HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP-24-26 - Supplemental - 0124 Nowland Farm Road (22)1
Marla Keene
From:Rosanne Greco <rosanne05403@aol.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 1, 2024 8:56 PM
To:Marla Keene
Cc:Janet Bellava; John Bossange; Rosanne Greco; Julian Keenan; Fran MacDonald; Michael
Mittag; Karen Ryder; Allan Strong; Carol McQuillen
Subject:EXTERNAL: SBLT comment on the Hubbard project
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Dear Marla,
Would you please send the below email to all DRB members. It is a comment regarding agenda item
#6: SP 24-26 project at 124 Nowland Farm Rd (Hubbard) that will come before the DRB at their 6
August 2024 meeting. Thank you.
Rosanne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Members of the Development Review Board,
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the South Burlington Land Trust (copied) I write to respectfully
request that you do not approve the City’s plan for the Hubbard Natural and Recreation area as it is
currently presented. We are requesting this for a number of reasons.
First is because of our concern for the damage or destruction this plan will do to the soils on Hubbard.
Given the severe impacts that Vermont farms have experienced from flooding events, Vermont, in
particular Chittenden County, is being forced to look for higher ground to grow crops. Fortunately,
Hubbard is on higher ground and contains high quality soils. Over the past years, the soils have been
made more fertile through the efforts of Common Roots, who have grown hundreds of pounds of
organic produce on the Hubbard lands much of which they donate to needy families and to the South
Burlington Food Shelf. Putting impermeable surfaces on this land will impact the soil on and around
the farm.
The proposed City plan for Hubbard involves paving over with impermeable materials a bike road
through the center of the land area, and paving over other grassy areas for a parking lot. There are
plenty of examples of bike paths in other places that do not use impermeable surfaces. A well
constructed hard-packed gravel path for bicycles is not more expensive than a paved path and is
equally usable in all seasons. Additionally, asphalt which absorbs heat from the sun, will make
walking through this area less desirable in hot weather and will increase the heat significantly.
2
Moreover, asphalt restricts rain from being absorbed by the soil and will add to the runoff going into
Monroe Brook. All South Burlington watersheds are currently listed as impaired; and adding asphalt
will hinder the City from achieving its goal, as stated in the 2024 City Plan, of having no impaired
watersheds by 2033.
There is no need to enlarge the existing gravel parking lot, much less make it an asphalt one. For
over ten years, people have parked their cars on the grass, and then after the City poured gravel over
this, on the gravel area. Except for a handful of special events, there have rarely been more than 5-6
cars parked on Hubbard at any one time. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to totally reject
enlarging and paving the parking area. At a minimum, to verify whether there is a true need for a
larger parking area, the City should conduct a parking study to determine whether enlarging this
parking area is needed or wise.
We are quite concerned about the impact of this project on the wildlife and birds who live, hunt, and
nest on the Hubbard lands. The Hubbard meadow and wooded area are wildlife corridors, one of the
last remaining major wildlife corridors in the city. Neighbors and visitors have taken hundreds of
photos and videos of wildlife on or near these lands. Others have spotted Bobolinks, a Species of
Greatest Conservation Need in Vermont, on the Hubbard meadows. The City project will disturb, if
not destroy, the wildlife and bird habitats.
The South Burlington Climate Action Plan advocates that we “protect our remaining meadows,
forests, grasslands and farmlands from further encroachment…” The Hubbard land contains all of the
natural resources specifically mentioned in the Climate Action Plan in need of protection; and yet the
current City plan encroaches on these vital natural resources.
Lastly, the Hubbard land was purchased by the City using Open Space funds, which were intended
by the voters to be used to conserve open lands. Pavement on open lands runs counter to the intent
and purpose of the fund. Turning natural resource lands into parks with pavement for cars and other
motorized vehicles does the same thing.
The South Burlington Land Trust Board of Directors requests that you send this plan back to the City
Council so that they can reassess it in light of the recent (and recurring) weather disasters we are
experiencing. Climate change impacts make protecting our open lands all the more critical.
Thank you for your consideration of our request.
Rosanne Greco
President, South Burlington Land Trust