Selectmen Set Shovel-Ready Projects As Priority

Monday evening heard the Board of Selectmen discuss the town's major capital projects, bumping shovel-ready revamps at both the Darien Police Department and Weed Beach to the top of the town's priority list. Flood mitigation and the late Senior Center proposition proved the sticking point; and as a result of differences in opinion, the board's conversation—passionate at times—did not result in a vote.

"I didn't want to tie myself down to anything," said First Selectman Dave Campbell. "I think there's to much turmoil right now."

Where he wasn't comfortable formally committing to any one project that required long-term borrowing, Campbell admitted that if there's ever been a time to get a good deal on bonding, building materials and labor, the time is now.

"I think the ones that are shovel ready are the priorities. With costs, you're never going to see them lower," he said.

Those projects are the Police Department and Weed Beach. Both received the okay from the Representative Town Meeting over a year ago and have been pending approval from the Board of Selectmen ever since.

The light may turn green in the next few months, said Campbell.

"If we wait too long we're going to have to go back to the RTM to get bonds," he said. "In the next few months, we should think of going ahead."

To keep this year's debt to within the anticipated $84 million, Chair Murray Stegelman of the Board of Finance urged the board to restart bonding at the start of the next fiscal year—after July 1—so as not to impact the 2010-11 budget.

Rolling out the projects as planned should not put pressure on future fiscal years, given that paying off major projects happens over time, said Stegelman. In addition, the debt drops in excess of $6 million per year.

"You have to plan for these things over time, and realize the bonding isn't a static number," said Campbell.

In order of priority, the board's preliminary list of capital projects and respective bonding expenditures, largely dictated by Campbell, is as follows:

2011-12: Police Headquarters $15 million

In Campbell's opinion, the expansion and renovation of the Police Headquarters on Hecker Ave. is the "number one" capital project, as one that has been "in the hopper" for over two years. The board agrees that a major revamp is long overdue. Campbell didn't have a final figure, but said costs are down about 15 percent from where they were 15 months prior.

2011-12: Weed Beach $2 million

From the day he took office, Campbell has called the $3.5 million revamp of Weed Beach an "expensive luxury." As it stands, the project requires $2 million in bonding, and an additional $1 million from the general fund. Selectman David Bayne, highly involved in the project's planning, said about $500,000 has already been spent on preliminary work. That said, Campbell said he "wants to make it nice," and that low building and labor costs are attractive.

2012-14: Senior Center $2.2 million (Less Grants estimated at $750,000)

Campbell's proposition to move the Senior Center to the Town Hall or 35 Leroy Ave. hasn't made a fan of everyone. Bayne wants the board to consider selling the property at 35 Leroy Ave., and Sullivan suggested a rebuild of the Senior Center at Edgerton Street.

Campbell said in-depth conversation of the proposal and its alternatives was ineffectual given the status of the project. The Facilities Study Task Force has yet to begin phase two, and the board has just hired an architect to draw up hard costs.

"You have to look at the Senior Center as a terrible building that's costing the town a lot of money. We can't just watch it deteriorate, but I'm not talking about doing something tomorrow or a few weeks from now," he said.

Campbell said Darien residents may not see a new "community center" for another two or three years.

2011-14: Flood Mitigation

Perhaps the most controversial capital project, flood mitigation and its related costs, is also up in the air. Since 1995, the town's Plan of Development has emphasized the revitalization of downtown Darien—Noroton Heights included. Last summer, landowner and developer Thomas E. Golden submitted an application for a major revamp of Noroton Heights that included flood mitigation. He pulled his application in late July, but Campbell said Golden is keen on resubmitting.

"I don't want to spend any money at Heights Road until we know what Golden's doing," said Campbell, noting that he would not do "any parts of Baker."

Bayne expressed concerns that Golden's proposal would not suffice.

At Sullivan's prompting, Campbell said he would invite engineer Leonard Jackson to the next regular Board of Selectmen meeting on April 5 to discuss all things flooding.