The Charlotte News • January 28, 2021 • 3 Town Lurs HANK Plans to Sell It in the Near Future
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The CharlotteNewsVT.org Vol. 63, no.15 January 28, 2021 Charlotte News Your nonprofit community news source since 1958 Contemplating goodness: Assistant position in the works, Memories of #44, Hank Aaron other Selectboard business Jonathan Silverman Chea Waters Evans to finalize the salary and benefits before CONTRIBUTOR NEWS EDITOR publicly posting the job. Many of us are at an age when our revered There’s a new member of the Charlotte sports figures leave us to enter the great The Selectboard has been busy with Land Park and Wildlife Refuge Oversight big tunnel. On Jan. 22, #44 left life for a Use Regulations and public hearings, but Committee—Cathy Marshall lives near different field of dreams. Hank Aaron has they also got a lot of other stuff done over the park, which is colloquially known as always been a part of my life’s journey. the past few weeks, with extra meetings the Demeter, and said during her few years scheduled to handle a variety of topics that living in Charlotte she has appreciated the Although I have lived in Vermont most include town budget issues for FY21-22, beauty of the area’s wildlife and plant life. of my life, I grew up in the suburbs of job descriptions for a new zoning adminis- Hartford, Connecticut. Allegiance to sports trator, and parking on Plouffe Lane. Walking trails on Plouffe Lane, which are teams in Hartford has always been a tug of privately owned but accessible through war between Boston and New York. My dad In the wake of Zoning Administrator an agreement with the town, have gotten grew up following the Boston Braves “farm” Daniel Morgan’s departure last month, heavier use during COVID-19. The park- team in Hartford, and subsequently I became the Selectboard is moving forward with ing situation, especially with the snow, has a die heart Braves fan, even though the team the process of reconfiguring staffing in the impeded Road Commissioner Jr Lewis moved to Milwaukee in 1953, when I was planning and zoning office in Town Hall. from properly plowing the area. The Se- two. And as soon as I was able to shove a Conflicts arose during Morgan’s tenure on lectboard is going to work with Jim Carrol Rawlings baseball glove onto my left hand, I the job because his responsibilities as ZA to arrange a snow threshold for plowing to needed a player to embrace, and that player overlapped with his clerical duties as the make sure the parking lot is clear to allow was Hank Aaron. Zoning Board of Adjustment’s clerk, often access to rescue vehicles and make sure resulting in his quasi-judiciary role as ZA no one parks on the side of the road when Hank and I were rookies together. He The signed glove of a hero: Throughout his butting up against the ZBA’s wishes. using the trails. could hit a curve ball very, very far and I, time in and out of the limelight Hank Aaron on the other hand, attempting to emulate exuded humility, gentleness and decency. The solution to those dueling positions is The Charlotte Ferry has been closed Photo courtesy Jonathan Silverman the snap of his wrist and his fluid swing the creation of a new, 20-hour per week since early January due to a lack of pas- might occasionally manage to smack one Hank performed. Admittedly, I knew administrative assistant position. In addi- sengers. Concerns from the Charlotte Se- to deep shortstop on a field full of grit and little about his story and life as an African tion to assisting the town planner and the lectboard, the Essex, New York, town gov- undulations. I played with a cast of multiage American in the deep South. I cared about zoning administrator, this town employ- ernment, and many Charlotters prompted sandlot characters whose stars were Mickey his performance on the field and the team’s ee will also provide support to the town the board to send a letter to Lake Cham- Mantle, Ted Williams or Willie Mays. I fate and was oblivious to the reality of racial administrator. Responsibilities will include plain Transportation, which operates the was 7 years old when Hank Aaron won the inequalities. clerical work, scheduling, maintaining ferry. The purpose of the letter was to let most valuable player award and his team, records, and staffing the front desk in the the privately owned ferry company know In the 1960s and early 1970s Aaron window at Town Hall, as well as serving that “this is a valuable asset to Charlotte,” my team, the Milwaukee Braves won the continued to excel and his national fame pennant. as the town’s E-911 coordinator. Town McCarren said. Though the ferry can’t amplified. He was a model of consistency Administrator Dean Bloch is going to re- be