Plan With Us

Assessment of Decentralized Wastewater Options: A survey of needs, capacity and solutions for historic Waitsfield Village and Irasville, Vermont

2011-01-25T15:15:00.001-08:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More wastewater

Pro-wind: Letter in our in-box

2010-06-25T10:29:00.001-07:00

The following letter was received by the PC regarding recent discussions on wind farms.

"In regard to the article in the recent Valley Reporter regarding ways to minimize the visual impacts of wind farms, I wanted to direct your attention to a new technology that will reduce the visual impact of wind farms. Wind farm siting and permitting officials can help lower the visual impact of wind farms by recommending the deployment of new AVWS technologies on wind turbines.

While large wind farms generate clean energy, their constantly flashing red strobe lights cause great public annoyance and is usually not noticed until after the wind farm is sited and constructed. The wind farm’s legacy can include this “light pollution” and have a tremendous negative impact on the community. The effects of these flashing lights on the nearby community should be considered during the wind farm permitting and development process.

Recently approved by the FAA, the new generation of “on-demand” lighting systems solves this problem by keeping all wind turbine obstruction lights OFF at all times - unless an aircraft is detected flying on an unsafe heading towards the wind farm. Only then does the turbine-based radar system turn the lights on for aircraft safety, and turn the lights off when the aircraft exits the airspace. An Audio Visual Warning System (AVWS) is an on-demand lighting solution. Wind siting and permitting officials can request wind power developers to implement an AVWS into their wind farms to reduce these adverse visual impacts in your communities.

An AVWS will benefit your community by:

· Lowering the overall environmental and visual impact of wind farms by reducing “light pollution” and increasing public acceptance in wind energy-producing communities.
· Allow for camouflage paint schemes on turbine towers with no FAA-required 24-hour lights on
· Reducing bird death rates in some areas since migratory birds are less likely to be attracted to wind farm lights and lured toward the operating turbines.
· Fostering more responsible siting practices and therefore overall positive and growth in the wind industry.

PS: If you are interested in learning more about this new technology, please see: http://ocasinc.com/turbine-avoidance-solutions.cfm"

Anti-wind: Images in our in-box

2010-06-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

The following images were received by the PC from an opponent to the proposed Northfield Ridge Wind Project.

Wind on the Northfield Ridge .... part 2

2010-06-11T08:25:00.001-07:00

With the recent interest of Citizens' Energy in the Mad River Valley ... and their open request for the community to "consider" a 24 wind tower project on the Northfield Range ... I've never seen people screwing themselves into the ground quite as hard. It's the dream that energy geeks have been waiting for! It's the nightmare of opening a pristine ridgeline to development! It's a floor wax! It's a dessert topping!

There are undoubtedly numerous pros to the issue. Top of the list is that it will allow locals to put their money where their mouth is on environmentalism. It will offset some of the helplessness we all feel about the BP oil spill. It will help the region take a step toward a renewable energy future. And it will defray local property taxes, possibly by as much as 10%.

But of course there are cons to the issue as well. In a state with only 10% public land, the undeveloped Northfield Ridgeline is a treasure. It's a critical wildlife corridor for large animals, a critical migratory corridor for birds, and the primary must-be-defended-at-all-costs resource of the Town of Waitsfield's comprehensive plan. A commercial wind farm will mean placing a service road on the entire length of the ridge. There'll be cement. There'll be fences. A commercial wind farm will also mean noise to some neighbors, and an illuminated ridgeline at night with all the safety lights they'll be required to put up.

The scenic impact? We don't know for sure as some people hate the idea yet others love it, but the question of where you'll see the farm is still worth considering. According to a "viewshed analysis" that a friend of mine just did (admittedly unofficial and impefect), you'll be able to see a wind farm on the ridge from just about everywhere .... in Waitsfield as well as far away Waterbury and even Stowe. The pink areas on this map are the places that would catch a glimpse of the spinning towers.

As a town planning commish -- part of the group tasked with writing a town plan that either supports or prohibits such a wind farm -- I've talked to a few dozen people about the idea of a wind farm over the last few weeks. In those travels I've met numerous people that are wholly against the idea, a great deal of folks who are undecided, and a sparse number of eager proponents. It's hardly indicative of a legitimate sample, but it's still food for thought.

