HomeMy WebLinkAboutSD-19-23 - Supplemental - 0047 Cheesefactory Road (6)Hickory Hillside, LLC. 4-Lot Subdivision
Cheese Factory Road - July 2019
Project Description:
Hickory Hillside LLC owns a 68.92 acre (not officially surveyed, information based on on-line resources)
that is currently an undeveloped agricultural parcel. The parcel contains multiple areas of Wetland (mapped,
not delineated) as well as a few small areas of tree cover. Historically the land has been used for both
animal grazing and haying. The parcel is mapped as exempt from Interim Zoning. The goal of the project
is to optimize land conservation by prioritizing higher value agricultural and ecological acres and maintaining
the parcel's use value beyond Interim Zoning to support conservation funding.
Hickory Hillside LLC is proposing a four-lot subdivision with approximately 60+ acres of usable agricultural
land being placed in conservation. Lot 1 is 66.14 acres (96% of the parcel) that will be conserved with the
Vermont Land Trust with a single- family residence (up to four -bedroom), on-site wastewater, and on-site
water supply. Lot 2 is 0.83 acres with a single-family residence (up to four - bedroom), on-site wastewater,
and on-site water supply. Lot 3 is 0.83 acres with a single-family residence (up to four -bedroom), on-site
wastewater, and on-site water supply. Lots 1, 2 and 3 are accessed via Cheese Factory Road through an
existing curb-cut. Lots 2 and 3 access includes a ROW easement on the northern portion of Lot 1. Lot 4 is
an “access lot” that will be 50’ wide, approximately 1.12 acres and contain a single 15’ wide driveway and
be sold to an abutting landowner.
Residences:
Lots 1, 2 and 3 will be building lots, with permitted wastewater and water supply systems to support up-to
four-bedrooms each. Locating building lots involved many factors: impact to agricultural land, view shed
from Cheese Factory Road and Hinesburg Road (Route 116), wetland impact, ease of building and
water/wastewater abilities. The location selected provides the best option for all of these factors. The land
chosen is much steeper than other more agriculturally workable land. A large cluster of trees set up on a
rocky terrace on the northeastern portion of the parcel provide a view block with Cheesefactory Rd. There
are some views from Route 116, but this view shed line can be minimized with existing and proposed trees.
The location has zero impact on any wetland or wetland buffers. Residences will be able to build without
need to blast through ledge. Due to the 10-14% slope, wastewater water mound systems will be able to be
shorter than if they were placed on flatter ground, which allows them to each be on their own lot and not
need extra easements or larger lot boundaries.
Variance:
Hickory Hillside LLC is requesting a variance to allow the residences to be built 100’ apart from one another,
but not be built 100’ apart from both other residences. In order for the wastewater disposal fields to work,
they need to be built behind each residence. That requires the house sites to be located in a line formation
instead of a circular or triangular cul-de-sac style configuration.
The second variance is to allow the fourth lot to be subdivided at this time. This would be a non- residential
lot on land that is more challenging for agriculture due to the land being located across a drainage swale
from the rest of the property. The Buyer for this lot is pursing the necessary wetland delineation and permits
for a private driveway. The Buyer already has permitted access via an alternative route, but considers
access on this parcel to be in the best interest of both the City and the Buyer: access on this parcel would
help avert a future public roadway on the Buyer's current access path, and would work to support the
conservation of an additional 45+ acres located in Shelburne with the Vermont Land Trust.