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