Draft zoning map would add Tier 1B, consider 1‑acre town district to regularize existing lots

Kellen Appleton, presenting a draft zoning map prepared with MARC, told the Planning Commission the final map would likely fall between the town’s current map and the draft and that the map was intended to better align zoning with the Future Land Use map.

"The final new map would probably fall between the existing and draft," Appleton said, noting the draft shows Tier 1B areas, contiguous Village areas that might be converted to 1‑acre lots, and overlays for aquifers, ridgelines and habitat areas. Martha Harrison of MARC told commissioners the draft may conform more closely to the Future Land Use map and recommended considering a 1‑acre district in parts of the town where many lots are already 1 acre.

Chair Noah Schmidt said the commission should consider where nonconforming 1‑acre lots exist and suggested limiting density in habitat areas to much larger minimums, such as 10 acres. Commissioners asked for an overlay comparison that would show how the draft differs from the existing zoning map and requested that MARC and staff match parcel boundaries to district lines to avoid putting single parcels in multiple districts.

Commissioners and MARC staff noted several process points: Kellen Appleton said the draft focuses on Town zoning (the planning grant is for the Town, not the Village) and advised the commission to identify which districts should allow mixed uses; Martha Harrison reminded the group that state rules permit higher densities where water and sewer are available. Commissioners agreed to review the draft map and requested that Appleton send the comparison materials to members before the next meeting.