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Bakersfield plan flags state housing targets; Brigham Academy reuse could add units
Summary
Planner presented regional housing targets for Bakersfield (28–43 units by 2030; 82–168 by 2050). Commissioners discussed Brigham Academy redevelopment (participants cited about 16 units) and zoning tools — PUDs, lot-size changes, and Act 250 exemptions — to meet goals.
Planner Luke reviewed housing data and statewide/regional targets allocated to Bakersfield, telling the commission: "For Bakersfield, that would be 28 to 43 new units by 2030 and 82 to 168 by 2050." The commission discussed whether redevelopment projects such as Brigham Academy would count toward targets. One resident reported a count of "16" units for a Brigham proposal while another participant said the number was "somewhere between 15 and 17," reflecting some uncertainty in the current estimates.
Members discussed zoning tools that could help accommodate new units while protecting rural character, including planned-unit developments (PUDs), smaller lot minimums in or near the village center and the Act 250 exemption for tier 1b areas that removes certain regional permitting requirements for developments under specified sizes. Commissioners asked staff to cross-check unit counts and show how Brigham Academy's proposed unit numbers would affect the town’s targets in the next draft of the housing chapter.
