DUMMERSTON — Some two dozen residents turned out Jan. 22 for a public hearing on proposed changes to the Zoning Bylaws and Route 5/30 corridors in the Town Plan.
The hearing, at the Dummerston Historical Society building, lasted approximately two hours, and was convened as the town wrestles with how to improve economic development while protecting homeowners' options.
A one-hour Selectboard meeting followed.
Many people addressed themselves to concerns about various aspects of proposals for the corridors, particularly Claudia Teachman; Tammy McNamara, a local veterinarian; Dave Lane; Brenda Davis; Lee Borofsky; and Beverly Tier.
Discussion on the Route 30 corridor map was brief, with Board Chair Zeke Goodband noting that “We've been working on these corridors in one way or another since 2009 when the town plan was really getting going.”
Changed since the most recent public hearing: officials added a little bit of rural commercial zoning by the Circle K convenience store in West Dummerston.
Discussion on the Route 5 corridor was more involved.
Teachman, a resident at Poplar Commons, asked the Selectboard to reconsider revisions to the Route 5 corridor zoning that have occurred since the Route 5/30 corridor committee turned in its recommendations, particularly those concerning the taking of land between Interstate 91 and the Connecticut River for a new “resource” district.
“It is my educated opinion that the parcels removed from rural commercial zoning did not need to come out, because it doesn't support anything in particular in the Town Plan,” Teachman said.
She added that such action could hurt her chances for refinancing or selling her property, a move she called “presumptive and inappropriate.”
Mark Whittaker, a resident and self-described property-rights activist, came out sharply against most instances of possible loss of rural commercial property as proposed in the Route 5 corridor:
“There's many, many other tools to restrict in this town other than zoning. And if anybody in public office has not heard this message loud and clear, they aren't listening or paying attention, or don't care. But that's been the loudest voice I've heard over 10 years now,” he said.
Cindy Wilcox of the Planning Commission explained that the resource district benefits the town through the state.
“The state is a top-down administrator of zoning and land use policies. They believe in keeping the historically settled placed settled, and the open spaces in between, and there's a lot of stuff called smart growth right now. How a town approves its plan that's anywhere close to what [the state's] plans are makes a bit of difference on some of the funding we have available or not available.”
“It also helps tie in with the towns around us,” she added. “We are not too compatible with Putney,” she noted of the Exit 4 area.
Tier, also a Planning Commission member, said she strongly understands that certain homeowners bought into properties zoned in rural commercial areas “on purpose; they want it that way. And I haven't heard solid reasons from the Selectboard as to why those changes are being defended so strongly.”
She said the only thing she's heard from the Selectboard on the changes was, “Well, we thought this would be nice,” and asked for clarification.
Discussion on proposed changes to zoning bylaw changes for Section 255, Nonconforming Use or Structure; Section 616, Exemptions to Set-back Requirements; and Section 715, Development Review Board, saw relatively little comment.
According to Brattleboro Community Television, at about two hours, four minutes into the meeting, resident Tom Bodett made a case for a petition to be put to the town concerning solar array taxation.