The Development Review Board’s authority and duties are laid out in both the Vermont
State Statutes and the Montpelier Zoning and Subdivision Regulations. Established
on July 24, 2002 by the City Council, this board combines the development review
functions of the former Zoning
Board of Adjustment and the Planning
Commission into a single body that must evaluate and decide upon the appropriateness
of proposed development measured against the standards and procedures defined
in the Montpelier Zoning and Subdivision Regulations. It is an important and difficult
job carried out by volunteers appointed by the City Council, with staff support
from the Montpelier Department of Planning and Community Development. This is
where the rubber hits the road, so to speak, toward implementing the community’s
vision, goals, policies, and priorities as expressed in the Montpelier Master
Plan and codified in our development regulations--one case at a time--while at
the same time respecting due process, the rights of applicants, and the rights
of the public to participate.
The DRB has the following duties:
adjudicates appeals of acts or decisions made by the Zoning Administrator;
adjudicates appeals for variances from the provisions of the Zoning and
Subdivision Regulations;
considers applications for conditional uses;
considers applications for site plan approval;
considers applications for design review approval;
considers applications for subdivision;
considers applications for access to landlocked parcels of land;
considers applications for development in the flood plain; and
interprets the meaning of provisions of the Zoning and Subdivision
Regulations when questions arise.
The Development Review Board meets 7:00 PM, in the City Council Chambers, City Hall. Meetings are sometimes scheduled on a Tuesday in the event of a Monday holiday. Most meetings are aired on ORCA channel 17, which serves the Montpelier area. All meeting rooms and facilities in City Hall are accessible to persons with disabilities, including headphones in the Council Chambers for persons with hearing impairments. For evening meetings, the rear entrance to the building should be used.
Members are urged to let staff know as early as possible if they will be unable to attend a scheduled meeting so arrangements can be made to ensure a quorum.
City of
Montpelier
Department of Planning and Community Development
39 Main Street, City Hall
Montpelier, VT 05602-2950
Tel: (802) 223-9506
FAX: (802) 223-9524
E-mail: planning@montpelier-vt.org
