State Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, has introduced a bill that requires the state Department of Economic and Community Development “to develop and issue a request for proposals to develop or dispose of the former Seaside Sanatorium facility in the town of Waterford and to preserve the adjacent area for a park with public access.” During a virtual public hearing conducted Tuesday by the legislature’s Commerce Committee, Formica said the legislation is meant to continue the yearslong public conversation about Seaside. In written testimony, he said to walk the “beautiful” 30-plus acre property along Long Island Sound is “to see the discouraging state of disrepair that has been allowed to happen these past 25 years of inaction under state control.” Former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy designated Seaside a state park in 2014 after Waterford’s Planning & Zoning Commission denied an application from a private developer. Years of research and public outreach ensued. The state issued an RFP in 2018 seeking a private partner that could provide restoration of the facility’s historic buildings, a luxury hotel and waterfront enhancements. The state did not find a proper suitor, and Seaside has remained a state park open to the public for recreational activities.
https://www.theday.com/local-news/20210216/state-and-local-leaders-support-private-development-of-seaside-property