Fire destroys controversial Silver Sands State Park project in Milford weeks before completion

March 20-- Mar. 20--A controversial $9 million beach-side project burned to the ground overnight, weeks before the state was set to open the buildings to the public at Silver Sands State Park in Milford.

Intense flames engulfed the three buildings just off East Broadway as firefighters worked for more than two hours late Wednesday into Thursday getting the flames under control. Through much of Thursday morning, firefighters were still spraying the gutted buildings, left mostly to charred remains.

No one was injured in the fire, Battalion Chief Anthony Fabrizi said. One resident of East Broadway, Mike Scarveles, said the fire threw burning embers four blocks down the street. He said he had not seen such a huge fire in town since the mid-1970s.

Other residents said the flames were so brilliant, they could be seen from miles away.

"It looked like an explosion," said Mary Ann Bianchi, who lives across the marsh from the project she has watched being built from the ground up. "The second I saw those flames, I knew it was intense."

Environmental Conservation Police with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection were investigating the cause of the fire with the State Fire Marshal's office.

"Though we are saddened by the loss of the buildings under construction, the most important thing is that no one was injured fighting the fire," said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes.

The buildings, which housed a concession stand/dining area, public restrooms and an office, were scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend, officials said.

While the overall state expenses for improvements at the park was $9.1 million, DEEP officials said the actual construction cost of the beach buildings destroyed in the fire amounted to $3.14 million. A state spokesman said it's too soon to say how much it will cost state taxpayers to rebuild the structures or how much might be covered by insurance.

The project was controversial, with residents opposing the problem for reasons including cost, environmental impact and crowding in an already busy part of town.

According to Fabrizi, firefighters received 911 calls about the blaze at East Broadway and Silver Sands State Park at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. The first arriving firefighters found that two of the three buildings were fully involved, and flames filled half of the third building.

As the probe started into the fire, Capt. Keith Williams of DEEP's EnCon police said they could not rule out that the fire was suspicious in nature.

"It's an ongoing, active investigation," Williams said. "Our officers are going to be down here around the clock until the investigation is completed."

State Department of Administrative Services spokesman Jeff Beckham said Wednesday they are waiting for the completion of the law enforcement investigation, then DAS will review the project.

The general contractor on the project is Scope Construction based out of New Britain, according to officials. The buildings had not yet been transferred to the state.

Despite opposition from state and local officials, the state Bond Commission approved the $9.1 million allocation for park improvements in November 2017. Many Milford residents and city officials were opposed to the project, saying it was not necessary and that there were better things the state could spend its money on in a budget crisis.

Then-Gov. Dannel P. Malloy defended the decision to use state bond money, saying improvements like putting in permanent bathrooms rather than portable toilets and upgrading parking facilities are needed to provide better access for all visitors.

Park advocates said the community's resistance to the proposed improvements was because Milford officials want to keep the state park primarily for local residents.

State Rep. Kim Rose, D-Milford, visited the park Thursday morning after fielding questions from her constituents about the future of the project.

"It doesn't matter what we think is going to happen," Rose said. "It matters what is going to happen. From what I understand, the buildings have not yet been turned over to the state. One question I am getting is, insurance? That will fall to the developer. I'm going to assume they are going to collect on the insurance and rebuild."

With the cause of the fire still under investigation, Rose said she was told by DEEP officials that there were some heaters in one of the buildings that was scorched by the fire.

"That will be a full investigation," Rose said.

"The fire that destroyed critical infrastructure at Silver Sands State Park is devastating news as we head into the spring and summer seasons," said Eric Hammerling, executive director of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association. "The restrooms and other upgrades to public services ... had been only recently constructed after years of effort to bring necessary improvements to such a well-visited shoreline park."

Despite strong local opposition to the park improvements, many of the residents who walked down to see the aftermath of the fire said they were disappointed to see the damage.

"This is devastating to the community," said Bianchi, who has lived in Milford for decades. "It was going to bring so many people to the area. ... A lot of people are against it, but for the life of me, I don't know why."

She said it's a busy state park and should have facilities such as bathrooms.

"It's an improvement," she said. "Any improvement is bliss."

Similarly, Donna Carty-Frank, who lives on East Broadway, said she was coming home when the firetrucks were arriving.

A strong supporter of the building project, she said: "I was just devastated." She is a vendor on one of the nearby beaches in the summer and welcomed the development.

Leo Koutikas, who owns The Greek Spot Cafe several blocks away on East Broadway, initially had reservations about the project and the impact it would have on his eatery when it was proposed years ago. But in the time since, he said he has come around to support the project.

"I'm kind of established here. I feel like it's good for me," Koutikas said, explaining that it would bring greater traffic to the area and with it, new customers.

Koutikas, who lives nearby, was among those struck by the power of the fire. From down the street, he watched as the flames rose.

Williams said investigators are hoping citizens in the area may have seen people coming and going from the state park near when the fire happened. They are asking anyone with information to call DEEP dispatch at 860-424-3333.

Courant staff writers Christine Dempsey and Gregory B. Hladky contributed to this story.

Nicholas Rondinone can be reached at nrondinone@courant.com.

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