Darien Announces Settlement With Eversource Over Tree Cutting

DARIEN, CT — The town of Darien recently announced a settlement agreement and planting plan that was reached with Eversource over trees located on Little Brook Road.

In September 2021, as part of is transmission vegetation annual plan and cyclical vegetation maintenance program, Eversource submitted a request to remove or prune 100 trees on or near transmission facilities on Little Brook Road and Raymond Street.

A public hearing was held, and the Darien Tree Warden denied a permit to remove or prune 79 of the 100 trees. Twenty-one trees were slated for removal on Raymond Street.

Eversource then filed an appeal over the decision to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), and mediation began. Seven trees at 5 Little Brook Road were not included in the appeal.

On Nov. 7, 2022, the Darien Board of Selectmen voted to approve the settlement agreement. McNally spoke about the deal and the planting plan.

"I really appreciate the patience of the residents throughout this. This has been a very long process and I appreciate the diligence and perseverance from the town's side," McNally said.

According to the agreement which was publicly posted on the town website last week, Darien agreed that Eversource can remove 62 of the 72 trees from Little Brook Road.

The trees will be removed no earlier than March 1, 2023.

The 10 trees that will remain can be trimmed by Evesource as needed without permission from the town.

Eversource will be responsible for "engaging and overseeing a bonded and insured contractor to implement the planting plan at Little Brook Road," the agreement states.

Eversource will water and maintain the plantings for 18 months.

A year after everything is planted, the town will conduct inspections, and plantings will be replaced if they died. A second inspection will take place six months after that, McNally said earlier this month.

About 400 plantings will be put in the ground by June 1, 2023, unless there is a weather event, McNally noted.

Of those, 140 trees will be planted. Eight of those will be limber pines that can grow up to 25 feet. There will be 60 arbor vitae that will be planted up along the railroad tracks, with 72 juniper trees interspersed.

The remaining plantings will include 276 pollinator plants.

McNally called the planting and watering schedule "unprecedented" from Eversource.

"Those are two things we fought very hard for," she said.

To view the entire settlement agreement, go to the town of Darien website.