PAC affirms Buel’s Gore municipal plan update, opens and closes public hearing with no comments

The Chittenden County Planning Advisory Committee voted Feb. 12 to find that the Buel’s Gore, Chittenden County municipal plan meets statutory requirements and confirmed that the town’s planning process satisfied CCRPC confirmation.

Taylor Newton, CCRPC planning program director, introduced Garret Mott, the Buel’s Gore representative, who said the town is very small and this is only the second iteration of its municipal plan. "Buel’s Gore is a small community," Mott said, and Jake Perkinson serves as Supervisor and handles selectboard functions for the Gore.

Maya Balassa, CCRPC planner, summarized the staff review, noting that many statutory requirements do not apply to Buel’s Gore but that the draft plan incorporates required changes, including provisions to address the distribution of environmental benefits and burdens. The PAC unanimously approved a motion by Larry Lewack, seconded by Aaron DeNamur, that the plan and the municipality's planning process meet CCRPC statutory requirements.

Paul Conner, PAC chair, asked staff to clarify where Buel’s Gore is in the adoption process and flagged a regulatory item for the town: the plan’s accessory-dwelling-unit language should also reflect the statutory requirement "that duplexes be allowed wherever single-unit homes are allowed," he said, a change that could materially affect local development rules. Newton and Balassa confirmed the plan has been formally adopted locally and that Perkinson can make non-substantive edits.

The PAC formally opened a public hearing for the plan and heard no public comments; the hearing was then closed. The meeting minutes record Garret Mott abstaining on an earlier approval of minutes but record the plan-finding motion as passing unanimously.

Next steps: CCRPC staff will continue to work with Buel’s Gore on any non-substantive edits and the PAC’s finding completes the CCRPC confirmation step.