Great Island Advisory Committee Recommends Master Plan Consultant

DARIEN, CT — The Great Island Advisory Committee (GIAC) on Tuesday unanimously voted to recommend the engagement of Reed Hilderbrand, a landscape architecture firm based in New Haven, to create a master plan for the development of the 60-plus acre property.

Tuesday's meeting was held virtually and is available to watch on demand on Darien TV79.

GIAC Chair and Selectman Monica McNally explained that 16 firms responded to an RFQ which went out in January, and ultimately six firms were invited to town to tour Great Island.

The field was narrowed down to four, the town received fee proposals, and then Reed Hilderbrand was chosen.

"It has been a really long and I think interesting journey for all of us, but it has been a lot of work," McNally said, thanking the consultants for their time and interest.

Earlier this month, the Board of Selectmen and later the Board of Finance approved $2 million for the first two phases of the landscape architecture project for Great Island.

The project aims to establish a long-term vision for the property and includes public engagement, financial planning, governance model development, identifying funding sources for future capital projects, and managing operation and maintenance costs into the future.

According to the most recent town newsletter, the funding will support Phases I and II of the four-phase project:

Phase 1: Creating a Vision Plan (estimated duration: six months)

• Project familiarization
• Vision plan development
• Public and stakeholder review and input

Phase II: Creating a master plan and concept design (estimated duration: five to seven months)

• Public outreach and review
• Pedestrian access and circulation
• Vehicular access and circulation
• Buildings assessment
• Site features
• Preservation, landscaping, hard and soft surface paving
• Site utility infrastructure
• Coastal area review
• Revenue-generating activities/funding strategies and governance structure
• Preliminary conceptual design plan and report
• Cost estimate development
• Phasing strategy
• Town approvals
• Final concept design and report

Phase III involves construction document preparation services, and Phase IV is bidding and construction phase services.

"We were really looking for a firm that had a clear engagement strategy to help us build trust and shared aspirations with our community," McNally said Tuesday. "We were very interested in partnering with a financial advisor that had expertise in planned financial strategy, developing governance models, identifying funding sources for future capital projects, and addressing the managing of operations and maintenance costs for the years to come."

Most importantly, McNally said, the committee wanted a firm that would help the town realize the unique possibilities for Great Island.

"The architecture there, the environment there, the coastal… All of this is all very, very important to our town, and shaping it into something we are proud of today, but that it will be [something we are] even more proud of to leave to future generations, I think is really important," McNally said. "I think we've identified a firm that will help make Great Island even greater."

McNally said she will now bring the recommendation to the Board of Selectmen.

An example of past works from Reed Hilderbrand can be found on their website.

Watch Tuesday's Great Island Advisory Committee meeting on Darien TV79.