Darien Selectmen Approve $103 Million Purchase Of Great Island

DARIEN, CT — The town's $103 million purchase of Great Island moved one step closer to completion on Monday night, as the Board of Selectmen voted 4-1 to approve the deal.

The Board of Finance will take up the item June 15, and the Representative Town Meeting will vote June 27 ahead of a June 28 approval deadline.

The town will be able to continue its due diligence on the property until Aug. 6.

First Selectman Monica McNally and Selectmen Michael Burke, Jon Zagrodzky and Marcy Minnick voted in favor of the purchase, while Sarah Neumann voted against.

"Great Island is fantastically important to our community, and the outreach all of us have experienced proves that," McNally said Monday night. "So many residents have told us that it is such a unique opportunity, and we cannot let it slip away without careful consideration by our whole government and input from as many residents as possible."

Neumann and Burke expressed excitement about the 60-acre island, but they also said they were concerned about the cost and potential impact on the town.

While there are a lot of positives in purchasing the land, Neumann said she was "extremely concerned" about financial ramifications, and about how the town is going to set up management of the property.

"I understand the idea of a conservancy, but I am concerned about creating this purchase for the town, then asking the town to then fund any of the needs that this property has," Neumann said. "That concerns me... I'm concerned about the economic news that's been coming to the forefront."

Burke called the purchase "unprecedented."

"The purchase is consistent, though, with long existing town policy and our collective vision for the future of this community,' Burke said." The economic challenges this acquisition represents are also unprecedented," Burke said.

Burke said the town's debt will reach "historic levels, approaching nearly a quarter of a billion dollars," after the purchase is completed.

"In servicing this debt, meeting our other operational needs over the course of the next 20-30 years, whether relating to our town or the schools, we will endure a seachange in our taxes," Burke continued, encouraging residents to remain engaged in the process, especially as the town sorts out what the potential uses of the property will be.

Critics of the purchase have asked if acquiring Great Island would impact the town's ability to adequately fund schools and other services.

Zagrodzky, who gave a presentation last week on the financials, said Monday that funding for schools will not be impacted, and that the town could withstand the hefty price tag.

"Whether it's the level of debt, the level of debt service, the potential impact on average and high-end taxpayers, impact potential on our credit rating and these concerns any of this debt would crowd out our future investments in school and our dedication across all town boards to the quality of our education system... I've gotten comfortable that the answer to all those concerns is no," Zagrodzky said.

Several residents gave public comments before the board voted.

Luzelena Bueno advocated for the purchase, saying the town could benefit from utilizing open space.

"Darien doesn't have any large green space for community building," she said. "There are two beaches, multiple parks, clubs, but we do not have any central place for everyone to get to know each other."

McNally said a committee will be formed to solicit input and discuss the options for the island. Last week, she gave a presentation on preliminary ideas, ranging from educational uses to recreation. The committee will hold public sessions where everyone is welcome to attend, McNally said.

Frank Adelman, an RTM member from District 5, said he wanted a transparent process. He urged the town to create a formal Great Island Commission to help with governance and financial management of the property.

McNally thanked the public for being involved in the process so far, and she thanked everyone who helped work to bring the purchase together. She said the town will keep the public informed on the next steps.

"Thoughtful input will ensure that we end up with exactly the community place we want with as much public support and input as possible," she said. "We will keep you updated on committee plans as we move forward."