HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee - 12/14/2022
AGENDA
South Burlington Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee
City Hall 3rd Floor, Room 301 at 180 Market Street South Burlington, VT 05403
Participation Options: In Person: Room 301 – 180 Market St
Assistive Listening Service Devices Available upon request
Electronically: https://meet.goto.com/SBCity/bike_ped_committee_12-14-2022
Join By Phone: +1 (571) 317-3122 Access Code: 391-304-173
5:30 PM Wednesday December 14, 2022
1. Welcome, Virtual Meeting Instructions, Gratitude – Havaleh (5:30 PM)
2. Changes or additions to the agenda – Havaleh (5:35 PM)
3. Comments from the public not related to the agenda – Havaleh (5:40 PM)
4. Consideration of minutes from November 9, 2022 – Havaleh (5:45PM)
5. ***Updates from the City – Erica (5:50 PM)
6. (Warned for 6:00 PM) Multi-Site Crosswalk Feasibility Study Presentation – Todd Sumner
7. “The Street Project” Screening Takeaways – DPW and Safety Subgroup (7:15 PM)
8. ***2024 Comprehensive Plan Discussion (7:25)
9. Updates Ongoing Committee/Liaison Work: (7:45 PM)
1. Chair updates/comments – Havaleh
2. DRB Update – New liaison needed
3. DPW/Safety – Bob, Dana, Amanda, Doug
4. Bike Friendly Community Planning/Greenway progress – Nic
5. Communications/Outreach –Donna, Havaleh
6. Mapping – Amanda, Nic
7. Signs – Nic, Donna, Dana
10. Schedule January Meeting
11. Adjourn (by 8:00 PM)
*** Attachments Included
104 Landfill Road, South Burlington, VT 05403 www.southburlingtonvt.gov tel 802.658.7961
To: South Burlington Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee
From: Erica Quallen, Deputy Director of Capital Projects and Staff Liaison
Date: December 14, 2022
Re: DPW Updates to Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee
Since our committee meeting on November 9, 2022, I have the following updates to report on behalf of
Public Works and City staff:
• DPW and Penny for Paths budgets and CIPs will be presented to City Council on December 19th.
All draft FY24 budget materials are available on the City’s website: FY24 Proposed Budget Materials
• CCRPC UPWP applications are in the works, and we are planning to apply for funding for a
Walk/Bike Master Plan as our primary request (pending Planning Commission approval).
• The Transportation and Land Use Climate Action Implementation Plan effort has been kicked off
and the Advisory Group is being assembled. As Havaleh mentioned by email, Donna will continue
her involvement with the Climate Action Plan by serving as the Committee’s representative on the
Advisory Group.
• Design continues on the Spear Street and Dorset Street shared use paths and is moving into
preliminary design.
• Crosswalks on Williston Road at Pine Tree Terrace/Davis Parkway and near Mills Ave have gone
through ROW internally and are going through formal VTrans ROW review before finalizing plans
and contract documents to go out to bid.
• The 4 TIF projects (Bike/Ped Bridge, Garden Street, Williston Road Streetscape, and City Center
Park Path) were presented to Council on December 5th and were well received by Council. Ballot
language will be developed and warned for public comment before being finalized for March 2023
Town Meeting Day vote.
• DPW is getting close to hiring a public works project manager who would likely begin in early
February 2023. They will be more hands-on with Penny for Paths and Open Space Projects. I will
remain very plugged in with these projects and remain as the liaison to the Committee.
• The Kennedy Drive shared use path lighting study and WSP is on track to hold their public meeting
at the Committee’s January meeting.
• The scope for the study looking at connections to and from the I-89 Bike/Ped Bridge is under
development. We expect the Committee to be heavily involved in this effort.
November 7, 2022
Dear Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee,
The Planning Commission has begun working on the 2024 Comprehensive Plan and is now reaching out
to the City’s policy committees for input in their particular areas of focus. This is the first of several
rounds of committee involvement through the review and update process. Currently, we are in the early
stages of public engagement and review of the existing plan. We’re excited to have the Bicycle &
Pedestrian Committee on board as we start this first step in our collaborative effort to update the Plan.
Background and Work to Date
Please find attached to this letter a copy of the 2016 Comprehensive Plan, which is the current plan until
the new update is adopted in 2024. In each section, there is a list of topic-specific Objectives and
Strategies to reach those objectives. The 2024 Comprehensive Plan will be reorganized but most, if not
all, of the existing sections will remain in some form.
Also attached are two additional documents. One is a memo describing the current “knowns” – pieces of
information about the City and City policies that we know and must inform the Comprehensive Plan
update.
