Worker Dies in Fall at Storage Facility Under Construction on Hollow Tree Ridge Road
By: David Gurliacci | 5 mins ago
A construction worker died Thursday morning after he fell from scaffolding at the construction site where a storage facility is being built on Hollow Tree Ridge Road, Darien police said.
The man was about 20 feet from the ground, doing “surface work” on the side of the building under construction at 131 Hollow Tree Ridge Road when he apparently lost his footing, according to police.
Police were first called to the scene at about 8 a.m. They and personnel from Darien EMS-Post 53 assisted the man, who was taken to Stamford Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived.
Darien police detectives and investigators from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration went to the scene (across Hollow Tree Ridge Road from Noroton Heights Railroad Station) to investigate, according to police. There is no reason to believe the incident was anything other than an accident, police said.
“Detectives will continue assist O.S.H.A. investigators as they continue their evaluation of the incident,” a Darien police announcement said.
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Self Storage Facility Being Built on Hollow Tree Ridge Road Overlooking I-95
By: David Gurliacci | January 13, 2017
Hollow Tree Self Storage (HTSS), the first high-end, self-storage facility to come to Darien will open its doors in the fall of 2017. The state-of-the-art building is under construction at 131 Hollow Tree Ridge Road and will include a front office, and 800 to 1,000 climate-controlled units in a variety of sizes for myriad self-storage needs.
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— an announcement from Hollow Tree Self Storage
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“We look forward to bringing this beautifully constructed project and much-needed service to the community,” said John Hertz, one of the developers of HTSS.
Designed by Architect Chris LaVigna of LaVigna Associates, the facility’s design takes inspiration from old New England mill buildings, with the central office recalling a turn-of-the-century schoolhouse. The office presents a small-scale, residential facade that ensures most of the storage units will not be visible from the road.
Rendering from Hollow Tree Self Storage
Once fully built, here’s what Hollow Tree Self Storage will look like at 131 Hollow Tree Ridge Road.
“Our goal was to create a tasteful design that would complement the character of Darien,” LaVigna said. “We wanted to avoid the harsh industrial look common to prefab metal storage buildings in favor a natural color pallet with soft, sandy stucco walls, a well-articulated façade and elements such as pitched roofs and shade trellises to add depth and interest.”
HTSS will be secured by a gated perimeter with electronic access, a state-of-the-art surveillance system, and on-site property managers who will provide around-the-clock security and service to customers.
Image from Hollow Tree Self Storage
Here’s what the facility will look like from the south side, facing Interstate 95 between the Hollow Tree Ridge Road bridge and the Darien South rest stop. (The Avalon Darien entrance on Hollow Tree Ridge Road is just on the other side of the lot and the building.)
“Security was a major focus of ours in designing and creating this facility. We are employing the latest technology and have included all the amenities required to accommodate a full-time, live-in property manager,” Hertz said.
HTSS will offer stand-out features not common in other self-storage facilities, including a solar carport for the storage of boats, RVs and other vehicles (energy collected from the panel will be used to power the facility).
Image from Hollow Tree Self Storage
A rendering of the property as it would look from the air over Hollow Tree Ridge Road
Larger storage units will be drive-up accessible while smaller units will be reachable by elevator. The building, which is 100 percent climate controlled, will offer wine storage, car storage and museum quality storage. Additionally, there will be 16 commuter parking spaces available for lease with easy access to the Noroton Heights train station.
HTSS developers bring more than 30 years of experience in the self storage industry. For more information about Hollow Tree Self Storage visit www.hollowtreestorage.com. [Editor’s note: It appears the website isn’t up yet.]
Image from Hollow Tree Self Storage
Another rendering showing an entrance to the building.
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Editor’s note: The property, which has sat vacant for years, had a major development problem: Sewer service is difficult because the land sits between the highway and the railroad tracks, and Avalon Darien owners don’t want to provide sewer service to the site.
Only a caretaker for the property will live there, and self-storage sites tend to generate little traffic, the Planning & Zoning Commission was told when the land-use application came before it.
The facility will share the driveway that Avalon Darien uses for its entrance.
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A tract of land at 131 Hollow Tree Ridge Rd. in Darien, Conn. sold for $3.8 million in August 2016, with the developers planning to build a 100,000-square-foot storage facility.
A strip of land has been sold adjacent to the southbound Darien rest stop on Interstate 95, with developers planning a storage facility there.
John Hertz and Robert Wood purchased the 3.7 acre parcel at 131 Hollow Tree Ridge Rd. in Darien for $3.8 million from Karen Park, who was represented by Phil Marshall of brokerage firm O,R&L Commercial, with offices in Branford and Rocky Hill. The buyers were represented by Halstead Properties, which has a Darien office.
The land planned for the storage facility is next to the Avalon Darien apartment community and just across Hollow Tree Ridge Road from the Noroton Heights station of Metro-North.