Stratford residents at public forum raise alarms about proposed seawall, local flooding and a contested Shoreline Drive sale

At a Town of Stratford public forum on Dec. 9, 2024, residents urged caution over a seawall referenced in local advertisements and news coverage and raised local flooding and property concerns.

Public commenter Steven Quinn said he has seen newspaper articles and ads about a seawall near the town sewer plant and worried about the reported cost. "It's $16,000,000 and it's just gonna raise taxes to build this wall," Quinn said, calling much of the discussion "hearsay" and asking whether the project is on the night's agenda. The moderator replied the public forum was not a back-and-forth format, said more information was available online and offered to speak with commenters after the meeting.

The concerns echoed and expanded in remarks from Bob Storowski, who referenced the 1955 Connecticut flood and expressed skepticism that rising sea levels would inundate the neighborhood. "As far as building a wall and spending this kind of money, I think it's kind of foolish," Storowski said. He urged the town to invest in emergency preparedness — generators, cots, blankets and stored food — after saying he had spoken with the emergency management director and been told the town "is not" prepared for a major emergency.

Joseph Provo, who identified himself as a long-time Lordship resident, spoke about a separate but related problem: local drainage and repeated basement flooding. Provo said he and others bid on 29 Shoreline Drive and that he intends to rehabilitate the property rather than demolish it; the transcript lists the asking price as "$2.50" and his bid as "$2.77" (the transcript does not specify units). He said water again entered his basement after recent rain and described ongoing drain issues near the seawall at 23 West Hillside Avenue: "I got water down in the basement and everything again." Provo asked the council to take steps to address persistent flooding and drainage problems affecting residents.

None of the speakers described a formal vote or council action on the seawall during the public forum. The moderator closed the forum after the last speaker and indicated the regular council meeting would proceed; residents were directed to additional information online and offered an opportunity to speak with town staff after the forum.

The public forum comments reflect local debate over how the town should balance infrastructure costs, flood risk and emergency readiness. The council did not announce any formal decision on the seawall or on specific relief for drainage problems during the public forum.