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2002
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 planning 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, they are completely interrelated. Good planning, for example, 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 can be considered an economic development tool that helps protect the community's assets and shared resources.
The first word that comes to mind when reflecting on this past year's activities is transition. With the adoption of the new and re-organized zoning and subdivision regulations in August, 2002 came the creation of a new Development Review Board and a new Planning Commission, and the dissolution of the Zoning Board of Adjustment (more details below). During that same month, City Planner Jacqueline Hatch left the position after only one year to return to Colorado. Our new Planner, Stephanie A. Smith, joined the team on December 16.
The next words that come to mind when reflecting on this past year are Town Meeting. What an extraordinary event it was that occurred on September 24. Not only were the combined efforts that went into making it happen remarkable, the results were beyond all expectations. Over 350 citizens made their way to the National Life cafeteria to express desires and concerns for their community's future. A lot of good ideas and common themes from a diverse gathering of citizens were heard, including the desire to have more such town meetings so that people can continue to come together to discuss issues affecting the city. More information about that event and events that followed can be found on the City's Web site at http://www.montpelier-vt.org/wip.
Taking a more complete look over this past year, we can look back upon the following activities and accomplishments:
PLANNING
- Zoning Revisions Adopted. Work continued through the first half of the year on the Municipal Planning Grant-funded rewrite of Montpelier's zoning and subdivision regulations. Numerous public hearings and work sessions were held by the Planning Commission and the City Council. The amendments were adopted on August 21, 2002 and went into effect 21 days later on September 11, 2002. The new regulations can be downloaded from the City's Web page at http://www.montpelier-vt.org/docs/index.htm#zoning.
The purpose of the amendments was 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.
- Creation of Development Review Board. The new DRB was created by resolution on July 24, 2002 and had their first meeting on August 19, 2002. This new board replaces and consolidates the development review functions of the former Zoning Board of Adjustment and former Planning Commission. This 7-member and 2-alternate board includes three members from the former planning commission (Alan Blakeman, Robert Gross, Jack Lindley, III), and two from the former zoning board of adjustment (Phil Zalinger and Kevin O'Connell). New members include Sharon Allen, Dave Keller, and alternates Roger Cranse and Kenneth Matzner. Phil Zalinger was elected chair and Alan Blakeman was elected vice chair.
- Re-creation of the Planning Commission. The creation of the new DRB lead to the re-formation of a new Planning Commission whose overall charge is to plan -- no longer with the added responsibility of development review. The new commission was formed by resolution on July 24, 2002 and their first meeting was September 9, 2002. This 7-member board included former planning commissioner Nancy Wasserman, former ZBA member Bryan Mitofsky, and members David Borgendale, Carolyn Grodinsky, Sara Teachout, Anne Campbell, and Irene Facciolo. Nancy Wasserman was elected chair and David Borgendale was elected vice chair. Citing increasing potential for conflicts of interest, chair Nancy Wasserman resigned in December, 2002.
- A Night to Remember. The September 24 Town Meeting at National Life was certainly that. An ad hoc committee formed back in February to plan the event, which included arranging the facilitators, working out the format, fundraising, arranging for the space and food, getting the word out, and following-up. To help acquaint people with the range and interconnectedness of the issues affecting Montpelier's future, information was compiled and published in four articles that appeared in the June, July, August, and September issues of the Montpelier Bridge. In direct response to the event, several other initiatives were formed; others are happening at different paces. Check the Works in Progress page on the city's web site for more information
- Master Plan Update. The September 24 Town Meeting and the formation of the new planning commission were key events that launched the beginning of what will ultimately result on an updated Montpelier Master Plan. The present Master Plan expires in September, 2005. A number of initiatives already under way and others yet to begin will be brought together in the coming year for broad community review and discussion.
- Municipal Planning Grant for Transportation Plan Update. We applied for and received a $15,000 planning grant to help update the transportation elements of the Montpelier Master Plan. The goal is to bring someone on board who can help us take a city-wide look at Montpelier's transportation needs. Citizen involvement will be an important part of this process, as well as making the connections between Montpelier's transportation system, regional issues, and impacts on land use, economic development, and other issues. This will coordinated with a separate, downtown-specific traffic and circulation modeling project to get under way this coming spring.
