Town of Shelburne, Vermont

CHARTERED 1763

P.O. BOX 88, 5420 SHELBURNE ROAD SHELBURNE, VT 05482

Clerk/Treasurer Town Manager Zoning & Planning Assessor Recreation FAX Number (802) 985-5116 (802) 985-5111 (802) 985-5118 (802) 985-5115 (802) 985-5110 (802) 985-9550

Town Manager’s Report: June 23, 2017

In the spirit of encouraging teamwork, transparency, and fostering open lines of communication, this weekly report attempts to summarize relevant issues impacting Shelburne’s municipal government. Contact me directly if you have any questions. Feedback is encouraged.

Selectboard Meeting June 27 – The posted agenda and corresponding informational packet for the June 27th Selectboard meeting can be viewed here.

Trains in the Middle of the Night – Last week there were a number of complaints about trains coming through Shelburne, blowing horns, waking people, etc. at 3am. According to Vermont Rail…

“We are running on this schedule for roughly three months due to a rail project this summer between Leicester and New Haven”

Town officials have also reach out to the State of Vermont in an effort to find out the mechanism for establishing a ‘Quiet Zone’ in Shelburne so the trains stop blowing their horns in the middle of the night. According to Vermont’s Agency of Transportation…

“Establishing a new quiet zone is a long process. Just as a point of reference, any new quiet zone has to be a minimum of ½ mile in length and would require a review by the: town, FRA, State and Railroad( also public safety – first responders as part of the town and state). A full diagnostic review by a railroad engineer would have to be performed for all crossings within the new quiet zone. Active warning devices would be required for all crossings. The existing crossings that already have active warning devices would likely need to be upgraded to meet the new standard. A formal plan would have to submitted to the FRA and they would have to approve of the plan. Any cost for this new quiet zone, along with the additional maintenance requirements would likely need to be paid for by the town. Not sure what that number would be.”

Aaron Noble Appointed Deputy Police Chief – After an approximately three month interview and vetting process, Aaron Noble – currently a corporal in the Shelburne Police Department – has been promoted to the rank of Deputy Police Chief effective July 1, 2017.

Shelburne Shipyard v. Town of Shelburne – It is anticipated that the Selectboard will ratify an agreement coming out of a mediation last week related to a Notice of Violation issued to Shelburne Shipyard by the Zoning Enforcement Officer back in November (2016) which was upheld by the Development Review Board. The DRB also denied the Shipyard’s request for a variance. Once the agreement is signed it will be made public. This is scheduled as an agenda item for the June 27th Selectboard meeting P a g e 1 | 2 Rail Bridge Underpass Stop Signs – The Selectboard will be asked to determine the ‘permanent’ solution moving forward to the Bay Road (Rail Bridge) Underpass travel condition. Over the past year the Town has attempted two Pilot Projects. The first project ran from last June 2016 – November 2016. This was to install stop signs on either end of the underpass and provide for a single-lane, alternating traffic condition. The second project went from November 2016 – present where the stop signs stayed but two- way traffic was allowed to proceed. The recommendation from staff is to keep the two-way stop condition with two-way traffic but once it becomes a permanent fixture in the traffic ordinance better signage and road striping should be applied. View report here.

Southern Gateway Project – On Tuesday night at their meeting, the Selectboard will also receive the final report from our consultant on the Southern Gateway Project.

Library Project Bond Vote Scheduled for November 7 – At the June 13 Selectboard meeting, a Special Town Meeting was warned for November 7, 2017 (by a vote of 4-1) asking voters to consider approving a bond for a new Pierson Library, renovations to the (historic) Town Hall, and improvements to the municipal campus. The price-tag for this proposed project is $6,500,000 and would cost the Shelburne taxpayer an estimated $35 per every $100,000 of assessed homestead value. According to a town-wide survey completed by 1,200 registered voters, 57% indicated they would support this project at the voting booth. The ‘preferred alternative’ design was the result of an extensive, public and community engagement process. Review more information here.

Sidewalk Construction to Start Soon – Sidewalk construction is scheduled begin on Route 7 and Falls Road in early July (start date TBD). Travelers may experience some delays throughout the project. The project will also be occurring right next to the south parking lot of the municipal building.

