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PAC recommends CCRPC board grant regional approval to Richmond plan pending edits
Summary
The Planning Advisory Committee recommended the CCRPC Board grant regional approval, confirmation of process, and energy compliance for Richmond’s town plan — contingent on staff-recommended edits. The townwide vote is set for March 3, 2026 and residents raised concerns about a parcel-based ECOS Future Land Use map.
The Planning Advisory Committee on Nov. 12 recommended that the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) Board grant regional approval, confirmation of the planning process, and determination of energy compliance for Richmond’s town plan, provided the town addresses edits recommended by CCRPC staff.
CCRPC staff told the PAC the draft Richmond plan “is readable” and addresses equity and climate but needs specific changes before regional approval: a less-generic compatibility section, inclusion of the 2030 housing targets, and updated enhanced-energy confirmation incorporating recently supplied natural-gas data. The PAC opened a public hearing; no members of the public spoke during the hearing.
Virginia Clarke, chair of the Richmond Planning Commission, told the PAC the townwide vote on the plan is scheduled for March 3, 2026. Clarke said residents were alarmed by the Regional ECOS Future Land Use map because it is parcel-based rather than the town’s prior “fuzzy” map, and that changed granularity had led some residents to worry their parcel and development rights “will be set in stone for eight years with an incorrect boundary.”
Richmond representatives said they will add language to the town plan clarifying that the regional map is not irrevocably fixed and requested a revised Richmond-specific Future Land Use map that would add a Rural General designation around homes on conserved or current-use lots. CCRPC staff said they would review the natural-gas data and the housing-target numbers and provide corrected figures if needed. Staff also noted Richmond only needs to comply with the 2018 ECOS plan for this local adoption cycle because the CCRPC board would not have approved the 2026 ECOS update before Richmond’s local vote.
Aaron DeNamur moved that the PAC recommend regional approval pending the town’s edits; Cymone Bedford seconded. The motion was recorded as carrying with Keith Oborne registering an abstention. CCRPC staff will forward the PAC recommendation to the CCRPC Board; the Board will act after Richmond completes its local adoption process.
Why this matters: regional confirmation is a prerequisite for local plans to receive CCRPC’s determination on process and energy compliance. Richmond’s requested clarifying language and a revised map aim to reassure residents concerned about parcel-level land-use categorizations ahead of the March 2026 vote.
