[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6058104,"mediaKeyId","3298264-9838461782ee1583f0f794f26de3e487","parentId",3298264,"title","Council names Federal Street extension to serve dispatch center and workforce housing","audioSeconds",135,"startMs",2953000,"endMs",3088000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298264-9838461782ee1583f0f794f26de3e487&start=2953&end=3088","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298264-9838461782ee1583f0f794f26de3e487/thumbnail_2953000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6058104/St-Albans-City/Franklin-County/Vermont/Council-names-Federal-Street-extension-to-serve-dispatch-center-and-workforce-housing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058104-98ba6d8b4b07aa743ab7e2eeb5c8dfb7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206274&Signature=eq6D600oyzgCoTLbrmuiG1UW0dn~O00no70E3BVehFwDf-0UYqqBRo5Cg5vVBd4cRytL94-7oP167pBrnxhE~uRHaLTw~AJRaONzo4xMjOQ61cyRRemwBCbPHe8uk~Iki9j07So-Xq~E5wAenOXulKqKy~eLroVD3O40xTVVxMihC-ydnPxHps7GUYRQguBTE0XNlJYjW9J0A37Nx6HYO6w-U6CiHcwcF2oZtmOmO4lBWFLoZaC94gPe6Mr4XLp51ufIbN1F7TLqZd-GlMEqNUa8vao94MuAiCEgtXzfG8OgMRWSQCg6ghXY4SwQms~McwFfs0r7uCZW0uB4MPB-6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Albans City, VT","date","2025-05-14T13:56:08Z","article","The St. Albans City Council approved naming the new roadway that extends Federal Street to the dispatch center as \"Federal Street extension.\" Council members said E‑911 addressing rules constrained alternatives and that the extension name keeps the new road’s addresses consistent with Federal Street’s numbering.

Planning staff explained that E‑911’s mileage-based addressing formula would have produced very large address numbers if the extension were named simply \"Federal Street,\" so the city chose the descriptive “Federal Street extension” to avoid excessive address values for new workforce-housing parcels on that roadway. The council moved and seconded the naming motion, and it passed by voice vote.

The city will transmit the new street name to emergency dispatch services and update mapping and addressing records to reflect the extension name.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","St. Albans City Council | 05/12/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council approved naming the new roadway leading to the dispatch center as \"Federal Street extension.\" E‑911 addressing requirements limited alternative commemorative names.","taxTitle","St. Albans City, Franklin County, Vermont","taxId",69030,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6058109,"Council adopts local emergency-management plan, certifies use of National Incident Management System",161,2744000,2905000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298264-9838461782ee1583f0f794f26de3e487&start=2744&end=2905","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298264-9838461782ee1583f0f794f26de3e487/thumbnail_2744000.jpg","/articles/6058109/St-Albans-City/Franklin-County/Vermont/Council-adopts-local-emergency-management-plan-certifies-use-of-National-Incident-Management-System","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058109-267323e014c8c1e92f29a016c55ac172/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206274&Signature=WPvnw65icO-OjnG9OBAikbn2nxXzwtAgcC~-z-GzfW1PRQH--SfR7aN5uVvQLk27zELYtHhiyQiZi1kHdow3JEP5CQawV1oX7NF~EBUiHj0wRwdGfBePqV2ckeG5g8U86kM3MwZrcF8cukXSPAQ5HhaaPJRwVZ3dEaQf7Ky8Ui9EA5XKgHay2HVW4Uz4QaG0FfxdUWt9fmAgp52LkIHjipo7-1HeJanFmD~8UPlgwSAWPcFEsdH6qRW9WkDqvFg5mGfZwRs~ZZlMfp1syj9GFf4OEWwwEcqpUJY11amIydPaAAveCG0~eqSYS7CenLXZj9TwXMKngA5W90Cac2Eu8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Albans City Council voted to accept the updated local emergency-management plan and to certify adoption of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), with the approval made contingent on corrections to the contact list included in the packet.

Chip, planning/staff liaison for emergency planning materials, presented the plan and explained the certification step required Tom (police/chief-level staff) to confirm adoption of NIMS. Council member Lindsay Hahn identified outdated contact entries and offered to provide an updated registry of licensed child-care providers and other corrections; she and staff agreed the council could adopt the plan contingent on those updates.

