Q: When is the event and what is its purpose?
A: A major planning forum, or "design charrette", will be held February 1-3 at the old Town Hall. It purpose is to improve development results on Route 7 north, from Webster Road to the S. Burlington line. All Shelburne residents are invited to attend. We will ask big "what if" questions about Route 7. We want to know what you think a "good" Route 7 looks like!
Q: I think I vaguely recall this project. What's it about again?
A: Redesigning Route 7 has been a Selectboard and Planning Commission priority since June 2010. Hundreds of volunteer hours have been spent: articles in the Shelburne News; two earlier public planning presentations that showed changing our zoning could bring better development; a ballot vote to pay for the design forum we are about to hold (measure defeated); and alternative funding for the project secured through a grant (successful). I can appreciate that this process has been challenging for the public to follow. We've had setbacks, pursuing a major goal through an open and democratic process takes a long time, and zoning is a tough topic. It bores most people to death and it's not easy to understand.
Q: What is "Form-based Code" (FBC) and how is it different from the zoning we have? (What's the matter with the zoning we have anyway and why is the town spending money to change it?)
"Form-based Code is a fancy name for design based zoning regulations. (Yep, I wish they had come up with a better name too...). It differs from our existing zoning in some fundamental ways. The zoning we have now addresses only how buildings and sites are USED. Unlike FBC, it doesn't address aesthetics, i.e. what a building should look like or how it should fit in with its neighbors. Over time, this has produced the inconsistent aspect and lack of Shelburne identity we see today on Route 7. It's also led to more land than is necessary being paved for parking (=lots of runoff into the lake).
Since 2010 town officials have agreed the pattern of development our zoning is producing does not foster the commercial investment the town seeks. Investors, developers, and property owners want a predictable built environment and seek assurance that buildings in adjacent lots are built to a high standard. FBC controls for building design and placement to a much higher degree than is possible under our current zoning. It allows more flexibility about how buildings may be used over time. This helps owners avoid vacancies when buildings become outmoded because they can repurpose them easily, if and when demand changes.
The Town is paying for only $15,000 of the total cost of this project. Most of the cost is funded through a grant through the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC).
Q: What if we don't change the zoning?
A: Are you pleased with the results our zoning has produced so far?
As the major entry to town the road presents a poor image. Run down properties do not redevelop because zoning doesn't support this. If you were a business owner would you choose to locate around a bunch of distressed properties, or would you look in another town? What the current zoning DOES do successfully is encourage development on the remaining large undeveloped lots. Recent examples are Tractor Supply and Kinney Drug. While I am grateful for these fine businesses I wish they could have been built on repurposed existing lots. I and others do not relish seeing box development extending all the way up to Webster Road, which is likely to result over time if we do nothing.
Q: Okay, say I buy the argument for a new plan and changing the zoning. What would a "good" Route 7 look like?
Figuring that out is the goal of the planning forum. The agenda is open-ended on purpose so there is no preconceived idea about what should happen...only that whatever comes next should be a lot better!
The consultants (a team led by Jim Donovan of Charlotte) want to hear everyone's ideas and each person's input on what they think are challenges and opportunities. The consultant's job is to help our community find consensus about a new vision for the corridor. Translated into new zoning regulations this vision will guide future development, ideally in a manner we feel confident in and will be proud of.
To show what a redeveloped corridor could look like the consultants will show us examples from towns with strips similar to Shelburne's; what redevelopment on smaller parcels could look like; how we can add affordable housing to take advantage of the existing bus route; and changes that would make Route 7 friendlier for surrounding neighborhoods.
We invite everyone who can to attend! Please share YOUR ideas about the kind of development YOU'D like to see in the future in the corridor. Join in for as little or as much as you are interested/have time for.
Q: Sounds like fun, but what's this "brainstorming" adding up to?
A: A new and complete vision of development for the 2.5 mile corridor. Monday evening, at 6 pm the consultants present their plan for the corridor, a synthesis of our collective goals, priorities and ideas. Residents will be asked to comment on how well their proposal "hits the mark". The consultants will revise their proposals based on our feedback. Changes will be made and the plan presented again for our approval. Only at the point of having general community consensus about a new plan will work commence on translating these goals into new design based regulations (FBC).
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