|
|
BRANDON PLANNING COMMISSION MARCH 17, 2008
Planning Commissioners present: Ethan Swift, Linda Stewart, Matt Carmolli
Others present: Janet Mondlak, Tara Kelley, Chris Lekberg (DRB Chair)
Call to Order - The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm.
Discussion on Survey Approximately 150-175 surveys have been returned out of 600 or so distributed. They are not all tabulated. All narrative comments have been extracted but discussion on patterns was based on 95 surveys.
Growth: There is consistency where growth should be focused Agreement with areas identified.
Suitable housing: There seems to be overwhelming disagreement that there is adequate moderately priced housing, availability of low income, rental and senior housing.
Goals for housing development: Most people were in agreement with statements to encourage new housing, infilling existing neighborhoods, meet needs of diversity of socioeconomic groups, and increasing senior housing in close proximity to downtown.
Should we find out the incomes of people in this town? What is affordable housing? What is middle income housing? What is low income housing? How does it measure up to affordable housing? Affordable housing is based on median income. Housing should not cost more than 30% of your income.
Tara said there is a website to pull up a profile for each town in the state. She will send the web address to Ethan.
Whether people can or can't afford the housing, often it is a perception.
Encourage this type of housing: Cluster housing and apartments were strongest in agreement. Not as overwhelming for large lots Mobile homes swung in the other direction
Should Brandon encourage types of housing: Single family is overwhelming Concentrate housing in town center Transportation: Popular idea for shuttle between Park Village and downtown Strong agreement for more bike paths and bike routes Suggestion for some bike paths to be built from mountain trails, VAST trails, etc. Park-n-ride idea is popular Sidewalks in Forest Dale out Route 53 to Forrest Brook Sidewalk from McConnell Rd to OV is favorable although not as strong. Sidewalks from Forest Dale to downtown is popular A lot of strong support for requiring developers to provide pedestrian infrastructure as part of their plans
Linda said we did not ask on the survey if people want Brandon to be a bedroom community. Chris said two large residential projects, one with final approval, the other with preliminary approval, are based on a building every quarter acre because they are on town water and sewer. If you don't want to see those large lots, you need to change zoning to not allow quarter acre lots.
Linda said, when new houses are built, they don't pay for themselves. Only industry helps to pay for the services. Ethan said we have some specialized industry. We should not think we can attract a large industry. It is not the future of business development. Linda said until we have those businesses, such as telecommuters, we should not allow more housing.
Chris said people with a lot of land will be hurt hard with the reappraisal. People can't afford to keep the land open and they'll have to sell out to a developer, either lot by lot or sell it all. You can’t tell everyone that they have to keep their land open until we get a big industry.
Tinmouth was used as an example as a community which updated their town plan to include specified housing. Also, there is a Conservation Trust in that town.
Recreation: There was a lot of support for an indoor recreational facility. There was some agreement to use the Brandon Workbook. There were some issues with the wording of the Workbook question . Economic Development: Support for a capital plan and tax incentives, marketing Brandon to telecommuters and internet based businesses, creating more parking. Retaining an economic development officer was not as supported but there is some support.
Future land use issues: A lot of neutral answers about McConnell Rd development standards A lot of support for another grocery store in Brandon Fairly good support for Park Village light commercial Majority of support for infill development along water and sewer lines A lot of support for incentives for reuse of existing buildings. Support for limiting new development on Route 7 near McConnell Rd Overwhelming support for charging fees to developers to help fund public improvements Demographics: Most of the people who responded were older, own property and consider Brandon their primary residence.
There was discussion on how to use the survey results. They will be good for presenting at the next public forum. The information can be used to begin prioritizing some public improvements and / or the capital improvement plan.
Next public forum: Draft revisions are complete and there is one document with all of them. Tara is the keeper. Discussion on how to structure the next public forum. Each major section can be a station in the room. People can learn more about the proposal, the issues that came up with regards to the survey, and perhaps rank the issues. The room could be arranged to have Commissioner head up each section. There was discussion on different approaches. There could be more of an open house. Or everyone should sit at each section for a short time, i.e., 10 minutes.
The survey results are very helpful and should help to inform some of the language. Commissioners should take the results, when complete, and add information to their section, as appropriate. Ethan said the Selectboard has comments on the existing Town Plan but the Commissioners haven't gotten them.
It was decided the forum should be an open format with seven stations around the room. There could be a general highlight of information from the survey and how the information was integrated into the sections. There can be copies of the sections and the whole plan available for people to still give feedback.
When the survey results are finished, Ethan will do some summarizing and send out to Commissioners. Tara will send a tracked overall document with the changes that her office has been making and updating.
Next Planning Commission meeting - April 7 Public Forum - Thursday, April 24
Ethan announced a couple of VT League of Cities and Town and UVM workshops coming up.
Adjourn - Being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:34 pm.
Respectfully submitted
____________________
|
