Connecticut Attorney General's Office
Press Release
Attorney General Announces State Appellate Court Victory Sparing Old Saybrook Preserve
July 21, 2010
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today announced an environmental victory after the Connecticut Appellate Court upheld the denial of a development that would have destroyed hundreds of acres of environmentally significant coastal forest known as “the Preserve.”
The Preserve covers 934 acres spanning Old Saybrook, Essex and Westbrook -- including 114 acres of wetlands situated in the heart of Long Island Sound’s last coastal forest.
Old Saybrook’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission rejected a proposal by River Sound Development, LLC to build an 18-hole golf course and 221 residential units on the Preserve, and River Sound appealed.
Blumenthal, alongside Old Saybrook, surrounding towns and Connecticut Fund for the Environment, successfully defended the appeal on behalf of the Department of Environmental Protection.
“This decision preserves the Preserve -- sparing hundreds of acres of sensitive and significant coastal forest on Long Island Sound from devastating development,” Blumenthal said. “The courts have once again upheld Old Saybrook’s right to protect against irreparable environmental destruction, and noted that the town thoroughly and painstakingly evaluated the evidence presented to it.
“We will continue the fight as long as necessary to protect the Preserve and other precious natural resources from needless harm. Such sensitive and pristine habitats are rare and must be protected so that future generations may enjoy them as we have.”