MIDDLETOWN - What can Middletown residents expect their future recreational opportunities to be along the Connecticut River harbor area? What access will bikers, pedestrians and boaters have to the river and what access will people docking their boats at the harbor have to the downtown? What recreational activities and enhancing features might be found at the riverfront for residents and visitors alike? Will residents be involved in the decision-making about these issues?

       Those questions are answered in the Middletown Riverfront Redevelopment Commission Final Report published in June 2014, after funds for the Economic Development Riverfront General Fund were unanimously approved by the Middletown Common Council.

       On Feb. 4, 2013, the Common Council created â€�"a riverfront task force to examine, discuss and answer 10 questions that are important to the future of the riverfront, and [then] to submit an implementation plan.” The final report, which lists those 10 questions, states that the riverfront development will be a three-year implementation plan.

       Two of those questions are related to each other. First, what shall be included in the riverfront development, and second, what recreational features should be included in the overall plan to lead to enhanced quality of life such as walking and biking trails, open space, boat ramp/docks, plantings, a boardwalk, a boathouse, a banquet/ conference facility and any other features?

       All of the 10 questions and others were discussed during many meetings beginning March 6, 2013, with more than 500 people from the community contributing to the results in the plan. As of May, 2014, the riverfront Facebook page had 382 people actively following the commission’s efforts.

       The city also was fortunate to retain the services of Project for Public Spaces, which undertook a six-month outreach and charrette process that culminated in a detailed report, â€�"A Placemaking Plan for the Middletown Riverfront” (www.middletownplanning.com/documents/PPSMiddletown CTReport.PPD). The Commission recommended that â€�"the Project for Public Spaces report be utilized and implemented as the guiding vision and basis for future Riverfront development.”

       The Riverfront Redevelopment Commission examined an area â€�"bounded approximately from the midpoint of the intersection of Washington Street and DeKoven Drive, running south along DeKoven Drive, including the entrance to the Harbor Park tunnel, to the north edge of Union Street.”

       The questions refer to some of the key components of what the developers thought should be included in the development plan:

       (1) About 1.5 miles of a continuous uninterrupted public bike and pedestrian path from the North End of Harbor Park along the riverfront to the intersection of River Road and Silver Street. The trail would include a bridge spanning Sumner Brook where it feeds into the Connecticut River.

       (2) The pedestrian tunnel will remain a major gateway and access point to the riverfront â€�"for the foreseeable future for pedestrians, bike riders and people arriving by paddle boats, kayaks, canoes, and larger boats at floating docks near the tunnel.”

       The public will have the use of a gazebo, comfortable, attractive seating, picnic tables and benches with views of the river. The gazebo might be a temporary site for a visitor information booth.

       (3) Many people requested a new rowing facility which could be built by donors and school students. A space of about 6,000 square feet on the second floor of the boat house, above the floodplain could be used for performances for 300 to 400 people, weddings, banquets or parties. This venue would offer great views of the river.

       (4) A Water Works--a dynamic, multi-use recreational, entertainment and cultural destination was proposed to replace the Middletown waste treatment plant. Some of the plant’s secondary water treatment tanks (that are not too polluted for refitting) could be adapted and remodeled to make swimming and wave pools, skateboarding ramps and bowls, climbing walls and other recreational features.The Commission proposed a restaurant or an outdoor lighted informal beer garden.

       (5) The Omo Manufacturing Superfund Site, once a wetlands and then a landfill, underwent a cleanup process that the EPA finished about 2012. This site could be turned into a 175-car parking lot, including boat trailers. Dredging the Sumner Brook would restore it for a wild-life habitat, better water quality, a kayak launching site, and nature trails could be constructed along the brook. More suggestions for recreating the Omo site as a cultural center can be found in the Final Report.

       (6) A small boat launch ramp could possibly be built in a low area at the east end of the Water Treatment Plant site.

       (7) A wetlands near Eastern Drive should be preserved for birders and school class and expand the reach of the Riverwalk. A nature trail could also be developed between Eastern Drive and Silver Street.

       (8) A pier and a parking lot, that once provided a place for small boat launching at the Silver Street and River Road intersection could be recreated, accessible to the handicapped.

       (9) Union Street would be turned into a better gateway to the riverfront with wide sidewalks and attractive lighting on both sides of Union Street from Main Street to River Road.

       The Commission recognized that flooding and rise in sea level caused by climate change would be a challenge, and that park land or structures will have to be built or retrofitted with the potential for flooding in mind. The commission report stated, â€�"This should not curtail the use of the riverfront, however. Waterfronts around the world are adapting to these harsh realities while continuing to operate as vital community places.”

       Mayor Dan Drew said, â€�"This project will take Middletown to the next level and will ensure that our economy continues to grow while enhancing the quality of life for our people.”