New London - Riverside Park, while many agree is not in the most pristine condition, is a valuable asset in this city of 6.5 square miles and should not be sold to the Coast Guard Academy, according to those who spoke at a public hearing Monday night.

"If a majority of the public doesn't want it, you're obligated to honor that public trust,'' said Michael Hudson, one of 20 people who adamantly told councilors it must keep the 18-acre park in the north end of the city.

"It's not for sale,'' said Evelyn Louziotis, who carried a "NOT FOR SALE'' sign with her to the podium.

Officials from the Coast Guard Academy, which abuts the park, have asked the city to sell the park. It wants to use the land for future expansion, but has not given the city any specific plans for what it wants to build there.

Others suggested that the city should pay more attention to the public open space that includes a sloping landscape and sweeping views of the Thames River. Among suggested uses were skateboarding, concerts, public sailing, barbecuing and picnics.

"It's the only park north of the highway,'' said Doug Schwartz, who said selling the land would be desecrating the memory of two prominent residents, Frank Brandegee and Sebastian D. Lawrence.

The men donated a portion of the park more than a hundred years ago. Brandegee, Schwartz said, is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery.

City Manager Martin H. Berliner presented a conceptual sketch in which the city sells 11 to 13 acres to the Coast Guard and retains 5 to 7 waterfront acres for a park. He also estimated that basic renovations to the park would be about $2.8 million. Suggested programs in an improved park could include kayak and canoe rentals, fishing, basketball and kickball, and youth programs such as a bike rodeo, play groups, science programs and a letter box project.

Only one person at the meeting was in favor of a sale.

"Yes, Riverside Park holds many fond memories ... but we're talking about the distant past,'' said Louise Fabrykiewicz. "We do need to take a reality check.''

She said the park has been underutilized and neglected for years. She suggested the city sell the property to the Coast Guard and use the money to enhance the city's other parks.

After the 90-minute meeting, Mayor Rob Pero said the next step is to ask the Coast Guard for more details and continue to listen to public concerns. He added that the proposal is in its preliminary stages and no decision has been made.

Berliner had asked the council last week for a "letter of intent'' to begin discussions with the Coast Guard on a possible sale, but no action has been taken.

During the past 15 or so years there have been proposals for a magnet school, a children's museum, a Coast Guard museum and a homeland security training facility at the park. The Coast Guard, which says it is outgrowing its 120-acre campus, has been interested in the park property for years. In 1963, the Coast Guard took 12 of the original 30 acres of the park by eminent domain.