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Darien sidewalk committee to publish candidate locations, weigh changes to scoring matrix and finalize public survey in July
Summary
At its June 25 meeting the Town of Darien Advisory Sidewalk Committee agreed to publish a list of candidate sidewalk locations, reported inspection and trial-run results, and tasked members to explore alternative scoring methods and a revised survey for public distribution in July.
The Town of Darien Advisory Sidewalk Committee met June 25, 2026, and agreed to publish a list of candidate sidewalk locations that residents had suggested, while members reviewed inspection findings and a trial run of a scoring matrix intended to prioritize projects.
Chair Mark Cohen (resident member) summarized incoming emails from residents proposing new sidewalks, crosswalks and repairs and said the committee would publish the list of locations it is considering, with maps to be added later if feasible. Committee members reported preliminary results from inspections of assigned sites and from a trial application of the scoring matrix across seven locations; those exercises informed the discussion about the tool’s usefulness.
Members raised concerns that the current scoring matrix (version 3.0 draft) might produce many scores clustered in the middle of the range, limiting its ability to differentiate priorities. Cohen and Kate McCarthy (resident member) agreed to explore alternative scoring methodologies and to consider applying weightings to criteria that the committee views as more important in order to produce clearer rankings.
The committee also revisited plans to raise public awareness through a survey. Members expressed concern about the first draft prepared by consultant BSC and generally agreed the survey questions need additional refinement. The group set a target of finalizing the survey for public distribution in July.
No public comment was recorded at the meeting. Procedural business included a unanimous vote to accept the minutes of the June 18, 2026 meeting and a unanimous vote to adjourn. Patrick Keane (Clerk, resident member) moved to adjourn; Kate Haavik (resident member) seconded; both motions passed unanimously.
The committee took no formal action on scheduling or critical-path items and plans follow-up work on scoring methodology and the survey before its next meeting.
