Starksboro planners say town needs “missing middle” housing as conversation shifts to design and public response

At a May 29 meeting of the Starksboro Planning Commission, participants said the town’s next plan should prioritize “missing middle” housing—units sized and priced between single-family homes and large apartment complexes to serve seniors and working families. DK, a staff member who opened the session, framed the night as moving from policy language toward how new housing would actually look in town.

Commissioners and community members questioned whether existing Goals/Objectives/Policies are measurable and current, and several speakers urged putting concrete project examples on the table to make discussions less abstract. “Maybe farm ‘protection’ is less of a priority this time around?” DK asked during the discussion, using the comment to signal possible shifts in local priorities. Participants also raised practical constraints—sewer and septic rules, and public perception—that must be addressed to translate plan language into buildable projects.

The meeting identified seniors and working families as immediate target groups for missing-middle housing and discussed options including duplex conversions, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and small multifamily projects. Commissioners emphasized that presenting specific designs and sites could help voters and neighbors better understand trade-offs and visual impacts, rather than debating policy text alone. The commission plans to continue refining goals and exploring tangible examples ahead of public outreach.