Community Leaders Weigh In
Cover Story | By PAMELA DEY VOSSLER | Photos by BAMBI RIEGEL | riegelpictureworks.com
Top: Early days at The Corbin District; Above: a view from Weed Beach
Darien is exploding—The Corbin District, Darien Commons, Heights Crossing and Thorndal Circle, to name just a few of the high-profile building projects claiming our streetscape. In all, they will add some 600 apartments, whole office buildings and a roster of new restaurants, retailers, fitness studios and more.
It’s a lot, more building than our town has ever previously experienced, all coming on line nearly simultaneously. It’s exciting, it’s unsettling.
Change can be as hard as it is inevitable, especially for a town like Darien where the call to vibrancy is not to be denied.
Image courtesy H&H, consultants to the 2026 Darien POCD
It’s not just our geography that attracts so many, driving growth and change—our proximity to New York, our green spaces, lovely beaches and parks, or even our schools. It’s also the many people who have worked tirelessly, generation after generation, to make Darien what it is today—the conservationists, the preservationists, the people we elect to run the town, the athletes, the artists, the builders, the business owners, the educators …the visionaries, the volunteers, the historians, and everyone in between. They are the people of passion who’ve made Darien the kind of place that cannot be left alone.
Such has it always been.
Imagine life here as it morphed from a quiet farming community to a New York City commuter town when the trains came through in the mid-1800s, and then again when I-95 was built, blasting Noroton Heights, as it then existed, to bits, prompting a reinvention that held for decades.
Every so often, the chips fly, landing in new patterns with new challenges …and opportunities. And that is a good thing. Change is necessary.
“A telling sign of a community’s health and success is when developers choose to invest without any government subsidies (as they have in Darien),” said Jayme Stevenson, Darien’s First Selectman from 2011 to 2021.
Ashley Krauss, owner of A Little Something White, a newer business in town, could have based her business anywhere, such is the draw throughout the region for the stunning gowns and evening wear she carries. She chose Darien.
Drawn by the unique character of Darien, the people and the community feel of it, she observed, “It is by continuing to invest in the town in a responsible way that Darien can attract talented professionals and strong businesses across many industries. You lose your essence when you don’t grow,” she added.
The question is, how do we maintain that essence while embracing the growth before us, particularly as we look in the weeks ahead to complete a new Plan of Conservation and Development—effectively a 10-year blueprint for development and conservation in Darien? We spoke with a number of community leaders to collect their thoughts. Here’s what we found.
Family Values, Social Connection and Community
“I think it’s really social connection that keeps the essence of our small town,” said Jayme.
“We are a young town demographically. According to the state, Darien is one of the youngest communities in Connecticut. We highly value the family unit and everything that comes with that—great schools, recreational opportunities, youth sports, music and dance programs, houses of worship, scouting and volunteerism. Social connections grow from this engagement,” she explained.
With social connection comes community.
“Community feeds the family, family feeds the community and that’s the key to everything,” said Marian Castell, Town Historian from 1996 to 2024.
“Darien has always been defined by its strong sense of community, something we deeply value and are committed to preserving as the town evolves,” said the Glassmeyer family, longtime developers in Darien through family matriarch Penny Glassmeyer—the driving force behind Grove Street Plaza and PG Properties, a Corbin District partner. “As a family, we cherish the close-knit character that makes Darien so special and believe growth should enhance that spirit,” they added.
…and it can, with thoughtful planning and design that strengthens community and a town’s essence as it unfolds.
The Role of Place Making
“I often refer to Grove Street Plaza as our laboratory for great public spaces,” said David Genovese, CEO of Baywater Properties, Corbin District developer. “When Penny first built Grove Street Plaza, visitors to the initial tenants did not really use the plaza. Over time, those tenants changed. Neat Coffee opened, Flour Water Salt opened, and Grove Street Plaza became electric, with dozens of customers meeting there. It has been magical to participate in and witness this evolution. That experience has inspired me and my team greatly,” he continued.
“In 2004, our mother, Penny, created Grove Street Plaza with the intention of bringing people out of their homes and workplaces to connect in a shared, welcoming space,” said the Glassmeyers. “We are proud to support David Genovese and his team as they greatly expand on this idea. At its core, this is about creating a space that brings our community together.”
Retail mix matters too.
“The majority of our businesses today are locally owned, few are ‘chains.’ We have said ‘no’ to the prospect of leasing to dozens of tenants that we did not think would fit the character of downtown Darien,” said David.
But along with the new, if you want to maintain the essence of a town as you embrace growth, you have to protect where you came from—for the collective civic pride contained in it and the aesthetics that combine to create a unique sense of place, and the community that characterizes a town.
A view of Heights Crossing, completed in 2025. | image courtesy V20 Group
Fueled by Preservation
“You have to have something individual about each town that you can take pride in,” said Marian which is why preservation has long been a driving focus for her, called as she has been for decades to help save homes and buildings of architectural importance in Darien. “The town has to conserve every single period so you can see the diversity of time periods. It isn’t all one building, one style,” she explained. “You want to feel as if the town has been around and have some background of what’s happened here. Knowing history helps you develop community.”
…and with preservation comes conservation.
