Issues
Our small-town charm, nationally-ranked school system, and proximity to New York make Darien one of the premier towns in Connecticut.
Still, like every town, we have our challenges. As First Selectman, I want to tackle a few key issues that I think are holding us back. Here are my priorities:
New Life for Downtown
A thriving commercial center is essential for homeowners and businesses alike. We’re lucky to have a charming downtown in Darien, but the businesses there need a town government that works with them.
Local shops and restaurants thrive when they have the best public facilities possible. Unfortunately, the area around the Post Road and the train station in downtown Darien hasn’t received the maintenance and care that it needs. Crosswalks are fading, sidewalks aren’t routinely updated, and poorly-planned traffic patterns cause back-ups and delays for shoppers and commuters alike.
As First Selectman, I’ll make the basic fixes we need to keep our downtown beautiful and accessible, then work with small business leaders to create the best possible environment for growth and development.
Real Strategy for Town-Owned Land
For years, Darien has purchased public lands, then failed to invest in them adequately. Developing local green space is crucial, but purchasing land without having a long-term plan to maintain them just leads to empty, underused lots. When local leaders have tried to develop those spaces, they have failed to bring local neighbors into the process, leading to stalled projects and frustration. The result of that poor planning is expensive, underused areas like Highland Farm.
As First Selectman, I’ll build a long-term, strategic plan for spaces like Pear Tree Point and Highland Farm and make sure that projects are properly budgeted before work begins. Even more importantly, I’ll bring local residents into the process so that we’re building parks and spaces that match the needs of the people who live here.
Spotlight: Highland Farm
In 2018, the Town of Darien purchased land on the site of the
former Ox Ridge Hunt Club — now called Highland Farm — to avoid an unwelcome developer purchasing the site. At the time of the original purchase, there was not a determined plan for how the site would be used.
The town eventually decided to turn the area into a mixed-use recreational space and began work in 2019. The landscaping, leveling, and drainage of Highland Farm has since run over budget, forcing the town to approve more than $45,000 in overruns as recently as April of 2021. Later this year, the town will invest another $92,000 from a public grant to add additional plantings and landscaping, but as yet has no long-term plan to maintain or properly water the new plantings in the future. These overruns are not due to “surprises”. They are all real costs that could have been anticipated and were brought up by many during debate on the property, but were not factored into the budget.
Emergency Response for a Changing Climate
Storms in the northeast are becoming more severe. Unfortunately, our infrastructure here in Darien isn’t prepared to deal with the multiple once-in-a-century storms that we’ve seen over the past decade, like Irene, Sandy, and Isaias.
Darien has consistently failed to invest in sewer and drainage projects, despite routine flooding of roads and residential properties.
As First Selectman I will prioritize smart, forward-thinking investments in our storm infrastructure to cut down on flooding and power outages. I will also work transparently with Eversource to strengthen our electrical grid against outages without destroying neighborhood tree canopy.
Spotlight: Flood Mitigation
Darien contracted two studies in 2010 and 2014 to investigate local flooding and identify potential infrastructure solutions. Unfortunately, local leaders did not act on either of them. In 2016, the Western Connecticut Council of Governments conducted its own 28-page report on flooding in Darien, but this too did not lead to significant investments at the town level.
In the summer of 2021, a single rainstorm required seven property owners to apply for FEMA reimbursement due to major flooding. When FEMA fails to match fair market value, it falls on the Town of Darien (and its taxpayers) to pay the balance — sometimes in excess of $100,000.