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Richmond residents press Selectboard over statestormwater notice; board to apply for planning grant
Summary
Residents of South View, Hidden Pines and nearby streets challenged a state letter that treats their separate neighborhoods as a single 3-acre stormwater site; the Selectboard agreed to file for up to $50,000 in planning grant money to develop the permit application and convene a follow-up meeting with state officials to clarify boundaries and responsibilities.
The Richmond Selectboard on Sept. 3 faced a packed room of South View area residents alarmed by a recent letter from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources saying the neighborhood is a 3-acre stormwater site currently out of compliance.
Residents said the notice came as a surprise. "My understanding is the letter went out to quite a few folks who live in the south neighborhood," said Sarah Heim, a South View resident, describing confusion about which streets and homeowners were included. Several speakers urged the town to act quickly to secure available state planning funds that could cover engineering and permit work.
Town staff explained the permit history: in July 2020 the town submitted a combined notice of intent that included South View, Hidden Pines and Mary Drive; that combined renewal was issued in September 2020 and now falls under the modern 3-acre rule. Board members and staff said the stateletter meant many individual homeowners now face potential compliance obligations—though the letter and the permitting history have left residents uncertain about whether the town or the homeowners should lead next steps.
Dorian Evans, who has been tracking the issue with the regional planning commission and the state, stressed the timing: "There's a Time-taking time bomb here," and noted a separate state ARPA program has opened a competitive window and that "the deadline is September 30" for a small planning grant that can reimburse engineering and application costs.
The town attorney had previously advised caution: filing the grant or otherwise stepping forward could increase the likelihood the state views the town as the permittee for the whole combined site. Board members weighed those legal risks against the urgent financial need to hire engineers and clarify responsibilities so homeowners are not left liable for unanticipated costs.
After extensive questions and public comment, the board approved a motion to file at least one application for the ARPA-funded planning grant to cover feasibility and permitting costs and to schedule a special follow-up meeting that invites Agency of Natural Resources staff, engineers and the town attorney to explain how the combined permit was created and discuss options, including whether the combined permit can be separated back into the historic discrete ACT 250 parcels.
The board asked staff to compile a list of questions for the state and for the town attorney before the next meeting and to begin outreach to the affected addresses. The motion did not commit the town to accept any grant award; board members noted grants can be declined if terms are unfavorable. The next steps are a special meeting and a short grant application intended to buy time for technical review and homeowner notification.