Speaking as one member of the PC and not reflecting the opinions of the group or the Town, my instinct at the moment is to preserve the language of the current town plan: that ridgeline preservation is paramount, and that a commercial wind farm on the Northfield Range is prohibited. I feel that since we're in the 11th hour of completing the new plan, that to make such a substantial change to this fundamental building block would be potentially unwise, hasty, and reactionary.

However, I would encourage proponents of wind on the Northfield Range to petition the planning commission. If you're that supportive of a wind project, put it on paper. Let us know that as a community member, you want us to change the language of the Town Plan to allow for a commercial wind farm on the ridgeline. Make it as specific as possible (ie, a vague comment like "do you support wind in Vermont" will get us nowhere) regarding the number of towers you'd want to see.

By doing so, the idea of wind on the Northfield Range will take a very public, yet very specific course. It won't get tied into the approval of the entire Town Plan draft, and as such it will provide very specific input to the PC and the Selectboard. It'll also provide an opportunity for serious public discussion -- with plenty of breathing room so that all the pros and cons can be considered by all the citizens of the community.

Thanks for listening.

Wind power in our backyard?

2010-05-07T06:13:00.001-07:00

Big headlines. Front page news. Editorials.

For the last three weeks, our local newspaper has been making a valiant effort to stir it up. And for the last three weeks, they've received one of the strangest things I've ever seen reflected in a community paper.

Public support.

The short story is that a group called Citizen's Energy is eyeballing the Northfield Ridge for a commercial wind farm. That's the eastern border of the Mad River Valley, for those of you scoring at home, and it's currently undeveloped and prohibited from development on the top 1000 feet or so. It's the sunrise ridge of the valley, and from my house it looks like a spectacular, verdant wilderness.

There've been no official plans released. No schematics or vision statements. Just an official comment that it seems unofficially like a good spot for a farm between 12 and 18 turbines. Maybe 1 megawatt per tower, maybe 3. Maybe 150 feet tall. Maybe 450. We'll know more on May 18 when program spokesperson Randy Male (great name, or greatest name ever?) attends the next local Planning Commission meeting ... a board that I'm currently sitting on.

Speaking as a former newspaper hack, I can vouch for the fact that this is exactly the type of story that brings out the pitchforks and torches from the locals. It moves papers off the rack. It's the mother lode of letters to the editor. And it gets people talking.

But something different is happening right now. Part of it has to do with the international story of the foreseeable Gulf oil spill tragedy. And part of it has to do with the local story of a recent eruption of 25 foot-high solar trackers right next to a scenic highway .... just yards away from a living memorial to the casualties of the War in Iraq.

>It was news to me that Vermont Towns, ironically, have extremely limited power when it comes to regulating power. If it's going to the grid, then it's the State's Public Service Board (PSB) that makes the call. They don't have to warn you, they don't have to solicit public comment, they just have to read the local Town Plan and "take it under advisement."

Coincidence of coincidences? We're finishing up the new Town Plan right now, as it expires on June 27, 2010. And one of the last chapters to be done is the one on Energy.

And while our contracted planning consultant told me a few weeks ago that she thought our current Town Plan is "anti-wind," a quick survey of friends and neighbors is that the strongest opinions I've heard so far are for a wind project, not against it.

A few quotes from a local email chain drive it home better than I ever could:

... "The notion that pristine, shiny, new solar panels and wind turbines mar the elegant vista of our landscape is a funny concept. Somehow, the dilapidated structures, auto salvage yards, and miscellaneous crap laying around various properties in the Valley are not an aesthetic issue. No one seems to be concerned that the Skatium, right next door to my business location, has left (for dead) a giant heap of dead refrigerating tubes on the marshland in plain view. And how about the ski trails? We can define them as “beautiful” because we want them, but they are in no way natural or original to our landscape. They present as an almost volcanic flow of whiteness."

