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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - City Council - 07/01/2019 AGENDA SOUTH BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL South Burlington City Hall 575 Dorset Street SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT Regular Session 6:30 P.M. Monday, July 1, 2019 1. Pledge of Allegiance. (6:30 – 6:31 PM) 2. Instructions on exiting building in case of emergency. Kevin Dorn (6:31 – 6:32 PM) 3. Agenda Review: Additions, deletions or changes in order of agenda items. (6:32 – 6:33 PM) 4. Comments and questions from the public not related to the agenda. (6:33 – 6:43 PM) 5. Announcements and City Manager’s Report. (6:43 – 6:58 PM) 6. Consent Agenda: (6:58 – 7:00 PM) A. *** Consider and Sign Disbursements B. *** Certify compliance with Vermont Road and Bridge Standards C. *** Approve Development Review Board Alternative Member Use Policy D. *** Designate Jennifer Smith as an Alternate Member of the South Burlington Development Review Board. 7. Consider and possibly approve tax rate – Martha Lyons (7:00 – 7:10 PM) 8. *** Consider and possibly approve contract award for reappraisal services – Todd LeBlanc (7:10 – 7:30 PM) 9. *** Public hearing and possible action on amendments or repeal of City ordinances (7:30 – 7:45) – Amanda Lafferty A. Motor Vehicle and Traffic Ordinance – This ordinance is warned to repeal the South Burlington Motor Vehicle and Traffic Regulation Ordinance, first adopted in 1958, and to adopt a new ordinance that regulates the operation and use of motor vehicles other than parking in a form that provides the Council flexibility to amend street sign locations, speed limits, etc. by resolution B. Parking Ordinance – Along with the repeal of the 1958 Motor Vehicle and Traffic Regulation Ordinance, this proposed ordinance creates a stand­alone parking ordinance that will provide for general parking prohibitions in the City and an administrative appeal process 10. Council discussion and advice related to an Interim Zoning Open Space Committee classification and scoring of a 15­acre property in the Southeast Quadrant. (7:45 – 8:00 PM) 11. Councilors’ reports from committee assignments (8:00 – 8:15 PM) 12. *** Council discussion and possible approval of a letter to the City of Burlington related to recent changes in zoning in the southern portion of the City of Burlington some of which borders on the City of South Burlington. (8:15 – 8:45 PM) 13. Other Business (8:45 – 8:50 PM) 14. Adjourn (8:50 PM) Respectfully Submitted: Kevin Dorn Kevin Dorn, City Manager *** Attachments Included Issues raised by Councilors or the public that have not been on a prior meeting agenda: 1. Cost of development/cost of open space. Issues that have been discussed by the Council where further action is pending: 1. Street light policy. 2. Airport noise survey. 3. Evaluate water billing and rate structure. South Burlington City Council Meeting Participation Guidelines City Council meetings are the only time we have to discuss and decide on City matters. We want to be as open and informal as possible; but Council meetings are not town meetings. In an effort to conduct orderly and efficient meetings, we kindly request your cooperation and compliance with the following guidelines. 1. Please be respectful of each other (Council members, staff, and the public). 2. Please raise your hand to be recognized by the Chair. Once recognized please state your name and address. 3. Please address the Chair and not other members of the public, staff, or presenters. 4. Please abide by any time limits that have been set. Time limits will be used to insure everyone is heard and there is sufficient time for the Council to conduct all the business on the agenda. 5. The Chair will make a reasonable effort to allow everyone to speak once before speakers address the Council a second time. 6. The Chair may ask that discussion be limited to the Councilors once the public input has been heard. 7. Please do not interrupt when others are speaking. 8. Please do not repeat the points made by others, except to briefly say whether you agree or disagree with others views. 9. Please use the outside hallway for side conversations. It is difficult to hear speaker remarks when there are other conversations occurring. Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.     City of South Burlington  Development Review Board  Alternate Member Use Policy    I. Purpose  The purpose of having alternate members is to provide, at a minimum, a quorum, plus one  member, of participating members for the conduct of public hearings.  The duty of the  alternates is to attend public hearing at times when more than two regular Development  Review Board (DRB) members are unable to participate due to a conflict of interest.  Alternates  are not to be used for casual absences from the DRB.    II. Term of Office  As established by resolution of the City Council, the term of office for alternate membership to  the DRB is one year or to the conclusion of the regular appointment schedule.    III. Voting Authority  An alternate member serving as an interim active member of the DRB has the same voting  authority as any other regular DRB member.    IV. Assignment to active Membership and Duties  a) Alternate DRB members must be selected to serve for a specific purpose or period of  time pursuant to Section 1 of this policy.  1. Specific purpose: Alternate DRB members selected to serve due to regular DRB  members’ conflict of interest with an application will only serve during that  recusal.  i. Example: If Board Member X is recused from hearing Application Y then  Alternate A will serve on the DRB for only matters pertaining to  Application Y.  Board Member X will continue to serve on the DRB in  their regular capacity for all other applications, including those heard at  the same meeting date as Application Y.  2. Period of time: Alternate DRB members selected to serve due to a regular DRB  member’s extended absence will serve on all applications heard during that  period.   b) An alphabetical roster of all alternate members will be kept by the DRB.  The assignment  of alternates for active duty will begin with the first alternate in alphabetical order and  rotate through the list until all alternates have served and rotation will be repeated.  c) Whenever more than two regular members have a conflict of interest resulting in a  recusal from the proceedings, the chairperson of the DRB, or their designee, may  appoint an alternate to serve as an active member of the DRB by selecting an individual  from the roster as provided in paragraph “b.” The chairperson or designee shall also  have the authority to appoint an alternate where, in their opinion, it is likely that a  combination of members with conflicts of interest as described above and known  absences will result in more than two regular members unable to serve.  