Resident Suggests Weekend Flea Market On O’Sullivan’s Island In Derby

O’Sullivan’s Island is just north of the marking in the image from Google Maps above.

DERBY — Shopping for antique chairs, collectible comic books, vintage glassware, household items, arts and crafts and other flea market finds could be coming soon to O’Sullivan’s Island.

Resident Ken Duclos recently floated a proposal to city leaders to rent a portion of Derby’s unique peninsula-situated where the Naugatuck and Housatonic rivers meet — and bring a flea market on the weekends to the popular spot for fishing and passive recreation.

Duclos briefly addressed the Board of Aldermen during its virtual meeting Nov. 19, and included what he envisions for O’Sullivan’s Island in a letter to the board last month.

It would be used as flea market grounds on Saturdays and Sundays (weather permitting) and I would like to name it River Confluence Flea Market of Derby,” Duclos said in his letter. The park is a really beautiful place. (A flea market) could be one of Derby’s best attractions for tourism and we strive to help make that happen by making it even more beautiful and purposeful.”

Duclos said he along with his wife, Linda and son, Kurtis, who he said boasts lots of experience as a flea market vendor, would run the flea market.

I’m very serious about this….I believe this will be a great thing for the town,” Duclos told the board during its meeting. Flea markets, these days, are quite a tourist attraction.”

The board didn’t discuss Duclos’ proposal at the meeting, instead referring it to its Community Relations subcommittee, which is slated to take up the matter early next month. 

Alderman Ron Sill, who chairs the subcommittee, said following the meeting that he’s a fan of flea markets and would love to see one come to Derby. However, there are lots of questions and things to consider before the board can act on Duclos’s proposal.

As for the concept, I love flea markets,” Sill said. But it must be a good location, safe and have adequate parking,” Sill said.

Duclos said a big difference in the flea market he’s proposing is that there would be no admission charge, which he believes will bring in lots of patrons and tourists to the city.

Unlike flea markets of yesteryear, most flea markets these days are also tourist attractions with a large variety of items being sold,” said Duclos. Vendors typically sell new products, antiques, new inventions, art and crafts, collectibles, etc. Based on other flea markets, such as the Elephant’s Trunk in New Milford, a flea market held at O’Sullivan’s Island is sure to bring many people to the City of Derby.”

Local businesses that may not be doing as well during the pandemic can become a vendor at the flea market,” Duclos said. Since it’s outdoors, their potential clientele, along with the profits, would likely increase.”

Mayor Richard Dziekan was not immediately available for comment. Chief of Staff Andrew Baklik said Duclos’ request will need to be vetted with the subcommittee and the city will require some concrete information” before he can comment.

O’Sullivan’s Island is not an actual island but rather a strip of land at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck rivers, and has been used for fishing, picnics and other passive recreation. It has been the site of Brownfields cleanups and PCB removal.

The site was also former home to a Valley fire training school, where contaminants were found. Parts of the site were used as a toxic dumping ground and in 1983 hundreds of 55-gallon chemical drums were unearthed.

The city temporarily closed the site in January 2014 after concerns surfaced about whether the site clean-up done by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1983 and again in 2008 removed all the contaminants from the recreational areas. Public access to the grassy areas was restricted while testing of the soil was done. A report by the state Dept. of Public Health concluded that while low levels of chemical contaminants were present in the surface, they don’t pose a threat to public health.

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