Residents of Willington amd East Windsor who oppose proposals to build a $7 million state police firing range in either town headed to Hartford on Tuesday and filled the room during a public hearing on the plans.
State police have been looking at sites in both Willington and East Windsor and today was the first time they presented their ideas publically.
The room at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford where the hearing was held it was standing-room only.
Several residents of Willington formed the group unWillington and brought that read “Clean, Green, Serene" to Hartford with them.
“This is a very quiet community, tucked up in the quiet corner and people like the way things are now,” Eric Nichols, of Willington, said.
State Police have been searching for a new training ground because their current one in Simsbury is prone to flooding and the cost of repairs is high.
"And they deserve the best training and facility to provide that training possible,” Mark Petruzzi, of State Police, said.
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But Willington residents said they want to keep their small town charm and not hear guns near their homes or schools.
“I just can’t see kids going out there and having to hear it every day. It’s really sad,” John Prytko, of Willington, said.
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney has proposed a site at the National Guard training facility in East Haven as an alternative to Willington and East Windsor and Willington residents are getting behind it.
“Wouldn’t it be wise for us to get two organizations who are going to have to work together in the case of an emergency – state police and the national guard – to do training (in) the same facility (and) have some familiarity with each other? Makes sense to me,” Sen. Tony Guglielmo, of Willington, said.
“The state is broke. This idea of going to East Haven is hugely less expensive. It makes sense,” Stephanie Summers, president of UnWillington, said. “We’re a small state. We’re congested. Why do we need to ream out everything and build something that we’ve already got.”
Members of the public were not be allowed to testify today. The committee only heard from the National Guard and the Department of Emergency Services.
