Photographs by Kyle Norton
Over the past six decades, Yale Greenman has seen Stamford Harbor transform from an undiscovered and very underutilized piece of community fabric to a thriving hub of activity that serves as the maritime gateway for commercial and recreational pursuits.
“Stamford Harbor has gone through a huge metamorphosis,” says Greenman, the Stamford Harbor Master who is a lifelong boater and grew up navigating local waters. “Back then, it was a sleepy harbor with a few small local boatyards. It always was a commercial harbor. Recreational traffic has increased considerably over the years. We’ve got it all.”
Development has played an important role in increased activity in the harbor. Over the past two decades, thousands of housing units have flooded the area, many of them with views of Long Island Sound and quick access to harbor amenities. Businesses and restaurants have moved there, and people can find activities such as yoga, paddleboarding, kayaking and biking. From schooners to sunbathers, everyone wants a piece of the action in Stamford Harbor. It’s the city’s mini-version of the United Nations, where everyone is welcome to find an activity they enjoy.
Russ Hollander, a member of the Harbor Management Commission who has been sailing out of Stamford for more than 40 years, believes nearly 40 percent of Stamford’s 52 square miles is covered by water at high tide, and that much of its population of more than 136,000 lives within a short drive of the city’s 19-mile coastline. “It’s like living at the foot of Stowe Mountain and having one of the most incredible assets in the world at your front door,” Hollander says. “There is an opportunity to access water in many ways.”
While its popularity has soared, so has concern over the harbor’s future. Responsible management and appropriate stewardship are paramount. No one wants to tamp down activity. But they also don’t want it to become an example of Yogi Berra’s classic line — “Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.”
“It’s important over the next 10 years to create and uphold good policies,” says Damian Ortelli, Chairman of the Harbor Management Committee. “We want to fit in all the various uses of the harbor and support commercial businesses, fishermen, and shell fishermen. There needs to be enough thought and process to make sure everyone gets what they need out of the harbor.”
How the city navigates that path, however, is critical to its future.
Vital Component
The harbor proved instrumental in Stamford’s industrial growth. Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, a builder of hardware, locks and post office boxes, moved to Stamford from Massachusetts in 1868 and sparked the city’s growth as an industrial heavyweight. The lock maker grew to 25 acres and employed nearly 5,000 people. More manufacturers gradually moved in during the late 19th century, many of them settling near the harbor to take advantage of access to shipping.
“It all originates from when commerce was fairly water-dependent,” Greenman says. “That was way before Interstate 95. Most of the materials came in by boat. Then the industrial park was built up by the water. Most of the industries have moved up, and now they’ve put up residences and apartments down by the water.”
Stamford is still one of the three busiest ports in the state, along with Bridgeport and New Haven. What makes Stamford different, however, is the combination of recreational and commercial users. While that has always been the harbor’s calling card, the range of activities has increased substantially.
“We’ve had quite a mix of uses in the harbor, from industrial to recreational and everything in between,” Ortelli says. “The changing of the neighborhoods from industrial to residential has created some growing pains. It has led to wonderful availability for people who work and live close to Long Island Sound. That’s not something you would have done 20 years ago. It was not the ideal place to live or grab a bite to eat.”
The first apartments at Harbor Point, a transit-oriented mixed-use development, opened in 2010 and started a brisk pace to transform the area. More than 4,000 residences are currently located in Harbor Point. Meanwhile, homes along the shoreline are highly coveted in areas like Shippan, Dolphin Cove and The Cove.
West Beach and Cummings Park, which span 108 acres, multiple marinas and several yacht clubs, all bring people into the area. Commercial enterprises, such as O&G Industries and Rubino Brothers, have been long-time tenants near the harbor. Rubino, a full-scale recycler of scrap metal, has been in the city for more than a century.
The common theme for everyone who lives and works near the harbor is convenient access to Long Island Sound. Water is a magnet to which everyone is drawn.
“If you go to a harbor in New Haven, you’re not going to see someone out there paddleboarding,” Ortelli says. “There are some big tugs and barges. In Stamford, you could have a double barge, completely laden, going by a sailboat, a tiki hut and a paddleboarder.”
Harbor Future
The city’s challenge going forward is marrying the many uses of the harbor safely, monitoring ongoing development and maintaining infrastructure while also combating climate change and fostering resilience. This is not a pick-and-choose option. All those concerns need careful decision-making and management.
“We’re working on a 10-year comprehensive plan to see what comes forward,” says Leah Kagan, the city’s Director of Economic Development. “It’s very clear there has been development adjacent to the harbor. We’ll see some transit-oriented development north of the harbor that will enhance some of the elements that exist there.”
