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Open Space and Recreation Plan

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Open Space and Recreation Plan OXFORD OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN Prepared by the Oxford Open Space Committee Technical Assistance Provided by March 2007 Funding for this Plan was Provided by: The Quinebaug Shetucket Heritage Corridor, Inc. Photo Credit: Alan Dabrowski, French River TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Plan Summary ................................................................................................................. 1 Section 2: Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3 A. Statement of Purpose ........................................................................................................... 3 B. Planning Process.................................................................................................................. 3 Section 3: Community Setting.......................................................................................................... 4 A. Regional Context ................................................................................................................. 4 B. History ................................................................................................................................. 5 C. Population Characteristics ................................................................................................. 10 D. Growth and Development Patterns .................................................................................... 13 1. Patterns and Tends ...................................................................................................... 13 2. Infrastructure ............................................................................................................... 18 Section 4: Environmental Inventory and Analysis ......................................................................... 23 A. Geology, Soils, and Topography ....................................................................................... 23 1. Geology’s Effect on Development and Recreation ..................................................... 23 B. Landscape Character ......................................................................................................... 24 1. Essential Structure of Community .............................................................................. 24 2. Effects of Development .............................................................................................. 25 C. Water Resources ................................................................................................................ 25 1. Watersheds .................................................................................................................. 25 2. Surface Water ............................................................................................................. 27 3. Aquifer Recharge Areas .............................................................................................. 30 4. Flood Hazard Areas .................................................................................................... 32 5. Wetlands ..................................................................................................................... 32 D. Vegetation ......................................................................................................................... 33 1. General Inventory ....................................................................................................... 33 2. Forest Land ................................................................................................................. 35 3. Agricultural Land ........................................................................................................ 35 4. Wetland Vegetation .................................................................................................... 35 5. Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species ................................................................ 36 6. Unique Natural Resources .......................................................................................... 36 7. Vegetation Mapping Projects ...................................................................................... 38 E. Fisheries and Wildlife ....................................................................................................... 38 1. Inventory ..................................................................................................................... 38 2. Vernal Pools ................................................................................................................ 39 3. Corridors for Wildlife Migration ................................................................................ 39 4. Rare Species ................................................................................................................ 39 F. Scenic Resources and Unique Environments .................................................................... 40 1. Scenic Landscapes ...................................................................................................... 40 2. Unusual Geologic Features ......................................................................................... 42 3. Cultural, Archaeological, and Historic Areas ............................................................. 42 4. Unique Environments ................................................................................................. 44 G. Environmental Challenges ................................................................................................ 45 1. Hazardous Waste and Brownfield Sites ...................................................................... 45 2. Landfills ...................................................................................................................... 46 3. Impaired Water Bodies ............................................................................................... 46 4. Erosion and Sedimentation and Storm Water ............................................................. 47 Section 5: Oxford Open Space Inventory ....................................................................................... 48 A. Open Space in Oxford ....................................................................................................... 48 B. Recreation .......................................................................................................................... 54 Oxford Open Space and Recreation Plan i Final Report Section 6: Community Goals.......................................................................................................... 56 A. Description of Process ....................................................................................................... 56 B. Statement of Open Space and Recreation Goals ............................................................... 56 Section 7: Analysis of Needs .......................................................................................................... 57 A. Oxford Open Space and Recreation Survey ...................................................................... 57 B. State and Regional Needs .................................................................................................. 59 1. State Needs ................................................................................................................. 59 2. Regional Needs ........................................................................................................... 59 C. Summary of Resource Protection Needs ........................................................................... 61 D. Summary of Community Needs ........................................................................................ 62 E. Management Needs, Potential Change of Use .................................................................. 63 Section 8 Goals and Objectives ...................................................................................................... 64 Section 9 Five-Year Action Plan .................................................................................................... 68 Section 10 Comment Letters .......................................................................................................... 74 LIST OF APPENIDCES Appendix A Survey Results ........................................................................................................... 78 Appendix B Funding Mechanisms and Programs .......................................................................... 84 Appendix C ADA Self-Evaluation Report ..................................................................................... 91 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Population Growth-Neighboring Communities ............................................................... 10 Table 2 Oxford’s Median Family Income ..................................................................................... 11 Table 3 Age of Population ............................................................................................................. 11 Table 4 Household Composition ................................................................................................... 12 Table 5 Population Growth ........................................................................................................... 13 Table 6 Summary Buildout Statistics ............................................................................................ 14 Table
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