With access to both Garwin Falls and the Horseshoe closed to the public, those seeking to get in the water in Wilton descend on the Wilton Reservoir. But just as at those previously closed attractions, parking problems and litter threaten the good times at the new hot spot.
Recently, the Wilton Select Board discussed a plan to make Sand Hill Road, which provides access to the Wilton Reservoir, one-way during the summer months.
After several attempts to extend parking bans along Isaac Frye Highway and closing the town-owned entrance to Garwin Falls, the parking problems that plagued the area drifted to Sand Hill Road, where cars are now found parked along the narrow dirt road to either use the reservoir as a swimming spot, or using the trails to access Garwin Falls from Sand Hill Road.
During a public hearing on Monday, the Select Board voted to draft an ordinance, proposing Sand Hill Road be made a one-way road during the warm months, cutting off access from Isaac Frye Highway. Residents can weigh in on the ordinance during a public hearing scheduled for July 27.
Consensus from several residents of the area was mixed, though leaned toward the side of making the road one-way.
One of the issues is that there is a dry hydrant on the road, and cars parking in the area make it difficult for emergency vehicles to get through – and impossible if cars are parked on both sides of the road.
Rob and Sara Spittel, who live in the area, wrote in a letter to the Select Board that recently, they counted as many as 32 cars parked on Sand Hill Road.
“There’s no way a fire truck would have been able to get through,” they wrote.
Other residents said they we’re in favor of making the road one-way, but would be in favor of other restrictions, such as only allowing residents to use the reservoir.
Select Board Chair Matt Fish said since the reservoir was opened for swimming officially three years ago, it’s been seeing more and more use. Most, he said, is appropriate for the area.
“I think it’s important that the residents be given the right to use it,” Fish said. The rest of the Select Board agreed, but also agreed that it was appropriate to step in and create a solution to the ongoing parking issue.
On Friday morning, several people were enjoying the small beach at the reservoir, including Nirankar Marangi and Annika Forsman, who went for a bike ride and a swim.
“My hope is that people enjoy their surroundings, take care of it, and respect it,” Marangi said. “That’s my only concern, is that people leave their belongings and trash, and it doesn’t stay enjoyable for everybody.”
“When we first started coming when it first opened up, it was clean, beautiful, no one was here,” Forsman said, picking up a piece of glass from the beach as Marangi scooped up a pop-top tab.
The board also discussed reviving a committee to create a management plan for the reservoir area. Three years ago, a similar committee presented a plan to Town Meeting that would have created a dirt parking lot on the road, at an old log landing. The plan didn’t pass muster with voters, however, who had safety concerns and wanted a firmer plan for things like ongoing trash removal.
There were several options offered from the crowd, including using town dump stickers to limit the reservoir’s use to Wilton residents, or puttin g the land into conservation and leaving the management of the area to the Conservation Commission, which also manages other conserved properties in town.
Fish said that whatever else is done, a parking lot is likely still the best solution for the area to alleviate the issues caused by the traffic on the road.
“I think we should look at creating parking somewhere,” Fish said.
Selectwoman Kellie-Sue Boissonnault said the board shouldn’t be “rash” in its decisions, but said she was supportive of reviving a management committee to come up with a plan for the area.