Planning commissioners discuss consolidating zoning districts, splitting Riverfront and adding new Sabin’s Pasture rules

Montpelier planning commissioners and city planning staff spent most of the Oct. 6 meeting reviewing proposed changes to the city’s zoning map and use table, focusing on consolidating several small zoning districts and creating clearer rules for large, disparate districts such as Riverfront and Sabin’s Pasture.

The discussion centered on three related map changes staff recommended: merging two low-density residential districts into a single district, creating a new zoning district or subdistrict to reflect the larger-scale commercial and industrial character along Stonecutters Way, and splitting the Riverfront district into separate areas for gas-station/commercial frontage, Berry Street–style mixed use, and the larger-scale Stonecutters-style parcels.

Why it matters: commissioners and staff said the existing map contains many small, overlapping districts that make the code lengthy and sometimes inconsistent with the city’s goals to concentrate growth and promote walkable infill. Staff argued that simplifying districts and reassigning parcels by bulk and massing would help developers and residents understand where denser housing is appropriate and where conservation is intended.

Key points discussed included staff’s recommendation to merge two specific residential districts (referred to in internal materials as Res 1503000) because their allowed densities no longer justify separate treatment, and the possibility of combining other residential zones (Res 6 and Res 9) in some places. Staff also suggested removing the separate municipal parcel district and folding municipal parcels into surrounding zones to avoid creating isolated “funky” parcels on the map.

Public comment: resident Doug Sowersey of 8 Johnson Drive provided written text and urged specific rewrites for Sabin’s Pasture (a roughly 94-acre parcel), recommending language that would allow up to four-story residential buildings there, prioritize infrastructure funding, and require pedestrian-oriented design. Sowersey also flagged the Riverfront building-footprint and height limits in the code (he noted a 5,000-square-foot footprint maximum and a 45-foot height cap in sections he cited) and suggested allowing alternative orientation for solar access in the design-review standards.

Process and next steps: staff told commissioners they will continue to refine the map and expect to deliver red-line drafts for commissioners to review in October–November. The commission also heard that the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and the Design Review Commission (DRC) will be invited to discuss the design-review overlay and the 2020 design regulations that the HPC prepared. Staff emphasized the objective is to consolidate where sensible while keeping protections (for historic resources and flood-related constraints) in place.

What commissioners raised: members repeatedly said they favor consolidation to shorten the code and reduce repetitive neighborhood descriptions, but they also flagged the need to protect historic buildings and maintain appropriate transitions along corridors. Several commissioners asked staff to make sure large parcels—including Crestview, Sabin’s Pasture and Country Club Road parcels—are zoned so the owner/developer can propose clustered or phased development rather than forcing development into a single location. Staff said those large parcels are being treated case-by-case; one option is to zone the developable portions as urban residential while keeping steep or unbuildable acres as rural.

Ending: staff said they will circulate detailed map changes and draft language before subsequent meetings and that a fuller, chapter-by-chapter review will continue through the fall, with design review and related overlays discussed separately in upcoming sessions.