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Gardner Park grant cleared; city pauses playground work pending floodplain permits
Summary
Council authorized a VCDP grant commitment for Gardner Park improvements but staff reported required floodplain permitting was not obtained for earlier work and instructed a stop to further construction pending updated engineering plans and state and DRB review, estimated at roughly eight weeks.
The Newport City Council on Nov. 4 authorized a letter committing the city's financial resources for Gardner Park improvements tied to a Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP) grant and heard a follow‑up update that halted further on‑site work until permitting issues are resolved.
Carter Finnegan of the Northeastern Vermont Development Association presented the letter and supporting budget figures and asked the council to authorize signatures for the financial commitment dated Nov. 4, 2024; the council approved the authorization by motion and voice vote.
Later in the meeting the city's zoning administrator (identified in the transcript as "Fencing") briefed the council on a permitting complication: excavation, grading or fill in a special flood hazard area requires a conditional use permit and prior submission to the State of Vermont for comment before the Developmental Review Board (DRB) can grant a permit. Staff confirmed that some project work had proceeded without those steps; the floodplain manager and DRB chair were reported to be cooperative in early conversations, but staff advised that construction should stop until updated engineering plans are submitted and the state comment period and DRB review are complete. Staff estimated a minimum of about eight weeks before more work should proceed.
Council members asked whether completed work was at risk if the city waited; staff said the project's existing construction was not expected to deteriorate over winter. The city attorney was consulted and staff said they had "no indication that there's a violation at this particular point in time," but warned that continued work before permits are secured could jeopardize the city's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.
The council's action to authorize the financial commitment for the VCDP grant and the staff direction to stop further construction are both on the record; staff will submit updated plans to the state and return to the DRB as required.
