Planning staff outline Country Club Road infrastructure, grant needs; residents urge master plan before big spending

Planning staff told the Montpelier Planning Commission on Wednesday that the city is pursuing grant funding for infrastructure at the Country Club Road site but that those federal/state grants will require a developer partner and a clear master plan before construction proceeds.

A public commenter said the city must not move forward without a master plan and a traffic study, arguing it would be “irresponsible, reckless” to spend millions on road work before approving a site plan or an overall master plan for the area.

Why it matters: Staff said state Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster-recovery and other competitive funds could pay for infrastructure that would enable new housing and a mixed-use village. Commissioners and staff emphasized that grant eligibility and successful implementation depend on having a developer committed to build housing and on clear project timing.

What staff presented - Planning staff said a previous pre-application for CDBG-DR funding for Country Club Road was not approved because the city did not yet have a developer committed to build the housing the infrastructure would serve. Staff said they will pursue an RFP to secure a developer and aim to be eligible for the February application cycle. - Staff described an infrastructure package with an estimated $5,000,000 phase that would install water and sewer lines, reconstruct the Country Club Road intersection to better match the railroad elevation, add sidewalks, curbs and stormwater, and prep an intersection for future signalization if warranted. The $5,000,000 figure describes the infrastructure phase only; staff said they had requested about $10,000,000 in earlier grant planning to cover infrastructure and associated project costs. - To qualify for identified state and federal programs, staff said the project would need an associated housing proposal guaranteeing construction of low- and moderate-income (LMI) housing—planning staff said a requirement could include a minimum of 20 LMI units constructed before 2030.

Public concerns and legal context - A resident repeated that the regional planning commission's approval of the city plan had been appealed under 24 V.S.A. § 4476, and said ACCD declined to appoint a regional review panel; the resident reported filing a petition for declaratory judgment and writ of mandamus seeking state court relief. That commenter also warned the city not to commit to a $5,000,000 proposal to “raise Route 2” without a traffic study and master plan.

Project scale and site details - Planning staff said the entire parcel is about 135 acres, of which roughly 35 acres are buildable; roughly 10 acres are in the lower flat area staff recommends prioritizing for an initial RFP. Staff noted the parcel includes roughly 10–15 acres reserved for recreation. The staff recommendation to council is to issue an RFP focused on the approximately 10-acre flat area as a first phase.

Next steps and constraints - Staff said they plan to put an RFP to select a developer (possible one- or two-round procurement) and to return to city council with recommendations; White and Burke or David White from consultants will brief council. Staff and the commission said the project’s grant eligibility requires a developer partner and confirmed that grant cycles and matching requirements make timely alignment important.

What was not decided - No council action on Country Club Road occurred during the commission meeting. Commissioners and staff discussed options but did not adopt a final scope or authorize city funding beyond preparing an RFP and pursuing grant applications.