The second is the updated Core Values, Vision & Goals for the 2024 Comprehensive Plan – the outline of
four values that drive our City and inform all other areas of the Comprehensive Plan. It is designed to
form the foundation of the rest of the Comprehensive Plan and thoughtful, values-driven decision-
making under that Plan. The updated Core Values, Vision & Goals have been recently updated and
adopted by the Planning Commission and City Council.
Current Stage
At this stage, we need three key pieces of input from your committee. First, what key topics within your
area of focus should be prioritized in the 2024 Comprehensive Plan? These can be topics that are
already addressed in the current plan, topics that should be added, and/or topics that are included but
need more attention in the 2024 update.
Second, what input do you need from members of the public related to those key topics? The City is
planning to hold several facilitated public input sessions managed by a professional facilitator. During
these sessions, what topics do you need the facilitator to raise and what information are you seeking
from those discussions?
2
Third, what further information does your committee need in order to provide feedback on the
Comprehensive Plan? This could include further GIS mapping information, City statistics, etc. Any need
for new studies or plans should be included in the Comprehensive Plan itself, but is there helpful
information that the City has or could easily compile?
The Planning Commission would appreciate you taking up this question in your November or December
meeting and providing feedback by the end of December.
Future Stages
As the update process moves forward, we are going to be asking for additional input from you. This is
going to include feedback on the 2016 Comprehensive Plan objectives relevant to your area of focus,
review and response to draft objectives based on adopted plans and future goals, and what additional
plans or studies your committee would like to see in the next eight to ten years.
This is our opportunity to plan the next stage in South Burlington’s evolution with your help. Thank you
for all the time and effort you put into your work for the City.
Sincerely,
Kelsey Peterson
City Planner
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802-846-4106 | www.southburlingtonvt.gov
MEMORANDUM
TO: South Burlington Planning Commission
FROM: Paul Conner, Director of Planning & Zoning
SUBJECT: 2024 Comprehensive Plan: Statutory Requirements and “Knowns” leading into the Plan
DATE: May 24, 2022 Planning Commission meeting
Statutory Requirements:
A municipal Plan in Vermont, in order to be “confirmed” (and therefore valid and eligible for a variety of state
programs), must contain certain required elements and must demonstrate consistency with statewide planning
goals.
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) will perform a review of the Plan at the start and
again at the end of the Plan preparation process, followed by a public hearing and action by the CCRPC’s Board
for confirmation. Throughout the process, staff will be working to assure compliance with these requirements.
There have been two changes of note to the enabling statutes in the time since the 2016 Plan was adopted:
• Act 171, Planning for Habitat Blocks and Forest Connectors requires that confirmed municipal plans address
the subject and includes in the Land Use Plan a component that “Indicates those areas that are important as
forest blocks and habitat connectors and plans for land development in those areas to minimize forest
fragmentation and promote the health, viability, and ecological function of forests. A plan may include
specific policies to encourage the active management of those areas for wildlife habitat, water quality,
timber production, recreation, or other values or functions identified by the municipality.”
• Act 174, Enhanced Energy Plans, gives municipalities the option to have greater weight – substantial
deference – in the State’s Section 248 review process for energy generation facilities by developing a plan to
meet identified targets for renewable energy generation and conservation. The Climate Action Plan Task is
looking at this subject and to date has recommended that the City strive to attain this designation if the
targets can be met in a manner that is consistent with the City’s other climate action and planning goals.
Knowns Leading into the Plan:
As presented in the Plan outline last month, the next (and iterative) step in the preparation of the 2024
Comprehensive Plan is to identify and establish “knowns” to serve as a framework for the Plan. These include
basic structural elements, existing adopted City Council resolutions, such as the Climate Change Resolution; and
economic and demographic conditions and projections, known land use conditions, and travel patterns.
The purpose of the knowns is to provide a common set of parameters for all those involved in preparing the Plan
to be cognizant of. Having an understanding of our anticipated population change and new housing will help the
City’s departments assess their service and capital needs, for example. These “knowns” are not intended to be
2
policies in and of themselves – they are a framing, together with the overall vision and goals – to help every be
on the same page as we develop the Plan over the next year.
The “knowns” below are looking back, for the moment, and we anticipate projecting them forward in the
coming weeks as part of a full demographics report. We would welcome Commissioners’ thoughts on what
“knowns” we should be considering.
