Darien Plans To Add Furniture To Great Island: Here's How Much It Could Cost

DARIEN, CT — In one of the town's first moves to provide upgrades at Great Island, the Board of Selectmen on Monday unanimously voted for an appropriation of up to $100,000 to add furniture to the 60-plus acre waterfront property.

The Great Island Advisory Committee (GIAC) previously voted to recommend the addition of the furniture, which includes 14 Adirondack chairs made from a weather resistant material (loll Designs), 10 steel "bistro" tables with 34 steel chairs (Landscape Forms), and six picnic tables and four standalone benches made from iron and wood (Kenneth Lynch & Sons).

"The goal here is to make the island feel more welcoming in a way that's simple, classic, and true to the character of the place," said Selectman and GIAC Chair Monica McNally during the July 7 Board of Selectmen meeting.

The full meeting is available to watch on demand on Darien TV79.

The Representative Town Meeting approved an appropriation of up to $100,000 for the furniture in June before the GIAC had final numbers for the furniture, according to McNally.

The actual cost estimate is $83,578.

"We need to place the order," McNally said. "I think this total is a good number to work with."

The GIAC worked with landscape architect firm Reed Hilderbrand to narrow down furniture options and locations.

The committee also received input from Darien Director of Public Works Ed Gentile and Facilities and Equipment Supervisor Tony Campanella.

The picnic tables, which are modeled after the 1939 World's Fair design, and the benches, are from Kenneth Lynch & Sons, a CT-based company in Oxford. McNally recently visited the company to check out the furniture firsthand.

All pieces were reviewed with accessibility in mind, McNally said.

"The intent is very clear on this. This furniture is simply for residents and visitors to take a break, to sit and enjoy the view, meet a friend, rest in the shade. That's it," McNally added.

While the name of the chairs includes the word "bistro," McNally stressed that the town is not planning on opening up a cafe, bistro or any type of food or beverage service at Great Island.

"These are just quality benches, tables and chairs that will be placed thoughtfully around the island to support peaceful passive use," McNally said.

The Board of Finance is set to review the item during its July 15, according to McNally.

Should the finance board ultimately grant approval in short order, McNally said the town could be looking at an eight-week delivery time for the furniture.

"I'm really excited for our residents," McNally noted. "We're hoping we'll get this set up for our residents by the end of the summer."