... "Why are (renewable energy sources) not just as much a part of a working farm as a tractor or a barn? They’re just another part of the “plant”. What separates the panels from any other part of the operation? A shiny orange Kubota tractor doesn’t exactly scream old-world Vermont, but we embrace it. What makes (renewable energy sources) different than a chimney billowing wood smoke in winter? Nostalgia is not a valid answer."

.... "I fully agree that if we want to get off fossil fuels and nuclear power we should share the impact and if that is visual so be it. Personally I would love to see wind turbines cranking out the juice and knowing where my electricity comes from. Imagine if the current oil spill were a nuclear accident."

..."There is a fine line between being viewed as anti-wind/solar versus being thoughtful in the process of implementing wind/solar. I don’t see the Valley as anti-wind/solar. I think people are saying, let’s be thoughtful planners and intentional good stewards when we contemplate their placement. (But let’s not drag our feet in the process….)"

And the kicker:

... "For projects like this one, it is standard practice for the developer to make an annual Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) to the town(s) where the project is sited. In the case of [a recent project in Lowell, VT], the amount will be $400,000 to $500,000 - substantial when the town’s annual budget (not including the school) is $420,000. To put that into local perspective, Waitsfield total tax revenue in 2009 (i.e. Town income from taxes) was $1,164,850."

The wind project as well as other local issues relating to Energy will be discussed at the May 18 Waitsfield Planning Commission meeting. We're expecting a decent crowd, so we're looking for a larger venue and will publicize that as soon as we pin it down.

Bring a snack. It could be a long one.

Tuesday, May 4 .... Waitsfield Planning Commission Agenda

2010-05-03T06:35:00.001-07:00

WAITSFIELD PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA
Tuesday, May 4, 2010, 7:00 p.m.

All meetings are hosted at the Town Office (9 Bridge Street) and are open to the public.

AGENDA

1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL

2. TOWN PLAN UPDATE—Brandy Saxton will meet with the board for a discussion of the latest draft of the 2010 Town Plan.

3. UPDATES ON OTHER BOARD MEETINGS

4. OTHER BUSINESS

5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES—April 20th, 2010.

7. ADJOURNMENT

Monday, May 3 .... Waitsfield Selectboard Agenda

2010-05-03T06:33:00.001-07:00

Selectboard Meeting Agenda for Monday, May 3, 2010, 7:00 P.M.

All meetings are open to the public and hosted at the Waitsfield Town Office

AGENDA

I. Call to Order: 7:00 P.M.

II. Regular Business.
1. Public forum. (5 min.)

2. Ratification of Municipal Planning Grant Resolution. (5 min.) ACTION: Vote on Resolution.

3. Festival Permit Application: Waitsfield Farmers' Market, May - October 2010, Mad River Green, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (5 min.) ACTION: Vote on application.

4. Consideration of Town Treasurer's request to appoint a monthly bank statement reconciler. (5 min.) ACTION: Vote on request.

5. Wait House improvements: consideration of loan options. (10 min.) ACTION: Vote on loan option.

6. Continued Annual Appointment of Town Officers: Town Service Officer, Scenic Roads Committee. (10 min.) ACTION: Consider candidate(s); vote on appointment(s).

7. Request for improvements to Waitsfield's Lareau Park. (15 min.) ACTION: Vote on request, next steps.

8. Continued consideration of infrastructure summit and project details. (30 min.) ACTION: Discuss details; determine next steps.

9. Bills payable & Treasurer's warrants.

10. Selectboard roundtable. (15 min.)

11. Town Administrator's report (4 pgs, 262 KB) . (5 min.)

III. Other Business.
1. Correspondence/reports received.

IV. Executive Session re. water project litigation and real estate negotiations.

V. Adjourn.

Town Survey, word cloud

2009-11-17T08:39:00.000-08:00

I spent some time reviewing the Town Survey this morning, trying to make sense of it all .... And was particularly intrigued by the "public comments" section.

There seemed to be a lot of topics that came up again and again, so I plugged the text into something called a "word cloud" ... which displays all the words, increasing their size based on how much they're used. Pretty interesting.

