Devin, RRPC executive director, told the Nov. 10 Executive Finance Committee that the Land Use Review Board (LERB) has completed its pre-application comment period on the draft regional plan and will deliberate publicly about formal feedback next week.

Devin said the biggest submission to date came from the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), which recommended substantial reductions to Tier 1B/ACE mapping in the region. “They would like to see us hack our map apart and reduce our mere 2 and a half percent of Act 181, Tier 1B, Tier 1 ACE areas to less than half of that,” Devin said, calling that outcome “devastating to our region.”

Devin explained LERB’s formal recommendations can include a ‘‘must do’’ bucket that is binding and a separate wish-list; he asked LERB to be explicit so the commission knows what is mandatory. He emphasized there is no appeal process for LERB mandates on mapping and that mandated changes could force the commission to delay its public hearing and adoption schedule.

Committee members raised concerns about inconsistent interpretations of statute if other regional planning commissions receive different LERB treatment, and discussed the difficulty of notifying all 27 member towns if maps must be altered. Devin recommended the RRPC ad hoc regional plan committee review LERB feedback immediately and then present modifications to the full board and the public; he suggested a potential delay of the public hearing into mid-January or February to accommodate required changes.

Devin also noted the LERB requested additional analysis regarding renewable energy mapping and potential generation sites; staff plan to digest the comments and return to the ad hoc committee to prepare any necessary map and plan edits before public hearings.

The committee agreed to wait for the LERB report, to convene if comments are substantial, and to bring any recommended changes to the board in December for action and to warn a public hearing in January or February as appropriate.