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“Nobody is more aware of the potential of Six Lakes than regular users of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail,” says New Haven community activist Aaron Goode. He points out that the trail runs along the west side of Six Lakes and “offers some of the best views of the property and its glimmering lakes and abundant wildlife.
“It was from riding the trail through southern Hamden more than a decade ago that I first became aware of Six Lakes (then we were calling it Olin Powder Farm), its troubled history and uncertain future,” Aaron says. “The potential and possibilities of Six Lakes are obvious to anyone who rides the trail, or even looks at a trail map. From the trail the lakes are tantalizingly close and undeniably scenic, yet frustratingly inaccessible.”
Among many other community involvements, Aaron is a board member of the Farmington Canal Rail to Trail Association, which for almost 40 years has raised awareness and promoted completion of the trail, especially through New Haven, Hamden and Cheshire.
Lisa Fernandez has been president of the FCRTTA for almost 20 years. She says, “The trail is a literal and metaphorical connector to Six Lakes in the sense it connects people who use it and people around it to their past because before it was a multi-use trail it was a railroad and before that a canal. It connects to our industrial and social past – it’s a utilitarian commuting and recreational corridor that prevents us from having to get in a car to go to work and points to a brighter, more livable future.”
Lisa says the trail could enhance a future Six Lakes Park, and the park could enhance the trail. “This is an open space in a very densely settled part of the region that is an asset for the people who live around it, and also for people using the trail,” she says.
FCRTTA is a member of the Six Lakes Park Coalition. Lisa adds, “I went to a visioning session. I’m happy to communicate with our membership that we’re supportive of it. There is a lot of pollution in there and a lot of decisions that have to be made by DEEP. If they clean it up to a residential standard it will take a lot of money and a lot of time."
The end result, Lisa believes, will be worth it. "I love peeking in there. Years ago, there was a tour by the Hamden Land Trust and it’s stunningly beautiful. The lakes and woods are lovely, great for passive recreation. When I bike or walk or jog by, I see birds landing on their migration paths. It could continue to be preserved but also made accessible.”
Aaron adds that the trail user experience extends to the neighborhoods through which it passes. “That's why Six Lakes matters to us as trail advocates. Having a spectacular park that trail users can access directly from the trail is exactly the kind of 'amenity' or enhancement of the user experience that we are now striving to provide. Cleaning up Six Lakes and making it accessible to the public would be great for residents of Hamden, great for residents of New Haven, and great for trail users who have been enjoying magnificent views of the site for so many years but for whom it has been just out of reach, frustratingly fenced off and suffering from neglect and unfulfilled potential. Bringing Six Lakes back into productive community use and creating a positive and seamless interface with the Trail is essential for unlocking the full potential of both as community assets.” |
