• Mid-Winter Update

    Published by

    Neil D

    on

    “Beyond the Snow-Covered Stones and Trees.” Photo by Claudia Ebert

    The arctic cold this season has been conducive to hunkering down to write Darien’s next POCD. Here is the working Table of Contents (chapter titles, subheadings, and numbers are subject to change):

    1. Introduction
    2. Darien Today
      • The Place
      • The People
      • Data Snapshots
      • The Government
      • The Institutions & Organizations
    3. Darien Tomorrow
      • Taking Stock: The Town-Wide Survey
      • Identifying & Tabulating Priorities: The Town Planning Workshop
      • Community Engagement Summary: Elements of the Vision
      • Updated Town Plan Vision Statement (Board of Selectman)
    4. The State: POCD & Legislation
      • Connecticut Conservation & Development Policies Plan 2025-2030
      • CGS Section 8-23: Updated POCD Requirements
      • New Housing & Land Use Legislation Adopted by the CT State Legislature
    5. Darien in the Region
      • 2020-2030 Regional Plan of Conservation
      • Other Relevant WestCOG Plans & Guidance
      • Other Regional Entities
      • Darien’s Neighbors: Stamford, Norwalk, and New Canaan
    6. Transportation & Mobility
    7. Nature, Climate & Sustainability
    8. Community Facilities, Amenities & Services
    9. The Built Environment

    We’ve completed preparing drafts of Chapters 1-5, which are the “introductory” chapters of the POCD, and submitted them to the Planning & Zoning Department and Planning & Zoning Commission for review. We’ve received questions and feedback, discussed the draft chapters several P&Z Commission meetings, and made revisions. We will now start preparing each of the “topical” chapters (6-9) and discuss them with the P&Z Department and P&Z Commission in the next two months. We anticipate being ready to share a full draft of the POCD with you in April.

    Photo Submissions

    Thank you to the five people who submitted photos to us, including Claudia Ebert, whose photo is featured in this post! We are still accepting submissions. See the previous post.

    Read more: Mid-Winter Update

  • Picture Darien: A Call for Photos

    Published by

    Neil D

    on

    “Ice Hockey Game on Frozen Gorham’s Pond.” Photo by David Kanigan.

    Do you have beautiful or interesting photos of Darien that you’ve taken? When we start writing and designing the first draft of the POCD (our next post will update you on that process), we will include photos to illustrate the text. While we have taken many photos of Darien over the course of our work here, we would like to feature photos taken by residents and other members of the community. The photos should capture various aspects of Darien—buildings, homes, institutions, parks and rec facilities and activities, protected open spaces, beaches and coastline, nature and wildlife, biking, walking, and so on. Drone photos and photos that depict change or challenges, such as flooding, for example, are also welcome.

    Photo Submission Options

    1. If you use a file or photo storage service such as Dropbox, Flickr, or Google Photos, send a link to us through the Contact Us page that allows us to download the photos.
    2. Upload your photos directly into our Dropbox folder. Or, if you have a lot of photos to send, put them in a ZIP file and upload that file into our Dropbox folder. Please include your first and last name in the filename of each photo. Also, after you’ve clicked on the Dropbox link, put your e-mail address in both the “Your name” and “Your e-mail address” fields.
    3. If Option 1 and 2 don’t work for you, or if you have any questions or suggestions, send us a message through the Contact Us page.

    By submitting photos, you are giving us permission to use the photo in the POCD, website, and/or Instagram only. Photos will not be used for any other purposes or distributed anywhere else. Photos containing identifiable people require their permission to be published. Any photos that we publish in the POCD, website, and/or Instagram, will include a photo credit.

    Read more: Picture Darien: A Call for Photos

  • Open Streets

    Published by

    Neil D

    on

    photo by Michael Hicks, licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0

    The Town-Wide Survey revealed lots of interest in a more walkable and bikeable town. Open Streets are programs that temporary close streets to cars, creating safe spaces for people to walk, bike, play. What local streets or sections of streets could be good candidates for open streets, and when? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below or through the Contact Us page.

    Read more: Open Streets

About

This website provides the latest information on the process of updating the Town of Darien’s 2016 Plan of Conservation & Development (POCD), which will culminate in the drafting and adoption of the Town’s 2026 POCD. To learn more about POCDs and the update process, visit the FAQ page.

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