It was frustrating to watch former state Rep. Betsy Ritter of Waterford do so little over the years to light a fire under state officials to do something about the deteriorating abandoned state-owned hospital buildings at Seaside in Waterford.

In the waning stretch of her legislative career, before voters dashed her ambitious hopes for a Senate seat, Ritter sided with Seaside Not in My Backyard neighbors in rejecting proposed zoning changes to allow the historic buildings to be made into an inn.

Then, at the eleventh hour, Gov. Dannel Malloy, in a pre-election announcement, with candidate and fellow Democrat Ritter at his side, announced that Seaside would become a park.

The rest is history, of course, as Paul Formica, an East Lyme Republican, beat Ritter in the Senate race. I thought, maybe as some voters did, Formica would bring new energy and ideas for saving Seaside. It looks like I was very wrong about that.

Last week, the senator released a statement about current park planning that indicates he has no clue what's going on.

First, he lamented how Gov. Malloy, in announcing plans for a park, canceled the sales contract for a long-stalled development at Seaside, a deal that spanned the administrations of three governors.

"Out of the blue the governor decided last September he would step in and sever the agreement," Formica said last week in his statement on Seaside.

Out of the blue? Does Formica think a few more governors need to come and go before that failed contract could be severed? Malloy's cancellation of that contract was actually a mercy killing.

This was a developer who clearly did not seem to have the financial werewithal to accomplish anything near the scale of a Seaside project, someone who was busy fighting a foreclosure of his house and fending off a lawsuit that said he wasn't paying his American Express credit card bill. He also had a history of not even paying his state taxes.

Pay attention, Sen. Formica.

Only the NIMBY neighbors who want nothing to ever happen on the site, to accomplish a demolition of the buildings by neglect, were happy with all the years of dithering and delays.

In fact, if the senator from East Lyme would pay attention, he would know that the esteemed architectural firm now planning for a Seaside park is considering a recommendation that the state bring in a private party to help restore the historic buildings.

Sasaki Associates Inc. suggested in a public open house last week that one of the three park options being considered for Seaside would have a pricetag of $45 million to $60 million and would restore the buildings. A third party would be asked to invest in this proposal, which could create money-making facilities, including a lodge and restaurant.

This is a reasonable option, given the fact, for instance, that the creator of the $145 million Ocean House in Westerly has expressed an interest in an inn at the magnificent Seaside site.

"Why on earth are we pushing ahead with a new state park that will cost at a minimum $3 million and a maximum of $60 million ... Where is this money coming from?" the senator wrote in his statement.

If Sen. Formica had simply read the news story from last week's open house on Seaside, he would know that money being proposed for the major restorations, the big numbers he exclaims about, could come from a private party.

And I thought Republicans were supposed to be smart about lean budgets and leveraging private party investments for the public good.

The problem with developing a solution for Seaside is that the state owns and has the ultimate responsibility for this collection of buildings by the great American architect Cass Gilbert. They are on the National Register of Historic Places.

And from the studies that have been part of Malloy's park planning, we know they are structurally sound and can be saved.

I think making them the centerpiece of a spectacular waterfront destination park, generating revenue that would pay for their restoration, is a great solution.

I don't see how the state could possibly consider entertaining a proposal to tear them down.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy wrote a letter to state officials urging them to save the Cass Gilbert buildings at Seaside.

"His buildings grace all corners of Connecticut – from Waterbury's City Hall, to New Haven's Union Station — making the preservation of his last major project all the more meaningful," Murphy wrote. "For these reasons (Seaside) must remain a historic building and be preserved for generations to come."

The U.S. senator also sent a staff member to last week's open house in Waterford on Seaside to talk to the public.

No one representing the rookie state senator from East Lyme, or any other Connecticut General Assembly lawmakers for that matter, was similarly introduced.

It's kind of shameful when a U.S. senator seems to be paying attention, while the local lawmakers are not.

This is the opinion of David Collins.

d.collins@theday.com

Twitter: @DavidCollinsct