BRANDON PLANNING COMMISSION

JAN. 15, 2008

Planning Commissioners present: Ethan Swift, Linda Stewart, Jenny Nixon

Others present: Janet Mondlak, Gary Meffe; Tina Wiles, Zoning Administrator; Jens Hilke (VT Dept of Fish & Wildlife) and Paul Marangelo (The Nature Conservancy), Dayle Ann Stratton

Call to Order - The meeting was called to order at 7:08 pm.

Tina Wiles, Zoning Administrator - Ethan said he would like the Planning Commission to better coordinate with the zoning office. The Commission will be moving on to the land use ordinance once the town plan is approved and they are looking for input from the zoning office. Tina said she has been keeping notes on things in the ordinance which seem like they need updating. Some of the items she is finding:

• Wastewater and potable water systems - when the state took jurisdiction, Brandon did not take action and so the ordinance is outdated in this regard. She said this should be a top priority.
• Accessory structures - there should be setback definition for accessory use structures defined for each land use district.
• There should be definition of intensity of use (Section 104) so it is not so subjective.
• Home occupation / private commercial - need better definitions.

Tina reviewed some other issues and things she is working on:

• There should be an acting zoning administrator and Ethan said he will work to get this advertised.
• There was discussion about a system of reporting from the zoning administrator so the Commission is kept up to date. Ethan said they would like to know how many applications come in, how many permits are issued, where permits are being issued (or in which land use district). This information could help the Board in planning, particularly with looking at designated Growth Centers.
• Tina said she would like to make changes to the permit application so that it better mirrors the ordinance and spells out what people need to submit.  
• Tina said she will be doing follow-up on permits issued to make sure the building is done as approved. This has not been done regularly in the past.
   

Presentation from the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife and The Nature Conservancy from Jens Hilke (VDFW) and Paul Marangelo (TNC)

Jens Hilke distributed the VDFW planning guide. He said this is a beginning discussion. He helps towns with technical assistance with land use and conservation planning, reviewing town documents, and development of conservation strategies. He is a resource for the town to use.

Jens outlined steps in conservation planning.

1. There should first be a goal and vision setting. For example, a sample goal for contiguous forests could be: conserve and provide stewardship for existing relatively large patches of contiguous forests within the town.
2. Gather and interpret information - Jens reviewed different examples of information gathered and how it is used. He spoke about connectivity between habitats and the importance of working with private landowners. Creating connectivity helps with species and their movement. The concept of connectivity for different species is the same but the barriers are different. For example, culverts are a barrier but also can be used advantageously. Jens showed a map of Brandon and a wildlife suitability analysis. He said Brandon has incredible resources and there are many opportunities for connectivity, which are not seen north or south of Brandon. Brandon is very important for eco-regional connectivity.
3. Develop conservation strategies - the planning book contains a lot of strategies for each heritage element.
4. Implementing strategies by hitting goals and strategies with one of the many available tools. Some tools are regulatory, such as zoning and Act 250, and some are non-regulatory, such as curb cuts.

Jens said his department is available as a resource for the town.

Paul Marangelo of The Nature Conservancy, said his organization works around the country to preserve plants and animals. They assess wide ranging mammal habitat and have done research to answer the questions: Can wide-ranging mammals move between the Adirondacks and Green Mountains? What are the most severe threats to connectivity? He reviewed the approach to connectivity conservation. Paul said they use the information to see the ease of movement of certain species. They have the information for fisher, bobcat and black bear. The area south of Brandon over Route 7 has been identified as very important for movement. A big potential fragmenting feature is Route 7 - the animals do not like to cross roads.  

Paul identified some of Brandon and Pittsford's main conservation lands. The map is overlaid with wildlife crossings. The stretch between Pomainville Farm in Pittsford and north of Otter Valley is very important for connectivity in the greater regional area. Paul said the next steps after the analysis are:

• Assess exactly where animals are crossing Route 7; target strategies
• Guardrail modifications; culvert enhancement
• Information for local planning.

Ethan asked if this information can be used for conservation requests to the Agency of Transportation to their plans to upgrade Route 7. He said there is empirical evidence showing that this is so important for conservation. Paul said the road improvement planning phase was concluded quite a while ago. However, there could be some guardrail modifications and it might be possible to come up with strategies for improving crossings. Linda said by Cattails Restaurant, there is also significant movement. Jens said his department works with the Agency of Transportation. There is a site level review. Road improvements are not necessarily the problem, but traffic volume. He said they can look at habitat on either side of the road for opportunities for crossing. He said a subdivision on the side of the road is a more important question than widening the road. An important issue is sprawl, especially between Brandon and Pittsford.

Gary Meffe said he is a professional in the field and endorses what they are saying. He did not realize how important the Brandon - Pittsford corridor is and he thinks the towns have a moral imperative to protect it. He suggested roadkill surveys to help define high movement. Jens said there is a roadkill database but it is not the most effective way to gather data.

Linda asked if the Nature Conservancy pays taxes on land it owns. Paul said sometimes they compensate with Payment in Lieu of Taxes so their ownership is not a hardship on a town. Jens said towns with higher development have higher taxes. It is a myth that conservation raises taxes. The cost of development and developing infrastructure leads to higher taxes.

Ethan said the town plan is now in draft form and the Planning Commission has warned its first hearing. He asked if there is enabling language that could be included in this version regarding the importance of the wildlife corridor.  Jens referred to sample language in the VDFW planning book. He said general language that speaks to corridors is helpful. It can be referred back to Fish & Wildlife models. He said when the Commission works on zoning, VDFW can help with more specific data. The science backs up the need for zoning to protect the areas. Jens referred to several other towns in Vermont in which the voters supported conservation and wildlife protection. He said it is good for the wildlife and the town character.  Gary said it is consistent with traditional land uses - people can still farm or log.

Gary asked if this was the only movement area between the Adirondacks and Green Mountains. Paul said there is a corridor in the Wallingford and Middletown area but that actually connects to the Taconics. Brandon and Pittsford is the only region straight from the Adirondacks to the Green Mountains.

Ethan asked about pursuing this further. Jens said some towns use a volunteer tracking effort. He said although there is a steep learning curve, it is a good place to start. Hunters can also be helpful.  Ethan said he thinks there is an opportunity to insert language into the draft town plan and this will be pursued.

Planning Commission public hearing on the Town Plan is January 5, 2009 at the Fire Station

Adjourn - Being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:47 pm.

Respectfully submitted
Janet Mondlak, Recording Secretary