Two swimming holes in Wilton were discussed at Monday’s Select Board meeting: Garwin Falls and the town’s former reservoir.

Monday the board took feedback from residents on a new ordinance that would ban unattended parking at the Vale End cemetery, where swimmers have been parking in order to walk to Garwin Falls, and later discussed allowing residents to swim in the old reservoir.

Residents who live around Garwin Falls called for a tougher stance on those breaking the parking rules, telling the board that in the past few years, people looking for parking spaces has become an increasing problem. An ordinance enacted last year to make the roadside near the falls a tow zone has only pushed the parking issues further down the road, not only into the cemetery, but sometimes into people’s driveways, residents said.

Ruth Smith, a Burns Hill Road resident, said when she first moved to Wilton she went to the falls often, but for the past five years, she’s stayed away, saying the overuse had turned the falls into a “dump” due to littering. She said she saw police enforcing ticketing and tow orders as the only way to get the message across.

Alicia Mercier, a Burns Hill Road resident, agreed, saying that parking issues at the Horseshoe, another popular swimming spot, had only gotten better after police cracked down on the area.

“I don’t care that people are not going to want to come back. You’re going to park where you’re allowed to park, and you’re not going to block our first responders who might need to get in there,” she said. “Those of us who live in town know that if you can’t park there, you’re not going to the falls that day.”

Police Chief Eric Olesen told the board if the department enforced the tow order, there could be an increase in confrontations with angry owners.

“We’re trying to do this in the most diplomatic way we can,” he said.

Jennifer Beck, who is a member of the town’s economic development authority, said since the falls had become routinely shared on social media, stopping the flow of visitors might be beyond the town’s ability now. She suggested utilizing the falls reputation by starting a paid ride service, where non-residents who wanted to visit the falls could pay for parking downtown and be transported to the falls.

“We need    to figure out a long-term solution,” she said.

The board did not take a vote on the matter during Monday’s meeting, and said they would take the matter up again at a future date.

The board also talked about the old reservoir, located on Putnam Hill Road off of Isaac Frye Highway. The reservoir is marked with signs informing residents there is no swimming, once put up by the Wilton Water Commission, but those signs are essentially defunct, as the Wilton Water Commission has not used the reservoir as a drinking water source since 1986.

Tom Schultz, a member of the Wilton Water Commission, told the board he would be putting the matter of the signs on the agenda for the commission’s next meeting, with the intent of suggesting they be taken down.

Selectman Matt Fish was in favor of the town officially allowing swimming and wading in the pond, saying there was no longer a reason to ban swimmers from the spot.

“People should be able to go to that water,” he said.

Selectman Kermit Williams said because of the size of the reservoir it is technically a state owned water-body with access from a public road so there should be nothing to prevent people from using it for recreation, including swimming or boating.

Several of the town’s emergency service personnel took issue with letting people use the area for recreation, however, saying the town does not have sufficient water rescue equipment if there was an issue and that the same parking issues that plague other swimming holes like Garwin Falls and the Horseshoe would likely to appear at the reservoir if opened to the public.

Williams reiterated that he didn’t think there was a legal basis for keeping people out of a public waterway, but some said the town does not need to encourage them, either.

Ultimately, the board decided to leave the decision on whether to remove the no swimming signs to the water commission and to instruct police to no longer remove people who were swimming in the reservoir.

The board also discussed reviving a committee to look at renovating the reservoir area to make it a recreation spot, including adding some public parking. A plan to develop the area had been presented and ultimately turned down during March’s public meeting.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.

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