Lamoille County Planning Commission approves Johnson municipal plan and Cambridge plan amendment after public hearings

The Lamoille County Planning Commission on an evening meeting approved the Johnson Town and Village Municipal Plan and confirmed the Cambridge Town and Village Plan Amendment following separate public hearings and roll-call votes by municipal representatives.

The actions followed presentations by staff and public comment from town representatives. Caleb, speaking at the start of the meeting, reminded the board that votes on town plans are limited to municipal representatives: "those votes will be exclusive to municipal representatives. So county directors do not vote on the approval of town plans," he said. The Johnson vote was recorded as 11 ayes; the Cambridge votes passed by roll call with unanimous ayes among voting municipal members present.

Both public hearings included brief questions from board members and local planning representatives. Frank Harris, who said he had worked with the Cambridge Planning Commission on the amendment, described telecommunications language in the Cambridge amendment and tied it to a state co‑location requirement: "it supports the colocation requirements of the state statute, 2 48 a title 32 48 a that requires co location when that's possible," he said, explaining that the amendment encourages using existing data sources and colocation to avoid duplicative infrastructure.

The board also noted process details raised in the hearings. Staff told the commission that Johnson’s plan includes an "enhanced energy chapter" but that the commission could not vote on that chapter until the community’s plan is confirmed; that separate vote will be scheduled and warned at a later meeting. The PPR (Policy, Planning and Regulation) committee recommended the regional approvals before the full board voted.

Votes at a glance: Johnson Town and Village Municipal Plan — motion to approve the Johnson Town and Village Municipal Plan; roll-call vote of municipal representatives recorded 11 ayes, 0 nays, outcome: approved. Johnson municipal planning process confirmation — motion to approve and confirm the municipal planning process for the Johnson Town and Village Municipal Development Plan; outcome: approved by roll call. Cambridge Town and Village Plan Amendment — motion to approve the Cambridge Town and Village Plan Amendment; outcome: approved by roll call. Cambridge municipal planning process confirmation — motion to approve and confirm the municipal planning process for the Cambridge Town and Village Plan; outcome: approved by roll call.

The board also approved routine minutes from the Nov. 26, 2024 meeting; that motion carried with one abstention recorded.

The commission will take any remaining discrete items (for example, the Johnson enhanced energy chapter) at subsequent meetings after required local steps are complete.