Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ecos Regional Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chittenden County commission adopts updated ECOS regional plan after public hearing
Summary
After a second public hearing, the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission adopted the ECOS regional plan with direction for technical edits. Public commenters criticized the plan’s treatment of rural towns and infrastructure constraints; staff and members defended the collaborative planning approach and allocation of housing targets to denser municipalities.
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission voted on May 20 to adopt its updated ECOS regional plan, concluding a second public hearing and approving the plan with authorization for staff to make technical edits.
Taylor, the CCRPC staff lead, opened the public hearing with a summary of the plan and recent state legislation (S.325) he said, as of May 6, did not change CCRPC’s adoption process or the future land use map. He told the board the plan reflects decades of regional mapping and municipal planning, explained the state’s center/neighborhood simplification and described how municipal housing targets are advisory rather than mandatory.
Public commenters pressed the commission on the plan’s implications for rural towns. “The average cost of a new house in Jericho last year was $963,000,” said Chuck Lacey of Jericho, who argued that county and municipal planning practices had produced exclusionary housing outcomes and said the plan did not challenge those dynamics. Paul Simon, describing a large Colchester project called Severance Park, said municipal road and utility design standards can restrict downtown‑center development and urged stronger coordination between planning staff and public works offices.
Board members and staff responded that CCRPC’s role is to provide regional approval and support for municipal plans rather than to impose land use decisions on towns. Charlie, CCRPC staff, said the commission allocates regional housing targets in consultation with municipalities and noted that about 60% of the regional housing target was placed in Burlington, South Burlington, Winooski and Essex Junction because those municipalities sought higher targets for climate, transit and affordability reasons.
A motion to adopt the ECOS regional plan passed after discussion; the board recorded a single abstention. Members asked staff to continue conversations about the commission’s role—whether to emphasize leadership or support—so that CCRPC can better assist municipalities facing wastewater, road‑design and infrastructure constraints.
The commission’s action completes the regional plan adoption step taken at this meeting; staff will circulate the final resolution and any technical corrections and proceed with the record for the Land Use Review Board as required by state processes.
