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Selectboard says town plan won’t meet Dec. 31 deadline; members wary of village-center opt-in and 51-home target
Summary
Board members said Leicester will likely miss a Dec. 31 town-plan approval deadline; they are not prepared to opt into a Tier 1b village-center designation and expressed concern about a housing target of 51 new homes in 5.5 years.
The board reviewed progress on the municipal town plan and an associated energy plan. Staff said the first energy-plan draft was returned with edits and will be revised this week; the town-plan update has many empty sections and is unlikely to be approved by Dec. 31. Members noted an alternative window in May next year if the board wants to opt into state programs later.
The board explicitly said it was not prepared to opt into a Tier 1b village-center designation at this time; one member cautioned that opting in would trigger Act 250/351-like requirements for multi-unit projects and that an approved plan is a precondition for some grant applications. The town’s housing target of 51 new homes in the next 5.5 years drew sustained concern. "I still have issues with 51 new housing units in the next 5.5 years, regardless," one member said, noting infrastructure, services and school impacts as reasons to proceed cautiously. Staff said missing the Dec. 31 deadline would not affect highway funding but could limit eligibility for some grants that require an approved plan.