- Open Space Planning Projects. We worked with the Conservation Commission and Parks Department on their grant-funded natural resources inventory and Views and Vistas study by administering and closing out the grants, providing GIS support, and getting information out to the public. A copy of the DRAFT Views and Vistas Plan can found on the Web page at:
http://www.montpelier-vt.org/docs/index.htm#reports.
- GIS. Sara Moulton, our GIS Web Specialist, 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. The first major step was taken this winter toward updating and correcting our property line base maps by putting out a request for proposals to get the work done. Once a contractor is selected, we hope new and improved property base maps will be available by summer of 2003.
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
- 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, downtown designation tax credits, and many other projects.
- Web Site. Montpelier's official Web site 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. We've received comments and inquiries from all over the country from people planning trips to people seeking to relocate or start a business.
One major accomplishment this year was finding a new host, Locust Creek in East Randolph, Vermont. We now have much more direct access to the Web site to make changes more quickly and easily.
The Works In Progress page (http://www.montpelier-vt.org/wip)
is itself still a work in progress and was added to help keep the community
informed of various projects and activities going on around the city. On the
Documents page (http://www.montpelier-vt.org/docs), people can find
an increasing array of reports, plans, and other documents. We have many improvements
and new features planned in the year ahead.
- Dickey Block. Now that the grant-funded feasibility study has been completed, which found that it would be possible to redevelop the upper floors into office space, apartments, or a combination of the two, we continue to work with the Dickey family on how to approach the next steps and develop a project for implementation. The limited availability of parking remains a significant issue for prospective redevelopers.
- Economic Development Steering Committee. The Council appointed the
Economic Development Steering Committee (EDSC) in September 2001 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 presented their
recommendations to the Council in July, which were accompanied by recommendations
from the Montpeleir Downtown Community Association and minority opinion from the EDSC. All three reports can be
found on the Web page at http://www.montpelier-vt.org/docs/index.htm#reports.
- Turntable Park Designs. Part of the original concept of the Winooski
East Riverfront Redevelopment Project, which became Stone Cutters Way, was
the creation of open, public space at the turntable area. For various reasons,
however, it was not included in the final project. Recent developments along
Stone Cutters Way brought the Turntable Park back to the fore and preliminary
designs were developed. Final designs or a schedule for construction have
not been decided. For more information, visit the Works In Progress page on
the City's Web site.
- AOT Enhancement Grant Application. A planning grant application to
the Vermont Agency of Transportation Enhancement Grant Program was submitted
in November seeking $40,000 for the design and engineering of the North Branch
RiverWalk and Langdon Street improvements. Had the program not been cut, the
funds would have been used to develop the plans, cost estimates, and other
materials needed to make the projects happen.
- Winooski West Section II Conceptual Alignment Analysis. We worked
with Jim Donovan of Wilbur Smith Associates to evaluate the range of alternatives
for a future connection between the bike path at Taylor Street (Winooski West,
Section I) and the Winooski East, Section I path at Stone Cutters Way. That
report was completed this fall is available on the City's Web site.
- Carr Lot Redevelopment. In collaboration with the Carr Lot Redevelopment
Committee and others, work progressed on completing an environmental assessment
of the Carr Lot and laying the groundwork for the many other steps that will
need to be taken if the City is going to acquire the site for future redevelopment.
A pre-application was submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency for
clean-up funds through their brownfields program.
- 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 (see http://www.montpelier-vt.org/flood.).
- Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Policies Adopted. Policies were developed
for the future use of Montpelier's revolving loan fund and were adopted by
the City Council in June. These funds result from the repayment of past community
development loans made by the city. Because these revolving loan funds are
a limited resource, the policies will help ensure that they are used in a
manner that maximizes their benefit to the community.
- Hunger Mountain Co-op VCDP Application. We submitted a grant application
to the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP)for funds to assist the Hunger
Mountain Co-op's planned construction of a 5,000 ft addition on Stone Cutters
Way and the creation of 10 new jobs. Through a last-minute windfall, they
found that VCDP funds would not be needed and the application was withdrawn.
- Montpelier Business Loan Program. One loan was processed to a downtown
business and we reviewed the program with several other prospective borrowers.
