Creating a Plan of Conservation & Development (POCD) typically takes at least one year to complete. The Town’s POCD consultants spent the first three months of 2025 visiting different parts of town, reviewing existing plans and studies involving Darien and neighboring communities, drafting content for and designing the project website, and raising awareness of the POCD update process through Instagram and the Town’s communication channels. We reached out to local, Darien-based organizations to ask for help promoting the POCD update process to their members. We also created a draft of a survey for residents and other community members. During this time, we collaborated with the Planning & Zoning Department and shared our progress with the Planning & Zoning Commission, receiving constructive feedback. Video recordings of these P&Z Commission meetings are posted on TV79’s website here.

Next steps for this important work include:

A Town-Wide Survey. We will launch a Town-Wide Survey by the end of next week. The survey will gauge your sentiments on a wide range of topics in Darien that are typically addressed in a POCD. (BTW: If you haven’t taken the Great Island Master Plan Survey #3, which closes on 3/23, click here.)

Meetings with Commissions & Committees. We are scheduling meetings with Town commissions and committees that will take place in April. We will discuss their respective topic areas, focusing on accomplishments since the 2016 POCD was adopted, planned investments, and current and future challenges and opportunities.

Meetings with Local Organizations. For the last week of March through April, we are scheduling meetings with local, Darien-based organizations to learn about their missions, accomplishments, needs, ideas, and future plans. We will discuss relevant policies and action steps from the 2016 POCD and connections with the Town’s next POCD.

“Pop-Up” Discussions. We will announce a date, time, and venue in April where we will be present in person to talk to people about POCDs and the POCD update process, and to discuss any POCD topics of interest.