Planning commission adopts interim switch to 10‑meter steep‑slope map, narrows slope review categories

The Montpelier Planning Commission voted to use 10‑meter resolution elevation data as an interim steep‑slope map and to adopt three slope categories — 0–15%, 15–30% and 30% and above — to reduce the number of small projects subject to Development Review Board review.

Commissioners said the change is intended as a short‑term fix while staff and the commission work on a longer rewrite of the slope provisions. "Most planning documents, zoning documents, including ours, use percent slope instead of degree slope," Tim said during a presentation on mapping and data resolution. "A 100% slope is only a 45 degree angle, a 30% slope comes in at 16.7 degrees, and a 15% slope is right at that like 7 to 8 degree threshold."

The commission also agreed to clarify the steep‑slope applicability language to exempt very small disturbances. Staff had proposed a 50‑square‑foot exemption for disturbances not associated with a building — for example, a short flight of external stairs — to keep minor projects out of the more intensive review tracks. Meredith, the planning and zoning administrator, described the exemption as an attempt to "get some small projects out" of the regulatory cascade and said the city could expand the exemption after collecting more data.

Supporters of the interim change said the existing 1‑meter LIDAR‑based map has produced many false positives — tiny pockets of steep slope captured by the very high‑resolution data — and that those pockets force otherwise routine projects into a public DRB hearing. "We capture ditches, we capture building footprints because of the way the data is collected," Tim said, contrasting 1‑meter and 10‑meter datasets and showing that the coarser data captures larger, contiguous steep areas while dropping minute features.

Commission members, staff and several public commenters said DRB hearings can slow projects because neighbors receive notice and may raise broad design objections beyond technical slope or engineering concerns. "Anything you can do to give Meredith or whoever the zoning director is more expert leeway to make a ruling so that it doesn't go before the DRB would be a major and important change," a commenter said.

The motion to adopt the 10‑meter map and the revised categories passed by voice vote with "Aye" responses. The change was described as interim: staff said the map change can be used while the commission develops permanent edits to the slope regulations and the erosion‑control matrix.

Commissioners and staff flagged follow‑up work: revising the matrix that triggers engineered plans and DRB review, aligning erosion‑control thresholds with the new map, and considering whether administrative permits should include additional notice for nearby property owners in some cases. Meredith noted existing practice already allows staff to use more accurate parcel‑level elevation data for site‑specific evaluations.

The commission also asked staff to ensure the chosen map can be distributed in both printable and online formats and to return with recommended permanent text and mapping edits.

The interim edits will amend the map used by the steep‑slope regulations and related erosion‑control triggers pending a full rewrite.