Posted on September 2, 2024
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District is reviewing a permit application from Cross Sound Ferry Services, Inc., for proposed work in the Thames River.
According to the corps, the project is intended to reconfigure the New London site “to maintain the function of the Cross Sound Ferry Service.”
It would include building a new ferry ramp and slip, relocation of one ferry slip with loading platform and “maintenance dredging” in the Thames River, according to the Army Corps.
The 2019 site plan included with the notice can be seen here.
The Corps is soliciting comments from members of the public, federal, state, local agencies; Indian Tribes and other interested parties to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. The public notice with more detailed information is available for review on the Corps website at:
The work, according to the Army Corps, includes
- Filling of 2,600 CY over 10,000 SF of intertidal and shallow subtidal area to construct 460 linear
feet of steel sheet piling bulkhead; - Relocation of four existing dolphin pilings and the installation of five new dolphin pilings;
- Relocation of a 6-foot by 25-foot ferry slip and a 30-foot by 90-foot loading platform to the south of their existing locations;
- Conversion of an adjustable access ramp to a fixed ramp and the conversion of a fixed access ramp to an adjustable ramp;
- Construction and maintenance of a new ferry ramp and slip;
- Re-sheeting of 40 LF of steel z-pile bulkhead;
- Construction and maintenance of a 2,680-square-foot float and 160-square-foot ramp;
- Maintenance dredging by clam shell bucket approximately 200 CY of material from a 2,000-square-foot area to-16’ MLW and dispose of the material upland behind the bulkhead. The dredging will be performed from a barge.
“The project purpose is to reconfigure the existing site to accommodate for the loss of waterfront in order to maintain the function of the Cross Sound Ferry Service,” the Army Corps said in a statement. “The loss of shoreline is due to the construction of the U.S. Coast Guard Museum on the adjacent parcel. To mitigate for unavoidable adverse effects to aquatic resources, the applicant will avoid, minimize and mitigate in a manner that that satisfies the Mitigation Rule.”
The Army Corps also noted that a decision whether to issue a permit “will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources.”
“The benefit which may reasonably accrue from the proposal must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered, including the cumulative effects thereof; among those are: conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural value, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain value, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food production and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people.”
The corps said it is soliciting comments from the public; federal, state, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties “in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. The Corps will consider all comments received to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are
used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors…”
Public comments on the proposal are to be sent no later than Sept. 25, 2020 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Attn: Christina Comeau, Regulatory Division, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742 or by email to Christina.M.Comeau@usace.army.mil. Reference file # NAE- 2018-00981.
