Courtney gets update on ‘Circus Lot'
By Ryan Blessing Westerly Sun staff writer February 23
Joe Courtney, Bill Middleton, Molly Evak and Nate Miceli, Dept. of Public Works
STONINGTON — Work is progressing on efforts by Stonington to transform the vacant "Circus Lot" property at 29 Noyes Ave. into a public open space recreation area.
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney on Wednesday met with Stonington First Selectman Bill Middleton and Grants Administrator Molly Evak to get an update on work to the town's Circus Lot property in Pawcatuck.
"Over the last two years, I worked with the talented town hall staff from the Town of Stonington to secure $850,000 in federal Community Project funding to support transformation of the unused Circus Lot in Pawcatuck into an accessible community park," Courtney said. "First Selectman Bill Middleton, Grants Administrator Molly Evak, and the public works crew are ready to make this exciting plan come to life."
For the community, improving the vacant 6-acre lot has become a growing priority in recent years. The town began moving forward by surveying the topography and wetlands of the Pawcatuck property.
It was almost a year ago, in March, that work began on the $2.2 million project to develop the land into a park featuring sports fields and a fishing area with access to the Pawcatuck River. The vacant, overgrown parcel had been owned by the town of Westerly, but local voters in 2024 approved buying it back for redevelopment for $35,000 under a right of first refusal the town had with Westerly.
In 2025, preparation of the land began with removal of the overgrowth, trees, trash and stumps.
The lot is at the end of Noyes Avenue and provides direct access to the federally-designated Wild and Scenic Pawcatuck River. It gained the nickname “the circus lot” because circuses were once held there.
Westerly had bought the lot in 1982 with the intent of using it to provide drinking water for customers on the Connecticut side of the river. The well was never used due to concerns that the water supply was no longer drinkable due to potential industrial groundwater contamination across the Pawcatuck River.
Trace levels of petroleum found in the groundwater sample collected by Kropp Environmental, the firm hired to do a Phase I environmental site assessment for the property, were determined to be likely related to historic spillage on the adjacent Dahl Oil property.
However, the 2020 study determined there was no evidence found to suggest that historic spills or tank leakage at the Dahl Oil property, which formerly occupied part of the site, had resulted in significant impact or would in any way prevent future use as a park. The Dahl Oil property was investigated and successfully remediated under Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection oversight.