Petition to Protect Scoot & Paddle at Walnut Beach, Milford

To:
Milford Mayor and Board of Aldermen
Milford Economic & Community Development
Planning & Zoning Board
Property Owner/Landlord of 28 Naugatuck Avenue

Date: October 8, 2025

We, the undersigned residents, visitors, and friends of Milford, call upon the City of Milford and the landlord of 28 Naugatuck Avenue to protect one of Milford’s most beloved small businesses, Scoot & Paddle, from being displaced to make room for another restaurant expansion.

For more than a decade, Scoot & Paddle has done what few businesses ever accomplish. It transformed a sleepy shoreline corner into a thriving, welcoming hub of life, laughter, and community. It gave Walnut Beach its heart.

Why Scoot & Paddle Must Stay

1. A Woman Owned Business That Built a Community from the Ground Up

Scoot & Paddle is the vision and labor of Milford native Christina “Tina” Pritchard, a woman who turned her love of the water into a business that changed an entire neighborhood. When she opened her doors in 2013, there was no template, no tourism boom, no guarantee of success. There was only heart, courage, and a dream to connect people to the Sound.

Through her leadership, Scoot & Paddle became far more than a shop. It became a gathering place, a launch point, and a living example of what one woman’s determination can do for an entire town. Tina represents the very best of Milford’s entrepreneurial spirit and its deep connection to the water.

2. The Beating Heart of Walnut Beach

Before Scoot & Paddle, Walnut Beach was quiet. Since then, it has come alive with paddleboards, kayaks, community events, and visitors drawn to Milford’s shoreline. Scoot & Paddle created energy, movement, and purpose that radiate beyond its doors. When people paddle, they stay to eat, shop, and celebrate. Every small business nearby has benefited from the life this one woman brought to the water.

Scoot & Paddle didn’t just rent a building. It built a neighborhood identity.

3. A Decade of Health, Wellness, and Connection

For 13 years, Scoot & Paddle has offered events and experiences that bring our community together:

• The Charles Island SUP Cup, now celebrating its 10th year, draws athletes and families from across the Northeast, co hosted with Surfrider CT and putting Milford on the map as a coastal destination.
• Full Moon, Glow, and Fireworks Paddles light up the shoreline each summer night.
• SUP Yoga and Meditation on the Water create peace and presence for hundreds of residents every season.
• Kids’ Paddle Camps teach confidence, water safety, and joy.
• Charity paddles and food drives through Purple Pantry Boxes and United Way fundraisers have directly supported Milford families.
• State Partnership in 2025 with Indian Well State Park expanded public access to kayaking and paddleboarding, showing that even small, local businesses can shape statewide recreation.

Every one of these efforts has strengthened Milford’s reputation as a healthy, welcoming, and community driven city.

4. Economic and Emotional Impact

Every paddle launched from Scoot & Paddle ripples outward. Visitors come to Milford to experience the shoreline, rent a board, and explore the beach, and they leave with an unforgettable connection to the town. Restaurants, coffee shops, and local retailers have all flourished because of the steady stream of residents and tourists Tina’s events bring in.

The numbers tell one story, but the faces tell another. Families spending time together. Neighbors meeting for the first time. Children laughing in the surf. Seniors finding peace on the water. That is what Scoot & Paddle has given us.

5. Environmental and Civic Stewardship

Scoot & Paddle has long partnered with organizations like Surfrider Foundation CT to promote safe, clean, and inclusive water access. Tina and her team teach responsible recreation and inspire respect for the environment. They have turned our shoreline into both a playground and a classroom.

 

The Current Threat

Today, this cornerstone of the Milford shoreline is being pushed out of its space at 28 Naugatuck Avenue so that an adjacent restaurant can expand.

Let us be clear. The Walnut Beach community does not need another restaurant expansion. It needs more heart. It needs spaces that promote health, connection, and outdoor living. It needs places that unite families, not just serve them food.

To remove Scoot & Paddle now would be to erase more than a business. It would erase a legacy. It would erase a woman owned success story that gave life to an entire neighborhood and made Milford a destination known for its balance of small town charm and shoreline vitality.

Our Requests

We urge the City of Milford and the property owner to protect Scoot & Paddle’s right to remain in its home at Walnut Beach:

Renew or extend Scoot & Paddle’s lease at 28 Naugatuck Avenue with terms that reflect its seasonal operations, public benefit, and deep community value.

If expansion of the restaurant is unavoidable, require a no displacement plan that includes:

• A comparable waterfront space within Walnut Beach for Scoot & Paddle to relocate to
• Landlord funded relocation support and build out assistance
• Guaranteed uninterrupted operations during any transition
• Use city economic tools such as small business assistance, facade grants, and zoning conditions to protect community based, recreation oriented businesses that strengthen Milford’s local economy.
• Adopt a “balanced use” commitment to ensure Walnut Beach continues to serve recreation, wellness, and environmental access alongside dining and retail.

What’s at Stake

Scoot & Paddle is not just a tenant. It is the pulse of Walnut Beach. It is the reason people come here to paddle, laugh, heal, and belong. It is a woman owned business that embodies Milford’s identity: resilient, inclusive, and full of heart.

Removing Scoot & Paddle would be a step backward for our city. It would replace community connection with commercial expansion, fresh air with four walls, and a legacy of health with more parking spaces.

Milford should be a place that protects the people and businesses who make it special. Scoot & Paddle is one of those treasures.

We, the undersigned, urge the landlord and the City of Milford to act in the spirit of fairness, vision, and community. Keep Scoot & Paddle where it belongs, at the heart of Walnut Beach, where it continues to serve our families, our shoreline, and the true soul of this city.

Evidence appendix:

• Woman owned, Milford rooted business – coverage of owner Christina “Tina” Pritchard and the 2013 launch at 28 Naugatuck Ave; women owned recognition during a Deputy Governor business tour (milfordmirror.com)
   
• Signature events at Walnut Beach – Charles Island SUP Cup 10th anniversary (2025) co hosted with Surfrider CT; long standing reputation as the Northeast’s largest SUP event (ct.surfrider.org)
• Recurring community paddles & wellness – Full Moon, Fireworks, Glow paddles; weekly groups; Sunday SUP Yoga and Tuesday Meditation; Summer Camps (scootandpaddle.com)
• United Way recognition – plaque presented to Tina Pritchard / Scoot & Paddle for supporting Milford United Way’s annual programs (facebook.com)
• Purple Pantry Boxes fundraisers – annual Witches Paddle and donation drives benefiting food insecure Milford households (scootandpaddle.com)
• State partnership expanding access – CT Examiner on Scoot & Paddle’s 2025 Indian Well State Park partnership, highlighting the company’s role in the state’s outdoor recreation economy (ctexaminer.com)
• Ongoing seasonal programming listings – Meetup / event calendars and Save the Sound promotions highlighting Scoot’s public paddles (for example, Full Harvest Moon Paddle) (meetup.com)
• Media features over the years – NBC CT and FOX 61 coverage of Milford’s shoreline businesses including Scoot & Paddle; New England Boating segment featuring Tina & family (nbcconnecticut.com)