Cedar Island (Connecticut)

Cedar Island is an "island" in Long Island Sound belonging to the the town of Clinton, CT in Middlesex County, Connecticut. Currently, the island is a peninsula attached to Hammonasset State Park in Madison, CT due to the shifting of land during Hurricane Gloria in 1985.

Location and Physical Description

Decimal Degrees:Latitude: 41.25833Longitude: -72.76139

Average Elevation: 3 feet at high tide, low tide can add 5 to 6 feet.

The island measures one and a half miles long by a quarter-mile wide and lies about a quarter of a mile from Clinton Harbor.It has about 54 houses and summer cottages (mostly built before 1950), many have piers for boats and fishing. The normal summertime population of the island is between 100 and 150 people on any given day.

Amenities

The island does not have grid electricity nor telephones,the sole exception being a lone telephone which is solar-powered on the town dock connected directly to the Clinton Police Department for emergencies. Many of the houses and cottages are hooked up with propane for heat and hot water, while some also have solar power for electricity. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE3DD133EF932A05754C0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all] Web page titled "THE VIEW FROM: CEDAR ISLAND; WHERE TIME IS OUT OF JOINT, JUST AS IT SHOULD BE / July 31, 1988", accessed 23 September, 2008]

The island is serviced by the town of Clinton for water, and does have a few fire hydrants. For decades the seasonal water line was turned off from 1 November through 1 April. In 2005 a permanent water line was authorized by the town and residents, but while it was completed it ran over budget amid allegations of embezzlement. [ [http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008/08/09/towns/19901658.txt] Web page titled "Clinton alleges lawyer embezzled $90G from town / The New Haven Register, August 9, 2008", accessed 26 September, 2008]

Transportation

All transportation to and from the island is by boat. There is no airstip or bridge, and foot travel via Hammonasset is possible but difficult due to the salt marsh conditions.

The closest port is Cedar Island Marina, approximately a quarter mile north.

There are five roads on the island, forming a rough sideways "figure 8" pattern. Hammonasett Avenue and Central Avenue run roughly east-west. Wigwam Street, Indian Street and Fort Lane run roughly north-south. The roads cannot handle vehicle traffic and are more for tax purposes than anything else.

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