HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee - 01/14/2015
BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE
MINUTES 1-14-2015
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee held its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, January 14, 2015
at 5:30 pm in the medium conference room at the city office building.
Members Present: Matthew Boulanger, Chair; Dana Farr, Vice-Chair; Cathy Frank, Clerk; Donna Leban,
Roy Neuer
Members Absent: None
City Representative: Betsy Terry, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation
Also Present: Brett Bartlett and Peter Kahn from Willowbrook Homes, John Painter from South
Burlington High School, Tom Chittenden, resident of South Burlington, and Pat Nowak, City Counsel
Member and vice-chair.
Meeting began at 5:35 pm.
1. Changes or additions to the agenda – none
2. Comments from the public not related to the agenda
a. Pat Nowak, South Burlington City Council Member and vice-chair – Pat Nowak came to the
meeting to thank the committee members for their service on the Bike and Pedestrian
Committee and to listen to any concerns we had about our work going forward. The
committee shared with her that we were in desperate need of more committee members as
we had only 5 current members of the desired committee size of 9. The group also shared
with her our support of expanding the role of the committee to include transportation
concerns and to have someone with general transportation experience on the committee
since the bike/pedestrian paths are not only a part of our recreational infrastructure but also
serve a transportation function as well.
b. Need for safe pedestrian path on east side of Dorset south of Chittenden Cider Mill- Tom
Chittenden was present to discuss the need for a safe path for residents in the area,
particularly from the south, to walk to the Mill Market & Deli”, (1580 Dorset St.), formerly the
Chittenden Cider Mill, on the east side of Dorset St. for ice cream and groceries. His property
abuts the Mill Market & Deli property to the south and he is willing to give the city a right-of-
way along his Dorset Street frontage for an extension of the Recreation Path. The committee
expressed their delight and gratitude but also lament that the funds to build the path are not
immediately available. In order to make immediate improvements to the current dangerous
situation Tom said that he would mow his frontage to make it welcoming to pedestrians. The
Committee expressed their gratitude for his offer and suggested that he contact the city
attorney and solicit his services in drawing up the legal documentation necessary to formalize
his offer of a right of way.
3. Accept & approve Minutes of November 12, 2014 meeting
Roy: Moved to approve the minutes.
Dana: Second
Vote: Unanimous
4. Proposed Development on Dorset Street (Peter Kahn, Brett Bartlett, Willowbrook Project) Brett
Bartlett and Peter Kahn were present at the request of the South Burlington DRB in conjunction with
their planned Willowbrook development on the west side of Dorset Street, just south of the
Chittenden Cider Mill. After a discussion of the need for connectivity to Dorset Farms if the project
were to be expanded westward in the future, the committee passed a motion supporting the
proposed 20 foot easement along the eastern boundary of the current development with a request to
clear the easement strip and thus make it useable for pedestrians in the immediate future. Moved by
Roy/ seconded by Dana. Unanimous.
5. Proposed Project on the Trails Behind the High School (John Painter, SBHS Teacher) John gave a
presentation of the proposed improvements to the informal trail system on the east side of the high
school/ middle school playing fields that would transform it into a multi-use trail system. The project
would include cleaning up the junk presently in the area, repairing and rebuilding the trail system to
make it accessible to all ages of citizens, making it into an outdoor laboratory for the biology and
environment programs at the schools, as well as to bird watchers. It would also give the x-country
program at the high school the opportunity to have its own race course, providing 2 miles of trail in
the woods. Parking would be available at the school. The project would be paid for by a $20,000 grant
requiring a 20% local match. The SBHS Grounds Crew would do the upkeep. Motion to endorse this
project was made by Cathy, seconded by Dana and passed unanimously. Matt was directed to send a
letter from the committee in support of the project.
6. South Village Update, re DRB meeting – Donna and Cathy reported that Phase 2 of South Village will
include a new northern entrance to the development and that the bike-pedestrian path will run from
the current main entrance directly across from Allen Rd. up around the new houses set back to the
north and loop back down to Spear Street along the new northern entrance. Additionally the
developer was extending the uses for the easement along Spear Street to include the bike-pedestrian
path. Through questioning it was pointed out that the land the easement crosses has significant
drainage problems for being able to construct a path there without additional work.
7. Long Property Trail Easements Update –. As a follow up to a discussion with Mrs. Long concerning a
possible easement across her property which runs along the east side of Spear Street from the
northern boundary of South Village to the southern boundary of South Pointe, Cathy reported that
she had talked to Caroline Long’s son Alan. It was clear from that discussion that the family did not
want to commit to an easement on the property until such time as Mrs. Long no longer lived there
and the children had decided what they wanted to do with the property. That did not necessarily
mean they would not be willing to consider an easement at that time.
8. Underwood Property – Cathy reported that the Underwood Property Task Force has met 3 times
resulting in excellent discussion on the possible uses of the property including a bike-pedestrian
extension from Parkside Drive in South Pointe to Nowland Farm Road, walking trails,
community/school gardens, informal playing fields, nature based play stations, a possible building
structure for events, some riparian improvements to the wetlands and stream on the property, one or
two bridges across the stream and others. There will be a public input session On Thursday, January
29 at 7:00, City Hall.
9. CVS Dorset Street and O’Brien Property Updates – DRB Discussion. Donna reported that she pointed
out to the DRB that the CVS frontage along of Williston Road, while it had a sidewalk in the plans and
an entrance to the drug store from the sidewalk, that the intersection of Williston Road and Dorset
Street is one of the worst in the state for bicycles. After some discussion the developers agreed to add
a shortcut for cyclists into the CVS parking lot just east of the Interstate exit, into the property and
parking area.
Likewise during the discussion of the O’Brien Property, Donna suggested that there needed to be a
bike-pedestrian connection from the neighborhood to Kennedy Drive and from the planned hotel to
Kennedy Drive, especially since it would be the closet hotel to the airport.
10. General matters
DRB process - The committee had a general discussion as to what the relationship should be between
the Bike-Pedestrian Committee and the South Burlington DRB. Roy said that he receives an email with
the DRB agenda and asked Betsy if she could arrange for all R/P members to also get the DRB agenda
(the agenda contains links to the plans to be discussed at the next meeting.). Betsy shared with the
committee how Recreation & Leisure Arts Committee planned to monitor the actions of other
committees, specifically by assigning one committee member to each committee to read the minutes
and agendas for those of another City committee and share any recreation related news at the RLA
Committee meetings.
11. Next Meeting: 2/11/15
12. Adjourn
Dana: Motion to Adjourn
Roy: Second
Vote: Unanimous
Meeting ended at 7:50 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Cathy Frank, Clerk