Yesterday’s “06880” Opinion piece by Jennifer Johnson urged town officials — who have authorized $5.58 million to rebuild 2 tidal gates at Sherwood Mill Pond — to ensure pedestrian access to Compo Cove, just beyond the project.
A locked gate — with a large “Private Property/No Trespassing/Walkway for Residents & Guests Only” — sign was erected 10 years ago. Previously, the path was open to all.
The Compo Cove gate.
Not surprisingly, about 2 dozen commenters wondered exactly why taxpayers should fund work that would benefit only a very few residents.
Johnson noted that legally, the mean high water line belongs to the public. How, she wondered, could they be denied access to it?
What was surprising was an email from Betsy Kahn.
She no longer lives here. But during her many years as a Westport realtor, she learned a thing or two about Compo Cove.
Betsy says that one way to access the mean high water line is via a town-owned, 25 foot-wide easement.
It’s relatively secret. Not many people besides Betsy know it exists.
It’s overgrown. The town has not maintained it.
“From the pathway, you’d guess it’s just a side yard,” Betsy says.
But it is an easement. And it’s right there between 2 homes (#54 and #56), in plain sight.
If, of course, you get past the locked gate.
Betsy Kahn marked the easement on this aerial view of Compo Cove.
Every once in a while, Betsy said, builders had to get heavy equipment back to the beach side, without damaging the small parcels of land they were working on.
They used the easement to the beach side between #54 and #56. Then it would grow over again, and be forgotten.
Thanks to the easement, Betsy says, at low tide one could legally walk all the way to Sherwood Island State Park — bordering the eastern end of Compo Cove — or around the point of the iconic brown house near Old Mill Beach, currently lifted up for renovation.
The beach in front of this house is accessible to the public, at the mean high water line. But first you have to get there. (Photo/Matt Murray)
Betsy says that the “beautiful pathway should be available to town residents to walk and enjoy— as it used to be.
“The pond and estuary behind these few beach mansions and homes on the Cove is the most beautiful place in town, in my opinion.
“It’s about a quarter mile to the end of the path. It ends at a private residence. You have to turn around and go back.”
Close-up of the easement.
Betsy notes that there’s another easement there, at the end: for emergency vehicles to use, entering from Sherwood Island.
Westporters — including those who will foot the bill for the new tidal gates and footbridge — don’t need that state park easement.
But we sure would like to access the one leading to the mean high water line.
It’s priceless.
The pedestrian path on Compo Cove. The easement between #54 and #56 is beyond the bend.
(Just when you think you’ve heard everything about Westport … “06880” tells you something more. If you enjoy our coverage of hyper-local news, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