One of the elements was unveiled in December. StamFORWARD is a new on-demand ride-share system that is less expensive than similar services. The coverage area includes the South End, Downtown and West Side. Users can request low-cost rides through an app. Ride-sharing plays an important role in an attempt to reduce congestion in streets around the harbor.
“We’re also excited about the burgeoning opportunity on Pacific Street,” Kagan says. “It’s a village street project that will include street-level lighting, crosswalks and a core retail cluster. We’re working to encourage growth of the retail cluster.”
She adds that the city Zoning Board has approved regulations for the former Fairway site that reduces the required square footage. The 86,000-square-foot supermarket closed in 2021, but finding a new tenant had been challenging due to regulations that required supermarkets to be at least 40,000 square feet. The city hopes the zoning change will lead to multiple tenants occupying the space.
With the residential growth, the harbor has also attracted business development. Some are well-established, and others are moving to the area. Workpoint, a co-working space, includes more than 15,000 square feet and a television studio. Last year, Stamford Health opened a new walk-in medical facility. Connecticut Innovations, a venture capital arm for more than 200 growing businesses, is also a recent addition.
Like the harbor itself, one of the challenges the city must address is how to maximize the use of the area without crossing the over-development line. “It is a delicate balance,” Kagan says. “The comprehensive plan will help shape what the long-term strategy looks like. And that includes contributions from community members. It’s important to get their input.”
Guarding against over-development is only one of the issues that lies ahead. Funding is always a pain point, and capital projects, including a new boat ramp, the restoration and rebuilding of marinas and strengthening a hurricane wall, are on the table. “The Army Corps of Engineers is going to do maintenance on the hurricane barrier at some point,” Ortelli says. “That could cause significant closure to the East branch of the channel. We expect to be a part of the planning meetings so we can be a conduit to and from the water-dependent community when they resume.”
Natural Beauty
For centuries, Stamford Harbor has been the gateway to the city from Long Island Sound. City leaders and many residents have demonstrated tremendous stewardship in maintaining its vibrancy, but it is an ongoing battle. It is a treasure that needs careful monitoring and upkeep.
Hollander, who has sailed more than 40,000 nautical miles throughout his life in places all around the world, is one who truly appreciates the specialness of Stamford Harbor. A long-time jeweler in the city, he hopes residents will continue to treat the harbor like one of his rare gems.
“Stamford Harbor is one of the preeminent harbors on the Atlantic basin,” Hollander says. “We’re blessed to be where we are on the planet. Our access from the sea is very graceful, and very few harbors have that. We have five beaches to choose from, great population density and educated, well-meaning people. Stamford Harbor is very clean, well-maintained, serviced and safe. It’s inviting and very inclusive. You can’t say that about every harbor. I think at times, we all take it for granted, but it truly is a special place.”
Keeping it that way is the task of a quickly growing city and ensuring that all residents respect a true city treasure.
HONORING THE PAST
Preserving Maritime History
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHIL NELSON
For the last decade, Gary Kalan witnessed the deterioration of the Stamford Lighthouse daily. His Dolphin Cove home—about a half-mile from the 60-foot structure—is closest in proximity, and the neglect and inattention gnawed at his sailor’s soul.
“We were concerned that if the lighthouse kept deteriorating, it would be lost,” Kalan says. “It was critical that we save this part of our history.”
Brendan McGee felt the same way. He also had experience, having been part of the team that recently finished restoring Greens Ledge Lighthouse in Rowayton. McGee and Kalan were connected by a mutual friend, Steve Scott, and joined forces to help refurbish the 143-year-old landmark. They formed the Stamford Harbor Lighthouse Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, after purchasing the structure and surrounding grounds from Alex Spektor in 2023 for $500,000.
“It’s a time capsule,” McGee says. “Since the late 1980s, it has not been occupied or updated. It was boarded up. The Stamford Lighthouse has done remarkably well on its own for 143 years, but now it needs the full support of the community to see it through the next 100 years.”
Stamford Lighthouse’s history is interesting. There have been mishaps, drownings and even the birth of a baby. It’s termed a “sparkplug” lighthouse for its unique shape, which were commonly built in New England and Mid-Atlantic states in the 1800s. Only 33 remain in the entire nation. They are prefabricated buildings—Stamford Lighthouse was built in Boston—and brought to the site by barge and put in place by floating cranes.
Keepers lived in the lighthouse for decades. It was decommissioned by the federal government in 1953, and it changed ownership many times. Thomas Quigley, a former mayor of Stamford, bought the structure for $1 in 1955. Eryk Spektor, Chairman of the Board of the First Women’s Bank in New York, purchased the lighthouse in 1984 for $230,000. “It’ll be a cheap place to park my boat,” Spektor said at the time.
His son inherited the lighthouse in 1998, but Alex rarely spent time there and moved to Florida. Meanwhile, the structure, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, stood vacant until Spektor sold it to Kalan and McGee.
