Great Island Town of Darien Visioning Plan

Great Island Now Bought for $85 Million, Darien’s Biggest Real Estate Closing

By |
Download PDF

 

Ownership of the 60.81-acre Great Island parcel on Long Island Sound officially passed into the town government’s hands for $85 million, First Selectman Monica McNally said Friday. The purchase will be financed with municipal bonds. “I want to say to our Darien residents: Congratulations — we did it!” McNally said in a news release emailed shortly after 4 p.m. “When this fabulous property became available, right in our back yard, it became my dream to make owning it a reality for Darien residents.” McNally then thanked a long list of town officials, elected and appointed, who helped with the acquisition.

Board of Selectmen 2023
Great Island Town of Darien Visioning Plan

Creating a Committee to Oversee Great Island on Selectmen’s Monday Night Agenda

By |
Download PDF

The Board of Selectmen’s agenda for Monday night includes a discussion and vote on setting up a committee to plan and oversee adjustments to the Great Island property that the town expects to officially own in early May. A draft “charge” for the committee, describing various tasks or goals that members are appointed to oversee, includes this description of some of the changes that are expected on the property:

“Planning needs to start now for the work that must begin immediately after the acquisition closes in May. This work will include, but is not limited to, widening access roads, establishing initial parking areas, determining property hours, and creating required signage. Also important will be remediation of certain environmental issues, management and control of existing improvements, and provision of sanitary facilities.” The draft also says:

“The acquisition of Great Island presents a tremendous opportunity for the Town of Darien to expand open space and provide additional recreational opportunities for our residents.

Government & Politics
Great Island Town of Darien Visioning Plan

Town Buys the 60-Acre Great Island Shorefront Parcel, Pays $85 Million, Sets May 5 Closing Date

By |
Download PDF

Darien town officials on Tuesday announced the purchase of the 60-plus-acre Great Island property on the shore of Long Island Sound, with a “final amended agreement” reached on Monday and a closing date set for May 5. “Great Island is a pristine landscape with approximately one and a half miles of coastline in an environmentally sensitive cove on Long Island Sound,” First Selectman Monica McNally said in a news release. “With this purchase, we have prioritized the conservation of this magnificent property, saving it forever from intensive development,” McNally said. “We have added significant open space for Darien, which is needed more and more as our town enters a new development phase.” McNally continued, “Great Island is a Great Investment for Darien.