Staff
Kelsey Wentling
The CT River Gateway Commission, from its founding in 1973, has been professionally and technically supported by regional planning agencies.
Susie Beckman, Regional Planner at the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments (RiverCOG), began serving as staff to the Gateway Commission in 2023.
Serendipity (and the US Navy) transplanted the Beckmans in Ivoryton in 1997. Susie and husband, Phil, cherish the quality of life experienced in the Lower Connecticut River Valley where they raised their two children. They share a desire to sustain the qualities that make this area such a treasured place for all of us lucky enough to live here or visit.
Working with the Gateway Commission gives Susie the opportunity to help preserve the natural and traditional river scene of the beautiful Lower Connecticut River Valley. She works collaboratively with land use staff in each of the eight Gateway Conservation Zone towns to fulfill the Gateway Commission’s mission. This includes guiding applicants through the Gateway Commission’s zoning review process, reviewing regulation changes that impact the Gateway Conservation Zone and managing the Gateway Commission’s operations.
If you have questions about the Gateway Commission or the Gateway Conservation Zone, contact Susie via email or by telephone.
Let Your Lawn Filter Our Water
A Gateway standard included in the zoning regulations of all eight member towns requires a “vegetative buffer” between lawns or upland property and the river. The purpose of this “riparian buffer” is to allow storm or irrigation runoff, which may contain traces of fertilizer or pesticides, to soak into the ground before reaching the Connecticut River. The earth is a great filter, and plant buffers make the river cleaner and healthier for us all.