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Planning and Zoning Commission, Special Meeting
August 5, 2008
Continuation of Public Hearing regarding Proposed Amendment to the Darien Zoning Map and Zoning Regulations, Affordable Housing Application, Site Plan Application #261, Land Filling & Regrading Application #208, Christopher & Margaret Stefanoni, 77 Leroy Avenue.
Public Comment by Save Darien's Wetlands:
Save Darien's Wetlands asks Planning and Zoning to consider two things
in deliberation of this project:
One, To allow development when no one knows with certainty how much
water, from what direction, and where it is coming from is foolish in
light of the money being spent and puts public safety in jeopardy. P &
Z was part of the development of Darien's Flood Mitigation Strategy
and now you are part of implementing it. Hundreds of thousands of
dollars are being spent on the first project of this strategy:
topographical mapping and flow studies. Without mapping and studies,
you can not determine where run off will go. 2007 and the storm last
weekend demonstrate that Darien needs mapping and studies and then
must move forward to update an inadequate drainage system.
Fred Conze attended a public meeting on April 11, 2007 – after the
first flood of that year. It was stated that the Town does not know
which sites drain illegally into the drainage system, and that
homeowners and builders have illegally hooked sump pumps and other
private drainage to the town drains over the years.
At the last meeting didn't the applicant's engineer suggest hooking up
to the public drains to drain run off from this site? Put water in a
public drain! Do you realize that these drains don't connect to a
pipeline to the sound, but drain into the watersheds and waterways
that are flooding our homes and businesses?!
Darien does not have the information to make decisions to allow
building on this site.
Two, as the flood watchdog group, we would like to draw your attention
to the unique conditions in which flooding occurs. In March 2007 the
ground was frozen. Culverts were blocked with ice and drainage
channels were filled with snow. In April 2007 we experienced rain from
a Nor'easter. The flooding in October 2007 was from what some have
described as a surprise cloud burst.
Calculations of storm water run off can not be made for a 2 year, 25
year storm, or even 100 year storms using perfect conditions. Flooding
in Darien is proven to occur under the worst of conditions.
Save Darien's Wetlands encourages Planning and Zoning to take a
prudent approach to this development: Deny the application and give
leave to reapply when all the facts from the topographical mapping and
the flow studies have been reviewed and the town has moved forward
with their Flood Mitigation Strategy.