 |
2001
Mission: To serve the community
by facilitating the creation and preservation of a healthy, safe, and high quality
living environment through the management of an effective, on-going planning and
implementation process.
In carrying out this mission, the department has several areas of responsibility: to protect and improve Montpelier's built and natural environment; strengthen the local economy and tax base; help meet the housing and employment needs of low and moderate income residents; and provide information and service to the public. These are implemented through the City's planning, zoning, and community development programs. Most of our housing, loan, and economic development activities are carried out through an arm of our department referred to as the Community Development Agency (CDA), a moniker that remained long after the City's planing and zoning functions were added to it in the late 1980s.
Though we tend to organize our activities in the categories of planning, zoning, economic development, and housing, in fact, they are completely interrelated. Good planning is essential for sound economic development strategies. Businesses often choose to locate or expand in areas that have a high quality of life and the measures in place to protect it. The availability of safe and decent housing is crucial to support economic expansion. A fair and effective regulatory process is an economic development tool intended to protect the community's assets and shared resources.
This past year was heavily influenced by major staff and departmental changes. City Planer Kimberly Murray took a job with Agency of Transportation (VTrans) in March, about the same time the newly created Community Development Specialist position was approved--in effect creating two vacancies in the department. This presented an opportunity to re-evaluate the structure of the department before the positions were filled to make sure job duties were aligned in the most optimum way to meet the City's goals. Consequently, the positions were not advertised until June. George Seiffert, the Montpelier's Housing & Grants Administrator since 1987 and Zoning Administrator since 1993, was promoted to the Community Development Specialist position, effective when his replacement as Zoning Administrator was hired. Ken Sweetser joined the staff as Zoning Administrator on September 24, as did Jacqueline Hatch, who became our new City Planner. Despite the staff shortages and recruitment process for two positions on top of our regular duties, we managed to accomplish a number of things this past year:
PLANNING
- Zoning Revisions. Work continued through the year on the Municipal Planning Grant-funded rewrite of Montpelier's zoning and subdivision regulations. With the help of planning consultant David Spitz, the planning commission completed its first round of revisions and held a public hearing on the proposed results. The draft Zoning & Subdivision Regulations will be forwarded to the City Council in January for consideration.
The purpose of the amendments is to address numerous housekeeping details, streamline certain review procedures, improve certain development standards, implement the Master Plan, and reorganize the document for improved (we hope) ease of use. The amendments include a major reorganization of sections, the elimination of the Major Project Review procedures, streamlined procedures from smaller projects, the creation of a Development Review Board, and the addition of new site plan review and subdivision development standards, among other details.
- Riverfront District Adopted. The new Riverfront District along Stone Cutters Way was adopted early in the year, which defines specific development standards for the redeveloped riverfront railyard between Main and Granite Streets. The package of amendments also included adjustments to other sections of the ordinance.
- Capitol Complex Commission. Capitol Complex Commission. The Planning Commission and Capitol Complex Commission continued to work to improve communication and coordination on matters affecting planning and development in the Capitol Complex. Members began studying the development of a buffer zone to protect the viewshed of the Capitol dome.
- Open Space Planning Grants. Open Space Planning Grants. We worked with the Conservation Commission to secure and administer an $11,000 grant through the state-funded Municipal Planning Grant program as well as an $11,000 grant from the Center for Rural Studies to conduct a natural resources inventory and develop a plan for Montpelier's open space. This project will continue into the coming year and should be completed by summer 2002.
- GIS. Sara Moulton, our GIS Specialist (and webmaster), has been working closely with other City departments, the Conservation Commission, and citizens using the City's geographic information system to develop new data layers and display information in specially-produced maps.
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
- Website. Montpelier's official website continues to evolve and keeping it current and dynamic is an on-going challenge. The web address is http://www.montpelier-vt.org. Site statistics show that hundreds of people from all over the world visit the page every month. And we've received comments and inquiries from all over the country from people planning trips to business relocations. We're still working out some shortcomings and hope to have many new improvements on-line in the coming year. Notable accomplishments include the launch of the U.S.S. Montpelier Museum on-line, as well as the long-overdue development of the City Clerk's page.
- Downtown Revitalization. We continue to work closely with the Montpelier Downtown Community Association on an number of downtown initiatives, including its Design and Economic Restructuring committees, a wide range of parking issues, the Capital District Master Plan, a second sprinkler grant application, downtown designation tax credits, and many other projects.
