HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - Planning Commission - 02/25/2020 - Joint Meeting with City CouncilSouth Burlington Planning Commission
575 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 846-4106
www.sburl.com
Meeting Tuesday, February 25, 2020
7:00 pm
South Burlington Municipal Offices, 575 Dorset Street
AGENDA:
The initial portion of this meeting will be a Joint Meeting with City Council
1. Directions on emergency evacuation procedures from conference room (7:00 pm)
2. Agenda: Additions, deletions or changes in order of agenda items (7:02 pm)
3. Open to the public for items not related to the agenda (7:04 pm)
4. Announcements and staff report (7:09 pm)
5. Presentation and Commission/Council discussion of completed 2020 South Burlington Habitat Block
Assessment and Ranking, Aaron Worthley, Arrowwood Environmental, LLC (7:12 pm)
The remainder of this meeting will be a regular Commission meeting
6. Review Planned Unit Development / Natural Resources Project Completion Timeline and
Commission tasks (8:30 pm)
7. Discuss approve public outreach plan for Planned Unit Development / Natural Resources
amendments to the Land Development (8:45 pm)
8. Other Business (9:00 pm)
9. Adjourn (9:02 pm)
Respectfully submitted,
Paul Conner, AICP,
Director of Planning & Zoning
South Burlington Planning Commission Meeting Participation Guidelines
1. The Planning Commission Chair presents these guidelines for the public attending Planning Commission meetings to
ensure that everyone has a chance to speak and that meetings proceed smoothly.
2. Initial discussion on an agenda item will generally be conducted by the Commission. As this is our opportunity to
engage with the subject, we would like to hear from all commissioners first. After the Commission has discussed an
item, the Chair will ask for public comment. Please raise your hand to be recognized to speak and the Chair will try to
call on each participant in sequence.
3. Once recognized by the Chair, please identify yourself to the Commission.
4. If the Commission suggests time limits, please respect them. Time limits will be used when they can aid in making
sure everyone is heard and sufficient time is available for Commission to conduct business items.
5. Side conversations between audience members should be kept to an absolute minimum. The hallway outside the
Community Room is available should people wish to chat more fully.
6. Please address the Chair. Please do not address other audience members or staff or presenters and please do not
interrupt others when they are speaking.
7. Make every effort not to repeat the points made by others.
8. The Chair will make reasonable efforts to allow everyone who is interested in participating to speak once before
speakers address the Commission for a second time.
9. The Planning Commission desires to be as open and informal as possible within the construct that the Planning
Commission meeting is an opportunity for commissioners to discuss, debate and decide upon policy matters.
Regular Planning Commission meetings are not “town meetings”. A warned public hearing is a fuller opportunity to
explore an issue, provide input and sway public opinion on the matter.
10. Comments may be submitted before, during or after the meeting to the Planning and Zoning Department. All
written comments will be circulation to the Planning Commission and kept as part of the City Planner's official
records of meetings. Comments must include your first and last name and a contact (e-mail, phone, address) to be
included in the record.
575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 tel 802.846.4106 fax 802.846.4101 www.sburl.com
MEMORANDUM
TO: South Burlington Planning Commission
South Burlington City Council
FROM: Paul Conner, Director of Planning & Zoning
SUBJECT: Arrowwood Environmental Habitat Block Assessment & Ranking
DATE: February 25, 2020 Joint City Council / Planning Commission meeting
Tuesday evening at the Joint City Council / Planning Commission meeting, Aaron Worthley of Arrowwood
Environmental, LLC will present their findings on their recently-completed Habitat Block Assessment and
Ranking for South Burlington.
The Planning Commission sought this assessment in order to establish a clear delineation of habitat blocks in
the community based on Arrowwood’s assessment methodology. The purpose of this report will be to
establish a foundation for a regulatory (Land Development Regulation) management of Habitat Blocks.
The Planning Commission approved the scope of work for this study in September following recommendation
from a leadership group of chair Jessica Louisos, vice-chair Bernie Gagnon, and Open Space IZ Committee
chair Allan Strong. The Commission approved the scope of work at its September 10th meeting, with the
intent to use the results as the foundation of forest/habitat block regulation.
As discussed at the February 11th Joint Meeting, the Commission has a working list of natural resources
standards proposed for the updated Land Development Regulations. The Commission received the Habitat
Block Assessment at its January 28th meeting. The Commission has reviewed the overall report and generally
endorsed its methodology and findings (as part of the agreed-upon approach approved February 3rd)
The Report includes a ranking of the 26 identified Habitat Blocks. The Commission has not yet discussed
whether Habitat Blocks would be treated the same or differently from a regulatory perspective based on
their rank. Finally, as noted in the presentation on February 11th, the Commission has discussed but not yet
determined whether certain areas of the city may be exempted or have natural resources treated differently
based on city priorities (City Center Form Based Code area, for instance).
Below are links to resources in advance of Tuesday’s meeting:
- Arrowwood Environmental Habitat Block Assessment & Ranking
- Online interactive map of identified Habitat Blocks prepared by Arrowwood Environmental
- Project webpage for Planned Unit Development / Natural Resources project