When the state legislature finally passed a budget back in October 2017, the final document brought in a new program known as Passport to the Parks. Created to help foster state park revenue and encourage park visits, the program is set to launch this season—but Madison officials are worried this new program might exacerbate existing challenges at Hammonasset Beach State Park.

Passport to the Parks charges all Connecticut residents a flat fee of $10. The fee will be collected with auto registration, allowing residents to enter all state parks at no charge and only charging out-of-state visitors. The fee is estimated to generate about $10 million more in state revenue than current entry and parking fees.

Additionally, State Senator Ted Kennedy, Jr. (D-12), who serves as Senate co-chair of the Environment Committee, previously said the program may cut down on traffic jams at some of the larger state parks because residents with a Connecticut license plate will be waved right through the gates.

However, Hammonasset is the largest state park and brings in more than a million visitors in the 10-week high season following Memorial Day. The steady influx of cars to the park has been a longstanding issue for Madison officials and First Selectman Tom Banisch said he fears the passport program will only make the problem worse.

To try to tackle the problem before it starts, local officials including Banisch and Madison Police Chief Jack Drumm have been speaking with the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) about their concerns and to ask for some support this season because, while Hammonasset is a state park, Madison has to provide all of the emergency response and traffic control supports for the park.

“We are looking for [DEEP] to listen to our concerns because we host the largest state park in Connecticut and we are now being told we are going to be paid nothing to do that and provide all of the services that we have to provide and protect our beaches and townspeople at the same time,” said Banisch.

In past years, when cars line up to get into the park, the traffic often backs up along Route 1, the Hammonasset connector, and sometimes even on the highway by Exit 62. Banisch said the problem gets worse when the park gates close due to capacity, so he has asked DEEP to consider installing signs on the highway and at the entrance of the park letting people know when the park is full.

Drumm said in addition to the signs, he wants to see DEEP take charge of putting an officer or two on patrol down at the park entrance. Drumm said he often has to put his officers at the park on overtime in the summer, costing the town money and taking the officers away from other citizens.

“I am trying to keep four cops on the road during the summer for the citizens of Madison to take care of their issues and protect them,” he said. “Now I have that diversion, which takes away from our resources to address their problems.”

Officers, as well as firefighters and EMTs, can be called down to Hammonasset a couple times a day for everything from knife fights to Dumpster fires. Drumm said emergency personnel are never going to say “No” to a 911 call, but he wants to see the state chip in.

“We are all for people enjoying the summer, but we have only so many people to dedicate to services to the town as a whole and now I am taking a majority of those assets and dedicating them to a weekend in a certain location in town,” he said. “It’s not fair to the town that we do this on their dime.”

The Town of Madison does not receive any financial support from the state for taking care of Hammonasset. Years ago the state helped to cover the burden through Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) funds, but the six-figure PILOT payments the town once received are a thing of the past.

Plan B

Despite the conversations with DEEP, both Banisch and Drumm said they don’t expect much is going to change this year. With opening day just a few months away, Drumm said officers are going to have to try to manage this on their own.

“I would be astounded if they really took our suggestions to heart and followed up on it and in the meantime we are going to prepare for rain and pray for sunshine,” he said. “We are going to do everything we can to mitigate it and that includes if we have to get our own message boards we will…I want to assure people that we are still going to monitor the traffic and we are still going to have to make the investment for the summer months.”

Banisch said the town is going to maintain its responsibility to the people of Madison in regards to safety and protecting property. When the park hits capacity, Banisch said beach-goers spill out into Madison and try to use private beaches to avoid paying any fee.

“My concern is in Madison, people are going to get off the highway, realize they can’t go [to Hammonasset], go over to our beach, and say, ‘I’m not paying 40 bucks to go there,’ and then go off to another beach and that’s going to be on Middle Beach Road or Park or Tuxis,” he said.

During the summer, Banisch said he has seen people parking at sports fields and walking into the Surf Club to avoid paying along with a couple other creative maneuvers. This year Banisch said he and local officials will see how the season starts out, but might have to be more rigorous in policing where people park to access the beaches.

“We are not trying to be isolationists and we are not trying to be nasty to people who don’t live here, but the fact of the matter is people who pay for the beaches are the residents and we need to protect their interests and I am very sensitive to that and I am very reactive to that,” he said. “We are willing to get into the season and see what happens, but we are going to act quickly if we have to.”

Drumm said at the end of the day, the people of Madison pay a lot of money to support Hammonasset and he just wants to see a fair arrangement.

“I would love to see [the state] take a better role at a true partnership with the Town of Madison than to just dump the issue on our front steps,” he said.