DARIEN, CT — The Darien Board of Selectmen is scheduled Monday to consider increasing funding for the Noroton Heights Fire Department retaining wall replacement project by $618,800 after crews encountered unforeseen underground conditions during construction.
The board will meet virtually at 7 p.m. Monday, May 18, via Zoom. Public comment is listed on the agenda.
The additional appropriation would increase the total project authorization from about $2 million to roughly $2.62 million.
The retaining wall project at the Noroton Heights Fire Department was approved in 2025 after pavement in the Noroton Avenue parking lot began subsiding and fencing started collapsing. Engineering evaluations concluded the retaining wall needed to be reconstructed.
According to associated agenda materials, construction crews encountered several unforeseen conditions during excavation, including a larger-than-expected retaining wall foundation, unsuitable soil containing debris and rocks, and groundwater conditions that differed from original borings.
Town Administrator Jennifer Charneski said in a memo "the encountered conditions were not the result of inadequate planning or deviation from accepted engineering practice, but rather reflected the uncertainty and localized nature of underground conditions."
The requested funding increase includes completed work tied to one change order, estimated costs for a second change order, and a 20 percent contingency on the second change order estimate.
Charneski said that approval of the additional appropriation would help avoid work stoppages, additional mobilization costs and project delays.
The matter is also scheduled to go before the Board of Finance on May 19 and could later advance to the Representative Town Meeting for final consideration in June.
In the event lower cost solutions are identified prior to an RTM vote, the RTM will be able to reduce the requested amount without needing the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance to take action on the reduced amount, Charneski noted.
Any unused funds from the appropriation will be rescinded and not borrowed.
Elsewhere on the agenda, the selectmen are scheduled to consider a proposed 10-year lease agreement with the Darien Arts Center for continued use of space inside Town Hall through June 2036.
The board also is expected to discuss appointing First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky to the newly formed Aquarion Regional Water District Representative Policy Board following the transition of Aquarion Water Company to quasi-public ownership.
Additional agenda items include a temporary assessor appointment and possible action on revisions to Darien’s slow-no-wake harbor ordinance language.
The selectmen also are scheduled to consider several budget transfers.
The full agenda for May 18 can be found here.
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