Built in 1867, this Second Empire home was the first house constructed on Prospect Ave. It remains a single-family home.
Conservation is Key
To maintain the essence of a town like Darien, green matters. Our trees, open spaces and wild places form a green infrastructure as foundationally important to who we are as the steel beams that support our built environment.
“By purchasing Great Island, we can’t just check the box and say we’ve got green space covered. Land conservation has to be across the entire town and that means our parks, our open spaces, our protected lands and even in our backyards,” said Elizabeth Mathus, executive director of the Darien Land Trust, a leading voice for land conservation and preservation in town.
“These little pockets of green are what we have left—we have to stitch them together (and add to them when we can) to preserve habitat for our wildlife and for the entire community to reap the benefits of what nature is providing,” said Elizabeth, “that includes cleaner air, lower surface temperatures, drinking water filtration, flood mitigation, soil stability to prevent erosion and, of course, the many documented mental health benefits of green spaces.”
To maintain the essence of a town like Darien, you also need a robust partnership between conservation and development.
“Conservation and development can sit at the same table,” said Jayme. “Not only can they, they must,” she continued.
“We will lose the character of our town if we solve everything by development,” echoed Elizabeth. “A partnership at the outset of a development is where we’re going to come up with the best project from both sides,” she said. “Conservation should not be an afterthought. There’s compromise, yes. There’s also a deeper understanding of our community and it’s that kind of balance that is so important to keep in mind,” she added.
A case in point: Working with the Darien Land Trust, Baywater Properties developed a “Take a Tree, Plant a Tree” initiative: For every tree they remove, they donate a tree to plant on a Darien Land Trust property. “When we are done, we will be planting far more trees than we removed,” said David.
Conservation not only helps the environment, it is core to a town’s aesthetics, along with design and architecture.
The Depth of Aesthetics
“Aesthetics absolutely dictate the feel and the success of a town because if you see quality design and architecture, it’s a place you want to be, a place you want to raise a family. It’s a place that brings good businesses and good people and hard work,” noted Liz Geiger, 11-year chair of the Architectural Review Board (ARB), the only group in town specifically tasked with monitoring commercial building aesthetics.
“Aesthetics communicate character, intention and permanency,” she added.
None of it happens though without volunteerism and civic engagement—a town’s essence hinges on both.
How to Stay Informed
Find public hearing notices at darienct.gov (click on the Public Hearing Notices tab under Town Government)
Subscribe to the Town Newsletter: darienct.gov/1453/Town-Newsletter
Explore darientv.com, a comprehensive video compilation of town news, issues and events
Visit darienpocd.com for the latest on the 2026 Plan of Conservaation and Development
The Value of Volunteerism
“Volunteering is very important for the town,” said Marian, noting that even small efforts count. Not only does it build community, it generates town pride, further adding to the glue that holds us together while contributing to a value system that perpetuates our essence, she explained. “Everyone has to do a little bit beyond themselves. It’s a way of keeping Darien as the town it is,” she added.
Civic Engagement: A Key Component
Did you know that our Planning & Zoning regulations call for a certain percentage of open space in commercial developments? The wrinkle is this: Open space does not necessarily mean green space as hardscaped public plazas with trees in planters fulfill the requirement. To be involved – on a town board or committee, or to read the town websites and newsletters is to know this.
To maintain the essence of Darien, we must participate. We must vote. We must pay attention.
“It is essential that elected and appointed officials build trust with the community by reflecting our residents’ values in their decision-making,” noted Jayme.
“Every 10 years, the town drafts a Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD),” she continued, referring to the 2026 plan currently in development under the auspices of the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z). “There has been a strong focus on development over the past 10 years. My hope is that the 2026 plan strikes a good balance between additional development and conservation of town resources. Residents can play an integral role in the drafting of the new plan by providing comments on the draft plan,” she added.
“Community involvement is key,” said Liz.
“Darien residents are saying the aesthetics of development and its relation to our historic town are important. They need to say it to the First Selectman – that what’s happening with development locally and at the state level needs to be an important piece of regular communication. That gives us a chance to be responsive – not just because of the look but the functional fallout of it as well,” she continued.
“It is important that we build within the principal characteristics of our town’s foundation and we hold developers to that as well. The ARB has those guidelines. We just need to make sure our elected officials and town boards implement them,” she explained.
While the ARB has been given a greater share of voice in the past 10 years, it remains an advisory group, she added.
“P&Z has the final word on what the town looks like. Architecture dictates the look of our town long after us, so it’s important to get it right ahead of time,” she said, encouraging residents to hold elected officials accountable.
So yes, ultimately, the essence of Darien is us.
“In my view, Darien’s essence lies in its people — residents and professionals who take pride in living and working here and who actively support the local community,” said Ashley.
“Thoughtful growth and development don’t work against that essence; they help sustain it,” she added.
Conservation Starts at Home: What You Can Do
By Juliet Cain
1. Don’t use pesticides or herbicides
2. Remove invasives, add native plants
3. Create a brush pile (dead hedge)
4. Install a rain barrel
5. Reduce lawn
6. Leave leaves and stalks
7. Install a bird bath/water source
8. Minimize use of outside lights or use timer
9. Don’t use gas mowers, leaf blowers
10. Compost
