Public Meeting: Zoning Bylaws
June 25, 2014
Notes:
Planner Maren Hill thanked the Vermont Department of Health’s Community Based Prevention Program
for providing healthy local snacks.
Project History: In 2012 the Town adopted a new Town Plan which is a visioning document stating
where the Town wants to go, how it wants to grow and what it wants to conserve. It sets both specific
and greater goals for the community. The vision statement for the Town is:
“The Town of St. Albans will be a town where there is balance between residential, commercial and
industrial development for robust and sustainable economic growth and a town with wholesome
neighborhoods, agricultural character and natural, cultural and historical resources.”
And whenever there is a Town Plan update, a zoning update follows shortly so that our regulations
match our vision. The Town wants to integrate these goals the Town Plan, create a clearer, easier-toread document. We also want to incorporate citizen voices and opinions.
This public meeting is first of its kind during this process, however not the first public outreach:
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On Town Meeting day Town distributed surveys asking residents their opinions on land use
issues.
Town held a focus group with property owners in the Northern Growth Area
Planning Commission meetings, held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month are open to the
public.
What is zoning?: Zoning is the most common way in which municipalities regulate the land uses and
physical development
 Districts: Division of Uses
 Minimum Lot Sizes
 Setbacks
 Minimum Frontage
 Maximum Height
 Maximum building and lot coverage
Within each zone, different establishments or uses are allowed. These are called permitted uses and
require a building permit from the Zoning Administrator. Other uses are conditional, requiring an
additional review by the Development Review Board. Usually these are conditional based on their
expected impacts such as increased traffic, pollution, safety concerns and infrastructure costs. Other
uses are not allowed at all because they are seen as incompatible with other uses in the zone.
Subdivision is dividing land into multiple parcels or lots. Subdivision regulations, included in our unified
bylaws, control how land is divided to accommodate uses and support infrastructure. It can include
requirements about what amenities must be included in new subdivisions or to which standards parcels
must be built.
Visioning – ideas for and issues in the bylaws: Meeting participants offered ideas and suggestions for
what they want addressed in the bylaws. The issues recorded at the meeting are listed below:
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requirements for green space/open space in developments
ability to network between space (sidewalk/bike lane connectivity)
promoting local food systems and other local resources
bicycle and pedestrian safety
road widths: smaller minimums (each lane only needs 11 feet), so as to make room for road
shoulders, bikes, pedestrians, reduce impervious cover
More renewable energy (wind, solar)
Measures to curb alcohol and tobacco use
Promoting local arts
Arts Council involved in new developments
Cover empty walls with local art
Stormwater runoff
Agricultural Runoff
Public transportation
Not another Williston-Tafts Corners
o Fewer big box stores
o Walkable connections
Diversified agricultural services/products
After our visioning discussion, we discussed possible regulatory actions to address resident concerns
ideas in the zoning bylaws as well as some possible non-regulatory actions.
Zoning:
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requirements for green space/open space in developments
o Define green/open space
o Continue requirements for open/green space
o Increase/maintain conservation regulations
ability to network between space (sidewalk/bike lane connectivity) & bicycle and pedestrian
safety
o require subdivisions to install sidewalks
o require subdivisions to install bike paths and/or parking
promoting local food systems and other local resources
o remove any regulatory barriers to growing local food
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road widths: smaller minimums (each lane only needs 11 feet), so as to make room for road
shoulders, bikes, pedestrians, reduce impervious cover
o examine road standards and apply to new developments
More renewable energy (wind, solar)
o Require renewable energy in developments over a certain size
o Remove or relax regulatory barriers to installing renewable energy projects
Measures to curb alcohol and tobacco use
o Limits on advertising placement
o No alcohol/tobacco buffers around schools
Promoting local arts
o Remove barriers to installing artwork/installations
Stormwater runoff
o Include language regulating stormwater in new developments
o Include incentives or requirements for low-impact development
o Reduce parking minimums
Public transportation
o Include in all zones
Not another Williston-Tafts Corners
o Reduce minimum lot sizes
o Require sidewalk connects
o Parking in back
o Allow for mixed use development
o Reduce setbacks
o Require bicycle parking
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Diversified agricultural services/products
o Remover zoning barriers to:
 food preparation
 onsite sales
 processing
 tasting rooms
Non-zoning:
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requirements for green space/open space in developments
o town build more parks
ability to network between space (sidewalk/bike lane connectivity) & bicycle and pedestrian
safety
o pursue Town Sidewalk plan
o continue with bike-ped path
promoting local food systems and other local resources
o work with schools to bring in healthy, local foods
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o hold events with local growers and/or producers
More renewable energy (wind, solar)
o Provide resources for those who want to pursue renewable energy projects
o Town sponsored renewable energy projects
Promoting local arts
o Hold artist walk
o Art events
o Create arts council
o Cover empty walls with local art
Stormwater runoff + Agricultural Runoff
o Participate in Regional Stormwater Education Program
o Work with partners such as City, Friends of Northern Lake Champlain, SAWA, Natural
Resources Council, Farmers Watershed Alliance to run volunteer days, educational
programs
Public transportation
o Work with partners to develop other transit options
o Publicize existing transit routes/schedules
Action Items:
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Bring meeting notes to Planning Commission
Research language that could be included into the zoning bylaws to encourage/discourage the
issues discussed
Include comments ideas in report to selectboard
Discuss other non-regulatory ideas with Planning Commission
Rank projects to pursue