“We were happy with what we found on the inside,” Kalan says. “It’s in very good condition. The basement is perfectly dry, and the brickwork was sandblasted in the 1980s. There was a lot of garbage that needed to be cleaned out, but the interior is in great shape.”
Spektor looked to make the lighthouse a second home. Kalan and McGee brought in beds, desks, furniture, a water heater and a furnace. The ambitious restoration project includes several important touchpoints. The first phase is to secure the landing, repair access points and install a temporary landing for safe access.
Several improvements have been made. Volunteers cleaned the interior and removed old furniture. The lantern was restored with a new solar panel, battery, wiring and lamp, which resulted in a brighter light. Workers rebuilt the exterior staircase and fortified the caisson with new steel tie rods to prevent further damage.
“We are also working with Coastline Consulting to complete surveys and permits, while we submit an application to allow us to repair the breakwater,” Kalan says.
After extensive structural work is completed, Kalan and McGee want to work on improving the water quality of 10 acres of submerged land with the establishment of oyster beds. The group plans to work with SoundWaters for aqua farming, water monitoring and research and education programs.
Kalan says the primary objective is to preserve an important piece of Stamford history. “This is something we can do to benefit the community that has given so much to us,” Kalan says. “It’s a beautiful historic building and it would be a shame to see it fall apart. The first thing people see coming from Long Island Sound is this lighthouse that is rusty and deteriorated. We want them to see something beautiful and have it become a source of pride for the city.”
To support and learn more about the Stamford Harbor Lighthouse Project, visit stamfordlighthouse.org.
PROTECTING THE FUTURE
Staying Resilient
With a 19-mile coastline along Long Island Sound, Stamford is particularly vulnerable to the challenges of climate change. A Coastal Resilience Plan is an important part of protecting the city from the ravages of storm surges. The Coastal Resilience Plan is being developed as a roadmap that will identify and propose actionable strategies to address coastal flood risks in Stamford. The project area includes The Cove, East Side, Shippan, South End, Waterside and portions of downtown and the West Side.
The goal is to identify and prioritize potential short-term and long-term adaptation strategies and resiliency projects to help Stamford manage its vulnerable infrastructure, facilities and natural resources in the face of increasing flood risks, according to Erin McKenna, Associate Planner for the city.
“The project scope also includes cost-benefit analyses for these projects, as grant applications often require them,” McKenna says. “The project should leave us exceptionally eligible for FEMA and other funding for final design and implementation.”
The plan was generated by Rick Talamelli, the former Executive Director of the Stamford Environmental Protection Agency Board. He managed Stamford’s FEMA Community Rating System (CRS) program and understood the need to be proactive to address increased flooding and take advantage of available FEMA and other grant funding. Stamford started working on the plan in 2019, and it is funded with a $150,000 Flood Mitigation Assistance grant from FEMA and $55,000 in capital funding.
In 2012, Superstorm Sandy demonstrated why Stamford needs a plan. The storm left 630,000—nearly 66 percent of the city—without power. Thirty-six roads were blocked by trees and debris. Nearly 1,100 buildings were impacted, and the storm caused close to $7 million in damage. Subsequent storms have amplified the cause for alarm.
“Sea level rise increases flood intensity, but there are other dynamics that accompany global climate change,” McKenna says. “For instance, the delivery of rain is different—it can come down harder and faster, which creates challenges to stormwater infrastructure that was built to withstand lower volumes over time.”
McKenna said the city is currently working on three plans. The Coastal Flood Resilience plan covers a large territory that stretches from The Cove to Downtown, the West Side and Dolphin Cove. The Cummings Pond Area Flood and Resilience Plan, funded by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, concentrates on Cummings Park, West Beach, Boccuzzi Park, Kosciuszko Park and Czescik Park. A third study, the Toilsome Brook Flood Resilience Plan, is a concentrated study of inland funding.
“Mayor Caroline Simmons and her administration are particularly keen on addressing coastal and riverine flooding—and it absolutely requires a top-down approach,” McKenna says. “Mayor Simmons has also been extremely effective in getting state and federal funding directed to Stamford. We need both the leadership and the required millions to execute on these plans.”
Stamford is already better positioned than many other coastal communities. It is one of only three cities in the Northeast that has a hurricane barrier system. “It is a manmade dyke with an actual gate that goes up as necessary before impending weather events. It activated during Superstorm Sandy, and it protects approximately 640 acres,” McKenna says.
McKenna explains that inaction is not an option for the city’s plan. “Everything takes time —planning, communicating the risk effectively to the public, and amassing the funding,” she says. “In our experience, projects that are ready for implementation are most attractive to grantors. A match is often required, so we will have to strategize to acquire sufficient capital funding for that.”