Charlie Taney, board president of the Friends of the Norwalk River Valley Trail, is well aware that the awesome forces of the natural world are just that.
“As much as we all love to be out in Mother Nature, she’s a tough goddess,” he said. “And we certainly experienced the tempestuous side of Mother Nature recently.”
The havoc that recent flooding and storm damage wreaked on parts of the Norwalk River Vally Trail (NRVT) has only compounded the ongoing financial need to cover regular annual maintenance and construction of new sections that are underway. It all adds up to pleas for support of the recreational pathway that one day will link Norwalk to Danbury with over 30 miles of trail.
“Luckily we’ve had very supportive people in Wilton and other towns in terms of our donors,” Taney said.
Technically begun in 2001 in Norwalk, 2014 saw the trail start in Wilton, with a loop on the east side of Danbury Rd. between Gaylord Dr. and Sharp Hill Rd., which was eventually extended even farther to the wetlands just south of Twin Oak Ln. in 2016. More extensions and additions have followed, with trail construction taking place in Norwalk, Wilton, Redding, Ridgefield and Danbury, totaling more than eight miles to date.
The trail will ultimately connect Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk with Rogers Park in Danbury, with approximately 10 miles of the trail ultimately planned for the Wilton section on both sides of Rte. 7.
Work is now finally moving forward on the latest segment, running from Skunk Ln., north to Pimpewaug Rd. by the Cannondale Railroad Station, about one mile in total.
“This section has been very long in coming,” NRVT Executive Director Andrea Gartner said.
“The initial approval was before Covid, which then caused postponements,” she said. “The town of Wilton received notice of funding for this section in October of 2022.”
A state construction grant brought $3 million to the project.
Along with general construction delays, there were also environmental, endangered species and archeological studies that needed to be conducted, as well as the securing of an easement through the neighborhood centered just north of Skunk Ln.
“One of the biggest challenges with this section was securing 28 easements to route the trail through the Briardale Estates,” Gartner said. “After all of these were completed, we then needed an agreement signed with Connecticut DOT to apply for local permits since it is state land we are routing through.”
“We had our first public hearing last month with Inlands Wetlands,” she said. “There will be additional upcoming meetings and when all the necessary departments have signed off, the work will go out to bid.”
Gartner said she anticipates around six months for the construction, which they hope will see completion by the end of 2025.
Meanwhile, given the extensive amount of storm damage from last month’s flooding, the organization has focused on a maintenance appeal as well.
“The storm caused a lot of damage, in some places complete washouts, on all sections of the Wilton NRVT,” Gartner said. “On the sections maintained by the NRVT, our damage estimates for repair are $55,000.”
“Repairs are at all levels of trail maintenance — rivulet repairs, replacing lost materials, grading,” Gartner said.
Taney pointed out that at least some annual maintenance is necessitated, even in the best of times.
“We know every year there’s portions of the trails that need to be repaired … It’s part of the bargain,” he said. “We’re good with that.”
However, the NRVT implemented a maintenance appeal for the first time last year, Gartner said, because extreme weather conditions were bringing intensified hazards and unsafe trail conditions.
“Last year our goal was $25,000 based on the previous year’s expenses,” she said. “This year, we made our goal $40,000 because that was our costs over this last year.”
The latest storm, however, pushed them back into the red, so they’re still looking for help. Several “town heroes,” she said, have already stepped up with additional donations, including the Wilton Kiwanis Club, Motion PT Group, the Wilton Garden Club, The Wagging Fund, The Greens at Cannondale, and Orem’s Diner.
First Selectman Toni Boucher, who played a pivotal role in the early development of the trail as a state senator helping to get the necessary legislation passed in Hartford to start the project, expressed her excitement with the progress.
“It is deeply rewarding to watch this dream become a reality,” she said. “It has succeeded beyond what any of us dreamed.”
She called the trail a tremendous asset to the region.
“Every time I see the many families, walkers, bicycles and runners cross the trail, my heart fills with pride,” she said. “It is loved by all who experience the beauty of our beautiful woodlands and breathtaking landscapes.”
Taney expressed praise for the involvement of Boucher and other volunteers who have helped make it happen.
“It’s great,” he said. “We’re very lucky that we’ve had a wonderful group of people, all volunteers pretty much … going back to the early 2000s, that really started this project and put in years of planning and fundraising.”
He noted that the recognition by federal, state and local governments that this now represents part of the region’s infrastructure helps to keep attracting opportunities for funding and support.
“You can really feel it’s starting to happen,” he said, “which is great.”
To donate, visit the NRVT website.