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Selectboard hears public input on proposed Unified Development Regulations updates
Summary
Planning staff presented UDR changes intended to align Milton’s rules with Act 22 and Act 47 (HOME Act); public comments focused on hotel/restaurant conditional-use requirements, R7 district lot-size nonconformity, tiny homes and occupancy rules, and the pace of future UDR updates.
Milton planning staff presented proposed amendments to the Unified Development Regulations at a public hearing on April 6, saying most changes respond to recent Vermont statutory updates and aim to modernize local standards for housing and commercial development.
Amanda Pitts, Planning & Zoning Director, and Cassandra LaFayette, Planning & Zoning Officer, told the Selectboard the changes were largely reactive to Act 22 and Act 47 (the HOME Act), and include revised group-home language, updates to meet HOME Act density requirements, modernized hotel standards and the addition of C1 district uses intended to balance community protections with development access.
Public comments highlighted several specific concerns. Michael McCormick praised the hotel edits but urged the board to remove the conditional-use requirement for restaurants located within hotels, arguing that restaurants inside hotels should not face an extra review step when hotels and restaurants are permitted in the same districts. T. Micklus, Acting Chair of the Planning Commission, said the planning commission deliberately left the restaurant standard "conditional" because of concerns it could create competition with existing local businesses.
Chris Taylor, the town manager, read an email from resident Tara Greenfield noting that the R7 district’s minimum lot size is 40,000 square feet and that roughly 84% of existing parcels are non-conforming; Greenfield recommended reducing the minimum to align R7 with other growth areas and increase housing opportunities. Attendees also asked about limits on residential occupancy and about tiny homes; staff said occupancy is generally governed by state water and wastewater rules tied to bedroom counts and that tiny homes are treated as accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and are exempt from impact fees under the proposed approach.
Developers and residents asked about predictability. Ben Dewey asked how often the UDR is revised; staff said there is no fixed statutory schedule, that the UDR has historically been updated every two to three years and that many changes are reactive to state law. The Selectboard opened and closed the hearing on unanimous motions by Members Betsy Paret and Leland Morgan. The proposed amendments and related documents are posted on the town’s website for public review.
