Darien police received reports of burglaries Saturday afternoon, Dec. 18 from two different businesses in town. One, on the Post Road, was missing some petty cash; at the other, on Old Kings Highway South, a safe was found on its side in a hallway. Police didn’t say how much petty cash was taken, or whether anything was stolen from the Old Kings Highway South location, nor did they name either business or even give its exact address. Police detectives went to each location and processed the scene for evidence.
The distinctive, peach-colored downtown retail/residential building at 879-889 Boston Post Road has been sold, the broker announced. The fully leased property, just east of the Darien Railroad Station, has been the location of Darien Barber Shop for decades. other businesses in the 11,500-square-foot building are, Bar Vida, Jade Nail & Spa and recently signed retailer, Check Body-Mind. Along with the four retail spaces, the three-story building also has six two-bedroom apartments. Westport-based Saugatuck Commercial Real Estate represented Elm Associates of New Canaan in selling the property to an entity called Darien Post Road LLC.
Darien police have announced parking restrictions on two Darien streets in connection with redevelopment projects — one in downtown Darien and another in Noroton Heights. In Noroton Heights, Edgerton Street “will be closed in both directions between West Avenue and Heights Road from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.” on Monday, Oct. 11, the announcement said. The closure is related to ongoing construction of the Darien Commons project by Federal Realty Investment Trust.
Federal Realty Investment Trust says Darien Commons, its business/residential development being built in downtown Noroton Heights, will have new retail and restaurant tenants opening doors within 18 months, with some by the fall of 2022. Apartments can be reserved this coming January, and they should be available this coming Spring, the company says. — an announcement from Federal Realty
Timeline
A recent announcement from Federal Realty included these elements relating to timing that Darienite.com presents here as a single timeline:
—January 2022 — pre-leasing for apartments
—Fall 2022 — new stores begin to open
—”Within the next 18 months” (up to late February 2023) — other stores will open
— In Spring 2022, apartments are expected to be ready for occupancy, a publicist for Federal Realty said. When complete, Darien Commons will feature over 110,000 square feet of retail space and 122 apartments. Apartments for lease will have a range of sizes from studios to two-bedroom homes with secure, underground parking.
Connecticut’s 6.35 percent sales tax on clothing is eliminated during Sales Tax Free Week (through Saturday, Aug. 21) for clothing and footwear priced at less than $100 per item. Darien students return to schools in town on Monday, Aug. 30, a week before Labor Day. Something to keep in mind: Since sales tax is calculated after the use of any coupons or discounts, if the final price per item is less than $100, the sale is exempt from taxes.
A Bridgeport-based portable restroom company and a Southport law firm with a Darien office are hosting a golf tournament Monday, Aug. 23, with all proceeds being donated to the Darien-based HonorBound Foundation, which assists veterans. The Customer Appreciation Golf Tournament , will be played at the Silvermine Golf Club in Norwalk. — an announcement from A Royal Flush
The co-hosts of the event are the Butler Tibbetts law firm of Southport and Darien (where Alfred Tibbetts of Darien is a founding partner) and A Royal Flush of Bridgeport. Since its founding in 1978, HonorBound’s mission has been to provide immediate assistance to U.S. military veterans and their families during times of crisis.
Retail tenants and apartment renters are expected to start moving into the building that formerly housed the Darien Playhouse. Joe Vaccaro, a partner at V20 Group, said late last month that the building, now called Darien Place, could have retail tenants early in July. — an announcement from V20 Group
“We’re excited to complete construction and let our retail tenants start building out their spaces,’’ said Vaccaro, who has managed the Darien Place renovation alongside his father, Jon. “We think Darien Place is going to create a connection with the other businesses at that end of the Post Road that didn’t exist before.”
Joe Vaccaro said a part of that connection is the installation of red brick pavers to form the walkways and common areas on the north side and at the back of the century-old structure. Vaccaro said the pavers were used to match the walkways of the adjacent properties and added to the charm of the area.
Kesti Aysseh has been named the new executive director of the Darien Chamber of Commerce, and a new business manager, Reedie Karl, has been named the new business manager, the chamber announced. Most recently, Aysseh was executive development director of The Depot Youth Center. Karl was recently community relations associate for Maplewood Senior Living. Aysseh succeeds Susan Cator, who left the job in December after more than six and a half years. Karl succeeds Masako Sparks as business manager.