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
- Montpelier Housing Task Force. George Seiffert, Community Development
Specialist, continued to work closely with the Housing Task Force though the
year on numerous initiatives. They were actively involved, for example in
the zoning and subdivision revision process in an effort to reduce or eliminate
regulatory barriers to housing development. In July, the Task Force presented
a housing report to the City Council, which can be found on the Documents
page of the City's Web site. More information about the Montpelier Housing
Task Force can also be found at http://www.montpelier-vt.org/mhtf.
- Housing Inventory and Need Analysis. With the help of a $12,000 Municipal
Planning grant, the long-awaited housing inventory and needs analysis got
under way. We've begun to inventory the city's housing stock, analyze current
development trends, and examine income and housing sales data. A rental unit
survey was mailed out to over 600 rental property owners, for example, to
help us better understand the nature of our present housing supply. 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. We applied for and received a
$50,000 Housing Preservation Grant from Rural Development that will enable
us to provide renovation and weatherization loans to 10 to 12 low and moderate
income Montpelier households. This is the 9th HPG grant we have received,
which has enabled us to provide renovation loans to 80 low and moderate income
Montpelier homeowners over the years.
- 18 Court Street. With a contribution of $12,000 from our revolving
loan fund, the City assisted the Central Vermont Community Land Trust in their
plans to renovate 18 Court Street for their home ownership program. The property
was donated to the CVCLT by Vermont Mutual Insurance.
- HomeShare VCDP Application. Working closely with the Montpelier Housing
Task Force and HomeShare Vermont in Chittenden County, and numerous other
organizations, we submitted a grant application to the Vermont Community Development
Program (VCDP) to establish a HomeShare program in Central Vermont. The program
will match elderly or disabled homeowners with individuals who are seeking
a place to live in exchange for helping with household chores, providing companionship
or a protective presence in the home at night. The program will allow seniors
and persons with disabilities to stay in their homes by providing needed services,
and it will provide an affordable housing opportunity by bringing a person
into an existing home. Though not funded in the first round due to limited
funds, the application was resubmitted in October. The VCDP board voted in
January to fully fund the project.
- Fire Safety Inspection Program. A recommendation of the Housing Task
Force, this program was a combined effort of the Fire Department and the Planning
and Community Development office. A brochure was mailed to every property
owner in the City which provided fire safety information and offered a fire
safety inspection by the Fire Department. The fire department has conducted
at least 80 inspections, State Farm insurance donated 300 smoke alarms, and
Eveready donated 400 batteries.
- Building Code Revisions. Prompted by the Housing Task Force, revisions
to the building code were drafted to prescribe a more systematic inspection
and record keeping process and to incorporate the State's new lead paint regulations.
The revisions, which were approved by the City Council, include permit requirement
language, regulations for abandoned buildings, and Certificate of Occupancy
requirements.
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
- Permit Activity. According to information in our permit database,
a total of 167 applications were processed in 2002. Of those, 46 required
site plan review, 3 required conditional use approval, 3 required flood plain
development approval, 14 required variance approval, 2 were subdivisions,
and 2 were appeals. Also, of those 167 applications, 37 were reviewed by the
Planning Commission, 39 by the Design Review Committee, 13 by the Zoning Board
of Adjustment, and 14 by the new Development Review Board.
- New and Former Members. With the change from a Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA)
to the Development Review Board, we bade farewell to ZBA members Jeff Cooper,
Buzz Surwilo, Daniel Gates, and Robert Pierce. We also bade farewell to planning
commissioners Ylian Snyder, Brooke Pearson, and William McBroom. On the Design
Review Committee, Eric Gilbertson was appointed to fill the vacancy left when
Wendy Blakeman elected not to re-apply for her expired term. Vicki Lane was
appointed to take Alice Colwell's vacated seat, and Ru Russell was appointed
to the Alternate position; a second Alternate position remains vacant.
Though it's said every year, it remains true that this department could not do all that it does without the thoughtful and hard work by the staff, the individuals who volunteer on commissions and committees, the support from local officials, interest of the community, and the participation of many other people and departments within and outside of 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 & Community Development Director
George Seiffert, Community Development Specialist
Stephanie Smith, City Planner
Kenneth Sweetser, Zoning Administrator
G. Green, Administrative Assistant
Sara Moulton, Web/GIS Specialist
Page updated May 2003
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