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Rutland planners press ahead on river corridor work; pocket-park grant application seeks nearly $48,206
Summary
The planning commission said it will continue work on a river corridor ordinance after the select board adopted a local hazard mitigation plan pending FEMA adoption. Commissioners also described a pocket-park grant application to Vermont Parks & Recreation for up to $50,000; the request totals about $48,206 with a local match of about 23 percent.
The Rutland Town Planning Commission on Feb. 13 said it will continue drafting a river corridor ordinance after the select board voted to adopt a local hazard mitigation plan pending FEMA approval, a step commissioners said restores the town’s eligibility for some federal disaster-relief funds.
Commissioners said the select board’s action “approving the plan pending adoption” means the town again qualifies for certain federal emergency relief funding. At the meeting a commissioner described how the disaster-relief cost share shifts with plan adoption and with river corridor protections; the commissioner said, as discussed in the meeting, having the plan put Rutland in a better cost-share position and that adding a river corridor designation would improve that position further.
Separately, the commission reviewed a pocket-park grant application submitted to the Federal Highway Administration through Vermont Parks & Recreation. The grant application requests the program maximum (the program cap is $50,000) and budgets a total ask of about $48,206. The project plan in the application includes an archaeological assessment, removal of invasive species by a contractor (replanting not covered by this grant), site preparation and limited construction (expanded parking, trail repairs, overlook improvements), a heavy-duty steel fence, historical signage and kiosk design, and relocation of the DAR watering trough and a new entrance sign.
Commissioners said the application relies heavily on in-kind match from town highway crews and other local contributions; the submission shows about a 23 percent match (the minimum required was 20 percent). Commissioners said the town’s match contribution totals roughly $14,016 when municipal staff time and town crew work are included, and that if awarded the grant the timeline would start with archaeology in July and move to site preparation around November 2025.
The commission said it will continue drafting river-corridor language and that members expect to present a draft at a future meeting. The commission also said it will monitor the state review of the pocket-park applications, with notification of awards expected in March.
