O'Sullivan's Island Recreation Park

Click image for a larger picture

The Park is currently closed to the public while officials investigate the state of an earlier environmental cleanup.

Council of Governments unveils new O'Sullivan's Island Project website

Fact Sheet for CT Department of Public Health

Park opening in 2009

Earlier story before the Greenway and Park were developed and an environmental cleanup completed:

O'Sullivan's Island is not an island, and it's not part of the City's recreation program. Rather, it is a strip of land separating the Housatonic & Naugatuck Rivers. The area was once widely used for a variety of recreational purposes and the city will be developing a greenway through it that will link both the Naugatuck and Housatonic Rivers for walking, biking, jogging etc. in the next two years. This project is scheduled to be completed in 2002. In the meantime however, the area has been officially closed to the public by the Naugatuck Valley Health District while an environmental assessment and cleanup is completed through the Brownfields Project now underway.

Popular with many area fishermen, it is barely accessible by road. That has not stopped the anglers from finding their way to the tip to drop a fishing line into the waters and try their luck. In the past, the island was host to a variety of athletic events including horse racing. The future looks even brighter, but for now, the city asks the cooperation of the public in staying off the island until the cleanup is complete.

Return to Derby Recreation Home Page