compelled to remain in business, the Each day I fastidiously checked the box search area pay for comparable positions, scores in the Hartford Courant to see how SEE HANK PAGE 2 and the board will vote at the next meeting SEE SELECTBOARD PAGE 4 Impending future of East Charlotte goes to a vote deadlines before voting day. In addition environmental impact, taxpayer burden, and passage of the East Village LUR amendment Charlotters concerned to the Selectboard, more than 50 people wastewater infrastructure, the items are “just regarding density, it would allow Hinsdale about conflicts of interest, attended Monday’s meeting. not ready” to head to voters. to develop his five acres on the corner into senior housing. Hinsdale said that impact of potential During the meetings there was confusion Brownie Adsit, who also lives in the area, it’s important when considering the issue development about the exact size of the current agreed. Noting that impact studies aren’t to think about numbers. “Be sure that we commercial district and how much bigger it required until after the amendments are understand the math,” he said. would get should the Town Plan amendment approved, he said increasing the boundary Chea Waters Evans pass. In a conversation with The Charlotte of the commercial district “without knowing The math on development proved also to News on Tuesday, the impact makes be a point of contention for many; Lewack After years of work and considering more Town Planner zero sense to me; cleared up this issue on Tuesday as well. than 70 potential Land Use Regulation Larry Lewack said to not do impact Using the metaphor of planting old seeds in amendments, the Planning Commission’s he consulted with studies is just a garden, he explained that you can plant a role came to a close on the issue at Monday the Chittenden totally backwards bunch of old bean seeds and theoretically night’s Selectboard meeting with the final County Regional and ridiculous have the potential for dozens of bean hearings on proposed amendments to the Planning to me.” Dina plants, but the reality is that you will have Town Plan and LURs. The many changes Commission to get Townsend agreed considerably less than that. the exact acreage and added that up for vote on Town Meeting Day on March With the current zoning laws, he said, “If 2 were mostly overshadowed by two ballot figures. she worried about comprehension on the part of the general everything lined up to make it possible, with items. One is a proposed amendment to The East Charlotte Village Commercial adequate septic and water supply, there could the Town Plan that would expand the East voting population, considering that there is District is currently 19.79 acres, and “too much confusion from people who are be up to 25 units of housing, commercial Charlotte Village Commercial District’s the amendment to the Town Plan would development, or a combination—that borders; the other concerns zoning changes investing their time into learning” about the increase it to 43.64 acres acres, adding a issues. number is accurate,” he said. “If somebody that would allow denser development within sector of land on the southeast corner of the were to propose some of that to include that district. The changes stem from a survey intersection of Spear Street and Charlotte The increased density issue prompted affordable housing, they could potentially of East Village residents that was completed Hinesburg Road, crossing Spear Street and participation during both meetings from add 10 units; if somebody wanted to make in 2010. including property on the southwest corner Clark Hinsdale, a former Charlotte resident, the development into elder housing, there The Friday and Monday Zoom hearings of that intersection, which is also known as who owns the property referred to as the could be 20 additional units on top of the were the last opportunities for public Baptist Corners. Sheehan House on the southwest corner 25.” That would be either 25 regular units, comment before the articles are published in of the proposed commercial district. The 35 affordable housing units, or 45 senior East Village resident David Adsit said he expanded commercial district boundaries the Town Report, which heads to the printer thought that because there isn’t “complete on Thursday in order to meet public warning would include this lot; in conjunction with information” available regarding potential SEE LURS PAGE 2 The Charlotte News • January 28, 2021 • 3 Town LURS HANK plans to sell it in the near future. When she CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 responded to Brosius’ inquiry, she shared her year in and year out, and my allegiance to housing units. support for passing both the Town Plan and LUR amendments.