Old Lyme Wins Grant for Major Improvements to Sound View Beach

A proposal for improvements to Sound View Beach, including kiosk parking, a public park and picnic area, public bathrooms, and a bike path is finally moving from the drawing board toward becoming a reality.  

The Town of Old Lyme has been awarded a grant through the Federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (known as MAP 21). The funds, administered through the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation, are expected to cover 80 percent of the cost of improvements to Sound View Beach and the shoreline area.

The Town’s Sound View Commission, working with The BSC Group and input from the community, developed improvement plans to address safety, the environment, and the aesthetics of the 100-year-old beach community.

The project includes improved traffic flow, kiosk parking, a bike path along Route 156, and a public park with a picnic area and rest room facilities. Sound View includes a mix of both year round and seasonal residences as well as several businesses. The planned improvements will benefit those residents and business owners, as well as the thousands of visitors who flock to Sound View Beach each summer.

"Both Frank Pappalardo (Chair, Sound View Commission) and I are thrilled to hear that our grant application for 80 percent of the cost of this project has been approved, and the DOT has expressed a desire to see this project accomplished in a timely manner," said Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder. "This is a great opportunity for Old Lyme, and a long time in coming." 

The project will be done in phases. An RFQ for the Design will be the first phase.  Detailed plans and specs will be developed, and construction could begin as early as the Spring of 2014. The Town will schedule public meetings to keep people informed of the plans and the progress.