Norwalkers working to save Oak Hills woods

NORWALK, Conn. – Norwalk activists continue to fight for the woods at Oak Hills Park, even if it appears the woods have been saved from a proposal to building a driving range there.

The Friends of Oak Hills Park are planning to make a pitch at about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday to the Conservation Commission, described as the first step to designate this land as permanent open space. After that, the Common Council will vote on a resolution presented by Councilwoman Anna Duleep (D-At Large), designating those woods as open space to be preserved in perpetuity.

The Oak Hills Park Authority had been considering allowing a private vendor to build a driving range in those woodlands, behind the restaurant. The authority chose instead on Aug. 15 to pursue a proposal from Total Driving Range Solutions to construct a range behind the cart barn.

The friends of the park have about 230 signatures on a petition advocating making the woods open space, according to Duleep’s resolution.

The petition states, “While we applaud Oak Hills Park Authority’s decision not to destroy the woodlands at this time, we don’t want to have to fight this fight again. Therefore we call upon Norwalk’s Mayor, Common Council, Oak Hills Park Authority, and other governing bodies to designate the woodlands in Oak Hills Park as permanent open space, to be preserved, conserved, and protected from development in perpetuity.”