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Public hearing opened and closed for Gibbs Garden produce‑packing; board authorizes negative declaration and conditional approval
Summary
A public hearing on a proposed 22,800‑square‑foot onion packaging facility on Pulaski Highway in Goshen drew supportive public comment; the board authorized staff to prepare a negative declaration and a conditional approval for a future action.
The Town of Goshen Planning Board opened a public hearing on Sept. 3 for Gibbs Garden LLC’s site‑plan application to build a 22,800‑square‑foot produce‑packing (onion packaging) facility on about 10.66 acres fronting Pulaski Highway and Winooski Road, and the board later closed the hearing and authorized preparation of environmental (Part 2) materials and a draft conditional approval.
Joe, the applicant’s presenter, described the proposal as a 22,800‑square‑foot product‑packaging facility with access from Winooski Road, five loading docks and 17 parking spaces; he said the proposal anticipates about 15 employees and that the use is allowed in the AI zone. Joe told the board the project would use an existing on‑site well subject to required testing and would include a new sanitary disposal system.
Chris Healy, a Howard Court resident and a member of the Environmental Review Board, spoke in favor of the project and said “to see a farmer come to the board with a farm project makes my heart glow” and urged the board to approve the project. He also advised the applicant to remove or rehabilitate several vacant, derelict outbuildings visible from the road.
Board members asked for clarifications about well testing, whether other buildings on the lot would be occupied or rehabilitated (the applicant said not at this time) and how emergency access to Pulaski Highway would be controlled (applicant said a gated emergency access with a Knox box was under consideration). After closing public comment, the board voted to authorize staff to prepare a Part 2 environmental assessment form, a draft negative declaration and a conditional approval for a future vote.
Why it matters: the proposal would add a commercial agricultural operation in the AI zone with an on‑site well and sanitary system, potential traffic and water‑use implications for nearby residents.
The board did not render a final site‑plan approval at this hearing; it authorized the next procedural steps toward a negative declaration and conditional approval.
