New Boat Ramp Planned For Cove

WETHERSFIELD — The Wethersfield Cove boat launch ramp will be replaced, thanks to a grant for small harbor improvement projects.

At a recent town council meeting, town manager Kathy Bagley said the town will be using a $765,000 grant from the state, awarded last summer, to replace the boat ramp.

An additional $100,000 from the town’s Cove Preservation Fund will be used for the project. The fund is financed by the boating fees collected by the town.

The cove is the only sheltered cove with deep-water access to the Connecticut River north of Essex. It is a popular local spot for fishing, kayaking and boating.

At the meeting, the town council voted to hire Stratford-based firm Race Coastal Engineering to develop a final design for the boat ramp and draft bid documents. The firm will be paid $52,845 for its work.

Race Coastal Engineering will also oversee the construction of the boat ramp.

Bagley said she recommended the firm because the principal engineer had worked with the town in the past.

According to a press release from the Connecticut Port Authority, replacing the cove boat launch was among 18 projects to receive funding to improve infrastructure in the state’s small harbors in June 2017.

Other towns to receive the more than $6 million in grants for waterfront improvement projects include Chester, Clinton and Essex.

According to the release, the funding was awarded to Wethersfield with the goal of boosting “use of the marina by improving the facilities.”