Study scenarios outline how wastewater choices shape housing growth in Jericho village

The Jericho Wastewater Task Force heard a status update May 14 on scenario development that maps how different wastewater approaches could influence housing and commercial growth within the study triangle bounded by Park Street, River Road and VT‑15.

Chris Shaheen, Jericho’s town planner, described four scenario levels: existing baseline (current conditions), low‑intensity relying on on‑site septic, a moderate intensity scenario based on preliminary engineering estimates, and an enhanced scenario that assumes more capacity. He said the low‑ and moderate‑intensity tallies exclude units already counted in Old Mill Properties Phase 1.

Chris said the team used Homes for All housing typologies—designed to be compatible with Vermont villages—to estimate the types of homes that could be added under each scenario. Samantha Dunn cautioned that the low‑intensity (on‑site septic only) scenario is an illustration of what could happen without a community system, not a forecast: “it is more accurate to say that this capacity is possible in this space.” Kate McCarthy reiterated that the scenarios are planning tools and that “no policy decisions have been made about how the capacity of a potential future system would be allocated.”

Task Force members asked for clearer diagrams showing how Phase 1 of Old Mill Properties is counted and noted potential demand for one‑bedroom apartments. Members also flagged the need to coordinate planned projects at the Browns River Middle School site to avoid conflicting assumptions about land use and capacity.

The scenario work will feed into the PER and the Task Force’s upcoming decision about a preferred alternative; no allocation rules or policies were adopted at the meeting.