d) If the chairperson of the DRB does not appoint an alternate as required under paragraph  “c,” a majority of the members of the DRB present and voting may appoint an alternate  to serve in accordance with paragraph “b.”  e) An alternate member who is called upon to serve shall be required to be a part of the  DRB until a final decision is made on any application heard by the DRB while serving as      an active member in accordance with paragraph “a.”  Participation includes attending  deliberative sessions and any continuance of a public hearing if the application has been  tabled or adjourned to another date.  575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 tel 802.846.4106 fax 802.846.4101 www.sburl.com MEMORANDUM    TO:     Kevin Dorn, City Manager  South Burlington City Council    FROM:   Paul Conner, Director of Planning & Zoning      Marla Keene, Development Review Planner    SUBJECT:   Appointment of Jennifer Smith as Alternate to the Development Review Board  and of Alternate Policy    DATE:    July 1, 2019 City Council meeting  Staff is recommending that the City Council appoint Jennifer Smith as an alternate to the Development  Review Board (DRB) effective July 1, 2019 for a period of one year. Ms. Smith recently completed two  full terms as a regular member of the DRB and elected not to apply for a third term. She has, however,  expressed interest in serving as an alternate should the need arise.  Having an alternate available who is well versed in the City’s Development Review procedures would be  a strong benefit to the community and Board and allow for a nearly seamless action in the event she is  called up.  Staff is also recommending that the Council approve the enclosed DRB Alternate Policy. This policy spells  out the circumstances under which an alternate would be called to action. In brief, policy would allow  for an alternate to be called in when either (a) there are 3 or more regular members with conflicts of  interest that lead to their recusal from an application, or (b) a combination of conflicts of interest  resulting in recusals and known absences from a DRB proceeding result in 3 or more members being  absent.  The two principal purposes for appointing an alternate, and having this policy in place, are (a) to assure  the Board may proceed with hearings even when members are recused due to conflicts of interest, and  (b) to mitigate circumstances where recusals lead to having only a bare quorum for action by the Board.    Monday, July 1, 2019 Dear Colleagues on the Burlington City Council, We are writing to convey our concerns regarding the re-zoning for the South End of Burlington (E-LM zone), south of Home Avenue and along Industrial Parkway, to include 15,000 square foot performing arts centers with alcohol service (i.e., bars). As our city’s representatives, we have heard many concerns and objections from residents in the abutting quiet South Burlington lakefront neighborhood, Queen City Park. We are equally concerned by foreseeable impacts on Red Rocks Park and increased risks for cliff jumpers who are drawn to the Park. Allowing large concert venue spaces serving alcohol or other noisy operations, and attracting crowds and large amounts of traffic (both pedestrian and automobile) at night in this sleepy and poorly accessible part of town, does not fit the smart growth development Burlington (and South Burlington) has been committed to for decades. We see many unresolved safety concerns with these possible new uses in general. Large concert venues are misaligned with the current natural and residential character of the immediately surrounding area. Concert venues generate a large number of late night incidents demanding immediate police/fire/EMS services. The location being proposed is on the opposite side of town to areas most served by both Burlington and South Burlington police with very poor road access (Home Avenue is all residential with stop signs and Queen City Park Rd has a one lane bridge). The proposed Champlain Parkway will also present a major obstacle for first responders getting to this remote sleepy corner of your city. Red Rocks Park, nestled between the Burton campus and the Queen City Park neighborhood, is a cherished local treasure that generations of South Burlingtonians and visitors have enjoyed for its trails, beach, and forest. It consistently ranks as South Burlington’s most lasting symbol. It is an open park, accessed easily on foot from many entry points. In order to rebuild its trails and protect its natural ecology, the City of South Burlington is currently engaged in a $1.5 million ten-year restoration plan for Red Rocks and all of our parks. In addition to concerns over increased degradation of the park, we are alert to the dangers posed to park users drawn to our 80-foot high cliffs. We have posted warning signs and assigned a volunteer park ranger in the park to communicate to park users the dangers of jumping from the high cliffs into the lake, an all-too-common occurrence, especially among teens and college-age visitors. We believe that drawing more teens and college-age visitors to the area at night poses an unnecessary risk that should raise concerns for all in Burlington and South Burlington alike. Burlington City Council July 1, 2019 Page 2 Lastly, we wish to restate concerns about pedestrian access over the Champlain Parkway (CP) to areas like Red Rocks Park. These concerns were raised to your Department of Public Works Director Chapin Spencer when he presented the current CP plans less than a year ago. Multiple concerns were raised about safe passage for bikers and walkers across the CP and allowing for a concert venue in this location would exacerbate this problem incenting pedestrians at all hours of the night to risk more dangerous passage across the new parkway. This is not the location to allow for this type of use. As currently written, the South Burlington City Council, committed to smart planning and smart growth, rejects your decision to re-zone the E-LM zone in the Industrial Parkway area. We call upon you to hold a public hearing for South Burlington authorities to address -- with you -- the potential impacts on our road infrastructure and safety protocols, our residents’ quality of life, and land assets in the surrounding neighborhood and Red Rocks Park. City planning is a delicate process, particularly within areas with established zoning patterns, and these are issues that should be considered carefully and in concert with South Burlington authorities, as your own bylaws certify. Three members of our Council reached out to you with these same concerns prior to your approval of the zoning change, and we believe it is within our right to be heard. Sincerely yours, _________________________________ Helen Riehle, Chair, South Burlington City Council _________________________________ Meaghan Emery, Vice-Chair, South Burlington City Council _________________________________ Tim Barritt, Clerk, South Burlington City Council _________________________________ Thomas Chittenden, South Burlington City Councilor _________________________________ David Kaufman, South Burlington City Councilor