Town Survey deadline extended to Friday, Oct. 16

2009-10-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those of you who have replied to the Waitsfield Town Plan Survey and are helping to spread the word, our response rate is increasing. We have heard from a lot of folks over the past two days, but not as many as we had hoped for. So, we are extending the survey until Friday, October 16. That means there is more time for you to help make sure we have heard from as many residents and property owners as possible. If you haven’t done so already, we would appreciate it if you would mention the survey (and how important it is) to your Waitsfield friends and neighbors over the next couple of days. If you want to forward this email along to your contacts, they should know that online responses are encouraged and the survey can be accessed from the following link:

LINK: Waitsfield TOWN SURVEY

Speak and be heard: The Waitsfield Town Plan

2009-10-09T06:15:00.000-07:00

A polite gentleman came into the town offices last Tuesday night. He sat quietly at the end of a short row of office chairs, and waited patiently for a group of volunteers to take their seats -- and their official roles -- as the town planning commission. And when the opportunity for public comments was provided, he pleaded his case.

Plainly, he was exasperated. Frustrated, even. The gentleman explained that he had been to a planning commission meeting two years ago to request a specific change in the zoning regulations that he felt would benefit a large group, and yet nothing had been done to address his request. He came back to the board "to see what progress was being made," although clearly he already knew the answer.

Politely, he made comments about how his situation proved the town was "hard to deal with" He also, politely, told the group that this situation also explained "why businesses are struggling."

The request was officially accepted and put on the list of items for the planning commission to address.

Speaking as just one member of the board, I will admit that I was impressed. I was impressed because I admired the gentleman's honest and candid request; and I appreciated the fact that a member of the community actually came to the group with an individual situation (a first, in my short experience). He knew the regulations, and he knew what he wanted changed.

At the same time, I was frustrated. Since a rule change that affects one person's property also affects every other property around it ... why was there no group letter of support for the change? Why was there no petition? Why, if it's impacting other businesses, have we not heard from them too? And why have two years gone by without additional comments from either the public or the gentleman on the matter?

It's tough for an individual to make a splash at the local government level .... he or she is going to be competing for attention, not just from other individuals, but from other groups, from other boards, from other towns, from the state, and from the federal government. And when you get your chance you have to make the most of it.

One of those chances is happening right now. It's the Waitsfield Town Survey, and it's an open invitation to suggest, to complain, and to be heard on any topic that people would like to speak out about. Town water, business growth, housing growth, the Mad River, bike paths, conservation ... it's all in there.

Once again, I found myself impressed by the individuals who've put significant personal time and energy into the creation of the Survey ... it's a great start of what will hopefully be an engaged public conversation.

But once again, I'm frustrated. With the deadline for survey responses just days away (next Monday, Oct. 12), the response rate is hovering around 2%. For a community that's eager to be heard, there just aren't many voices speaking up.

To fill out an online version of the Waitsfield Town Survey, please click HERE. The entire process takes about 20 minutes, including a short registration process (2-3 minutes).

LINK

What type of community do you want Waitsfield to be? Answer the "Town Survey" and let us know

2009-09-29T05:06:00.000-07:00

To find the online version of the Waitsfield Town Survey, please click HERE.

In spring 2010, the Waitsfield Planning Commission will be required by State statute to evaluate and update our Town Plan -- a road map used by town citizens and officials to guide future development.

To help craft the best possible plan, in the next week we will be mailing out a short opinion survey to all residents and property owners. You, your spouse, your neighbors and housemates are all encouraged to provide honest and complete feedback. The more completed surveys we receive, the better our Town Plan will be.

For the first time, we will also be providing an online version of the survey. In addition to being paper-free, the online survey will have additional space available for lengthier comments. The online survey will be available through the town website (www.waitsfieldvt.us).

Those who fill out a survey online will be entered in a raffle for a free lunch for two at the Village Grocery -- where you can discuss your hopes for the Town with a friend over a tasty meal.

The deadline to complete the Town Survey is October 12, 2009. Once we receive and sort the information, the Planning Commission will schedule a public forum to discuss the results – as well as other topics – with the community.

Thank you for your time, and thank you for being a part of the 2010 Town Plan process.

