DRB delays Habitat subdivision as buildable‑area maps and right‑of‑way remain unresolved

The South Burlington Development Review Board voted to continue Final Plat application ST2601 for a two‑lot subdivision tied to a planned Habitat for Humanity project after staff requested clearer mapping of buildable area, wetlands and official‑map street features. Acting Chair Mark Baer said staff needed a single plan showing the entire existing lot, proposed lot lines, zoning district boundaries, wetlands and calculated buffers so the board could confirm the stated 2.8‑acre buildable area for Lot 1.

Applicant representative Brian Currier told the board a buildable‑area plan had been submitted that day and agreed to provide the referenced 2021 wetland delineation report and to revise shading and boundaries. Landowner Tom Bellivance and applicant team members described prior conservation and funding negotiations that shaped present lot lines. A central disagreement was whether the board should require an irrevocable offer of dedication for a 64‑foot right‑of‑way shown on the city’s official map now, or allow a narrower, site‑adjacent dedication and defer full dedication until larger adjacent parcels are developed.

"We are proposing the right of way at the rear of Lot 2, which will be utilized and is adjacent to the development that is being proposed," the applicant said. Staff countered that the plat must at minimum show planned streets and an offer of dedication on the record, even if actual public construction is deferred. The board closed public testimony, read an anonymous Southpointe comment into the record that objected to access off Southpointe Drive, and continued the hearing to March 17 to allow the applicant to submit consolidated plans and for staff to prepare a revised memo.