A new study of Norwalk Harbor recommends adding up to 333 moorings, launching a water taxi service and improving public shoreline access as part of a broader effort to strengthen the city’s waterfront economy.
The 200-page Norwalk Strategic Harbor Study, prepared by Indigo River Architecture and Engineering and HR&A Advisors, will be presented Wednesday night at a joint meeting of the Economic and Community Development Committee and Planning and Zoning Commission. The report examines the harbor’s economic impact, environmental challenges, public access, mooring infrastructure and governance.
The study found the harbor area, which spans roughly 14 census blocks, accounts for about 39% of all jobs in Norwalk, or about 17,000 positions as of 2022. Employment in the harbor area grew 5.8% between 2013 and 2022, while citywide employment declined nearly 10%.
About 17% of jobs in the harbor area are water-dependent, including tourism, aquaculture, marine construction and boating services. Tourism-related businesses, including restaurants, recreational services and museums, make up the largest share.
Stakeholders told consultants that marine industrial businesses face increasing pressure from residential development and a shrinking supply of commercial waterfront land. The report warns that when marine contractors, barge operators and similar businesses leave the area, services such as dock construction, dredging support and material delivery often must be sourced elsewhere at higher cost.
“Industrial businesses feel that decision making about the waterfront does not recognize how essential these services are to all uses of the Harbor,” the study states.
The report recommends a hybrid mooring management system in which private permit holders continue maintaining their moorings while the city expands moorings for visiting boaters, contracts for harbor management services and establishes a water taxi.
Norwalk Harbor has more than 500 mooring locations, though only 150 to 200 are designated for recreational use. Depending on the configuration, the proposed expansion could add up to 333 moorings at eight locations, including Veterans Park, Gregory Point, Calf Pasture Beach, Manresa Island and the Norwalk Islands. Estimated capital costs range from $1.2 million to $4.5 million.
A fully city-operated mooring program would cost an estimated $884,000 to $1.2 million annually while generating about $341,000 in revenue, the study found. The recommended hybrid model would reduce the annual deficit to about $63,000, which could be offset through subsidies, water taxi fares or sponsorships.
The proposed water taxi would connect the inner harbor, outer harbor and Norwalk Islands, with fares ranging from $10 to $20 per trip. Planned stops include Veterans Memorial Park, Manresa Island Basin and several public shoreline access points.
At the Norwalk Islands, the study recommends installing 40 moorings for visiting boaters at Shea and Chimon islands using low-impact anchoring systems designed to minimize disruption to the seabed and shellfish beds.
The study also evaluated 21 shoreline street ends and identified five priority sites for investment: Lowndes Avenue, Knorr Street, 1st Street, 3rd Street and Cove Avenue. Proposed improvements range from Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant paths and kayak launches to marsh grass plantings and erosion control to interpretive signage.
The report also cites fragmented oversight among city departments, the Harbor Management Commission, and state and federal agencies. It outlines five governance options, ranging from formalizing existing coordination efforts to creating a quasi-public harbor authority, but does not endorse a specific approach.
Tonight’s meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. via Zoom.
