Seaside’s storied past and promising future

It’s been nearly a decade since the beautiful piece of Waterford shoreline property that once served as a tuberculosis treatment center for children was designated as Seaside State Park. Since that designation was made in 2014, together with the 18 years prior to the property becoming a park, however, Seaside has mostly languished as the historic hospital structures there seriously deteriorated.

So, we greet with mixed emotions the state’s announcement earlier this month that it has committed $7.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to create a so-called passive park at Seaside.

On the one hand, the state’s assurance the plans will preserve public access to the site is great news. The demand for shoreline public access far exceeds the supply in Connecticut. On the other hand, we are saddened that the lovely historic Seaside buildings designed by acclaimed architect Cass Gilbert and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 will likely be demolished as the park plans progress.

The recent history of Seaside is a sad tale of neglect by the state. Long after the tuberculosis hospital ceased to exist, Seaside served the developmentally disabled. After that facility was shuttered in 1996, developer Mark Steiner spent years trying to redevelop the property, but his plans did not come to fruition.

In 2014, then Gov. Dannell P. Malloy abruptly terminated Steiner’s contract for the property and instead designated Seaside as a state park. Steiner in July got permission to sue the state and his litigation over the matter is pending.

In 2018, the state released a master plan for the site and sought a contractor to redevelop the property with lodging, enhancements for waterfront recreation and restoration of the existing buildings. A request for proposals was issued, but no contract was awarded.

As the state did little to prevent the buildings at Seaside from continuing to deteriorate, however, the public has been enjoying the property. Just as at Harkness Memorial State Park located about a mile to the east of Seaside, people flock to Seaside to stroll the shoreline, walk their dogs, fly kites, have picnics and just enjoy the grassy lawns and sea breezes.

The park, however, lacks amenities such as suitable bathrooms, maintained walking paths and trails and picnic tables. Also, the structures are marred by graffiti and encircled by chain link fencing. State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner Mason Trumble said the money now dedicated to the Seaside Park plans will help pay for many of these amenities, along with upgraded parking and shoreline improvements.

Nearly two-thirds of Connecticut’s shoreline is in private ownership. Equitable public access to other beaches is compromised by high parking and entrance fees and other restrictions. This makes maintaining public access to Seaside all the more important.

Just as we are delighted by the assurance of continued public access to Seaside, we also are deeply saddened that the lovely and distinctive buildings there may soon be no more. After suffering years of neglect at the hands of the state, it’s dismaying but not surprising that officials now say the buildings have deteriorated to a point they likely must face demolition.

These structures are important not only because they were designed by a storied architect, one who also designed the U.S. Supreme Court building, New York City’s Woolworth building and several state capitols and museums, but also because of the health care history they represent. Tuberculosis was a leading cause of death for centuries and treatment at sanitariums, where the care regimen included lots of fresh air and sunshine, gained in popularity beginning in the late 1800s as industrial conditions and cramped, dark housing in urban areas contributed to increasing tuberculosis rates. The use of Seaside as a tuberculosis hospital dates to the 1930s.

We urge the state to continue to work to preserve the structures at Seaside. Keeping even a portion of the buildings there intact would help keep alive the important health care role Seaside played for many years.