requires minimal destruction and maximum economic benefit. It is obvious that there will be zero economic benefit and maximum destruction. This is illegal.
Wetlands are a critical environment that sustains myriad types of plants and wildlife that is the ecological heritage of Connecticut. Once destroyed, it takes dozens if not hundreds of years to rebuild what was lost. Any development that does not respect the local ecology steals from our collective resources and should pay restoration for the damage done
On several occasions I have seen this property submerged due to high waters. Failure to address this situation could be very destructive to the community.
Our wetlands are a crucial habitat — preventing key fauna for native specifies to grow and thrive. They are also an important stopgap in combatting the relentless challenges we currently face with climate change and global warming. As an aside, any recent construction overseen by Coast Development Group is ugly, uninspiring and soulless from an architectural standpoint.
It is vital that Connecticut take seriously the threat of climate change, and protect it's natural resources. Additionally, Old Mystic has suffered severe damage from storms in the past, destroying the wetlands - which serve as a buffer and outlet to such events - will only make things worse in the future.
Outrageous abuse of public trust.
reject the development of Old Mystic's protected wetlands!
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Thank you for putting this together. It should be investigated more thoroughly, as someone who both owns a house on this street, and sees reason for it.