A motion to accept the emergency-management plan contingent on updated contacts was made and seconded; the council voted in favor and the motion passed. Staff said they would incorporate Lindsay Hahn’s corrections and finalize the contact list for the city’s emergency plan.

The certification formalizes the city’s stated use of the NIMS framework for emergency response coordination and keeps the city’s local plan current with operational contacts listed in the packet.","St. Albans council approved the local emergency management plan and certified adoption of the National Incident Management System; approval was contingent on staff updates to contact lists.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6058114,"St. Albans holds first reading on 23-part zoning overhaul to conform with state housing and parking laws",2278,328000,2606000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298264-9838461782ee1583f0f794f26de3e487&start=328&end=2606","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298264-9838461782ee1583f0f794f26de3e487/thumbnail_328000.jpg","/articles/6058114/St-Albans-City/Franklin-County/Vermont/St-Albans-holds-first-reading-on-23-part-zoning-overhaul-to-conform-with-state-housing-and-parking-laws","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058114-1e9fe890c17439b70244eb98a54ac022/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206274&Signature=U-n4JtlMsHnx-wJABh5Jp4KyID7gVYC~CFeeYHjEhyF072w7bUo1MK-0EnB9qwsVgBfzoztKq97qG7HFeuO~RJpB5G2dmmO32Bl7Yx0zfZDXcYKiOr74sF3WRASMcwZqu3EMeI1cQ7yVAYLblEFq6vR4Er3fHMCthxArrwYHC9G-f9OfpXzTRhYm73vXr9cm9xtx9X4uRZp1hbcy0~3HR8XtezxpTiQKajsXD1ZobQeCCSvjqqzJXyPTec84CxYkFkBOHP3xBnmcg5fE6NfBxtl7~UrJ4JRZb7KSNLxlWSNZ9m35BmX6j8XBnryo3gowAoCrOug9KCzxm6CBRqNFHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff gave a first reading of a 23-amendment zoning package intended to bring St. Albans’ zoning into conformance with changes to state statute passed in 2023 and 2024 and to make local clarifications.

Chip, planning staff, told the council the package is a mix of state-mandated updates and local clarifications. “Starting in 2023, the legislature began altering what communities can do with their zoning in terms of controlling density and other aspects related to building housing,” he said, explaining the package includes definitions, district adjustments and procedural changes.

Key elements staff highlighted include:

- Replacing the term “family” with “household” throughout the code to reflect state law that forbids favoring families over unrelated households; single-family homes would be relabeled “single-household” uses.
- Adjusting the city’s lowest-density district requirement from 9,500 square feet to 8,700 square feet and inserting a statutory minimum of at least five units per acre in affected districts.
- Adding, removing or clarifying defined terms (for example, deleting “congregate housing” and adding “recovery residence” and “emergency shelter” to align with state definitions).
- Allowing two- and multi-household dwellings to be permanent uses in the same manner as single-household dwellings.
- Incorporating state parking changes for residential development: the code will allow a maximum requirement of 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit and permit only one space per unit where a dwelling is within a quarter mile of “adequate public parking” (defined by staff as non-on-street parking like a garage or regularly available surface lot).
- Creating a density bonus and an additional allowable floor for projects that qualify as affordable housing under state statute.
- Clarifying stormwater and green-infrastructure rules to allow on-lot green stormwater infrastructure and to treat accessory stormwater structures like landscaping, with site-plan review required only if structures or parking are altered.
- Adjusting rules for downtown streetscape blocks to limit first-floor residential and restrict front-yard use to commercial or retail functions in core storefront areas.
- Consolidating exemptions and limitations (public facilities, farming, forestry, utilities) into one article for clarity and moving certain rules (for example, limitations on planned-unit development) into a renamed “transitional lot development” section.

Council members asked for clarifications on several items. Multiple members expressed concern about a proposed rule that would prevent demolition of buildings for speculative parking development, saying it could limit legitimate business efforts to add parking. One council member argued for a case-based review tied to a conditional-use or demolition-review process rather than an absolute prohibition; staff said they would “come up with a more context based, review approach” and would remove the provision if no workable alternative is found before the second reading.

