Darien's Planning and Zoning Commission has approved a plan to tear down the former St. Paul's Church at 471 Mansfield Ave. and carve its 14.4-acre property into four single-family residential lots. The vote clears the way for the church building, two residences and a garage on the site to come down, along with the removal of three existing septic systems.
The commission's decision, reported by CT Insider, caps a process that began as a pre-application in December. The application came from the Missionary Society of Connecticut Inc., which is also known as the Episcopal Church in Connecticut and served as the applicant throughout the review. Commissioners voted overwhelmingly to approve the subdivision, according to the same report.
The church stopped holding worship services at the Darien location in 2022, a milestone CT Insider noted in earlier coverage of the property's path toward redevelopment. St. Paul's traces back to 1958, when it was established as a chapel of St. Luke's Parish, and the church building itself was dedicated in 1964.
From Pre-Application to Approved Subdivision
The project moved through several stages before reaching this week's vote. Patch reported in March that a formal plan would be filed in the spring, and the public hearing on the subdivision proposal closed Sept. 8, giving the commission time to deliberate before this week's decision, per Patch's reporting on the hearing process.
The subdivision was designed under Darien's conservation-subdivision provisions, which use alternate lot-width and side-yard requirements intended to increase open space, Patch reported. The four resulting lots will range from 2.48 acres to 4.84 acres, and the new homes built on them will be served by public sewer and water rather than septic systems.
Conflicting Figures on Preserved Open Space
Under the approved plan, about 54% of the property will be permanently protected under a conservation easement, which requires the protected land to remain in its natural state, according to CT Insider's report on the approval. That figure differs from an earlier CT Insider report in March describing the proposal as preserving about 30% of the property as open space. The discrepancy between the two figures has not been resolved in the available record.
The approved plan is also subject to review by the town historian, CT Insider reported, though the scope and outcome of that review were not detailed. Craig Flaherty, a professional engineer with Stamford-based Redniss & Mead who represents the property owner, said the church is no longer a viable facility.
Church Cites Ministry Priorities, Residents Recall Memories
A church property manager said repurposing the site allows the Episcopal Church in Connecticut to invest in active ministry and community outreach rather than maintaining an underused building, according to CT Insider. Rosanna Rosado, canon for finance and operations at the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, said the organization collaborated with multiple stakeholders to repurpose the former St. Paul's property.
The church plans to sell the property once the subdivision is complete, but it has not decided whether the four lots will go to a single developer or be sold individually to end users, CT Insider reported. Residents who spoke during the process expressed sadness and frustration over the planned demolition, sharing memories of weddings, worship services and community events held at the church over the decades.
