Known for years as Pawcatuck Park, the little-used plot of land behind the parking lot of C.C. O’Brien’s Sports Café was, for quite some time, in very sad shape.
Situated right along the Pawcatuck River, what was once a prime location to picnic, play Frisbee, or just relax, had over time, actually become a danger to the public. The wooden walkway that once offered a great view of the water had become rickety and rotten and the bulkheads that kept the park from slowly eroding into the river also had significant damage.
When the park was evaluated around four years ago, it was deemed unsafe for the public and a large chain link fence was put in place to keep people away from the water’s edge. The town then moved to acquire funds to renovate the entire area, a project with which Stonington Public Works Director Joe Bragaw is quite familiar. Working as the project’s head coordinator, Bragaw explained the steps that were initially taken to re-establish Pawcatuck Park.
“After the chain link fence was put up about 10 feet off of the water’s edge, we went after money to not only rehabilitate and re-establish the bulkhead, but also to put in a new concrete walkway and railing system to give people a nicer and easier access to the waterfront,” Bragaw explained.
After securing a $500,000 Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant from the state to accomplish their goals, the park was renamed Donahue Park in honor of Steve Donahue, Stonington’s longtime fire chief who had passed away, and Bragaw began overseeing construction, which began last fall.
With all the funds necessary in hand it seemed as if the project would go off without a hitch, that is until the crew excavating the area discovered contaminated soil, halting construction. The property had once been owned by the Gulf Oil Company, and unbeknownst to the town, petroleum tanks had leaked into the soil over an unknown period of years. The discovery changed everything.
“Upon hearing this we broke the project into three phases,” Bragaw explained. “The first phase being to reconstruct the bulkhead, the stone wall along the river and we got all the necessary DEP permits for that, and moved forward. Phase two was to remediate the soil, which we went ahead and did but that used up the remainder of our funds that should have lasted through to the last phase.”
With phases one and two now complete, all that is left for the park is to finish the concrete walkway and railings, landscape, and reset the Mark E. Pescatello Memorial Gazebo. With construction still halted, Bragaw said the town is currently working on acquiring more funds to finish the project, and while nothing is definitive yet, Bragaw hinted that the money necessary could possibly be acquired in the not too distant future. Deadlines aside, Bragaw said once its finished, the park will be much improved from its original design and a great place for the public to enjoy.
“More than anything, I think it will offer better and safer access to the river, to the waterfront views,” Bragaw said. “It will have wheelchair access and will be a great spot for everyone to enjoy.”