- Dickey Block. The Montpelier-based consultant team headed by Vermont Architects Collaborative completed their market and feasibility study and presented their findings in September to the City Council. The goal is to identify economically-viable uses for the redevelopment of the upper floors of the Dickey Block (a.k.a. French Block) on Main Street. We still have some work to do as part of this grant-funded project through Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP) before we can finalize our findings and begin developing a project for implementation.
- Economic Development Steering Committee. The City Council established a new, 8-member Economic Development Steering Committee in September with the objective that it would "... provide recommendations to the City Council which may include potential economic development strategies, suggested organizational and/or staffing structure and plan for sustainable funding." They held their first meeting in mid-December and the work of this committee is expected to remain high priority for this department in the coming year.
- Community Rating System Benefits. Our on-going flood hazard mitigation activities helped us to maintain Montpelier's reduced flood insurance rating through the Community Rating System (CRS) for the coming year. Our rating reduction from Class 10 to Class 9 lowers both the City's flood insurance premiums, as well as those of all property owners in the flood plain, by five percent. Montpelier is one of only three communities in Vermont to achieve this lower rating. For more information, visit our web page
at http://www.montpelier-vt.org/htm/flood.htm.
- FEMA Project Grant. FEMA Project Grant. We completed improvements to five properties in the downtown floodplain through a grant program funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reduce future losses due to flooding.
- Biomass District Heat Facility. Natural Resources Canada conducted the second phase of the feasibility study for expanding the State's woodchip-burning district heat system to serve Montpelier's downtown, area schools, and other large heat users. The City Council endorsed their findings that a system could be financially feasible and the recommendation that a steering committee of stakeholders be formed to develop a business plan and lay out next steps toward implementation. Members of the steering committee were appointed and are likely to more actively move this forward in the coming year.
- Loans. We successfully revamped the Montpelier Business Loan Fund and received City Council approval on November 28, 2001. The Pyralisk Arts Center completed their business planning using a $15,000 deferred CDA loan. Extensive renovations on two housing units at 17 & 21 Northfield Street were completed late this fall by the Central Vermont Community Land Trust, with the help of a $30,000 deferred loan from our CDA resources.
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
- Permit Activity. According to information in our permit database, a total of 170 permits were issued in 2001. Of the 76 site plan review applications before the Planning Commission, 74 were approved (97%) and 2 (3%) denied. Only one subdivision and one Planned Residential Development (PRD) required planning review. Seventy-four applications went through the Design Review Process, of which two were not approved. The Zoning Board of Adjustment acted on 29 applications in 2001, of which 21 were variances, 5 were conditional uses, and 3 were floodplain; all were approved but 4 variances.
- New and Old Members. Robert Gross, Ylian Snyder, Brooke Pearson, and Jack Lindley were reappointed to their Planning Commission seats. On the Design Review Committee, Vicki Lane is now serving as the Alternate and Alice Colwell has begun a leave of absence to welcome a new addition to her family. No changes occurred on the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
- Housing Task Force. The shortage of housing in and around Montpelier remained a high priority for us and began to get county-wide attention. The HTF, which includes a cross section of local leaders, housing advocates, citizens, and others meet every month to sort through the many aspects of Montpelier's housing situation and in November presented to the City Council recommendations and strategies for addressing Montpelier's housing needs. Housing is expected to be the focus of many initiatives in the coming year.
- Housing Inventory and Need Analysis. We applied for and received a $12,000 Municipal Planning grant to undertake long-awaited housing inventory and needs analysis, which will help us identify the areas of most critical need and target appropriate strategies to address them. It will also help us develop the information base we need to more fully understand the range of housing issues and to be able to monitor changes over time.
- Housing Preservation Grant Program. In partnership with the Central Vermont Community Land Trust, HPG loans were provided to weatherize and repair three Montpelier residences this year. Resources through the HPG program continue to be scarce and competitive. Leveraging our resources with the CVCLT, which is administering this program county-wide, helps ensure that eligible Montpelier homeowners may continue to benefit from this program. The availability of decent housing stock is a vitally important community development objective, and one we hope to continue to make resources available to accomplish in the coming year.
Though it's said every year, it remains true that this department could not do all of this without the thoughtful and hard work by its staff, volunteer commissions and committees, the support from local officials, interest of the community, and the participation of many other people and departments within City Hall. Montpelier is especially fortunate to have so many highly motivated, skilled, and interested citizens willing to give of themselves, their time, and their energies to make so many things happen.
Valerie Capels, AICP, Planning & Development Director
George Seiffert, Community Development Specialist
Jacqueline Hatch, City Planner
Kenneth Sweetser, Zoning Administrator
G. Green, Administrative Assistant
Sara Moulton, Web/GIS Specialist
Page updated May 2003
|