Here’s a way to learn about the intricacies of health insurance coverage from one of the leading authorities in the U.S. – all without spending a dime. Maura Carley of Darien, founder and president of the health insurance consulting firm Healthcare Navigation LLC, also headquartered in town, has launched a free video series to educate people on basic health insurance coverage topics. — an announcement from Healthcare Navigation LLC
Each week, Carley and key staff focus on a different aspect of health insurance. Carley has already produced three segments. Health Insurance Basics includes brief videos on terms and concepts everyone should understand – the deductible, coinsurance, the network, COBRA coverage and the pros and cons of selecting it, and others.
Eversource is trimming and removing trees in Darien this month and in June as part of its ongoing work to reduce power outages during storms, and the utility has released a list of some streets where the tree work will take place. “In Darien, we’re doing tree work along some 60 miles of town roads this year, with crews from Lewis Tree Service doing the bulk of the work now through June,” a utility spokesman said. “Along with trimming, 111 hazardous trees are scheduled to be removed.” Schedule
Some of the work began earlier this month in the area of Tokeneke Road, Old Farm and Searles roads, Cliff Avenue and Raymond Street, a utility spokesman said. Here’s the rest of the schedule (all of the work is weather permitting, and schedules could change):
Late May:
Area includes Boston Post Road, Hollow Tree Ridge Road, Rings End Road, Noroton Avenue and Nearwater Lane
Early June:
Boston Post Road, Old Kings Highway and Locust Hill Road
Eversource’s Tree Cutting Program
Here’s Eversource’s description of why the tree work is taking place and information on the utility’s tree program:
“As you know, Tropical Storm Isaias caused massive damage to the state, with thousands of trees being damaged or destroyed.
The Darien Community Association invites the public to the organization’s Annual Meeting at 10 a.m., Thursday, May 20, to hear David Genovese, founder of Baywater Properties, discuss “The Transformation of Downtown Darien, a Look into the Future. ”
— an announcement from the DCA
This will be a virtual event. Registrants will receive an email with an access link the day before the event. David Genovese and his partner, Penny Glassmeyer, have developed several of
Darien’s now iconic properties, including Grove Street Plaza and 1020 Boston Post
Road, among others. After nearly 16 years of effort acquiring and assembling a total of over seven acres in downtown, and working with Darien’s boards and commissions in achieving zoning approvals, Baywater’s next project, The Corbin District, is about to begin construction.
Abilis is hiring! On Saturday, May 1, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Abilis is holding a job fair for prospective employees. The job fair is open for drop-ins, and no registrations are required. — an announcement from Abilis
Those interested in working for Abilis are encouraged to review open positions in advance on the Abilis website. Interviews will be conducted on-site, outdoors with COVID safety precautions in place at the Abilis headquarters, 50 Glenville St., Greenwich.
Darien TV79’s Jim Cameron, author of Off the Record: Confessions of a Media Consultant, will speak at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 8 in a Darien Library webinar about communication. — an announcement from Darien Library
In “Off the Record,” Jim will use his 35 years of expertise as a media trainer and share his tips and techniques for communicating with any audience, from mastering tough interviews to creating a motivational presentation. You can register for this event, here, on Darien Library’s website. Off the Record: Confessions of a Media Consultant is Jim Cameron’s first book, based on his career as a media trainer prepping C-level executives for challenging media encounters and earlier years as an award-winning journalist at NBC. About Jim Cameron
Jim Cameron is best known in Connecticut for his decades of advocacy for rail commuters.
Need to upgrade your technology skills? The Darien Library and SCORE present a 5-part webinar series to bring you up to speed on the tools you need to succeed both in and outside your office. Is technology taking control of your life and home? In this webinar, parents will learn tips, tricks, resources and strategies for managing technology in your family. — an announcement from Darien Library
Register for the ‘The Tech Workshop Your Kids Don’t Want You To Attend.’
Darien Library invites professionals whose job search was affected by COVID-19 to take part in its “Job Seeker Summit,” a five-meeting online program with support from an expert and peer support. — an announcement from Darien Library
The program is designed to help job seekers receive answers to their questions and learn about things that the regular person doesn’t consider that may be affecting their job search. Registrants will receive the expert and peer support they need to regain confidence and clarity in these difficult times. Facilitated by career strategy expert Noelle Gross, this five-week series takes place on Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m., beginning April 6. You can register here.
Aquarion Water Company on Wednesday announced the start of the 2021 mandatory sprinkler irrigation schedule for customers in Darien and some other communities. The utility again is banning lawn watering on specified days to conserve water supplies by reducing overwatering of lawns and gardens. Aquarion has published a schedule providing for a maximum of two days of watering per week. Customers may continue using drip irrigation, soaker hoses and hand-held watering at any time. — an announcement from Aquarion Water Co.
