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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee - 09/02/2014 South Burlington Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee Subcommittee of the Planning Commission 575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 846-4131 www.sburl.com Meeting Date: Tuesday, September 2, 2014 Time: 7:00 pm Location: Healthy Living upstairs conference room 222 Dorset Street MINUTES: Present: Allan Strong, Will Raap, Sarah Dopp, Rosanne Greco, Kindle Loomis, Sophie Quest, Austin Davis (UVM student) I. Report by Rosanne Greco on the Motion made on August 26 by the Planning Commission to request the City Council to raise the wastewater allocation for City Center from 50,000 gallons to 470,000 gallons. This was the figure given as necessary by the staff in previous and present presentations. This would mean that development in the Southeast Quadrant would be limited to the amount of sewage available with the present capacity of the airport plant, which is being paid for for the next 18 years. This motion was initiated by the Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee and the Form Based Code Committee. It will be necessary to follow this up with close attention to City Council discussions and work on this problem – which so far as been neglected – of inadequate wastewater capacity for both City Center and full buildout in the SEQ. Will Raap suggests that this discussion include the alternative possibility of one, or several of different sizes, ecological wastewater treatment plant. This had a model trial in the past in South Burlington, built by John Todd, an industrial size Living Machine. It worked, yet was not accepted by present regulations as adequate, and was dropped. UVM is currently using such a system in the Aiken Building. It is also being used in at least one highway rest stop in Vermont. Imagining new ways of treating wastewater, along with large clustered housing developments (using no more than 20% of the total land base for houses), all including small farms (see the model of such a “Conservation Community” in South Village in South Burlington), requires thinking with a larger framework than simply taking political positions. New regulations would be necessary. Developers who now are required to join the present wastewater system, would instead be financing new alternatives. The final goal would be a really sustainable SEQ. II. We have been discussing such combinations of farming/gardening and homes in new developments being planned with the planners. Will Raap has spoken to Jeff Nick about the Hill Farm and Mr. Nick will discuss these ideas with Mr. Davis, his partner. Both Will Raap and Sophie Quest have been talking to Larry Michaels about the O'Brien property which he is in charge of planning. He hopes that the large barn on the property can be useful to the community in some way. A food hub is a possibility. South Burlington Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee Subcommittee of the Planning Commission 575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 846-4131 www.sburl.com Different partnerships were discussed. Healthy Living is buying greenhouses for the Bread and Butter Farm. Sophie suggests that we speak to Fletcher Allen about incorporating some small farming/gardening instead of mown grass into their new enormous Tilly Drive expansion. Sophie will contact Diane Imrie, the head of Nutrition and the initiator of their local food program, to see what she might imagine as possible. III. City wide Form Based Code and the creation of several types of neighborhoods, including agricultural and commercial, seems to be stalled with the ending of Paul Dreher's FBC contract. Therefore, Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee will work themselves on the Agricultural Node Planned Unit Development concept. This design is similar to South Village and other national conservation community concepts. We need something that can be satisfying to developers like Jeff Nick, who are wanting to change their land zoning, and other developers who are open to ideas which address needs of the future. Austin Davis, a UVM student of urban agriculture will assist us. Will will ask Paul Dreher if he's willing to give us some research links. Sophie will research through the Urban Land Institute work on conservation comunities. IV. Rosanne questioned if it's time to develop a South Burlington Food Council. In the past, Burlington has asked us to join them for a regional food council. Might this committee sometime transform into a South Burlington Food Council? Sophie will speak to the last director of the Burlington Food Council in regard to this. Jess Hyman, who was not able to attend this meeting, also has a great deal of Burlington Food Council experience to share with us. V. Allan Strong told us that we might be able to receive a free evaluation of the Underwood Park property from a group of UVM students. He will speak to the director about this possibility. VI. Next Meeting: October 7, Tuesday, 7pm, Healthy Living upstairs conference room. Jessica Hyman, director of the Vermont Community Garden Organization will present to us a state overview and a local overview of what we need to know about creating community garden spaces. Respectfully submitted, Sophie Quest Chair Sustainable Agriculture sub-committee