Norwich — Two days before the controversy over the proposed Chelsea Gardens botanical garden in Mohegan Park goes back to court, two local state legislators met with project opponents at the edge of the site where critics claim the foundation needlessly cut several acres of trees even though the project has no major funding sources.

State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, and state Rep. Kevin Ryan, D-Montville, offered to serve as mediators in the dispute that has turned bitter and personal at times, but said there may be no direct legislative authority to intervene in the project.

Osten said she will contact Chelsea Gardens Foundation officials to try to arrange a tour of the property.

Osten said she personally experienced the negativity when an opponent combed through her Facebook page and found she “liked” a Facebook posting back in 2014 of the butterfly pavilion Chelsea Gardens Foundation held as a fundraiser.

“I liked those pages on Facebook,” Osten said. “I brought my grandchildren (to the butterfly pavilion). … I get a Facebook message saying 'how dare you like this project.'”

The project has been in the works for more than 20 years on 80 acres of Mohegan Park land leased from the city in 1994.

Chelsea Gardens officials said in order to seek funding for the first phase, estimated to cost $18 million to $20 million, they needed to clear the main construction areas to show the layout to potential donors and grant foundations.

On Tuesday, Norwich residents David Caruso and Roberta Clapper discussed several objections with Osten and Ryan, arguing that the foundation could have used computerized renderings to market the project.

Caruso said he would like to join the Chelsea Gardens Foundation board to learn more about the project. But ultimately, he said he would like an injunction to stop the project and a suspension of the city's lease.

The group stood at the entrance of a pre-existing cart path cleared and widened off Judd Road and then stopped briefly at the cleared main entrance area off Wilderness Road.

Abutting property owner Charles Evans of Butternut Drive has filed a civil suit asking to stop the project. A court hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday in New London Superior Court.

“I think they should just plant the trees back and call it a day,” Clapper said.

Chelsea Gardens Foundation officials did not attend Tuesday's tour.

On Monday, Foundation President Hugh Schnip said the cutting follows the master plan for the project and encompassed only the six acres including sites for the main entrance, parking, locations of the proposed butterfly pavilion, classroom building, bathrooms and along the former cart path from Judd Road.

Schnip said no cutting was done in wetlands and the five vernal pools in the northern section of the property were not disturbed.

Opponents also have pointed to past supporters of the project that have since backed away from proposed affiliations, saying it adds to the argument that the project lacks viability and transparency.

Rosemary Alexander, founder of English Gardening School based in London, had met with Chelsea Gardens officials three times and announced in 2008 that the London school was advising the foundation on setting up “a similar educational establishment” in Norwich.

But the group recently announced it has no affiliation with Chelsea Gardens.

Locally, some businesses that had supported the project in the past had asked the foundation to remove their names from the list of supporters.

Schnip said Monday he was surprised by the English Gardening School's announcement and disappointed that local businesses have distanced themselves from the project, but it hasn't affected the plans.

“We will build a gardening school in the spot,” Schnip said. “Either we will run it or get someone to run it.”

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday