HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee - 09/11/2013
1 South Burlington Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee – 9/11/13
South Burlington Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee Wednesday, Sept. 11
Present: Sophie Quest, Barbara Bull, Jess Hyman, Will Raap, Greg Soll, Vince Bolduc, Allen Strong.
Absent: McQuillan, Addison Raap, Loomis, Greco, Murphy, Dopp, Goldberg
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Agenda
• Proposed amendment by Will Raap: In addition to identifying prime ag soils, look at
strategies for protecting those soils (already part of #3 below)
3. A look at South Burlington with discussion of strategies and mechanisms to integrate
successful land development, natural resource conservation and sustainable agriculture. 4. Discussion of specific properties 5. Recommendations to the Planning Commission for the new Comprehensive Plan
6. Future of the sub-committee
SusAg committee is advisory to planning commission. Committee identified 7 areas of the city to be preserved for agriculture.
Sophie asked Vince for history of natural protection district – Vince worked on SEQ, but didn’t
set the NRPs. Modifying NRPs is a local decision. When South Village was developed, viewsheds determined land use, not prime soils – now left
with poorer soils for farming.
Underwood farm area could be a farm hub. Has 6-8 acres prime soil (see page 23 of report). 1/3 riparian and forest, 1/3 recreation and parks. Open space committee is working on a proposal for city-purchased land – its mission does
include working land, but it is unclear if that includes infrastructure (barns, market access).
Question from Jess: Can there be a joint proposal instead of one from Open Space and one from
SusAg. Sophie has contacted them about this, but not yet received a reply. RE city-owned land: Vince says “use it or lose it” – look at exact language of what the voters
approved. Open space is a priority for SoBu residents. Need to heed vote of 10 years ago. What
does/did “open space” mean to SoBu residents.
Form-based code committee looking at creating new development regulations to achieve various goals. Most of effort has been on City Center. Will is trying to get committee to look at open
land, city-wide. Interim zoning ends in February 2014. What development controls and codes
can be initiated? Suggestion: PUD around specific goals ie. “agricultural node” – create a cluster
of commercial/residential development in combo with agricultural land use. Need to integrate market access and land development. i.e. Bread & Butter Farm – diversified, direct to consumer, purchase subsidized by VLT, SOBU
Land trust, City of SoBurl and City of Shelburne; South Village is a traditional neighborhood
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design that supports agriculture through a CSA, local purchasing. (community gardens, PYO,
CSA, commercial farm, Common Roots). 5-acre parcel in South Village, earmarked for
school, would need permission to change to commercial. A percentage of all home sales goes
into supporting the stewardship of the land.
Goal: Pick good soils for farming, cluster housing so there’s a market, and look at other open
space.
SEQ: Proposal for different PUDs that allow development in a more ways than already happens.
What are the economics to support viable agriculture? How to foster working landscapes? Integrate real estate development and farm/working land use
into a successful whole. Vested interest by both groups from the start, establishes loyalty.
Suggestion: If form-based code isn’t going to be applied to SEQ soon, change PUD regulations
to have an agricultural emphasis. Right now, 50% of SEQ is preserved in some way, and PUDs are allowed in NRP; they must
define their own conservation plans, which doesn’t necessarily preserve land for farming.
Question from Allen: do you need to make a new agricultural PUD? Why not get Butler Creek
and Oak Creek interested in local ag and use adjacent land? Answer from Will: Need to create value for agriculture – need mechanism for supporting its
success. i.e. create a market for the farm vs. create a farm for the market. Cost of land may be
prohibitive, so we need to be able to shift some of development revenue to support agricultural
use.
We have a social obligation to value agriculture so that farmers can extract a livable wage and
make developers pay for that.
We need to think integratively – affordable housing and sustainable agriculture will require a
subsidy because of the cost of land. We need to entice developers to create PUDs with specific purposes. What incentives would work?
What incentives work? In South Village: 1/3 clustered development and 2/3 left open; residents
pay more per square foot for less individual land; commit to long-term value of house with half
of one percent going to further goals, administered by a connected 501(c)3. $30k-$40k per year goes into stewardship fund. Trails and recreation are part of development. Attracts value-based
purchasing. (38 units sold so far, 20+ in last year; more affordable units ($300k?) not built yet.)
South Village “new urbanist” concept took a long time to get approval. Retrovest built in land
stewardship model based on Prairie Crossing (near Chicago). Economy crashed, SD Ireland took over development and original investors got “diluted”
Auclair land – 400 acres in South Burlington. With a PUD approach, it can accomplish goals of
SoBu. Need to provide clarity/guidance/possibilities to Auclairs. Look at ag soils and make sure
city’s priorities are respected – agriculture, affordable housing, AND design that creates a sense of place. Ideal outcome: Find developers who can partner with city and Auclairs. (Heather &
Heidi)
3 South Burlington Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee – 9/11/13
Farmers want to live close to farms. Housing needs to be affordable and coordinated with 7 areas
of working farmland opportunities. Diversified farms more effective, growing & raising food,
plus direct marketing, consulting, education, etc. Key is effectively telling the story of VALUE of PUD – benefits to buyers/developers and
creating incentives for developers, such as expedited permitting if they do an agricultural node
PUD. Design that integrates market with agriculture can result in a more sustainable (rather than
subsidized) combination with farm as attribute of development. Look at holistically managed landscape with farming as a part of that landscape (also have farmers maintain trails and do edible landscaping in a suburban environment?).
CONCEPT: Get open space, affordable housing, SusAg committees all together to develop
recommendations on specific pieces of land. (Although affordable housing is slated for more central areas, on transportation corridors.)
There might be about 425 acres of decent ag soil left in SoBurl and available for ag – need to talk
to owners (Auclair owns most of those acres).
O'Brien brothers – putting in proposal for Old Farm Road based on form-based codes.
Joe Larkin putting in a development on Marceau property, seems willing to set some land aside
for agriculture.
Underwood property – great for recreation and potential community gardens.
NEXT STEPS: Look at 7 sites/ 425 acres; identify a few priorities for proof of concept (Auclair,
South Village/Long/Underwood, Old Farm Road, Marceau); identify what type of farm is viable
in each parcel (i.e. vegetables, animals, high tunnels); outline what a PUD would look like; talk to owners, talk to developers.
• GREG to talk to Larry @ Obrien and Larkin about whether agricultural PUD would fit
existing plans,
• WILL: to talk to Auclairs
• SOPHIE: Find out who made red lines to identify 7 targeted areas.
• JESS: Look at Underwood property to see what part is prime soil.
RECOMMENDATION FOR PLANNING COMMISSION: Look at 4 sites, identify type of
farm best suited, outline plan for agricultural node PUD. Focus on “integrated use” including
affordable housing, open space, and agriculture. Include non-market-based types of agriculture
on common space, such as community gardens.
SOPHIE: Will write up recommendations and distribute to group. Deadline Sept. 24.
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Recommendations once approved by Planning Commission are put into the draft Comprehensive
Plan; then Planning Commission and City Council hold public hearings and modify and approve
Plan, then Paul Dreher creates regulatory codes. NEXT MEETING - LATER IN OCTOBER
Submitted by Jessica Hyman