East Haven, CT – Senator Len Fasano (R-East Haven) joined by East Haven Mayor Joe Maturo and other state and local officials hosted an open discussion on the future of the shoreline community in East Haven.
At issue: whether the shoreline residents have the right to build a sea wall to protect their property and their lives from future disasters.
"This is about protecting a way of life," said State Senator Len Fasano. "There are divergent views on how East Haven’s shoreline should be maintained in the future. There is the way residents and I believe the beach should be built back up, and the way the state believes it should be."
The packed meeting held Thursday night at the East Haven Senior Center focused on the options residents have going forward when considering whether to rebuild from 2011’s Tropical Storm Irene.
Town officials listened to residents concerns and were able to get a consensus on how to proceed.
Mayor Joe Maturo says, "We want to find out how their experience has been with FEMA, the State Insurance Department, the State Department of Environmental Protection and with local offices since the August Tropical Storm."
"It’s about accountability, but it is also a call to action," remarked Senator Fasano. "We want to make sure we help residents move forward in a way that protects their ownership rights as private property owners."
"It's a long, long process and it's a lot of money out of my pocket to rent somewhere else too, and I'm looking probably at another ten months or so," said Gretchen Schrader of East Haven.
Any resident with concerns should call 1-800-842-1421, or email Len.Fasano@cga.ct.gov
