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Planning Commission previews FY27 work plan, LDR amendments and TDR/Act 250 path
Summary
The Planning Commission chair and planning director previewed FY27 priorities including lighting, wetlands, landscape standards, TDRs linked to increased height in city center, and a possible tier 1a Act 250 application; councilors offered guidance and requested more detail on wetlands and TDR market viability.
Jessica, chair of the Planning Commission, and Paul Connor, planning and zoning director, presented the commission’s FY27 policy priorities and a preview of pending land development regulation (LDR) amendments. Items highlighted included lighting and landscape standards, wetland delineation updates, vehicle charging standards, updates to form-based code and the TDR (transfer of development rights) program.
Connor summarized the Act 250 tier framework and said staff are preparing to pursue an application for tier 1a status for defined growth geographies if the regional plan is adopted by the state’s land use review board. He explained tier 1b raises the Act 250 residential threshold to 50 dwelling units in defined areas and noted that tier 1a requires the municipality to demonstrate administrative capacity and missing regulatory pieces—staff identified significant natural-community and rare/threatened/endangered-species regulation as the primary remaining requirement.
Council members probed the TDR program’s market mechanics and equity concerns. One councilor warned that conservation easement holders who had expected an outlet for TDR sales may be disadvantaged if the market remains illiquid; another member asked staff to explore additional tools to equalize economic outcomes for landowners who conserved land. Connor said these items are on the work plan and staff will bring more detailed recommendations at future meetings.
The planning commission will conduct public hearings on the LDR amendments; staff noted a likely public notice and hearing schedule and said they would return to council for formal receipt and possible action.
