Selectmen Kickstart Conversation On Potential Events At Darien's Great Island

DARIEN, CT — With the Great Island parking and access plan at the 60 percent design stage and bidding expected to begin around December or January, Darien officials are kickstarting the discussion about what types of events will be allowed on the 60-acre property.

The Board of Selectmen on Monday discussed Great Island, and First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky said he and his colleagues will have to "thread the needle" on finding a balance when it comes to events. He also said he wants to expand dialogue with the public to get more input.

Monday's meeting is available to watch on demand on DarienTV.

"We have quite the continuum of people commenting on what we should be able to do on Great Island. We've had people proposing major events," Zagrodzky said, mentioning some residents' desire for large polo matches and concerts. "I've had people begging to get their children married on Great Island."

On the other hand, Zagrodzky noted, some residents want a more constrained events policy to preserve the island and keep the property serene.

"I totally get that, too," Zagrodzky said. "My message is, we need to come up with a solution that works for most people most of the time. I don't think we're going to be able to get something that's more popular than that. We're going to have to sort through this."

Any events policy will be tied to special permit applications or zoning changes before the town's Planning & Zoning Commission.

Selectman Michael Burke said the town should "engage in some discovery" and find out what kinds of events would work on the island, whether large or small. He also said officials need to decide what to do with the house on the property.

Selectman Marcy Minnick said Darien "probably has the best resources to be the testers of these events."

Zagrodzky said the results of running test events could help inform a limitation or a change to the events policy in the future.

Selectman Monica McNally, who leads the Great Island Parking Design Committee, said she was "excited" to start the conversation on events, but noted she believed the matter required a "go slow approach." She mentioned resident ideas have ranged from weddings to simple bird watching.

"I like Marcy's idea of doing something on the town side initially to take the temperature. I also think that it's an island, and while we have few abutting neighbors, any noise on this property is going to carry over the water. It'll have a big impact on the neighbors, not just the immediate. I think that will be an important thing to consider," McNally said.

There is plenty of time before events can even be held on the property.

Under the current schedule, the project is expected to go out to bid in December or January, followed by a town appropriation process in February or March 2027. Construction is anticipated to begin in the spring and continue through the fall, McNally said.

The Great Island Parking Design Committee's next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 24 at 4 p.m. via Zoom.