Carla Occaso
Should the Montpelier City Council keep the final ‘actionable plan’ as drafted in 2023 to advance the Country Club Road Housing and Recreation Development? Or should it go back to the drawing board? With that question on the table, the council voted on April 9 to go back to the drawing board and form a subcommittee to present a new plan to the full body.
This discussion was part of the ongoing discourse about what to do with the 133 acres purchased for $3 million, $2 million of which came from a bond Montpelier taxpayers approved on Town Meeting Day in 2022. The land was formerly home to a golf course and clubhouse. Following the purchase, the city staff organized multiple hearings to allow the public to offer ideas of what they would like to see done with the real estate. Then, they engaged Burlington-based real estate advisors White + Burke to assimilate the public’s input into plans reflecting their wishes. The plan, dated June 28, 2023, depicts 292 units of multi-family housing in the form of five story buildings on the lower portion of the land, and rows of townhouses on the upper portion. Housing is slated for 14% of the site, according to the plan. The rest is to be a “recreation and community zone to be programmed and designed in a further stage, trails, roads, conserved areas, and more,” the plan states.
The council at the time approved the plan, but the flood of July 2023 came a few weeks later and derailed the process.
But this spring, revisiting the development process, some city council members balked at using the 2023 plan.
“… the biggest questions were, should the location for recreation be where it is now? Or should it be moved somewhere else? And do we have housing in the right place?” said Mayor Jack McCullough.
Councilor Sal Alfano said he wanted to see ideas for single family homes, and said he had a concern about using a plan with so much detail, which he said might confuse people into thinking it was immutable. Alfano said the draft plan included a recommendation to undertake further due diligence and analysis.
Councilor Cary Brown and Alfano indicated the concern was about the development designs.
“My concern is that there was so much detail, and I wanted more flexibility,” said Brown. She also said she is not interested in seeing three-acre lots with five-bedroom homes, but that she would like to “look at some concepts that are not on a map.”
Councilor Ben Doyle said it feels like the council is getting stuck and needed to have a conversation that would get them unstuck. “It feels like the decision tonight is, ‘do we need to have a facilitated conversation to come up with a consensus’?”
Councilor Pelin Kohn asked what funds would be used to pay for a professional facilitator. Mike Miller, director of Planning and Community Development, said there is no money in the budget for such an expense, and he doesn’t know what it would cost.
“If you want to take more time and do more planning that is great, but understand it will take more time before we are able to initiate a project,” said City Manager Bill Fraser.
Miller had invited a landscape architect named Mike Willard from the Massachusetts-based Vanasse, Hangen, and Brustlin to help guide the discussion virtually, but his services were scarcely used as councilors continued discussion.
Miller had hoped to discuss and amend the concept plan during the meeting, according to an April 3 memo he sent to the council.
“Our suggestion is to have a special meeting at some point soon for a discussion and to make most of the key decisions. This will be led by (Mike) Willard (of VHB) as he has experience in these exercises,” Miller wrote. Miller noted the need to review earlier decisions and natural resources constraints that guided the existing plan. Issues about the plan include a traffic analysis, utilities, location of the recreation zone, and a need to ensure revenue from the facilities would pay for the development cost. Also at issue is where the access roads should go and what to do with the former Elks Club clubhouse, Miller’s memo states.
Councilors voted to form a three person subcommittee to come to a consensus about what should go into the Country Club Road site plan. Voting to form the subcommittee were Kohn, Brown, Alfano, Doyle, and councilor Adrienne Gil. Councilor Jim Sheridan voted against it. They did not formally commit to working with the landscape architect. Doyle, Gil, and Alfano self-selected to be on the subcommittee.
Sabin’s Pasture Presentation
Alan Goldman, who owns property on Sabin’s Pasture — bordered by the College Street area on one side and Barre Street on another — spoke to the council about his idea to develop the property for senior housing.
However, he said his plans had been held up by city zoning regulations. Miller said the lower part of the property abutting Barre Street is zoned for 27 units per acre, so Goldman could develop over 200 units on 15 acres without being held back by regulations. In fact, he could develop 405 units on 15 acres, Fraser noted, adding that they should be able to proceed without a zoning change.
“We are willing to work with people,” Miller said. A key issue is whether the development would require subdivision, which would trigger a conditional use permit. Goldman said he had already done a traffic study, but has not yet created a site plan.
¨I hope you continue to pursue this as we have a tremendous need for housing,” Mayor Jack McCullough said.
Other Matters
On other matters, the city council agreed to embark on a housing needs study, approved Community and Economic Development Specialist Josh Jerome reissuing a simplified request for proposal for the former Montpelier Beverage property, and agreed to form a child care task force. They ended the meeting by going into executive session to discuss the city manager transition. Assistant City Manager Kelly Murphy was invited into the discussion.
