Essex Junction DRB approves temporary fire training center at Champlain Valley Expo

Essex Junction’s Development Review Board on July 17 approved a conditional use permit and site plan to allow the Essex Junction Fire Department to place a temporary training center on donated land at the Champlain Valley Exposition. The board voted to approve the conditional use application and then approved the site plan after a public hearing and discussion about smoke, safety and notification. Board members and applicants emphasized the site’s remote location and containment measures, and staff noted the application required conditional-use review because the training facility did not match an existing use category in the city’s use chart. Chief Kellogg of the Essex Junction Fire Department described the proposed setup as three metal storage containers arranged to simulate a…