Town of Greenwich Harbor Management Plan Harbor Management Commission Greenwich, Connecticut October 2017 Adopted October 23, 2017 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: The Greenwich Harbor Management Commission is responsible for preparing, maintaining, and implementing a Harbor Management Plan for the Town of Greenwich for the most desirable use of the Greenwich Harbors Area for recreational, commercial, and other purposes and for preservation and use of the GHA’s coastal resources. TOWN OF GREENWICH HARBOR MANAGEMENT PLAN Prepared By: GREENWICH HARBOR MANAGEMENT COMMISSION Adopted By: GREENWICH REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING Town of Greenwich, Connecticut Effective October 23, 2017 Consultant to the Harbor Management Commission: Geoffrey B. Steadman Westport, Connecticut ii FOREWORD This document contains the Town of Greenwich Harbor Management Plan (the Plan), October 2017. The Plan has been prepared by the Greenwich Harbor Management Commission (HMC) in accordance with municipal authority provided by the Connecticut Harbor Management Act of 1984 (Sections 22a-113k through 22a-113t of the Connecticut General Statutes) and by the Town of Greenwich HMC Ordinance (Chapter 7A of the Greenwich Town Code). In accordance with Sec. 22a-113m of the General Statutes and Chapter 7A of the Town Code, the Plan has been approved by the Board of Selectmen (BOS), reviewed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), approved by the Connecticut Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Port Authority, and adopted by ordinance by the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting (RTM) effective October 23, 2017. Included in the Plan are Town goals, policies, and recommendations for beneficial use and conservation of the Greenwich Harbors Area (GHA). The GHA includes all navigable waters and intertidal areas within the Town’s municipal jurisdiction on the Byram River/Port Chester Harbor, Byram Harbor, Greenwich Harbor, Cos Cob Harbor, Greenwich Cove, Tomac Creek, and other nearshore waters of Long Island Sound known as Greenwich Outer Harbor. A principal purpose of the Plan is to strengthen and maintain the Town’s authority for managing use and conservation of the GHA. That purpose is achieved through Town planning, regulatory, and other initiatives undertaken in coordination with state and federal agencies, notably the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and USACE. Public and private activities affecting the GHA must be consistent with the Plan. The HMC is responsible for determining this consistency through a Harbor Management Review Process established in the Plan. The Plan strengthens and maintains coordination among the different Town agencies with responsibilities affecting the GHA. It helps ensure that these agencies incorporate an awareness and understanding of harbor management concerns into their decisions, and that their actions are, to the extent practical and permitted by law, consistent with the Town goals, policies, and recommendations established in the Plan. In addition, actions by the State of Connecticut Harbor Master must be consistent with the Plan. The Plan adheres to the principles outlined in the 2009 Greenwich Plan of Conservation and De- velopment (POCD). The Plan and POCD are complementary Town documents. Plan implementation is a dynamic process that will evolve as conditions change. The Plan establishes a policy and decision-making framework to guide the Town’s actions, including case- by-case decision-making by the HMC. That framework is flexible and requires modification over time in response to changing conditions. To ensure that it responds to changing conditions, the Plan contains provisions for future amendment as needed. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many individuals contributed to preparation of the Plan, including Town officials and residents and representatives of Town, state, and federal agencies. The Plan was prepared under the leadership of the Greenwich HMC—the principal agency responsible for Plan implementation: Bruce Angiolillo (Chairman) Bernard Armstrong Lile Gibbons (Vice Chair) William Ingraham Frank Mazza Steve Kinner Mike Van Oss (Secretary) Don Carlson (Alternate) Casey McKee (Alternate) Harbor Master Ian Macmillan (Ex-Officio) The Plan could not have been prepared without the support of First Selectman Peter Tesei and Selectmen Drew Marzullo and John Toner who, along with former Selectman David Theis, demonstrated their strong commitment to stewardship of the Town’s coastal and navigable waters. Former HMC members James Bonney, Peter Quigley, and Gary Silberberg contributed significantly to preparation of the Plan. Among the many Town agency representatives who provided information, assistance, and advice during the process of preparing the Plan are: Joseph Siciliano, Director of Parks and Recreation; Jeff Freidag from the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Marine and Facilities Operating Division; Lieutenant John Brown from the Greenwich Police Department; Katie DeLuca, Director of Planning and Zoning; Denise Savageau, Conservation Director; and Amy Siebert, Public Works Commissioner. From the Shellfish Commission, Chairman Roger Bowgen and Commissioner Sue Baker provided much-needed advice and support throughout the planning process. In addition, representatives of a number of state and federal agencies, including DEEP, Connecticut Port Authority, Connecticut Bureau of Aquaculture, and the USACE, provided substantial assistance. Ian Macmillan, State of Connecticut Harbor Master for Greenwich, provided assistance throughout the planning process. The Land and Water Resources Division of DEEP provided technical assistance and support for development of the Plan through the efforts of John Gaucher, its liaison to the HMC. Geoffrey Steadman of Westport, CT served as consultant to the HMC for preparation of the Plan and worked at the direction of the HMC to prepare all Plan documents. Photographs in the Plan are by Mr. Steadman from October 23, 2008. Associates of Mr. Steadman who contributed to the Plan include Keith Placko of Fairfield, CT who provided computer-aided mapping assistance. Deserving of special thanks and recognition are the citizens of Greenwich who participated in the HMC’s public meetings held during the planning process and otherwise demonstrated their support for the Town’s efforts to plan for the beneficial use and conservation of the Town’s harbors and waterfront resources for the benefit of future generations. iv CONTENTS Page Foreword ......................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iii Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iv List of Photos, Maps, and Figures ................................................................................................ vii List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION AND PLAN OVERVIEW Introduction to the Greenwich Harbors Area ...................................................................... 1-2 Town Authority for Harbor Management ........................................................................... 1-3 Board of Selectmen .......................................................................................................... 1-3 Harbor Management Commission .................................................................................... 1-4 Harbor Management Plan .................................................................................................... 1-4 Harbor Management Goals ............................................................................................... 1-4 Priority Issues ................................................................................................................... 1-6 Harbor Management Policies and Recommendations ...................................................... 1-7 Implementing the Harbor Management Plan ................................................................... 1-8 Benefits of the Harbor Management Plan ........................................................................ 1-8 Harbor Management Fund ................................................................................................ 1-9 An Ongoing Process ......................................................................................................... 1-9 CHAPTER TWO: THE GREENWICH HARBORS AREA Coastal Area Setting ............................................................................................................ 2-2 A Maritime Community ...................................................................................................... 2-2 Harbor Management History ............................................................................................... 2-4 The Greenwich Harbors Area .............................................................................................. 2-5 Conditions Affecting Navigation ..................................................................................... 2-6 Coastal Resources ............................................................................................................ 2-8 Water and Waterfront Uses and Activities