New London - As a young girl, Sally Ryan remembers skiing at Riverside Park in the winter on makeshift wooden skis.

But the park struggled right from the beginning to reach its potential, she said, because just a few years after it was created in 1893, trolley tracks were put down in the city.

"Before you had cars, before you had trolleys, you used the neighborhood park,'' said Ryan, who grew up on the opposite side of the city on Montauk Avenue and is now the city historian. "When they laid the trolley tracks and put in a trolley that went right to Ocean Beach, that was the death knell for some parks."

Residents began flocking to Ocean Beach in the late 1890s, shortly after the trolley began running. The beach offered public swimming, a pier, fishing and hot dog stands.

"I think it was the beginning of the end,'' she said.

The park has survived, although it's little used, and now the end might be near.

The city is contemplating an offer from the Coast Guard to purchase the 18-acre park, assessed at $2.6 million. The park is adjacent to the Coast Guard Academy.

The academy could use the land for classrooms, dormitories, athletic fields, parking lots, an aquatic center and a diversity/cultural art center. There's also been a suggestion, which the Coast Guard is open to, of reserving a couple of acres as a public park.

Some have embraced the idea, saying the Coast Guard would maintain the property better than the city has over the years. Others don't want to see the city to let go of a prime piece of waterfront property with sweeping views of the Thames River.

"If we give it up, we never get it back,'' said Margaret Curtin, former mayor and city councilor, who has worked for years with neighbors to improve the park. "At this point, I wouldn't want to give it up.''

There have been problems with vandalism and other illegal activities at the secluded park off Crystal Avenue. But Curtin thinks if the park is cleaned up, maintained and patrolled by the police, people will use it.

"We have to get the druggies and prostitutes out,'' she said. "Who wants to go there and get accosted by them?"

Last Thursday afternoon, with the sun shining brightly, no one was at the park.

Metal monkey bars and a see-saw of rotting wood stood idle. A pavilion had yellow caution tape wrapped around it. A neglected foot bridge across the railroad tracks, which was locked and inaccessible, looked liked a prop from an "Indiana Jones" movie. The bridge leads to the "beach," a narrow strip of dirt covered in seaweed, driftwood and other debris.

Empty malt liquor cans were strewn about an amphitheater, created in 1994 with a $15,000 donation from Chris Dahl of North Stonington in memory of his grandmother who used to live near the park. A granite plaque pays homage to Anna Elizabeth Pfantz.

The city bought the original 18 acres off Crystal Avenue in 1893 from the Post Hill Improvement Co. for a park for those who lived in the north end of the city.

In 1908 residents Frank Brandegee and Sebastian D. Lawrence purchased an abutting 11 acres called Lewis Woods Grove and donated them to the city to expand the park.

"Being impressed with the importance of preserving forever to the people access to the beautiful waters adjacent to our maritime location, and with the values of large open places of wooded land to the health and comfort of the public, we tender herewith as a gift to the city of New London,'' the two men proclaimed when handing over the deed to the city.

Residents can remember crowds watching the Yale-Harvard boat races, church picnics, summer camps, baptisms in the Thames River and family barbecues.

Postcards from long ago show the park with paths cutting across the steep terrain and picnickers gathered on slopes that drop down to the river.

However, as far back 1911, the park was already a little forgotten.

An editorial in The Day noted that "a surprisingly large number of people in this city are not aware of the value and beauty of that magnificent public property on the Thames River, Riverside park."

In 1924, the city allowed camping there. From 1952-54, the city used a portion of the land as a dump.

Over the years the park has been reduced back to 18 acres. The Coast Guard was given a portion of the park in 1949 to build a chapel, and in 1961 the federal government took 13 acres by eminent domain for further expansion.

During the past 15 or so years, there have been proposals for a magnet school, children's museum, Coast Guard museum and a homeland security training facility. But nothing has panned out.

Special legislation needed

City officials are open to the idea of selling to the academy and public meetings will be scheduled before any decision is made.

Others are unsure, lured by the park's potential.

"I'm conflicted," said Sandra Chalk, executive director of New London Landmarks. "I'm against selling it unless there's a substantial amount of money, that would not go into the general fund, but would be used for neighborhood improvements and to improve other parks in the city.''

On the other hand, she said, "it's a shame to have it derelict."

The Landmarks board is scheduled to discuss the possible sale at a meeting next week.

"I would like to try to get the citizens to come down and take a look around the park before any decision is made,'' Chalk said.

Many residents have not been inside the park for years, if ever, she said.

If the city decides to sell the park, it will need special legislation from the state for permission to give up the open space. Under Connecticut law, public open space that is sold must be replaced with the same amount of open space.