Essex Junction — The Development Review Board approved a site‑plan for a new single‑family home owned by Ron Bushey at Maple Street on Aug. 21, 2025, but attached conditions requiring clearer, to‑scale drawings and tighter dimensional tolerances for design features.

Board members said the applicant’s revised drawings were an improvement over earlier conceptual materials but still lacked the level of measured detail the board expects in the Design Review Overlay District. Michael (city staff) told the board the application had most checklist items required by the Land Development Code (LDC) but that drainage and snow‑storage details typically are clarified during hearings.

The board’s motion approved the application with conditions that staff will enforce. The most significant change the board adopted was to replace an earlier suggested dimensional tolerance of up to 20% with a 2% tolerance for design features (height and footprint were exempt from that 2% language). Other conditions include requirements that exterior lighting meet LDC standards, that the applicant contact the city for excavation permits before any work in the public right‑of‑way, and that tree locations be coordinated with city staff.

Discussion focused on the difference between an application that is technically complete under section 6.20 of the LDC and an application that provides enough detail for volunteers and staff to reliably inspect what is built. Several board members urged that applicants in the Design Review Overlay District submit professional‑quality, measured drawings (a drafts person was suggested as sufficient for a single‑family home) so the city and the board can confirm that what is built matches what was approved.

The applicant’s representative, Chris (builder), said the revised plans added missing distances, elevations, siding and window types and the applicant expects to paint pressure‑treated wood elements eventually. Ron Bushey, identified as the property owner, was present; the board and staff discussed landscaping (existing maple and oak trees on the lot and new shrubs), and asked that a city staff member assist on exact tree placement to avoid conflicts with sewer or utility lines.

Board members also noted an inconsistency in the transcript materials: the hearing introduction referenced “40 Maple Street,” while the motion and conditions recorded the address as 48 Maple Street. The approval motion and conditions as recorded by staff use 48 Maple Street; the record will be clarified in the city file.

The board voted unanimously to approve the site plan with the stated conditions. Michael will work with the applicant to ensure the required, clarified drawings and conditions are provided before the zoning permit and during construction inspections.

Why this matters: The decision highlights the DRB’s emphasis on enforceable, dimensioned plans in the Design Review Overlay District so the public and the city have a reliable record of what was approved and what must be built.