The Town of Glastonbury temporarily closed its Cotton Hollow Preserve for the foreseeable future after an increase in illicit activity sparked public safety concerns among residents in the area.
“We’re talking about shenanigans down here at our little nature preserve,” said Glastonbury Town Council member John Cavanna.
This week, the Town of Glastonbury temporarily closed the Cotton Hollow Preserve to the public.
“It’s kind of unfortunate that people found it and didn’t treat it right,” said Glastonbury’s Gloria Ramos.
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The town cited recent public safety concerns as the reason for the temporary closure.
John Cavanna, a town council member who lives nearby, said a neighbor suggested he check out the scene on Sunday afternoon.
“We had open containers, people were drinking, one girl was drinking out of a straight Patron bottle of tequila, people are smoking marijuana,” Cavanna said. “I’ve had residents send me pictures of folks having intercourse in the middle of the walking trail.”
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Cavanna said he saw hundreds of people in and around the preserve and that the nearby streets and parking lots were completely filled with cars.
“I was standing here and watched Glastonbury Police Department have three different pursuits initiated that they had to cancel. Our officers did an excellent job. They towed eight to 10 cars. There was tons of tickets issued,” he said.
He added that the town had to close the preserve a few years ago for similar reasons. The park is open to both residents and non-residents. Cavanna said he was unsure where the influx of people was coming from.
“I don’t know why here. Social media’s a big thing nowadays, I’m sure all it takes is a couple people posting what an awesome spot this is to come down and you’re not bothered, do whatever you want,” he said.
In the meantime, the town said it will conduct trash removal and site maintenance while determining next steps.
“We’re not gonna let anybody, even our own residents, ruin this for the masses. This has to be a safe, enjoyable area for the public and we’ll do our part to make sure that it is,” Cavanna said.
The Glastonbury Town Council is expected to meet next Tuesday to discuss how to move forward.
The Glastonbury town manager and Glastonbury police were unavailable for comment.
