Waterford — The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officially took over the property known as Seaside on July 1, erecting signs at the main entrance off Shore Road notifying visitors that the park closes at sunset except for fishing, and that swimming is not allowed.

While DEEP has not yet announced its plan for developing the former Department of Developmental Services center into a state park, some residents of the area are unhappy with the new rules imposed when DEEP took over the property from the state Department of Administrative Services.

“We’ve been swimming there for 40 years, even when it was open” as a developmental services facility, said Mary Cahill, a neighborhood resident. “Now they have (security) guards there, though not all the time.”

Cahill said she last swam at the Seaside beach in June.

DEEP officials could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

Bonnie Sullivan, who worked at the former Seaside facility with Cahill, also has enjoyed swimming at the beach there for four decades.

“It’s absolutely outrageous, taking another piece of coastline away from people who want to go swimming,” she said. “It’s been state-owned all these years, and there have never been lifeguards there. So much of our state’s shoreline is privately owned.”

She said DEEP staff patrolling the property have told her visitors are only allowed to wade into the water up to their knees.

On peak summer days, Cahill said, the Seaside beach would attract as many as 30 swimmers and sunbathers.

First Selectman Daniel Steward said he supports DEEP’s decision to prohibit swimming at Seaside, at least for this interim period until plans for the park are executed.

“I don’t think there should be any public swimming there without lifeguards,” he said. “It’s a dangerous situation.”

He said that “if the property were managed properly,” including staffing it with lifeguards, he would be in favor of opening the beach for swimming.

DEEP is considering three concepts to turn the property into a state park: a destination park that would include a lodge; an ecological park that emphasizes recreation and ecology features; and a passive park that would entail demolition of some or all of the historic buildings on the site.

The agency planned to seek input from the public on the three concepts in an online survey.

Sullivan said she hopes that whichever plan is chosen includes a swimming beach and a canoe and kayak launch.

“They should keep it lovely, like Waterford Town Beach,” she said. “It should be accessible.”

j.benson@theday.com

Twitter: @BensonJudy