Plans for The Bend win final approval

CORNWALL — After years of discussion about improvements to the area known as The Bend in the Housatonic River near Cornwall, a plan won unanimous approval from the Housatonic River Commission (HRC) at their meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 11. 

The meeting was held at the offices of the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) in Cornwall.

“We have been dealing with this for over a decade now,” said Bill Tingley, chair of the river commission. He noted that the River Commission has a strong interest what happens at the place where The Bend skirts the river, which has rapids that are scenic and a draw for tourists and boaters. 

The HRC will make sure the project is done correctly and with the health of the river foremost.

Before coming before the HRC, the project’s plans had been approved by Cornwall’s Inland Wetlands Commission, the Planning and Zoning Commission and by Cornwall residents at a town meeting.

“The whole design is building from the existing ground level upward,” said Mike Jastremski, Watershed Conservation Director for the Housatonic Valley Association. 

He reviewed the site plan in detail, describing the new asphalt apron to be added to the entrance off of River Road. There will be 12 parking spaces. The access ramp to the river, with a 13 percent grade, will be composed of native stone. The percent of grade indicates a drop of 13 feet in a distance of 100 feet.  

All invasive plant species will be removed and replaced with plants native to the area.