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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 01/08/2001CITY COUNCIL 8 JANUARY 2001 The South Burlington City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, 8 January 2001, at 7:30 p.m., in the Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset Street. Members present: J. Condos, Chair; D. O'Rourke, C. Smith, S. Magowan Also present: C. Hafter, City Manager; P. Bestenbostel, Asst. City Manager; A. Johnston, The Other Paper; Channel 17; J. J. Hamilton, M. Flaherty, B. McEwing, S. Audette, G. & C. Lothrop, V. Fraser, L. Fife, L. Llewellyn, M. Crane, D. Gage, J. Briggs, L. Gluck, J. Ladd 1. Comments & questions from the audience not related to agenda items: No issues were raised. 2. Announcements & City Manager's report: Mr. Smith: The housing subcommittee of the Regional Planning Commission will meet on 28 January. Mr. Smith said he is talking with Bruce Chattman to get some comments regarding Act 60 to the Legislature. Mr. Condos: The MPO will meet on 17 January at Winooski City Hall. The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed updates to the city's Comprehensive Plan, tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. If the Commission approves the Plan, they will forward it to the Council that will hold 2 public hearings. Mr. Hafter: Traffic issues were supposed to be discussed at next week's meeting. Mr. Hafter suggested changing this to the 5 February meeting because it was too late to get a notice of the meeting into the Other Paper. On 8 February, the developer of the City Center will present his completed plans at a public meeting at the Middle School. Peter Cole will facilitate the meeting. Tickets for the father-daughter Valentine's Ball are almost sold out. The projected grand list increase for the city is 4.7%. The school figure is 5.8%. Mr. Hafter said he would probably use 4.5% for the budget. He noted that the current residential/commercial breakdown is 58% residential and 42% commercial. 3. Update on Burlington International Airport projects and plans: Mr. Flaherty noted that the expansion of the Airport will be completed at the end of January. Council members will be invited to a "showing." Mr. Hamilton said the major task at the Airport is to estimate demand and then put plans together to meet that demand. Mr. McEwing noted that forecasts that were made a year and a half ago are coming true. Figures for October, November and December were all up at least 17% over last year. Fares to New York have gone down, and flights to LaGuardia have tripled. The master plan shows development in the air carrier area. The building will be expanded to the north and south, and a new parallel taxiway will align with the present system. Expansion to the south will serve the cargo area. The Army Guard is looking to build a facility to the north. The expansion to the north end of the building will allow for an additional baggage carousel. There will also be additional gate space on the second floor. Mr. McEwing showed some areas of proposed land acquisition. Parking is again becoming a concern. The garage is mostly full. Options are being considered including expansion of the garage to the north. Mr. Condos noted that the city will be very concerned about traffic. He specifically cited cargo operations that generate a lot of traffic. Mr. McEwing felt the widening of the road is an area issue, not only an Airport issue. Mr. Flaherty touched on the issue of having the airport become a regional airport. 4. Request from DRB to review extension of Old Cross Road to Hinesburg Rd: Mr. Hafter said that last week the DRB held a sketch plan hearing on plans for Marceau Meadows. One area of discussion centered on a link from Dorset St. to Hinesburg Rd. The city owns a 60 ft. right-of-way to complete the missing link to the connection. The question is whether this developer should be required to build that link. The DRB wants the link but needs to know whether the city still wants it. Mr. Lothrop noted that the road was in the first sketch plan. Since then, the developer and neighbors have worked on a plan without the road. The development already has 2 access points, so the road would not be required. Residents would like to protect the area from traffic. Mr. Lothrop noted that the Town of Williston also opposes the road, and the state has not favored it because the proper connection cannot be made. He asked whether the DRB has the right to require the road. Mrs. Lothrop said the road would landlock their property and the Dunlevy's property and would cause the property values to go down. Ms. Fraser said one the greatest concerns is that the road would become a cut-through from Shelburne Rd. and would draw a lot of traffic to Van Sicklen Rd which is a very narrow, country road. On the Williston side, testimony was given by the Town of Williston that they do not have the infrastructure for additional traffic on that road and they have no intention of upgrading it. Mr. Condos noted that Williston didn't care about South Burlington concerns when it opened Marshall Avenue and told people to use South Burlington roads to get there. The impact of this on Kennedy Drive has caused a lot of problems in South Burlington. Mr. Smith said Kennedy Drive traffic seems to have doubled in the last few years. He felt the city needs more east-west connectors, but needs to decide where they make the most sense. Mr. Fife asked about the priority of having an Interstate access at Hinesburg Rd. He felt this would solve a lot of the Kennedy Drive problems. Mr. Condos said he agreed 100%, but the Governor has said no new exits on the Interstate. The Agency of Transportation is not even considering such an access. There is a "rule" that states that interstates will not be used to relieve local traffic. Ms. Lothrop felt Cheesefactory Rd. was a good enough east-west connector. Mr. Condos said traffic coming into South Burlington is getting worse, and that may not be enough to handle it. Mr. Hafter suggested having the DRB ask the developer for a traffic study. Members agreed they wanted more information. Mr. Gluck applauded the effort to get more information but felt that the impression is that the city is trying to solve problems on the backs of taxpayers. He felt this might be the wrong road in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mr. Briggs noted the city is developing the City Center in an effort to alleviate sprawl. He felt the proposed road would create sprawl. Mr. Lothrop asked if the DRB can require the developer to build the road. Mr. Condos said it can. Mr. McGowan noted the road is on the official city map. He added that growth is coming whether the city wants it or not, and there are issues of safety. He felt east-west connectors are needed. He felt the city has to balance public safety with what makes sense. Mr. Gage said he would like to think we are long term thinkers, and he didn't feel he was hearing much of that. He felt this is a multi-faceted issue: economic, quality of life, school issues, etc. He noted some towns have limited roads deliberately and this made them better towns. The more roads that are built, the more traffic will be induced. Mr. Gage felt the question is what philosophy the city wants to live by. He said the city should take a year and really think about this. Ms. Lothrop noted the comprehensive plan says the city should preserve Potash Brook. She asked how that can be accomplished when the city is talking of building a road through there. Mr. Condos said that issue will be handled by the Environmental Board. Mr. Fife reminded people of the Comprehensive Plan hearing tomorrow night. Issues such as these will be part of that discussion. 