Sincerely,

Waitsfield Planning Commissioners:

Steve Shea
Peter Lazorchak
Russ Bennett
Kari Dolan
Hadley Gaylord, Jr.
Drew Simmons
Ted Tremper

In case you were wondering ....

2009-09-01T06:05:00.001-07:00

Just got this in my in box:

"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 will provide stimulus money to many different sectors, including state and local governments. Specifically, Vermont will receive over $700M in recovery and stimulus funds for several areas, including energy efficiency and renewable energy. These funds will be used to position our state to reduce the costs and consumption of energy through two separate US Department of Energy programs: the State Energy Program (SEP) and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG). The US Department of Energy has released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the EECBG Program. The Program’s purposes are to stimulate the economy and to create and retain jobs.

As this is a “formula grant” through the US Department of Energy, allocations to the state of Vermont pre-determined by several factors, including population. Through the EECBG, Vermont communities will also receive the following allocation:

State of Vermont: $10,323,300
State Energy Office (DPS): $9,593,500
Bennington: $57,900
Brattleboro: $56,100
Burlington: $180,200
Colchester: $71,200
Essex: $50,000
Essex Junction: $50,000
Hartford: $50,000
Milton: $50,000
Rutland: $78,900
South Burlington: $85,500

The EECBG instructions require at least 60% of the funds allocated to the State Energy Office to be allocated to the counties, towns and cities that did not receive a formula allocation, or $5.7 million. These funds will be administered through the Clean Energy Development Fund through a competitive process ...."

Honey? Did you fill out the Town Survey for me?

2009-08-12T05:17:00.000-07:00

The thrill that is a Town Planning Commission meeting is hard to convey. I mean, how does one bring to life the excitement of a debate regarding the definition of "cluster" versus "hamlet"?

There are, of course, easier things to convey to followers of the Town Planning process ... like the question of what questions to ask on the upcoming Town Survey (release date, September 2009). What the Commission agrees on is that the Survey should be a mix of questions: some basic and informational, some deeper and more specific, and a few open-ended essay questions to allow people to contribute to their heart's content. All together, the intent is to gauge the Town's attitudes and opinions about a variety of matters, big and small.

One of the biggest questions, however, isn't about the questions at all. It's about who should receive the survey. What seems like an incredibly simple question is actually a considerable debate.

Essentially, there are two options for sending out the survey: send it to each household, or send it to each individual.

If you send it to each household ... you save money, you save time, and you save your saliva glands from having to lick an extra thousand stamps. Did I mention the money part? The part that's paid for by taxpayers like you?

But if you send it to each individual ... you increase the possible number of total responses, and you give members of a household an individual opportunity to express their vision of Waitsfield's future. You allow husbands and wives to participate, and you allow roommates with different opinions to be heard.

In either case, we will be using for the first time an online option for the Town Survey. Paper-free and postage-free, the online survey will be a key component of whichever path we take.

In search of .... priorities for the 2010 Town Plan

2009-06-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

" ... Deep thanks for setting up this blog, so those of us interested in the process can follow along and comment.

It would be helpful, when the time is right, to hear from our WPC members on their sense of what priorities ought to be paramount, moving forward with the town plan..."

Although I'm a new guy on the Town Planning Commission, there's no doubt what the top priority is for the group as we move ahead with the 2010 Town Plan .... it's to involve the community as much as possible.

For those in Waitsfield who haven't read the current Town Plan, a good place to start in the search for "priorities" is by answering two simple questions.

1. What do you like about Waitsfield and the Mad River Valley?

2. What don't you like about Waitsfield and the Mad River Valley?

Answer them, think about them, discuss them ... and then let us know what priorities you have.

Meeting notes: June 17, 2009

2009-06-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

Last night's meeting of the Waitsfield Planning Commission featured some special guest stars: Brian Shupe (former planning commissioner, current member of the Waitsfield Development Review Board), Joshua Schwartz (Mad River Valley Planning District Director), and Brandi Saxton (of PlaceSense, the consulting group that was recently hired to help us navigate the process of the 2010 town plan).

