HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Natural Resources Committee - 09/25/2013South Burlington Natural Resources Committee
575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 846-4106 www.sburl.com
Wednesday September 25, 2013
6:15pm
South Burlington Municipal Offices, 575 Dorset Street
MEETING MINUTES for Regular Bi-Monthly Meeting
Present: Laurel Williams (Interim NRC/OSC Chair), Patrick Clemins (NRC/OSC Clerk), Russell
Agne (NRC/OSC Member), Jeff Dickson (NRC/OSC Member), Jim Duncan (NRC/OSC Member),
Betty Milizia (NRC/OSC Member), Jennifer Kochman (OSC Member - Rec and Leisure Arts
Cmte), Cathyann LaRose (NRC/OSC Staff Liaison - SB City Planner), Heather Auclair (OSC
Member), Sarah Dopp (OSC Member - SB Land Trust), Larry Michaels (OSC Member), Sharon
Murray (OSC Consultant - Front Porch Community Planning & Design), Sophie Quest
OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE
Meeting called to order at 6:28pm.
9/11/2013 Minutes: Milizia moved to approve the 9/11/2013 minutes. Williams seconded the
motion, and the motion passed.
City Center Open Space: Murray presented some information she has collected on Open Space,
current and planned, in the City Center, and got feedback from the committee. Dopp noted
that Tributary 3 might become a more significant feature as the City Center is built out due to
an increase in impervious surfaces in the area.
Murray showed the committee the draft City Center map included in the approved TIF
application and solicited comments on this draft plan. In general, the committee liked this draft
plan quite a bit and questioned the purpose of the redesign currently underway, or at least the
process for assigning the form-based T-zones. The committee then went through the various
green spaces in that draft plan and discussed what they did and did not like about each.
The committee moved into a discussion about a recommendation regarding open space around
tributary 3. The idea of small boardwalks to connect the tributary to other open space - and
specifically not along the length of the tributary - was generally well received as long as it had
minimal impact on the tributary and the associated habitat.
The committee discussed the current “Messy Map” draft and noted that much of the green
space was removed and that the city square was no longer on Market Street. In addition, the
buffer around tributary 3 is greatly reduced and the planned green spaces are not as connected
as they were in the TIF draft map. The committee also wondered why the buffer around the
tributary was not coded as T1 throughout the map.
The committee generally agreed that the TIF application map is preferable to the FBC redesign
because the TIF map has a coherent arrangement of open and developed space. This
arrangement creates a sense of place and an inviting environment for human business and
leisure. In contrast, the “Messy Map” redesign has the potential for piecemeal development in
which the various spaces have no relation, aesthetic or practical, to each other because of the
lack of specificity in the zoning. Kochman noted that this hodge-podge effect is exactly the kind
of approach which has led South Burlington to its sorry state of “nowhere you’d choose to be”
and was one of the prime motivations for applying for the TIF in the first place.
Over the course of the discussion, a few ideas for recommendations surfaced.
• Specific protections for Tributary 3, including an appropriate offset for development.
• Use, size and location of central green (approx. 2 acres but based on surrounding
building height, multi-use with trees, and preferably on Market Street, bordered by
municipal buildings).
• Preserve the south side of the eastern-most portion of Market Street (this potential
recommendation did not have consensus and would require further discussion).
• The current 5% open space requirement by floor area should be enforced at a scale
larger than individual parcels. The draft code is not specific, and if it was enforced at the
parcel level, could lead to small, disconnected, and less useful open spaces in the City
Center.
• Landscaping regulations that promote the planting of native species, foliage that
encourages population growth of endangered species, edible plants, and limited or no
use of pesticides.
Murray revisited the Open Space Transects and asked the committee for final feedback on the
current draft. The committee approved the Open Space Transects with minor edits and
Williams moved that Murray have permission to distribute the document to Paul Dreher, the
Form-Based Committee consultant. Agne seconded the motion and it passed.
Staff Report: The Form-Based Codes Committee has asked if the other committees would like
some time with the committee. There was broad interest among the committee in visiting their
meeting and Cathy Ann will coordinate.
Cathy Ann has a meeting tomorrow about a tree canopy study and asked the committee for
input on what questions should be addressed by the study.
Next Meeting: The next two regular meetings of the Natural Resources Committee / Open
Space Committee will be Wednesday, October 2nd and October 23rd at 6:15pm. Future meetings
will be on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 6:15pm.
Meeting adjourned at 8:19pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Patrick Clemins