Connecticut Town Rejects Drive-Through COVID-19 Testing Facility

The annals of local control, or, as some would say, NIMBYism, have a new chapter.

1 minute read

March 26, 2020, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


COVID-19

JHDT Productions / Shutterstock

A planned drive-through testing facility in Darian, Connecticut was canceled after local residents complained about the location, according to an article by Susan Shultz. 

Murphy Medical Associates had worked with the Town of Darien to plan and approve a drive-through testing facility in the Darien Town Hall parking lot. 

Darien joins Kent, Washington and Costa Mesa, California as examples of local authorities resisting the necessities of the pandemic. While Kent’s opposition to King County converting a local motel into a quarantine site lacked legal recourse, Costa Mesa was successful in opposing a plan to use a state-owned facility as an isolation site for coronavirus patients earlier this month.

Friday, March 20, 2020 in The Darien Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation