The North Haven Trail Association (NHTA) held their first meeting of the year last night at North Haven’s Linsley Street Recreation Center. Speaking to a packed house, NHTA President Ron Penton was enthusiastic about the turnout, which included the full board, numerous members, and a few new faces as well.

“It’s nice to see such a good group here,” Penton said.

North Haven residents Tim Crosby, his daughter, and David Roby were a few of the new attendees at the meeting. Both men are avid outdoorsmen. Crosby hikes and has canoed the Quinnipiac for years, teaching his children the same. Both Roby and Crosby expressed their appreciation for the area’s natural beauty, and Crosby said of the NHTA’s trail along the river, “It’s a beautiful place to go; just a beautiful piece of property.”  The men decided to stop by the meeting after coming across a North Haven Trail Association brochure. Both participated in the discussions and made suggestions to the group’s president. 

After approval of old business, minutes from their last meeting, and a nod to Secretary Fran Notaro’s update on finances, there was a call for elections that returned Penton and the current board members to their positions heading into 2011.

From there, Penton guided the meeting, covering a number of topics including a review of the previous year, goals for 2011 which included working with property owners, obtaining easements, and filing paperwork with the Department of Environmental Protection. Penton answered questions from the group, listened to comments and suggestions, and put out a call for volunteers and new members.

For the year ahead, Penton said the group is going to refocus attention from Phase 1, the center of the trail, and shift efforts to Phase 3, at the southern end of the trail. In part, easement issues necessitated the change-up. To that end, the group has been working with the property owners, as well as the Economic Development Commission, and the First Selectman’s office.  

Penton said that two trails, one hard and one soft, are likely to be needed, due to sensitive wetlands and areas of seasonal, slow-rising flooding in high rain months. One trail, he said, would be a hard-surfaced, paved trail on higher ground for strollers, bikers, and rollerbladers to use not unlike trail systems in other towns. To complement that, Penton said the other trail would be a soft, wooded hiking trail, left untouched and natural, and as close to the river as possible.

“We’ve already cut much of Phase 1, and that’s how we’ve already tentatively mapped out Phase 3,” he said.

Penton thought it a very realistic goal to have the soft trail cut and blazed this year, as well as having the hard surface trail mapped. To do that, however, trailmakers would have to figure out how bridge a 20-30 foot body of water currently blocking the route.

“It’s large enough that you can’t jump over it,” Penton said with a laugh.

Currently, Penton envisions a temporary bridge that would allow use by hikers for the next few years while the the NHTA finds funding for a permanent crossing.  Penton said the Boy Scouts might be enlisted to help with construction, as they have shown strong interest in the trail. Currently, Eagle Scouts are set to work on a simple project, a walkway crossing, which would essentially link together Phase 1 and Phase 3 before the summer.

Penton said getting easements signed is of vital importance, allowing the group to have the public on the site. Once that happens, it will be easier to recruit volunteers, new members, and to get funding for the work.  Penton said when the  NHTA group has had people come to see the area, albeit temporarily, the result is always met with a flood of enthusiasm and interest.

Penton said of the work that lies ahead, “I am optimistic about the progress we can make in 2011.”