Chittenden County PAC recommends regional approval of four 2026 town plans with specified edits

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission’s Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) on Feb. 11 recommended that the CCRPC Board grant regional approval and confirmation of the planning process for four 2026 town plans — Charlotte, Hinesburg, Milton and St. George — while identifying specific edits each town must include before final regional sign-off.

Maya Balassa, CCRPC planner, told the committee that staff had reviewed each plan and that required edits had been communicated to the towns. For Charlotte, Balassa said PAC had previously recommended approval but the hearing had been re-warned because of a procedural error; the committee reopened the public hearing, recorded no public comment, and reaffirmed its recommendation pending the inclusion of the edits listed in CCRPC’s formal review.

The Hinesburg plan required several substantive additions, Balassa said: data distinguishing year‑round from seasonal dwellings; a goal and policy to satisfy planning goal 15 on equitably distributing environmental benefits and burdens; a goal encouraging locally grown foods; and explicit housing targets. Balassa reported staff now finds the plan conforms to statute and to enhanced energy planning standards after the town made the required edits. PAC members discussed infrastructure connections to housing targets — Chair Paul Conner asked what the town’s new wastewater capacity is; town representative Zach Nersinger said it was “hard to determine exactly what this new capacity is,” and noted the town is pursuing increased water and wastewater capacity as an action in the plan.

For Milton, Balassa listed required edits including a narrative explaining how designation programs will advance the plan’s goals; clarification about how Tier 1B and conceptual Tier 1A areas benefit the town; compatibility analysis with the ECOS regional plan and neighboring municipalities; a policy and goal on renewable energy development; a goal promoting locally grown food and sound forest and agricultural management; a policy on appropriate extraction of earth resources; and language addressing planning goal 15. Milton staff told PAC that sewer capacity is sufficient for growth and that the town is working to expand water capacity to support future development.

St. George’s plan needed an existing land‑use map, an analysis of energy resources and costs, year‑round versus seasonal dwelling data, an updated river‑corridor map, and a goal/policy to address planning goal 15. PAC members were told the Planning Commission could incorporate required edits at the March 6 public hearing because the town is not adopting the plan by public vote.

Motions: PAC moved and seconded formal recommendations for each plan and recorded outcomes as follows: Charlotte — recommendation to the CCRPC Board pending required edits (motion passed); Hinesburg — recommendation pending required edits (motion passed; Z. Nersinger recorded as abstaining); Milton — recommendation pending required edits (motion passed; A. Pitts recorded as abstaining); St. George — recommendation pending required edits (motion passed). The committee recorded no substantive public comments on any of the four plans.

Next steps: PAC will forward its recommendations to the CCRPC Board; staff noted that Richmond’s 2026 plan has been revised to meet PAC requirements and will be forwarded to the Board after town adoption. PAC officers and staff also flagged future educational topics for the committee, including guidance on how to meaningfully incorporate planning goal 15 into town plans. The meeting adjourned at 3:12 p.m.

(Reporting based on PAC meeting minutes and staff summaries provided at the Feb. 11, 2026 meeting.)