Essex Junction redevelopment director says department is at capacity as housing, parks and Amtrak work advance

Chris Ewan, Essex Junction’s redevelopment director, gave the City Council a six-month update on Sept. 24, saying his department has advanced zoning changes, transit-oriented planning and several capital projects but is at or slightly over capacity given the workload.

Ewan told council staff had implemented technical amendments to the land development code intended to enable missing-middle housing, completed public engagement for the Connect the Junction transit-oriented development plan, continued multimodal scoping on Pearl Street and pursued multiple grants, including a $200,000 downtown transportation fund award and a $30,000 municipal planning grant for the comprehensive plan update.

“Even though now we're at, you know, we have 3 people instead of 2, I I think our responsibilities have really grown. And, I I would have to say we're probably, at or a little bit over capacity in terms of what we can, comfortably and and reasonably achieve right now without dropping a ball on on, on something,” Ewan told the council.

Ewan said enforcement work remains mostly complaint-driven but that the department takes proactive action on high-priority safety matters and has targeted campaigns when appropriate. “We are largely complaints based, but there are certain issues that we take proactive action on,” he said, citing previous sign enforcement work and recent efforts to address visible junk and a rodent issue near Railroad Avenue that required property-boundary investigation.

On capital projects, Ewan said the Main Street Park project is in technical design and aims to go out to bid in the off-peak season early next year; he noted unresolved utility issues and soil contamination concerns complicate the schedule. For the proposed Amtrak station, Ewan said the city has submitted required documentation for federal grant obligation and that the Federal Railroad Administration has indicated a decision by year-end is “probably safe to assume.” He added the consultant is progressing toward 30% design.

Ewan described outreach efforts that included nontraditional engagement such as ice-cream social events to reach renters and attendance at community events including July 4th and Meet Me on Main. He also noted development review volumes were relatively low for new housing units this year but that several projects reached certificate-of-occupancy, including Autumn Pond, Riverside by the Village and a downtown hotel near Pearl Street.

Council members asked Ewan to clarify enforcement practices and staffing needs. In reply he said adding significant new activities — for example staffing a housing committee, taking a more aggressive enforcement posture that could culminate in litigation, or increasing committee support — could require an additional full-time position.

Discussion-only items: Ewan’s presentation was informational. No staffing changes or formal council actions were made on Sept. 24.

Why it matters: The redevelopment department’s capacity affects multiple priorities — updated zoning, housing goals, multimodal projects, the Amtrak station and the planned Main Street Park — and council members flagged staffing and enforcement as areas to watch as projects proceed.