Parking, traffic issues a priority
By Ryan Blessing Westerly Sun staff writer March 25
MYSTIC — Most of Stonington First Selectman Bill Middleton’s presentation to Mystic and regional business leaders on March 25th focused on addressing two age-old problems: traffic and parking.
“We’re in some ways the victim of our own success,” Middleton said at the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s annual “State of Mystic, Stonington and Groton” presentation at the Hilton Mystic.
The gathering featured updates from Middleton, City of Groton Mayor Jill Rusk and Town of Groton Manager John Burt, who discussed economic development, education, and other key initiatives shaping the communities.
“This forum gives residents and business leaders a chance to hear directly from the people guiding the future of our communities,” said Bruce Flax, president of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce. “It’s an important opportunity to stay informed and engaged with the issues affecting Groton, Stonington and the broader Mystic region.”
Middleton said lawmakers in Hartford end up hearing “a lot of noise” from various stakeholders in Mystic about different ideas and initiatives to boost tourism and the local economy, such as tourism marketing funding and rail service.
A strong, singular vision, he added, “is why a strong chamber matters.”
Instead of focusing on marketing and tourism dollars, Middleton said, “We really need to think about the experience of what happens when visitors get here, and again it gets back to that traffic and parking issue.”
Does the community have a parking problem, or a problem “parking where you want, when you want for free,” he asked.
Middleton said he’s advocating for solutions such as commercial flights into Groton, so that visitors aren’t stuck “sitting on I-95.”
He’s also been in talks with the state Department of Transportation about the need to significantly rebuild Route 27 to increase mobility.
“Whether that be on bike or foot, etc., and a shuttle into town,” he said. “All those things, ideally a boat shuttle, some kind of parking at exit 90, things we’ve all talked about for years that have never gained traction.”
Middleton also briefly touched on Stonington’s budget for the coming fiscal year.
“We’re looking at probably about a 7% budget increase,” Middleton said. Middleton also explained that a key factor in the increase is the amount of “unfunded” federal and state mandates the town must shoulder.
“It turns out they’re not unfunded mandates, they are just funded by us,” he said. “In our case, we’re essentially funding future growth. We’re a town of about 19,500 and that really hasn't changed for a very long time.”
He estimated that the town has built or approved some 1,100 residential units in the past five years.
“If you assume 1.5 people per unit, that’s about 1,600 people, a little over 10% growth. That’s a big deal for a town that had been stagnant for a long time. It forces us to think differently about things, and I’ve tried to be out ahead of that and not be caught short.”
An example of doing so, he said, is the town’s push in the budget to increase its number of police officers.
“As these new housing units come online, you don’t magically just hire police,” he said.
Tony Sheridan, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, said the event has become an important annual conversation for the region.
“Groton and Stonington play a central role in the economic vitality of southeastern Connecticut,” Sheridan said. “The issues we discuss here — whether transportation, workforce, local investment, or long-term planning — have real implications for employers and residents across the area. When our local communities coordinate, communicate, and commit to shared priorities, we strengthen not just Mystic, Groton, or Stonington, but the entire region.”
Editor’s note: in 2021 Groton and Stonington jointly commissioned the Downtown Mystic Parking Study, which you can read/download below: