Torrington council authorizes mayor to apply for Red Mountain Trail planning grant

The Torrington City Council voted Dec. 1 to authorize the mayor to apply for a Recreation Trails planning grant to advance the Red Mountain Trail project, including plans for a bridge crossing over the Naugatuck River.

“For the record, Nate Nardi Cyrus, assistant city planner,” said Nate Nardi Cyrus, explaining the application is a planning grant to study a historic rail bridge and design the crossing. He said the city will request $81,750 from the state and provide a 20% cash match of $27,250 from the city’s tar account.

Cyrus said the new application continues a project begun three years ago that reached design phase but ran into easement issues near the Ocean State Job Lot Plaza. The planning grant, he said, would allow the city to study the bridge itself and finalize permitting so a future construction grant could be pursued.

Council members pressed Cyrus on how the trail would tie into existing streets. Councilman Oliver asked whether the grant would include pedestrian crossing enhancements and sidewalks; Cyrus said the grant would fund planning for the bridge and sidewalks on Newfield Road to tie into Main Street and Winstead Road, while properties beyond Newfield are in private ownership and would need easement agreements.

Cyrus said the design goal is an eventual 10-foot-wide multiuse trail, but the immediate, minimum deliverable would be sidewalks within the city right-of-way to make pedestrian connections. He warned the owner of adjacent private property is planning development, which would make a full trail extension part of a larger project.

The council voted to approve the motion to authorize the mayor to apply for the grant.

The next step is the grant application; city staff said award decisions are made by the state and the city’s prior construction progress may affect competitiveness for implementation funding.