Quinnipiac River Trail, Yale Hospital Emergency Center on the Horizon

Richard LoPresti, the chairman of the North Haven Economic Development Commission, addressed a number of issues at today’s monthly meeting, from the construction of the Quinnipiac River Trail, to the opening of Yale New Haven Hospital’s Emergency Center.

The Commission is meeting with developers of the trail, which is scheduled to run from the town center north to the Wallingford town line, meandering along the banks of the Quinnipiac River, where it will link with the Sleeping Giant Blue Trail.

“We’re looking for funding to develop the trail,” LoPresti said.

The goal is to “reduce the cost of extending the trail and using what’s there instead of building something new.”

The Commission is working with the North Haven Trail Association, which was founded in 2007.

The Yale Hospital plans to buy the Crossroads office building at 6 Devine St. and convert it into an emergency center similar to the hospital’s Shoreline Medical Center in Guilford. The center could provide more than 400 jobs.

The hospital needs to submit a certificate of need and other area hospitals need to declare their approval. LoPresti said that Saint Raphael’s has endorsed it but MidState has not. The hospital also needs approval from the state Office of Health Care Access.

The Commission will sponsor a series of community meetings for the hospital to present its plans. The meetings will be directed at the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, seniors and citizens, with the Chamber meeting to be held at the Town Hall on March 8 at 5:30 p.m.

The Commission also plans to hold its annual breakfast on May 19 for the local business community at the Holiday Inn. Three speakers will attend and there will be networking activities.

LoPresti also announced that the Commission has renewed its membership with CEDAS, the Connecticut Economic Development Association. Commission members can participate in CEDAS activities.