Brian was on hand to provide some perspective on the writing of the last plan, as he was a planning commissioner at the time. He also provided some general background on planning in the Mad River Valley, displaying some remarkable recall for historical events (PC: "I didn't realize you were a planning commissioner in the 1800s." Brian: "I was younger then.")

But the main progress of the night was made in the area of the upcoming town plan, which is slated to be completed by spring 2010. The group took its first stab at setting the stage for the new effort by brainstorming topics in the valley that have emerged since 2005 (aka, the era of the last Town Plan) ... trends like peak oil and localvore growth as well as specific issues such as wastewater treatment and the Irasville growth center.

We took those topics and began to shape questions around them: questions that would be asked on the upcoming Town Survey (slated for September, 2009). What the survey will look like, exactly, I can't say. But it does seem clear that the PC will ask a series of basic demographic questions (to better understand our community) as well as a batch of "attitude" questions (to better gauge what our community desires from a plan).

Even though PC members are arguably the only people in the Valley who've actually read the current Town Plan from start to finish, we decided that it would be wise to re-read the 160 page document with an eye on how a new plan should look. So, we divided up the current Town Plan among the planning commissioners ... assigning two to each section ... requiring them to go back and review what had been said before, what had been recommended before, and what had actually been done. All the commissioners will review the Land Use section, however, as its likely to require the most involvement.

Don't be shy. Take a stab at the current plan yourself and let us know what you think. (FYI ... Every section has an intro, followed by GOALS then POLICIES then TASKS. While the intro is interesting, where the rubber meets the roads is in the POLICIES section. Good Luck!)

Agenda: June 16, 2009

2009-06-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Looks like a nice tight agenda for next week. Brian's "presentation" is something we've been talking about for the last few meetings ... as the plan is to have him give us a historical perspective on the process that was used in creating the last Town Plan (2005).

1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL

2. TOWN PLAN ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING — Brian Shupe will discuss how the 2005 Town Plan was developed. Brandy Saxton, the consultant hired to assist with developing the 2010 Town Plan, will also be on hand.

3. UPDATES ON OTHER BOARD MEETINGS

4. OTHER BUSINESS

5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES—June 2, 2009.

6. ADJOURNMENT

Agenda: June 2, 2009

2009-06-01T06:20:00.001-07:00

1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL

2. TOWN PLAN—Discuss timeline, review 2002 survey.

3. UPDATES ON OTHER BOARD MEETINGS

4. OTHER BUSINESS

5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES—May 5 and May 19, 2009.

6. ADJOURNMENT

Town Plan 2010: Who do you want to move in next door?

2009-05-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Planning Commission spent a few hours last night interviewing consultants who will be tasked with helping create the 2010 Waitsfield Town Plan. The winning bidder (we're down to two) will have a significant impact on the new Town Plan, as they will handle the lion's share of the research, writing and graphic design work.

The chosen consultant will also help with community outreach prior to the plan's creation ... meaning that they'll help the Planning Commission engage the community to encourage and gather public input. Many possible aspects of that outreach were discussed last night (open houses, q&a forums, raffle prizes, Tupperware-type parties without the Tuppeware, etc.) but the one thing that is 100% certain is that the community outreach will involve a citizen survey.

That survey ... and the results it harvests from local residents ... will be hugely instrumental in shaping the Town Plan, and subsequently, the future of Waitsfield.

But to get those survey answers, we first have to figure out what questions to ask. Make no mistake, the "methodology" (meaning what questions we ask and how we ask them) is where the rubber meets the road.

Which is where you come in.

What questions do you think we should ask on a survey of Town residents? Should we ask about roads? Should we ask about trees? Should we ask about business and where it should grow? Should we ask about recreation fields and where kids should be playing? Should we ask about wastewater, stormwater and bottled water? And what, specifically, should we ask?

###

Agenda: May 19, 2009

2009-05-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

1. COMMERCIAL LODGING COMMITTEE UPDATE (Although its a new topic to me, this is an ongoing project ... I'm looking forward to catching up on the details.)