Overall Policy
• The Plan will meet the Statutory requirements for a regionally-confirmed plan
• The Plan will strive to meet the Statutory option for an Enhanced Energy Plan
• The Plan will incorporate the City Council’s resolution on Climate Change
• The Plan will make use of studies and reports undertaken and completed by the City since adoption of
the 2016 Plan
Population
• Annual population growth since 1990 has been 1.55%, and declined to 1.28 annually between 2010 and
2020. (The 2016 Plan anticipated 1-1.5% annually)
• The City’s population is becoming more diverse. The most recent data showed 11% of the population
speaking a language other than English at home, and increasing.
• The City’s population is aging. Average age is 41.7, which has been trending up. 18.5% of our population
is over 65 years of age.
• Of the City’s 8,801 households, 2,141 include a person with a disability
Housing
• Housing growth was 1.4% annually 2010-2020 (2016 Plan anticipated 1.5-2% annually)
• The City has averaged ~143 dwelling units added annually since 1980. The trend is steady and is
anticipated to remain, and possibly increase slightly based on City Center and State and Federal
incentives for affordable and missing middle housing.
• The majority of new housing since 2000 has been multi-family. Since that time, 64% of new homes have
been multi-family, and overall represent 41% of our total housing. Stand-alone single family homes now
represent 53% of our housing, down from 67% in 2000.
• Since 2010, approximately 85-89% of new housing that has been approved through development review
has been within or immediately adjacent to the City’s Transit Overlay District [note: this does not include
housing that was approved prior to that time and for which construction has been ongoing since]
Employment and Transportation:
• Of the City’s 8,801 households, 752 have no vehicle
• The City’s daytime population is ~24,592
• There are 20,120 employees and 1,418 businesses in South Burlington
• Home and Workplace. There is a lot of travel in a out of the City for work
o 2,613 people live and work in South Burlington.
o 17,639 people live elsewhere and work in South Burlington
o 8,206 people live in South Burlington and work outside the City
DRAFT 2024 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
10/18/2022
1.1. Core Values, Vision & Goals
South Burlington holds the following as our core values, vision, and goals that will drive our decision
making and work over the life of this Plan and beyond:
Inclusive, Fair, and Just. Create opportunity for all our residents and visitors.
• Strive to give each person a dignified experience in our community.
• Be equity-oriented, transparent, and fiscally responsible in governance, policy development and
implementation, investment, advocacy, and delivery of services.
• Be affordable, with housing for people of all incomes, lifestyles, and stages of life.
• Preserve our unique features while investing in enhancing and adapting our neighborhoods to
meet future needs.
• Be a recognized leader in public education offerings and outcomes.
• Provide quality public safety, infrastructure, health, wellness, and recreation services.
• Acknowledge that the City is on the traditional territory of the N’dakina/Abenaki and Wabanaki
peoples and support members of these nations and other indigenous nations within our
community.
Human-focused. Invest in a high-quality, human-scale built environment.
• Invest in parks, facilities, and infrastructure to build community, a sense of place, well-being,
and belonging.
• Focus on a safe, resilient, and efficient transportation system that prioritizes pedestrian, bicycle,
and transit options ahead of driving.
• Establish a vibrant, diverse, and community-focused city center with pedestrian-oriented design,
mixed uses, public buildings, public art, and civic spaces.
• Prioritize new development and re-development in built areas served by transit and public
infrastructure.
• Invest in, and support thoughtful infill into, neighborhoods so they thrive and evolve to meet
future needs.
Climate Resilient. Emphasize sustainability for long-term viability of a clean and green City
• Meet or exceed the goals of the Vermont Global Warming Solutions Act by rapidly reducing
consumption of fossil fuels, significantly increasing renewable energy production, and
promoting energy efficiency
• Conserve and protect our natural resources, wildlife habitat and corridors, forests, agricultural
lands, and ecosystems
• Focus City investment on adaptive and resilient public infrastructure
• Vigorously promote clean air and clean water
• Conserve important historical sites and structures
• Provide recreational space for all residents
Opportunity-Oriented. Be a supportive and engaged member of the larger regional and statewide
community.
• Provide local and accessible services to our current residents, employees, and visitors, and plan
for people and nature of the next century and beyond
• Invest in and closely engage with education in our community
DRAFT 2024 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
10/18/2022
• Promote and support the City’s role as an economic engine for Vermont by promoting
community businesses and local job creation.
• Support a diverse and resilient economy with quality jobs, employment centers, small
businesses and entrepreneurship, educational and research systems, and strong markets for
local agricultural, food, and other products.
• Make decisions that explicitly consider the implications of today’s decisions on tomorrow’s
South Burlington, Chittenden County, and Vermont