Neighborhood opposition is already mounting to Greenwich Point Park being used to host Independence Day fireworks again this year.
Town officials recently indicated that the public beach, which is accessed by a narrow causeway that belongs to a private homeowner's association, will be used again for the show, which will be held June 30 this year. The town's other fireworks show is the same night at nearby Binney Park.
Though last year's fireworks went off without problems, the Lucas Point Association has said that the choice of Greenwich Point creates a safety hazard in their neighborhood, and that having two shows within two miles of each other threatens to snarl traffic in Old Greenwich, obstruct access for emergency vehicles and put pedestrians and bicyclists who use the narrow causeway in harm's way.
"If somebody does get injured, the town is open to an enormous lawsuit," said Mary Staples Webber, a park neighbor who opposes the show location.
Webber decided to skip a meeting this week where town officials told the association of their plans.
"I thought the decision had been made a year ago," Webber said. "They just go through the motions."
Parks Director Joseph Siciliano said the town has been considering Greenwich Point again for some time and has worked hard to address neighbors' concerns about the location.
"They expressed some of the same issues that they did in the year past, and we said we would have this continuing conversation," Siciliano said. "I think they understand that we have a limited number of locations that we can do this in."
Until last year, the fireworks were held at Greenwich High School, but concerns about crowds of people damaging the new artificial turf fields at the school prompted the move to Greenwich Point.
About 6,000 people watched the fireworks last year at the beach, which did not reach capacity during the show and took about 53 minutes to clear afterward. No incidents were reported during either the Greenwich Point show or the Binney Park show.
Town officials spent several weeks preparing for the shows and used barricades to separate pedestrians from cars on Tod's Driftway. They brought in floodlights to improve visibility in the park and positioned police boats in Long Island Sound.
Bob Churchill, secretary of the homeowner's association, questioned whether the town would be able to keep up with that level of preparation.
"There's no assurance that attention will be paid in the future," Churchill said.
Webber, meanwhile, said the crowds will only grow this year because of last year's trouble-free event.
"I think most people were terrified there was going to be a mess down here and they didn't come," Webber said.
Siciliano countered that hosting the second fireworks show at the beach gives spectators who own boats a whole new vantage from Long Island Sound.
"I think some of the crowd got dispersed last year," Siciliano said, noting that ideal weather conditions last year lent themselves to large crowds.
Town officials recently indicated that the public beach, which is accessed by a narrow causeway that belongs to a private homeowner's association, will be used again for the show, which will be held June 30 this year. The town's other fireworks show is the same night at nearby Binney Park.
Though last year's fireworks went off without problems, the Lucas Point Association has said that the choice of Greenwich Point creates a safety hazard in their neighborhood, and that having two shows within two miles of each other threatens to snarl traffic in Old Greenwich, obstruct access for emergency vehicles and put pedestrians and bicyclists who use the narrow causeway in harm's way.
"If somebody does get injured, the town is open to an enormous lawsuit," said Mary Staples Webber, a park neighbor who opposes the show location.
Webber decided to skip a meeting this week where town officials told the association of their plans.
"I thought the decision had been made a year ago," Webber said. "They just go through the motions."
Parks Director Joseph Siciliano said the town has been considering Greenwich Point again for some time and has worked hard to address neighbors' concerns about the location.
"They expressed some of the same issues that they did in the year past, and we said we would have this continuing conversation," Siciliano said. "I think they understand that we have a limited number of locations that we can do this in."
Until last year, the fireworks were held at Greenwich High School, but concerns about crowds of people damaging the new artificial turf fields at the school prompted the move to Greenwich Point.
About 6,000 people watched the fireworks last year at the beach, which did not reach capacity during the show and took about 53 minutes to clear afterward. No incidents were reported during either the Greenwich Point show or the Binney Park show.
Town officials spent several weeks preparing for the shows and used barricades to separate pedestrians from cars on Tod's Driftway. They brought in floodlights to improve visibility in the park and positioned police boats in Long Island Sound.
Bob Churchill, secretary of the homeowner's association, questioned whether the town would be able to keep up with that level of preparation.
"There's no assurance that attention will be paid in the future," Churchill said.
Webber, meanwhile, said the crowds will only grow this year because of last year's trouble-free event.
"I think most people were terrified there was going to be a mess down here and they didn't come," Webber said.
Siciliano countered that hosting the second fireworks show at the beach gives spectators who own boats a whole new vantage from Long Island Sound.
"I think some of the crowd got dispersed last year," Siciliano said, noting that ideal weather conditions last year lent themselves to large crowds.