2. FLOOD REGULATION REVISION—Review checklist from Ned Swanberg that details revisions to bylaws required to comply with FEMA regulations and recommendations for implementing revisions pertaining to management of development in Flood Erosion Hazard areas. (A big deal ... the Planning Commission was "informed" by the State & FEMA earlier this spring that we'd have to adjust valley building regs to the new standards ... or lose our FEMA flood insurance. We'll post much more about this very soon, as the public will be able to enter the process in June, I believe).

3. TOWN PLAN— Choose contractor for consultant work. Discuss topics and date for organizational meeting. (The Planning Commission is meeting with the two finalists tonight to discuss the various proposals ... which both include conducting citizen surveys as well as helping write the actual 2010 plan).

Wastewater: Where it lives in the Town Plan

2009-05-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

Reading the Waitsfield Town Plan for the first time feels a little like being back in school: there are brief moments of inspiration, but mainly it just makes you sleepy.

Regardless, it's a good exercise for a new Town Planning Commissioner. With a great historical section as well as some essential background on the natural history of the Valley, it's a good exercise for any Valley resident or prospective resident as well.

Knowing that I'll be part of a new wastewater commission ... tasked with evaluating all the options for possible future wastewater strategies, from gold-plated Town septic tanks to doing nothing at all ... I've been particularly interested in what the current (2005) Town Plan says about sewage.

I'm also eager to be up to speed on wastewater, as the Town Plan will be scrutinized, edited and rewritten as needed over the next year, and the future of wastewater treatment options in the Valley remains one of the more unsettled items.

In the Waitsfield Town Plan, the big chunk of wastewater info comes in Chapter 9: "Community Facilities & Services." Everybody should read it (LINK).

But I've found it very interesting to note that wastewater and sewage appears in numerous other sections as well ... from "Economy" to "Housing." Here are the mentions I've found so far:

page 7 / Natural Resources
There is currently no municipal water system in town. Most community system sources in Waitsfield are located in areas of higher density development served by those systems—including the Industrial Park, the Verd-Mont Mobile Home Park, and the entire Irasville commercial district. Given the density of development, and the lack of a centralized sewer system, these source areas are particularly at risk for contamination, and underscore the need for the town to develop a municipal water system to serve Irasville and Waitsfield Village [see Chapter 9].

page 14 Natural Resources
POLICIES: Support the establishment of municipal water and sewer facilities to serve designated growth centers as a means of avoiding contamination of ground and surface waters.

page 54 Population Overview
... the town is expected to maintain a relatively stable rate of population growth through 2020, averaging between 25 and 35 persons per year, and continue to grow more slowly than its neighbors. At these rates, the population will exceed 2,000 by the year 2015. Policy changes, infrastructure improvements, or other events that affect population growth, however, including zoning density changes, the construction of a municipal sewer system in Irasville, or the loss or gain of a major employer, could alter these projections.

p65 Housing Priorities
Allocation of water, sewer reserve capacity (if developed) for affordable housing (83.9%)

p65 Housing Policies
When a municipal sewer system is developed, sewer allocation and phasing policies shall ensure that the rate of commercial (non-residential) development does not significantly exceed the rate of new residential development within the sewer service area(s), and particular consideration shall be given to residential units serving moderate income residents.

p72 Economy
Threats: Lack of infrastructure (sewer and water) in Irasville.

p73 Economy
The town has been actively planning for the development of municipal water and sewer facilities to address existing health and environmental concerns in Irasville (and Waitsfield Village) and to accommodate additional village-scale mixed use development within the town’s primary growth center (see Chapter 12). Providing that infrastructure, and allocating available capacity in a manner that supports the sustainable development goals and policies of this plan, will further benefit local businesses and the community at large.

p134 Land Use
The lack of water and wastewater infrastructure was identified as a critical barrier to development within Irasville in Chapters 7 and 9. With the development of much of the best land behind us, the provision of water and/or sewer remains the most important infrastructure need.

Ahh, wastewater

2009-05-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm a newbie on the planning commission ... nobody will argue that point. You can tell how green I am by how easy I got sucked into the nascent "Wastewater Committee" which was recently OK'd by the Waitsfield Selectboard (April 13).

