Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sidewalks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Darien sidewalk advisory committee advances prioritization work, hears police briefing on snow-removal enforcement
Summary
The Advisory Committee on Sidewalks heard a Darien Police briefing that cited the town ordinance assigning DPD responsibility for snow-removal warnings and citations, reviewed steps to finalize a prioritized sidewalk target list and scoring matrix, deferred a CT DOT walkability audit request, and set deadlines for public input and a May 22 follow-up meeting.
The Town of Darien Advisory Committee on Sidewalks met May 7, 2026 in Room 206 and by teleconference to continue work on prioritizing new sidewalk locations, hear a police presentation on enforcement responsibilities, and set deadlines for committee input and public engagement.
Captain Alison Hudyma of the Darien Police Department told the committee that the town ordinance makes the police department responsible for issuing warnings and citations related to snow removal and that most DPD safety work involving sidewalks is crosswalk-related. She also provided the committee with a list of five sidewalk requests submitted by residents and referred routine sidewalk maintenance issues to the Public Works Department.
Committee members then discussed the CT Department of Transportation walkability-audit process. Committee member Kate Haavik described how the town, the Board of Education or private citizens could request an audit, and members generally agreed to defer any such request until after the committee completed and prioritized its own list of new sidewalk candidates.
Work on the committee's Target List 1.0 continued with a review of the data fields used to evaluate potential sidewalk projects. Members suggested changes to an input form prepared by Julia Sheaffer and requested additional written suggestions; those edits and other feedback were requested by Monday, May 11. The committee also discussed the scoring matrix and sequencing process: Ed Gentile, Darien's Director of Public Works, was asked to provide his list of resident sidewalk requests to be incorporated into the prioritization work, and residents were reminded to submit requests to MCohen@darienct.gov or through the town's 'Report a Problem' system.
Committee chair Mark Cohen said members should consider whether to put forward a small set of early priority locations before the full prioritization work is complete, prompting discussion about the committee's Mission and Mandate from the Board of Selectmen and the appropriate timing for recommendations.
The committee set its next meeting for May 22 at 9:30 a.m.; that meeting will be held while Town Hall is closed and therefore will not allow public comment. Members agreed to continue evaluating options for broader public engagement, including the possibility of scheduling one or more townwide public hearings for residents to express opinions outside of committee meetings.
Procedural business at the start and end of the session included unanimous approval of the April 23, 2026 meeting minutes and a unanimously approved motion to adjourn.
