Friends Of The Housatonic River

By Patricia Villers , Register Staff SHELTON -

Alderman Jack Finn, D-1, said he is old enough to remember when Shelton had thriving mills situated along the Housatonic River, and he said those factories used the canal water to generate power for manufacturing. Finn wants to see that part of the city's past preserved. He sent a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers in Massachusetts in opposition to the filling in of the historic canals. The letter requests that the Army Corps of Engineers hold a public hearing on the matter. Finn, 60, a lifelong resident, said he would like to see the canal locks restored. At the same time he wants the rebirth of downtown to continue on its present course. McCallum Enterprises, owner of the Ousatonic Dam and the canal on the Housatonic, received approval last year to fill in the 2.5-acre canal so it can be eventually sold for development. Finn's letter reads in part: "I recognize the historical significance of the canal as a key to Shelton's past. From the time of the Leavenworth shipyard through the Industrial Revolution to the present, the river and canal have played a key role in the development of the city of Shelton." In the letter Finn talked about the rebirth of Canal Street, with the preservation of buildings such as The Birmingham. He also talked about residential units planned in preserved buildings to reflect a bygone era. He noted that the city has planned a Riverwalk with scenic overviews, plantings and more and that the planned units will bring a lot more "foot traffic" to the area. Finn said he would like to see the locks restored, so boat traffic could flow freely from the mouth of the Housatonic River to just below the Stevenson Dam in Oxford. "That would open up the river to the public," Finn said. "It makes a good destination." Finn urged concerned residents to send letters to: Cori M. Rose, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, Mass., 01742-2751. Deadline for comments is Feb. 4. He said although the canal is not in the ward he represents, "when something is as important as this, you don't look at ward boundaries." Rose could not be reached for comment. Patricia Villers can be reached at pvillers@nhregister.com.

More here http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_8070949

Even more http://sheltonopenspace.googlepages.com/sheltoncanal