Over a year after the August 2024 floods, Merwin Meadows pond remains damaged and diminished — silted over, overgrown, and still closed as it was this past summer. Residents have wondered what’s taking so long to repair and reopen it, while town officials say remediation is more complex than it appears — but they’re on track to reopen by summer 2026.
As First Selectman Toni Boucher outlined in her September update, residents can expect the swimming pond and beach area at Merwin Meadows will be reopened as planned.
“Work will be permit- and weather dependent, but the current schedule will have the park ready to open in spring of 2026,” Boucher wrote. “People can expect programs at Merwin Meadows to resume next summer.”
Both Boucher and Parks and Recreation Department Director Steve Pierce emphasized a key variable is the permitting process, something even the municipality has to go through. Now that an engineering study for the project was completed, Pierce said his department has been engaged in the process of obtaining the proper permits from three different entities.
“We’ve had discussions with [Inland Wetlands] staff, and a meeting is scheduled with [CT] DEEP next week,” Pierce said, noting that a required application for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has also been prepared. No formal approvals have been received yet.
Even if permits had come in sooner, Town Administrator Matt Knickerbocker said dredging contractors were in short supply in the aftermath of the historic storm, but Pierce said that isn’t necessarily the case now.
“We don’t anticipate contractor availability will be an issue,” he said, noting that multiple contractors were known to the department, both locally and across the state.
Depending on weather conditions, it’s possible the work could be conducted over the winter, Pierce said, bolstering his comfort level with the target reopening date. He pointed to the August completion of the new artificial turf at Wilton High School’s Fujitani Field as an example of his department’s success in meeting target dates — not only completed ahead of schedule but also under budget.
Pierce confirmed the reopening is planned for Memorial Day weekend, as usual, barring any unforeseen, significant events such as another flood. In the meantime, Pierce is quite confident about meeting the timeline.
“We’re doing everything we can to ensure Merwin Meadows will be open as planned,” Pierce said.
Pierce also assured residents the rest of the park will remain open while the pond area will be fenced off with an alternate entry while the project is in progress. Visitors will still be able to access the playground, pavilion and soccer field, as well as the Norwalk River Valley Trail (NRVT).
Boucher is optimistic the project will unfold smoothly, and raved about the positive feedback she routinely receives from residents about the department’s work to maintain Town-owned parks, walkways and other public spaces.
“I’m getting wonderful appreciation and kudos to the [Parks & Rec] team,” she said, rattling off a list of completed projects. “Everything they’ve done recently has been on track and completed wonderfully.”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct information that had been misattributed to Steve Pierce instead of Matt Knickerbocker. In addition, the headline was updated to better convey the anticipated pace of the permitting process.
It is truly mind numbing that a municipality needs to get a bevy of permits from its own gov’t as well as the state and feds to REOPEN SOMETHING THAT WAS LEGAL BEFORE. Incredible.