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Camp Brook Greenway reopening likely pushed to spring 2027

Camp Brook Greenway reopening likely pushed to spring 2027

Camp Brook Greenway, where volunteers are preparing the property for a likely spring 2027 reopening.

Madi Long

NORTH CANAAN — The planned fall reopening of Camp Brook Greenway, a 27.45-acre town-owned recreation area behind Caddie Shack and State Line Pizza, will likely be postponed until spring 2027 as volunteers continue preparing the property for public use.

First Selectman Jesse Bunce said the town had hoped to reopen the greenway this fall. Volunteers, however, would like to continue working through the fall to ensure the property is ready before welcoming visitors.

“We will wait until everything is ready before we open,” Bunce said.

The town plans to open the property initially with a walking trail and an 18-hole disc golf course. Volunteers have been cutting brush and clearing both areas, with only a few disc golf holes left to complete.

The property has been surveyed, allowing the town to identify its boundaries, and officials are working on a parking area near Caddie Shack. The town is also seeking a $2,500 Eversource grant to help clear invasive plants.

A separate mountain biking trail may be added later, Bunce said, potentially with assistance from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Bunce said the town does not want walkers and mountain bikers using the same trail, and the biking trail is unlikely to be ready when the greenway opens.

The town is also reactivating its Greenway Committee, which will help oversee the property under the supervision of the Board of Selectmen. Volunteers working at the site include disc golfers and Greenway Committee members.

Bunce said the greenway could also provide an economic benefit by bringing visitors to nearby restaurants and businesses.

North Canaan acquired the wooded property from the Connecticut Department of Transportation in May, ending an effort that spanned more than 35 years. The town paid $1,000 in administrative and transfer expenses.

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