The wastewater issue in Waitsfield ... to my innocent eyes ... appears to be one of the longest running, most emotional conversations going. Everybody's got an opinion, and the voters expressed a fairly loud one last spring when they voted down a single-site wastewater treatment facility with a hefty price tag.

But that vote-down didn't end the wastewater story. It just moved it to the next chapter.

As I'm sure you all know from your daily reading of the current Town Plan, there are numerous references to the need for a long-term wastewater strategy. That plan was approved by the Selectboard in 2005, and as the planning commission does their primary duty of evaluating, editing, and rewriting the Town plan for 2010 (State law requires a new or re-approved plan every 5 years), it's crystal clear that we have to address the numerous action items that specifically refer to a Town wastewater program. We can reapprove them, or we can change them. But to what?

A few weeks ago, the Selectboard gave some serious thought to how to proceed on wastewater. After a spirited conversation, they OK'd the creation of a non-spending committee (including citizens and members of the PC) to evaluate what our options are for wastewater strategies moving forward. Are we bound to a single site program? Could we do a series of smaller facilities that grow incrementally over time? Or are there other options out there that are worth considering?

What do you think?

Agenda: April 21, 2009

2009-05-06T11:45:00.001-07:00

1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL

2. PUBLIC HEARING—on corrective amendments to zoning bylaws.

3. NEXT STEPS ON WASTEWATER—Assess options discussed at April 13th Selectboard meeting.

4. REVIEW FLUVIAL EROSION HAZARD MAPS

5. UPDATES ON OTHER BOARD MEETINGS

6. OTHER BUSINESS

7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES April 7, 2009.

8. ADJOURNMENT

Word of the day: Fluvial

2009-05-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

What's the difference between floodplains and fluvial erosion hazard zones? If you live in Waitsfield, you should know the difference.

The feds and the state have come to the Town to tell us that we need to get our regs for both in line. This will be an ongoing process over the next year or so, and sure to be the topic of many posts on the blog.

To get things up to speed, here's an excerpt from the minutes of that meeting:

"On April 7 .... Ned Swanberg and Shayne Jaquith provided an overview of the differences between the hazard of flood inundation (rising water) and the fluvial erosion hazard (sideways erosion and river channel migration), which accounts for most of the damage that occurs during floods in Vermont.

To limit the danger to life and property associated with inundation, FEMA requires towns in the National Flood Insurance Program to comply with specific standards for regulating development in the Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). Vermont DEC is urging towns to also adopt regulations aimed at managing development in areas identified as susceptible to the Fluvial Erosion Hazard (FEH).

Waitsfield’s bylaws need to be updated to be in compliance with FEMA’s guidelines by March 2010. Vermont DEC has developed model regulations that meet the FEMA requirements but also incorporate recommended FEH regulations prohibiting new construction or storage in the FEH area and imposing restrictions on improvements in the FEH. The DEC team suggested meeting twice more with the Planning Commission to help hammer out the details of revisions to the bylaws.

Ned Swanberg recommended that the PC submit proposed revisions to him for review in the fall, to allow time for resolving any issues and completing the adoption process by March. A new Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map delineating the floodplain should be available in June, and the town will have 90 days to request corrections. The Planning Commission should plan on reviewing it for possible errors as soon as it is available. The PC was given copies of the latest FEH maps at the end of the presentation, to review at a future date."

Agenda: April 7, 2009

2009-05-06T11:26:00.001-07:00

1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL

2. WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS—Kari Dolan and Drew Simmons.

3. ELECT CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR

4. FLOOD AND FLUVIAL EROSION OVERVIEW provided by Caitrin Noel of Friends of the Mad River, Ned Swanberg, DEC Flood Hazard Map Modernization Program Coordinator, and Shayne Jaquith, DEC River Management Program scientist.

5. WASTEWATER PROJECT—Brief update from Steve Shea.

6. UPDATE ON CORRECTIVE AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS

7. UPDATES ON OTHER BOARD MEETINGS

8. OTHER BUSINESS

9. APPROVAL OF MINUTES. March 17, 2009.

10. ADJOURNMENT