Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Make Coltsville a National Park

 On April 30, Connecticut Congressman John B. Larson and Senators Christopher Dodd and Joe Lieberman announced that they had introduced legislation to designate Coltsville as a National Park.The bill, H.R. 5131, “The Coltsville National Historical Park Act,” authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to establish a National Historical Park but only after certain conditions are met. Those conditions include the donation of at least 10,000 square feet in the East Armory to be used for a Colt museum and the donation of the land within the proposed Park boundaries. The bill also gives the Secretary authority to enter into written cooperative agreements with the various land owners living in Coltsville as well as with various museums in order to acquire different artifacts for display in the Colt museum. A hearing was held on June 10 by the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. Testifying in support of the bill, Larson said, “Establishing Coltsville as a National Historical Park will not only preserve our unique history for future generations, but it will also boost the local economy by creating jobs and attracting more cultural tourism to the region. According to the United Arts, a Greater Hartford Arts Council Campaign, over 5 million people visit the cultural attractions in Greater Hartford each year, supporting 7,400 full-time jobs and generating an annual economic impact of $244 million. Adding Coltsville National Historical Park to the list of attractions would obviously have a great positive impact on the region.” Tom Condon, editorial page editor of The Hartford Courant, pointed out: “For the past decade, the property has moved haltingly toward a major revival. The National Park designation would not by itself be the big bang, the silver bullet, that saves Hartford. But the park would stir the drink, be a major asset in itself and the catalyst that makes other things easier to accomplish.”If the bill passes, substantial hurdles will remain. The first is control of the site. Lance Robbins, the developer, is still working on agreements with the 15 entities involved in the project that will allow him to donate part of the property to the Park Service. However, Robbins feels he is close to an agreement. The second hurdle is financial. Dodd told the House subcommittee, “I am aware—we all are—of the tremendous budgetary constraints and pressures the National Park Service faces and that the Administration may be reluctant to designate new parks while we are still working to reduce the maintenance backlog at existing facilities. However, I believe, Mr. Chairman, that we should not let these obstacles stand in the way of a project that enjoys bipartisan support from public as well as private citizens.” For more information: H.R. 5131, Coltsville National Historical Park Act: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h5131ih.txt.pdf