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CCRPC Executive Committee approves letter asking Act 250 District to review proposed 5‑lot Essex subdivision
Summary
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission Executive Committee voted unanimously July 2 to send a letter to the Act 250 District Coordinator asking the District Commission to review a proposed five‑lot commercial subdivision in Essex after a neighbor requested a hearing; staff said the project meets transportation and regional plan criteria but includes a new roadway and future commercial uses could increase traffic.
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission Executive Committee on July 2 approved a letter to the Act 250 District Coordinator requesting District Commission review of a proposed five‑lot commercial subdivision in Essex.
Taylor Newton, CCRPC planning program director, told the committee the proposal would create five lots and construct a roadway. A neighboring property owner requested a hearing, which converts what would normally be a minor Act 250 amendment into a major amendment and triggers CCRPC review, Newton said. Newton reported staff found the proposal conforms with Act 250 Criteria 5 (transportation) and Criteria 10 (regional plan).
Newton said CCRPC staff and consultants (including Eleni Churchill and J. Charest) reviewed a transportation impact study and noted an ongoing CCRPC study of the Sand Hill Road area that will not be completed until September 2025. That study is examining options such as extending Kemo Drive to Thompson Drive to provide access to Route 15 without routing additional traffic onto Sand Hill Road; CCRPC clarified that any Kemo Drive–Thompson Drive connection is not part of the Essex subdivision project now before Act 250.
Newton also noted that while Amazon has been discussed as a possible future occupant, Amazon is not part of the current Act 250 application.
Andy Montroll moved to approve the letter and submit it to the District Commission; Jacki Murphy seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
The committee’s action asks the District Coordinator to consider CCRPC’s regional transportation and land‑use findings when making a determination about the application. Next procedural steps will follow Act 250 timelines set by the District Commission.
