The coastline in Stamford, Connecticut, is one of the city’s greatest assets. But residents of the Waterside neighborhood, despite the name, have not had much access to the water.
That is now changing thanks to a sweeping renovation of Boccuzzi Park, funded in part by the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP). The 12-acre park’s design is being “flipped,” as locals describe it, so that a parking lot abutting the cordoned-off coastline is moved, and welcoming greenspace and dunes habitat will lead residents right up to the Long Island Sound.
“Now the water lies behind a crumbling seawall, a chain link fence, and a metal guardrail,” not to mention the often-flooded parking lot that channels runoff and pollution into the ocean, said Leigh Shemitz, president of SoundWaters, an organization housed in the park that provides a job training program called Harbor Corps, sailing lessons, and other programs for local youth.
The Waterside and West Side neighborhoods surrounding the park are dense and diverse, with 4,400 people living within a half-mile radius and 12,000 people within a one-mile radius. Almost half of the area residents are foreign-born, the great majority are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and about 60% of households speak a language other than English in the home. The poverty rate in the area around the park is double that of the county and state, and much of the housing stock is considered substandard.
Boccuzzi Park is the only park easily accessible to these communities. It was developed in the 1980s and named after local resident John Buccozzi. While the park has long been popular, it badly needed an upgrade, “with really deteriorating amenity conditions, underutilized space,” as Mayor Caroline Simmons noted, and the parking lot that often flooded and became unusable.
“Making this investment is really important for the community,” continued Mayor Simmons. “This is in a distressed area, we want to make sure all our residents have access to high-quality parks.”
The renovation will include a new splash pad, “tot lot,” multi-use lawn, 6,000-square-foot playground, landscaping, picnic area, and walking path, as well as new tennis and basketball courts.
The renovation is happening in two phases, with the first underway and the second, funded by the $1.81 million ORLP grant, set to begin soon. Established in 2014, the ORLP focuses on providing outdoor recreation in disadvantaged communities within urban areas. The program funds land acquisition, new park development, and the renovation of existing parks like Buccozzi.
“Getting this funding was really critical to helping support this project and make these investments,” said Mayor Simmons. “Because we have so many capital needs across the city, including 56 parks, we can only bond a certain amount each year for capital projects. Federal support was really beneficial, particularly at a time when interest rates were high. We’re grateful for the federal funding and administrative commitment through this program. It aligns with our city’s goals to provide equitable access.”
The master plan for the park renovation was developed starting in 2016, and residents participated in three intensive design charrette processes, public forums, and other outreach. The ORLP grant will help the city implement the plans residents imagined.
“One of the main things that came out of the public process was people wanted to enjoy the coast as much as possible,” said Senior Parks Planner Erin McKenna. “You can drop kayaks off, and then there’s picnicking on higher ground that looks over the water.”
On Earth Day of 2023, Stamford finalized its climate action plan.
The renovation of Boccuzzi Park will help realize those goals. Restoring the dune habitat along the coastline builds resilience to storms and surging seas. The park, meanwhile, has few impermeable surfaces, helping it absorb rain and avoid run-off problems. The city is working with the University of Connecticut on a flood modeling and coastal resiliency plan, and waterfront parks play an important role.
The new Boccuzzi Park plan “is very much adapting to sea level rise and the challenges of climate change,” said McKenna. “You have to start designing differently.”
Rendering of Boccuzzi Park in Stamford, CT. Photo courtesy of Hey Stamford!
Mayor Simmons noted the city is “directing our departments to build green infrastructure projects, to address things like rising sea level, and mitigate flooding and storm impacts” while also investing in solar energy, electric vehicles, and more trees.
“The broader goal is for us to do our part as the second largest city in Connecticut, to make our city more sustainable.”
The City Parks Alliance series on the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership was written by Kari Lydersen. Kari is an assistant professor of journalism at Northwestern University and a Chicago-based journalist and author.
Explore and learn more about the impact of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership:
Overview Story
The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program offers park access and all its benefits to urban dwellers nationwide.
Seattle, WA Story
An “Urban Village” Park in Diverse Seattle Neighborhood thanks to the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership.
St. Paul, MN Story
In Saint Paul, ORLP helps a park change with the times, and the community thanks to the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership.
Mayors for Parks Coalition
Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons is a member of City Parks Alliance’s Mayors for Parks coalition. The coalition advocates for increased federal funding for urban parks and has been a leader in the campaign to create and fund the ORLP.
