PUBLIC NOTICE 

 

There will be an informal public meeting at the Darien Town Hall Auditorium at
2 Renshaw Road in Darien on Wednesday October 10th at 6:00 PM. There will be
a discussion on the Application with the US Army Corps of Engineers to perform
dredging with open water disposal and expanding the existing docking facility
(Dock Slips) by The Darien Boat Club, Inc. located at 135 Pear Tree Point Road in Darien, CT

 

 

Darien Boat Club Proposed Expansion: History and FAQ               

History; The Darien Boat club was formed in 1948 from a grant from the Ziegler Family
to create a boat club available for all Darien residents. It sits on land donated by them
and its by-laws and fees are approved by the Selectmen and the RTM. The only
requirement for membership is one must be a Darien Resident.

The Darien Boat Club currently has 801 members. The club can accommodate 250 boats
on the dock and 225 kayak / canoes / small sail craft, on land storage. Currently there
are 308 members awaiting an in water slip on the dock. The average wait is now over 12
years.

The Executive Board (composed of 11 Volunteers) was tasked by the membership to
look at ways to put more boats on the dock. We engaged Docko of Essex as our
consultant. Several plans have been formulated and rejected over the years. In 2010
Docko came up with a plan that could put close to 100 boats on the dock thereby
cutting the waiting list by a third. This plan was brought to DEP in March 2010 at their
Hartford HQ to seek their opinion. DEP's response was, that we should continue on this
path as they felt more recreational boats in the water was in the best interest of Darien.

We then went to the Darien Selectmen's Advisory Commission on Coastal Waters, on
May 5, 2010, to show them the plan and tell them what we heard from DEP. The Harbor
Master at the time asked us to change the plan to include a wider passage to and from
the Town Launching Ramp and Dock around the DBC docks, a change that we
implemented and resubmitted to DEP and The Army Corps of Engineers. We also had
samples of the "mud" under the current club dock area and in the area of proposed
dredge tested for toxicity and benthic study ("Macrobenthic Community
Structure of Shallow Water Habitats of the Lower Goodwives River in the
Vicinity of the Darien Boat Club, 135 Pear Tree Point Road, Darien, CT") July
2011. We are pleased to report these tests which were submitted to DEEP and ACOE
were all very good.

Frequently Asked Questions
  
Why are we doing this?

Simply to put more recreational boats in the water for the enjoyment of Darien residents.

What happens now?

The Army Corps of Engineers will attend an informational meeting
on Oct 10th at Town Hall starting at 6pm. After the presentation, all with an opinion or
comment are invited to speak.

How will this change the Club?

Aside from more boats in the water it probably won't. Many of the members waiting on the
list currently are onmoorings or trailer their boats, usually coming in to the main dock to
pick up or drop off passengers and supplies. The footprint of the Club Building and deck
remains the same.

How will this effect parking?

Since most, if not all, 801 members already use the club for boating, the deck, or picnics,
they have 1 if not more beach parking stickers, there should be no real change of parking
lot occupancy.

Will the Club be adding services like a marina?

No. We will remain a Boat Club, there will be no marine services beyond what we do now.

What happens if the plan is approved?

We will go back to the membership and get their permission to proceed with getting bids
for the latest costs, once we have those, we go back to the membership for approval
of the presented financial plan. If the membership approves, then, we must go before the
Selectmen, RTM and many of the other Boards in Town as well as a Public hearing for the
neighbors to get everyone's "blessing". This project will take some time.

How will this affect the view from Pear Tree Point Road?

The A and B docks will be extended, by 200 feet (A Dock) and 256 feet (B Dock). Boats
that currently are on moorings in that area (many sitting on the mud at low tide) will either
be moved or accommodated on the docks.

The Boat Club needs the support of its members. Please come to the informational meeting
Oct 10th and feel free to voice your opinion. This probably is the last chance the DBC has to
accommodate more boats in the water.

Thank you,

The Executive Board DBC