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CCRPC Executive Committee signs off on four Act 250/Section 248 comment letters, including 94-unit Bay Ridge project
Summary
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission Executive Committee on Aug. 2 approved Act 250 and Section 248 comment letters for four projects — Bay Ridge in Shelburne, 377 Cobblestone Circle in South Burlington, a 500 kW Milton solar array, and the Hinesburg Center development — citing consistency with the CCRPC 2018 ECOS Plan and ECOS Strategy 2 to increase affordable housing.
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) Executive Committee approved Act 250 and Section 248 comment letters for four development petitions during its Aug. 2, 2023, meeting.
Taylor Newton, CCRPC planning manager, presented the Bay Ridge application in Shelburne, which would renovate 20 motel units and build a new roadway ("Margaret's Way") to serve two 24-unit buildings and 26 townhouses at 3164 Shelburne Road, a total of 94 affordable homes. Newton said the CCRPC finds the proposal consistent with the Planning Areas in the 2018 Chittenden County ECOS Plan and with ECOS Strategy 2, Action 3, to produce more affordable housing; staff noted additional comments may follow as project materials are refined. Jacki Murphy moved to approve the Act 250 application letter, Catherine McMains seconded, and the motion carried with one abstention by Michael Bissonette.
Newton also reviewed an after-the-fact Act 250 major application at 377 Cobblestone Circle in South Burlington. The application describes redevelopment involving a three-story building that will remain a single-family home; Newton clarified the single-family designation and the CCRPC concluded the project is in conformance with ECOS planning areas and contributes toward ECOS Strategy 2, Action 3. Committee members approved the comment letter unanimously.
For Milton, the committee reviewed a Section 248 petition (#23-2307-NMP) submitted by Norwich Solar for a 500 kW solar array at 145 Lamoille Terrace on town-owned land hosting the wastewater treatment facility. Newton said the CCRPC finds the parcel suitable under PUC Rule 5.100 but noted agricultural soils as a remaining state-level constraint and deferred mitigation recommendations to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. The committee approved the Section 248 application letter unanimously.
Newton presented the Hinesburg Center Act 250 application for development on Farmall Drive: creation of 21 new lots (22 total) and construction of 73 new homes (15 single-family units; two 9-unit buildings; one 6-unit building; one 34-unit building), plus about 14,500 square feet of nonresidential space. He reported no land-use or transportation concerns from CCRPC review, cited a hydrologic and hydraulic floodplain study and local DRB approval, and noted the project could receive pushback during public review. The committee approved the Act 250 comment letter unanimously.
The approvals were framed as comment letters to the respective permitting authorities rather than permits or entitlements; CCRPC staff said further comments could be added as applications proceed through state and local review.