Route 7 Along Route 7, 600 feet of new sidewalk will be constructed from the Town Offices to the Shelburne Museum covered bridge. This new sidewalk will directly connect to the recently installed sidewalk from the Museum covered bridge to the Shelburne Museum Visitor Center.

Falls Road On Falls Road, 150 feet of sidewalk will connect the LaPlatte Nature Park with the existing sidewalk on Falls Road, providing a safer walking route between the park and the rest of Shelburne.

Public Hearing to Consider Amendments to Shelburne’s Zoning Bylaw Scheduled for July 11 – At the June 13 Selectboard meeting, a Public Hearing was warned for July 11, 2017 at 7pm to consider modifying language relating to Day Care Centers and to add language relating to Local Markets. The areas affected are the Mixed Using Zoning District and the Shelburne Falls District. The full text of amendments will be available for review in the Shelburne Planning and Zoning Office during regular business hours and on the Town’s Website or via email (contact the Planning and Zoning office).

Planning Commission - The Shelburne Planning Commission meeting on Thursday night featured discussion of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and Form Based Zoning. A resident of Bay Road attended and expressed support for planning policies that would prevent changes in her neighborhood and other parts of Shelburne. As part of the discussion of the Comprehensive Plan, Commissioner Kate Lalley presented a list of revised objectives she had drafted for the Land Use section of the document. The group also discussed edits (prepared by staff) to some of the recommended actions included in the Land Use section. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Planning Commission briefly discussed scheduling of future discussions. As part of the discussion of Form Based Zoning (FBZ), consultant Brandy Saxton provided Commissioners with an overview of the latest version of a proposal to update the Town’s FBZ requirements. She also described additional changes that will be made to the document in coming weeks. Specific issues discussed by the Commission included procedures to be applied when sites are redeveloped and ways that comments on the draft document can be solicited from commercial property owners and developers. P a g e 2 | 2 Development Review Board – The DRB held its second meeting for the month of June on Wednesday. The first item on the agenda was a request by Snyder Custom Homes (SCH) relating to the proposed Kwiniaska Project, which received Sketch Plan approval from the DRB in January. SCH’s engineer has written to ask that the DRB extend the deadline for filing a Preliminary Plan application by six months. The engineer’s letter explains that the application is largely complete but due to”a Town issue” that “the Water Commission is working to address” the water department has not yet issued a project review letter. Shelburne’s subdivision regulations normally require the filing of such a letter as part of a Preliminary Plan application. The DRB discussed procedural issues concerning granting such a request. Planning and Zoning staff explained that although the DRB has not adopted a policy concerning extension requests, many years ago the Planning Commission did have such a policy. The focus of that policy was the need for “good cause” to exist to support a request for an extension. After further discussion, the DRB found good cause does exist and voted to grant a six month extension. The next item on the agenda was a Presentation to the DRB on Form Based Zoning and Comprehensive Plan updates by the Director of Planning and Zoning, Dean Pierce. Additionally the DRB briefly reviewed the progress made to the DRB Bylaw Change Request List. The final item on the agenda was a brief review of the Shelburne Zoning Bylaws and Subdivision Regulations prepared by the DRB Coordinator, Kaitlin Mitchell. It is the intension of staff to continue such training and information sessions for the DRB over the next few months to further explore procedures and content.

The Ethics Committee – On Thursday, Shelburne’s Ethics Committee finalized a revised draft of their Rules of Procedure. The Committee will be circulating the draft to CBC chairs and the public by the end of June. A meeting will be held the second week in August to take comments. The committee is also working to raise awareness of the town’s Ethics Ordinance, how it works and what it strives to accomplish.

Upcoming Meetings

June 26 – Housing Sub-Committee June 27 – Selectboard June 29 – Library Building Steering Committee

*** It’s a pleasure to serve Shelburne as Town Manager. My job is to assist this community and the people who live here to the very best of my ability. Please never hesitate to contact me.

Contact Information for the Town Manager: Joe Colangelo Town Manager Town of Shelburne P.O. Box 88 5420 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT 05482 Office: 802-985-5111 Mobile: 802-355-6848 Email: [email protected] Web: shelburnevt.org

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