It’s taken almost 20 months to get to this point in the life of Darien’s next POCD. The schedule above highlights the major steps in the process. An important requirement in the life of a POCD, according to the State statues governing municipal POCDs (§8-23), is the Planning & Zoning Commission’s (PZC’s) referral of the POCD to the local legislative body and the regional agency at least 65 days before the public hearing. The public hearing is currently scheduled for October 6.

Draft #2 of the 2026 POCD has been submitted to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and the Western Connecticut Regional Council of Governments (WestCOG) for review and comment. The BOS may recommend changes to the POCD. WestCOG may provide an advisory report along with its comments, which will include a finding on the consistency of the plan with (a) the Regional POCD, (b) the State POCD, and (c) the POCDs of other municipalities in the WestCOG area.

August 10 Presentation to Board of Selectmen

Last week, the First Selectman requested the Planning & Zoning Department to provide an overview of Draft #2 of the 2026 POCD and the planning process to the BOS in advance of its review of the document. The presentation, which was given by planning consultant Neil Desai of H&H, took place during the BOS meeting on Monday, August 10. A video recording of the meeting will be available on the Town’s website (click here). The BOS will be discussing Draft #2 of the 2026 POCD at its meeting on Monday, August 31.

Reminder: Public Comment Period #2 is Open Until September 18

We encourage all residents and other members of the Darien community to review Draft #2 of the 2026 POCD and to submit comments. Comments will be accepted until September 18. See the website post dated July 20, 2026 for more details on commenting.

Work Products Page Updated

The Work Products page has been updated to include Draft #1 and Draft #2 of the 2026 POCD along with the public comments and responses on Draft #1.

The Planning & Zoning Commission appreciates the comments received on Draft #1 of the 2026 Plan of Conservation & Development (POCD). All of the comments were reviewed during the development of Draft #2 of the 2026 POCD.

Responses are provided to the comments submitted during Public Comment Period #1. To view the Public Comment Period #1 comments with responses, click here. Note:

• If a comment or a part of a comment was incorporated into Draft #2, it is highlighted in green.
• If a comment requires further research or consideration (during Public Comment Period #2), or is unclear, it is highlighted in yellow.

The Planning & Zoning Commission also provided comments on Draft #1 during their meetings on 6/23, 7/7, and 7/14. To view the minutes and videos from these meetings, click here.

Submitting Comments on Draft #2

Draft #2 of the 2026 Plan of Conservation & Development (POCD) is now available for public review during this Public Comment Period #2, which ends on September 18.

We encourage everyone with an interest in Darien’s future to share comments that can help improve the final plan. Whether you have comments on a single section, several chapters, or the entire document, we welcome your feedback.

Comments may be submitted by email to mycomments@darienpocd.com (please include “Darien POCD Comments” in the subject line) or through the Contact Us page. All submitted comments will be posted on this website as part of the public record after September 18. Your contact information will not be published.

Revised Schedule

The following is the revised schedule. Public Comment Period #2 starts today and ends in approximately two months on September 18.

• July 7: Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting: Discuss revisions to Draft #1
• July 14: Finalize Revisions to Draft #1 of POCD; Prepare Draft #2
• July 20: Post Draft #2 of POCD to Website; Public Comment Period #2 Begins
• July 21: Refer Draft #2 of POCD to the Board of Selectmen and WestCOG (at least 65 days prior to public hearing)
• Sept 18: Public Comment Period #2 Ends; Compile and Review All Comments
• Oct 6: Planning & Zoning Commission Public Hearing
• Oct 13: Planning & Zoning Commission to Discuss Final Revisions to Draft #2 of POCD; Prepare Final Draft
• Oct 20 or 27: Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting. Possible Final Vote on POCD Adoption

All of the comments submitted on Draft #1 of the 2026 POCD (June 1, 2026) have been compiled and organized in alphabetical order by last name of the author into a single document. Click here to download Comments on Draft #1. Note that several of the comments do not fit easily into the table format used in the document and are instead appended in their original submission format.

The comments range from minor and significant corrections, updates, and questions to calls for substantive changes to language, structure, and recommendations. The Planning & Zoning Commission will be discussing the comments at their next meeting on Tuesday, June 23.

Thank you to everyone who took the time and energy to review, reflect on, and comment on Draft #1!