On Saturday, Dec 12th, Johnson Planning Commission invites all community members to participate in an open house style meeting aimed at presenting a draft of the document called Johnson Form Based Code. The open house will be held at the municipal building from 10-noon and again from 2-4 p.m. Residents as well as property owners are invited to join the Commission at any time during these hours, and ask questions or provide input.

Form-based codes are a relatively new method used in land development regulations (or zoning). Rather than emphasizing the separation of land uses as with traditional zoning, a form based approach focuses more on the built physical form that development takes. Form based codes are particularly well-suited for creating places where people - particularly pedestrians - want to be - mixed-use downtowns and compact residential neighborhoods.

In the past few years, there have been some active conversations about the future of Johnson and how we want to see our community grow and develop, while retaining its core character. Concerns were expressed that, due to the lack of zoning, the Town and Village had very limited standing when development proposals were brought forward - in other words, local residents had very little say over how projects would impact the appearance of the community. At the same time, citizens have been concerned about being told what they can or cannot do with their property, and have been resistant to traditional zoning measures.

As a way of trying to address these concerns, the Selectboard authorized the Planning Commission to look into the possibility of bringing Form Based Code to Johnson. Paul Dreher, a consultant from Newport, was hired to work with a group of citizens to design a code that was appropriate for Johnson. This group - called Form Based Code Committee and appointed by the Planning Commission - was made up of individuals from various sectors of the community who were interested and concerned about the future of Johnson. The Committee spent almost a year developing the Form Based Code proposal.

Please join the Planning Commission on Dec 12th to view the work done by the Form Based Code Committee and provide your input while enjoying homemade cookies and apple cider. Questions about the meeting can be addressed to Lea Kilvadyova, Johnson Community & Economic Development Coordinator; 635-2611 or lkilvadyova@townofjohnson.com.

Lea Kilvadyova
Community & Economic Development Coordinator
Assistant Town Administrator
P: (802) 635-2611 ext. 309

Note: Any response or reply to this electronic message may be subject to the Vermont Public Records Act

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