Downtown Darien Developer: Lower Building Heights Would Make Project Impossible

DARIEN, CT—A developer pitching a downtown development project is urging residents and Planning and Zoning commissioners to keep his proposal as-is for building height.

The proposal calls for building heights of 90-feet, but commissioners indicated they would be more comfortable with a 70-foot maximum height at a Sept. 6 meeting.

"The first night of deliberations was held three weeks ago, and the P&Z Commission appears to be moving in the direction of approving our request for a text amendment with modifications which would render it impossible for us to finance the project," said developer David Genovese on Facebook.

The next meeting is Sept. 27. Genovese said although public comment had ended, commissioners are still members of the Darien community.

Related: Darien P&Z: 90-Foot Buildings Too Tall for Downtown

"They are likely fearful of making a decision that some or many in the community won't like once the project is brought to fruition," he said. "This is one of the main reasons for which we have been so transparent about our effort to take the transformation of downtown Darien to the next level."