State officials present plan for secure youth treatment facility at Meadowland Drive; board asks for technical materials

State and design teams presented a sketch plan for the Green Mountain Youth Center at 596 Meadowland Drive, described by Sandy Hoffman, commissioner for the Department for Children and Families, as a "secure youth treatment facility" intended to provide crisis stabilization and residential treatment for justice‑involved youth aged roughly 12–18. The proposal includes a 12,975 sq ft administrative/education building and an 8,640 sq ft residential building with 14 beds, served by a new curb cut on Meadowland Drive and stormwater management sited outside delineated wetland buffers where possible.

Staff reviewed site constraints: delineated Class 2 wetlands with 50‑ft buffers bisect parts of the parcel, an 11‑ft grade change across the developable area, and the need to show building grading and heights relative to the street. The board also discussed pedestrian‑easement relocation to minimize wetland impact while maintaining existing connectivity and heard the fire marshal’s concern that residential access must meet fire department access road standards (20‑ft width plus turnaround). Commissioner Hoffman said the facility "will be secure," and staff reminded the group that a therapeutic community residence requires state licensing under 33 V.S.A. §7102(11), which the LDRs rely on to demonstrate compliance with use definitions.

During public comment an online resident asked explicitly whether doors would be locked and whether residents could leave at will; staff and the applicants said security details would be addressed in future submissions and that state licensing frameworks govern operational specifics. The board asked for a 25‑year stormwater report or equivalent city calculations and other natural‑resource inventories at the next review; applicants said they will provide the delineation reports and required materials as part of the upcoming site‑plan application.