Other questions covered frontage and setback rules in the R-87 (formerly R-95) district, the removal of the congregate-housing term, and how the city will define “public parking” for the quarter-mile parking exception. Chip said the planning commission will continue to explore ways to mitigate state-driven limits, including whether bedroom or kitchen limits could be used to distinguish certain dwelling arrangements pending a city plan update.

Council members and staff emphasized timing: planning staff noted the city plan could expire before a revised plan is adopted, and that the council may face urgency to pass some zoning updates before that expiration date. The package will return for further review and a second reading, and staff asked council members to read the detailed strikeout/underline text included in the packet before the next session.","Planning staff presented a 23-amendment package to align St. Albans zoning with 2023–2024 state statutes, changing definitions, density rules, parking standards and other development rules; council members raised questions about demolition-for-parking restrictions and downtown impacts.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6058119,"St. Albans adopts zoning limits for smoke shops and adult-entertainment businesses",230,85000,315000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298264-9838461782ee1583f0f794f26de3e487&start=85&end=315","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298264-9838461782ee1583f0f794f26de3e487/thumbnail_85000.jpg","/articles/6058119/St-Albans-City/Franklin-County/Vermont/St-Albans-adopts-zoning-limits-for-smoke-shops-and-adult-entertainment-businesses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058119-685f814dd6111137c9cd25617a6d29d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206274&Signature=NsnWbPB~iiOUCXS0x3y~WtP6os7jbX07AYTn-gEl1NOG~KuCt-WiF8IBwdq7m2Hza9gy-8XH3zE-d33cJHleMjZTN93407bKXFapakNkFFL53t0UE6A4RBN34nLummVbuXTLBZobkr-WlKUUvZqlfiMvOsJPffjeTySYHFbMruv5tQCQDtrjoZQ4h2oKJUNeTjN2XU9u~fv4IqBBncsfMCp55Do621X5ItzBuzKmqi2yok2V~lF6xzdEeZrXAOta72hEdOxS5tB6~yO-llB1WaGn1Vkw63GX~rSZPggGae-ZAryRgfrsm-O-6FcWzEvnaasPh4m6Z3tggL5f0Ow8kQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Albans City Council on second reading approved zoning amendments that define “smoke shop” and prohibit smoke shops and adult-entertainment uses as home occupations, limit their signage to half the normal square footage, and require signage illumination to be external and non-animated.

City planning staff presented the package as a narrow set of changes focused on definitions, allowable locations and signage standards. “The first amendment establishes the definition for smoke shop, and it's pretty broad,” Chip, planning staff, said, describing the intent to capture smoke-, vape- and like uses. He explained that signage lighting for those uses “shall be limited solely to external illumination” and that “no signage shall flash or be animated.”

The amendments include: a definition for smoke shop intended to capture vape and related retailers; a prohibition on operating smoke shops or adult-entertainment businesses as a home occupation or home industry; a limit that signage for those uses may occupy no more than 50% of the square footage otherwise allowed for a business; and a lighting rule that permits only external, downward-facing illumination and bars integrated, flashing or animated signs.

A council member asked whether other businesses would still be allowed internally illuminated signage; staff clarified these lighting and animation limits apply specifically to the newly defined smoke-shop and adult-entertainment uses. After questions, a motion “to approve the zoning amendments for smoke shops and adult entertainment as presented” was made and seconded; the council voted in favor and the motion passed on second reading.

The vote closed the public hearing on the second reading and sent the adopted text into effect as the council directs in its standard process. The amendments were presented as a discrete change and as part of larger zoning updates that staff are simultaneously advancing for the city’s comprehensive code.","The St. Albans City Council approved zoning amendments on second reading that define and restrict smoke shops and adult-entertainment uses, limit signage and lighting, and bar those uses as home occupations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council names Federal Street extension to serve dispatch center and workforce housing

Council adopts local emergency-management plan, certifies use of National Incident Management System

St. Albans holds first reading on 23-part zoning overhaul to conform with state housing and parking laws

St. Albans adopts zoning limits for smoke shops and adult-entertainment businesses