Proposed Darien 7-Eleven generates outcry
DARIEN — An application to build a 7-Eleven off Interstate 95 has drawn more outcry than the Planning & Zoning Commission and town leadership say they have ever seen.
But even as petition signatures and comments continue pouring in against the proposal to replace the Duchess fast-food restaurant on Darien’s Post Road near the Norwalk border, the chairman of the deciding commission said public opposition cannot influence the outcome.
During last week’s P&Z meeting, Chairman Steve Olvany said the commission doesn’t make decisions based on public outcry or petitions, nor does it discriminate against a business based on its size.
Olvany said he has been on the commission for seven years and P&Z Department Director Jeremy Ginsberg had been in his position for 25, and neither of them have seen such a strong reaction to an application like that of the 7Eleven.
The commission customarily doesn’t have meetings in December, but the 7Eleven discussion will be continued until Dec. 9.
At the most recent P&Z meeting, the team behind the project said it had taken the feedback from the town’s Architectural Review
Board and made changes to the appearance of the building.
“This is a new state-ofthe-art facility, corporateowned, corporate-operated designed specifically with Darien and this site in mind,” said Amy Souchuns, a representative of 7-Eleven. “This site is not a standard prototype or taken from a different location.”
She added that the 12pump gas area is not going to be designed with highspeed pumps that would attract tractor-trailers.
James Owens, of the Massachusetts-based design firm Harrison, French & Associates, said the project wasn’t designed to “downplay Darien.”
“It’s a beautiful community, and it’s your community. We are passionate about putting the best project forward,” he said.
Owens said the concerns raised by the community, including traffic, lighting, aesthetics and crime are not new to the team.
“We’ve heard them all. And we’ve tried to address all the concerns of the stakeholders — town of Darien, the client, the neighbors. This is the fourth time presenting,” he said.
Among the changes to the project since it was initially presented are a more neutral color palate, fewer dormers and a new elevation. There is also no sign on the canopy. Souchun said there will be no highway signs advertising the site — which will include a convenience store, a fast-service restaurant and the gas pumps — since Darien regulations do not allow it.
Wilder Gleason, an attorney for a group of neighbors on Birch Street, raised concerns last week about the building being inconsistent with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development and existing zoning regulations.
Gleason said the site only allows one use, while the applicant is seeking three: A gas station, a retail store and a quick-service restaurant.
The Plan of Conservation and Development, which the town completed in 2016 after much discussion and public feedback, included seeking to maintain the town’s character as a residential community, Gleason said, and that the responsibility of P&Z is to maintain that environment.
“It’s up to you to make sure you monitor land use in and near residential areas to minimize impact on those residential neighborhoods,” he said.
In terms of the changes being requested to Darien’s zoning, Gleason said there was “no compelling need to make the changes they are requesting.”
Terry Bock, a Birch Road resident, was among the neighbors represented by Gleason.
The father of four said the street is already busy and if 7-Eleven was permitted to operate 24 hours, local eateries might want to do the same.
Another neighbor, Christopher Christie on Old Kings Highway North, said he and his family had already experienced two serious accidents in front of their home and more traffic could only increase that likelihood.
Michael Cippoletti said the 7-Eleven proposal would mean more traffic for Darien.
“In exchange for what? A grocery we don’t need or want. A quick-service restaurant we don’t need or want. A gas station we don’t need or want,” Cippoletti said.
The topic also recently made its way into discussions among the Representative Town Meeting Public Health & Safety Committee and the Darien Police Commission. The police department noted concerns about increased traffic, safety and crime that could be attracted by a 24-hour business.
The RTM committee expressed similar concerns about crime, traffic and impact on the neighborhoods. The group has been in contact with the police department, which has commissioned its own traffic study for the area that’s expected to be returned this week.
The next P&Z Commission meeting is Dec. 9.