Former Darien Office Complex To Become 175-Unit Residential Community

DARIEN, CT — An office complex in Darien will be transformed into a 175-unit residential community following approval from the town's Planning & Zoning Commission last week.

The commission unanimously approved the proposal from The Trammell Crow Company, a global real estate development firm, to raze five existing office buildings at the Thorndal Circle complex and construct five new multi-family buildings along with 201 surface parking spaces and 109 garage spaces, amenity areas such as a community park, a clubhouse and pool, and drainage and landscaping improvements.

The new buildings will be three stories tall and contain a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. Additionally, 25 of the proposed homes will be restricted to residents earning no more than 80 percent of the state median income.

Project officials are expecting to break ground this summer, according to Michael Adamo, a senior vice president on High Street Residential's (HSR) Northeast Metro Team. HSR is the residential subsidiary of Trammell Crow Company.

"We are proud to have recently earned the Planning & Zoning Commission’s unanimous approval," Adamo said in an emailed statement to Patch. "We believe this exciting new development will help Darien add high-quality housing options for residents in proximity to nearby downtown retail, dining and leisure activities. In addition to providing much-needed housing, the development will also conserve more than two acres of open space surrounding the Stony Brook, as well as enhance and modernize storm water management on the property."

Adamo thanked town officials and volunteers for "their thoughtful review" of the application.

The project was made possible after the Darien Planning & Zoning Commission last year granted approval to rezone the property from the Designed Office Zone to the Designed Office Multifamily Residential Overlay Zone (DOMR).

Throughout the public hearing phase, several residents expressed concerns about the project and negative impacts to the community, particularly related to traffic.

Some residents said another new development would put a strain on resources and leave new residents without adequate services and amenities. Others questioned a proposed curb cut on Hecker Avenue and how the project would impact traffic in the immediate vicinity.

The Planning & Zoning Commission acknowledged concerns about traffic in its approval.

"Much of the public concern was relative to the proposed new curb cut on Hecker Avenue, and how that may affect traffic flow on Hecker Avenue and nearby streets.

Also in its approval, the commission said it could take action on suspending or revoking the special permit or closing or modifying the Hecker Avenue curb cut if the Darien Police Department documents consistent left turn violations into the Hecker Avenue site driveway; unauthorized or unsafe use of the nearby Darien Police Department or Darien Library driveways; traffic build up on Hecker Avenue at the traffic signal at Boston Post Road, impacting traffic flow; or any other additional conditions that may impact police or emergency response.

The commission said in the approval the development is expected to typically generate around 65 total vehicle trips (15 vehicles entering, 50 vehicles exiting) during the morning peak hour, and 68 total trips (42 entering, 26 exiting) during the afternoon peak hour.

"The Commission finds that a fully occupied office use on the subject property would generate more traffic during certain peak hours than is being projected for the residential community," the commission noted.

Several other conditions that must be met by the applicant before the project can begin are explained in the commission's approval.

The property was previously owned by the Nielsen Company.

Last summer, Jerry Nielsen, president of The Nielsen Company, talked about the genesis of the project during a Planning & Zoning Commission meeting.

"Looking at the office market for the past 15 years, there's been a decline. We decided it's time to redevelop," he said. "We need more diverse housing in this town. I've grown up here and I've seen people go from empty nesters to New Canaan, or to other towns because they don't have the type of housing they need."

The Feb. 4 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting can be viewed on demand on Darien TV79.