5. Review of staff comments on draft regional plan: Mr. Crane said the RPC wants comments by January 15. Members then raised issues about "Planning Area C" and how such areas are meant to evolve. Mr. Crane said the aim is to develop more efficiency of development. Mr. Smith noted that designating development in Area A increases costs since economics won't allow some large developments in Area A. He asked who has control of this. Mr. Crane said it is completely at the city's discretion. Mr. Hafter said they might as well have the whole city be Area A so you can do anything without having to "jump through hoops." Mr. Magowan noted that people have used the regional plan to try to stop development, so what Mr. Hafter suggests may make sense. Mr. Hafter said he is concerned with creating another level of authority. He also noted that the city's Dorset Park is in planning Area C, and the city has plans for public facilities in that Park. Mr. Crane said he recognizes that. Mr. Magowan said if someone comes in with a PRD in Area C and gets DRB approval, they can't build unless the Regional Plan is changed. Mr. Crane said "not necessarily." It would depend on the project. The Regional Plan would only discourage it, there are no "shalls" or "wills." Mr. Magowan asked who shows up in court to defend the plan when someone objects that the city's plan isn't in sync with the Regional Plan. He felt there needs to be a really clear statement of what has to be done, or you are just inviting litigation. Mr. Crane suggested the city identify potential Area B sites. Mr. Hafter said that should be a local planning issue. Mr. Crane said if you're going to have a Regional Plan, you have to have that extra layer. Mr. Magowan also felt that if the City Council has the power to change an area from "C" to "A," it would set the Council up above the DRB and would create a political component that should not occur in the planning process. Mr. Hafter also noted that creating an extra layer of review drives up the cost of projects so that you can never get any affordable housing. Mr. O'Rourke asked if the physical capacity exists to handle the growth that is talked about in Areas "A" and "B." Mr. Crane said you could fit eight million people in Chittenden County if you wanted to. Mr. Condos noted that the maps in the regional plan are not right. The one with public facilities mislocates Dorset Park, and there is also more Rec Path than shown. Gas service areas also need to be updated. Mr. Condos asked how you form a plan that doesn't create "elitist boundaries." He said that is what scares him most about the proposed plan. He felt it crams the masses into the inner city and leaves the top level out on their 10-acre plots. Mr. Magowan said he would like to see Burlington, South Burlington, and Winooski compensated for being the core of development. Mr. Condos also noted that Act 60 is in direct opposition to what the regional plan wants to do. 6. Public hearing on amendment to Motor Vehicle & Traffic Regulations to establish 3-way stop intersection at Airport Parkway and White Street; second reading of same: Mr. Condos read the proposed amendment. Mr. Edson said he foresaw problems because stopping traffic would back up as far as Chamberlin School. Mr. Hafter said the study the city did said that wouldn't happen. Mr. Edson said if the Airport Dr. extension is built, it would alleviate problems. Mr. Condos said there was opposition to the extension. The MPO is doing an access management study of traffic going into the Airport. Mr. Audette noted this will slow traffic on White Street. Mr. Edson added that there is also a lot of tractor-trailer traffic which may have a problem. Mr. Smith moved to close the public hearing, approve and sign the amendment as presented. Mr. Magowan seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 7. Public hearing: Vermont Community Development Program Grant application for affordable housing at Lime Kiln Village; consideration of city council approval of application: Mr. Hafter said the application was in order. Mr. Magowan moved to close the public hearing and approve the application and resolution as presented and to authorize the council Chair to sign the letter of support. Mr. Smith seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 8. Consideration of refunding notes for Scot Air Paks (Fire Dept), road sweeper (Highway Dept) and Jeep Cherokee (Public Works): Mr. Smith moved to approve the refunding notes and accompanying resolutions as presented. Mr. O'Rourke seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 9. Review planning commission agenda for 9 January 2001: No issues were raised. 10. Authorization for City Manager to sign Certificate of Highway Mileage and Certificate of Completion and Opening of a Highway for Public Travel: Mr. Smith moved to authorize the City Manager to sign the certificates as presented. Mr. Magowan seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 11. Review minutes of 18 December 2000: Mr. O'Rourke moved to approve the minutes of 18 December 2000 as presented. Mr. Smith seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 12. Sign disbursement orders: Disbursement orders were signed. 13. Liquor Control Board: Mr. Magowan moved the council adjourn and reconvene as Liquor Control Board. Mr. Smith seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Mr. Hafter presented a liquor license request from Odessa Corporation, new owners of Champlain Farms at 1041 Shelburne Rd. He said that everything is in compliance. Mr. O'Rourke moved to approve the liquor license request for Odessa Corporation as presented. Mr. Smith seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Executive session: Mr. Smith moved the Board adjourn and reconvene as city council in executive session to discuss a contract and to resume regular session only for purpose of signing the contract and/or adjourning. Mr. Magowan seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Regular session: The city council returned to regular session. Mr. Smith moved approval of the city contract with the city hall association for a three-year period, July 1,2000-June 30, 2003. Mr. Magowan seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Magowan moved adjournment. Mr. Smith seconded. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 11:30 p.m. Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.