§ 23-16c — Squantz Pond. Capacity limit. Factors.

The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall develop and post for members of the public, on or before January 31, 2024, the capacity limit of Squantz Pond State Park. Such capacity limit shall be determined utilizing the following factors: (1) The number of visitors that can be safely supervised, taking into account the staffing at said state park; (2) the number of swimmers that can be safely supervised, taking into account the lifeguard staffing in said state park; (3) the parking capacity at said state park; (4) the public restroom facility capacity at such state park; (5) the pedestrian and vehicular traffic on any state highway without a sidewalk that leads to said state park that threatens, or is reasonably likely to threaten, public safety by pedestrians walking on the side of the highway or by impeding the travel of emergency vehicles because of the high volume of vehicles parked or moving on the highway; and (6) the authority of the commissioner to utilize the number of vehicles entering said state park as a proxy for the number of visitors at said state park. The commissioner shall coordinate with municipal and state law enforcement agencies to implement traffic control efforts to minimize public safety concerns on local roadways and any state highway outside such state park and may close such state park to new entrants when such capacity is reached, regardless of the means by which patrons enter such state park.

Legislative History

(P.A. 23-43, S. 1.) History: P.A. 23-43 effective June 13, 2023.