SOUTH HERO DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD MINUTES
May 27, 2025 Site Visit at Two Heroes Brew Pub
Members Present: Nate Hayward; Liza Kilcoyne; Tim Mullen
Public Present: Angelina Beaudoin
May 28, 2025 Site Visit at Two Heroes Brew Pub
Members Present: Doug Patterson (Vice-Chair); Gareth Hunt
Regular Meeting at South Hero Town Office – May 28, 2025
Members Present: Doug Patterson (Vice-Chair); Liza Kilcoyne; Gareth Hunt; Nate Hayward; Mike Welch (via Zoom); Tim Mullen (Alternate).
Members Absent: Tim Maxham (Chair); Jim Brightwell.
Public Present: Daren Orr; Brendan Beaudoin; Mike and Michele Gammal; Jon Quackenbush; Christian Chorba (via Zoom); Jennifer Zubarik.
7:01PM – D. Patterson called the meeting to order, and the Board was introduced.
Changes to the Agenda
The order of hearings on the agenda was changed. The continuation of the Brew Pub hearing will go first, followed by Pest Pro. The final hearing will remain Keeler Bay Associates’ request for a site plan amendment.
Public Input
There was none.
Continue Conditional Use/Site Plan Review — Two Heroes Brew Pub, for a food truck and request to hold special events. Recessed on May 14 to May 28, 2025 (#25-57-RT252).
Daren Orr presented the application for Two Heroes. He submitted an updated narrative, and site plans explaining changes to the original plan regarding proposed locations for a food truck and for outdoor music.
Food Truck – the business now has over 50 parking spaces which requires there to be 3 HC spaces. One proposed food truck location is in one of the 2 existing HC spaces at the southwest corner of the building. The proposal is to temporarily create another HC space next to the hash marks abutting an existing HC space that is immediately on the left as you enter the parking lot, directly across the drive from the front doors. There will be a temporary sign identifying the HC space when a food truck is operating there. The second option is behind the building, where the dumpsters are now located. This can be accessed by a path from the lawn/patio area. The dumpsters would need to be relocated to another area of the expanded parking lot. One employee parking space will be moved elsewhere when a food truck is in this location. Both locations keep foot traffic out of the parking lot, allow for access to power from the building, and easy access to the patio, lawn, and tap room. The Applicants are asking for both options to be available but will have only one food truck at a time.
Outdoor music – The Applicants are asking for up to 8 outdoor music events during the warmer months where a band may set up on the lawn (acoustic) or on the covered patio (amplified). Both proposed areas are on the west side of the building. A proposed temporary panel is shown on the site plan, extending perpendicular from the building, to reduce noise toward homes on the south side of RT 2. Additionally, cypress or red cedar trees and dogwood trees are proposed along the perimeter of an existing retaining pond area to aid in noise reduction.
Phase 1 of the parking expansion has created an additional 22 parking spaces. The final phase, after additional DRB review, will increase the additional number of spaces to 32.
Questions from the Board
D. Patterson – Only 8 outside music events? Yes.
G. Hunt — Are the trees proposed to buffer sound? Yes.
** G. Hunt moved to add the updated narrative and site plans to the record as Exhibit #1; T. Mullen second. All in favor.
Questions from the Public
Brendan Beaudoin [257 US RT 2] told the Board that the inside music at the pub was loud when the doors were open. They are concerned about the impact of outdoor music. On regular music nights there is a lot of traffic. The addition of food trucks will have the same effect. He likes the idea of vegetation to muffle the sound, but it will take a long time before that is effective. He would prefer there to be no band on the patio. He gave the Board written concerns related to food trucks, special events, and outdoor music, and how they relate to South Hero’s Development Regulations.
** L. Kilcoyne moved to add the submittal by Brendan Beaudoin to the record as Exhibit #2; G. Hunt second. All in favor.
7:19PM – D. Patterson closed the hearing.
Continue Site Plan Amendment for Pest Pro/Jon Quackenbush, to expand the parking lot to 12 spaces. Recessed from May 14 to May 28, 2025 (#25-58-RT238).
[This hearing opened on May 14, 2025 and was immediately recessed to May 28, 2025]. The Applicant and his attorney were sworn in. Jon Quackenbush presented the application to the Board. The Environmental Court had concluded that Pest Pro could seek an amendment to its site plan regarding the number of parking spaces on the property. He is back before the Board for approval of the 5 spaces that have already been added, and before he paved the area. A row of deer-resistant trees will be planted along the mow line north of the parking lot to screen the expanded lot from homes on Heritage Lane. Attorney Christian Chorba explained the Hildebrand test to the Board and how it related to this particular application — the development regulations impacting this property have changed (now South Hero Village zoning district instead of Rural Residential); how the surrounding area has changed (more development including Community Lane South Hero Brew Pub). The changes are sufficient enough that the original application can be revisited.
7:33PM — There were no additional questions. D. Patterson closed the hearing.
Site Plan Amendment – Keeler Bay Associates (#25-61-PB061 PUD)
The warning was read and interested persons were sworn in. ZA Martha Taylor-Varney explained to the Board that the original warning had incorrectly noted the proposed new location of the 10-ft. wide access aisle. The warning was corrected and sent to the abutters and Applicants.
Mike and Michele Gammal, representing Keeler Bay Associates, presented the application to the Board. The request is to combine previously approved units 3 and 4. The new lot will be identified as unit 4. An existing 10-ft. wide access aisle currently between 3 and 4 will be moved to the north, between the new unit 4 and existing unit 5. Combining units 3 and 4 will create a 0.26-acre ‘lot’ (previously .12 and .14-acre). The adjustment will create additional green space in the area of the current ana future homes. The owners of the three existing homes support the proposal. All existing utilities and access will remain the same. Once a driveway location is identified, the new unit may need a revised E911 address.
The Applicants also are asking to increase the size of unit 1 by adding some common area across Rachel Way to the unit to allow for easier access to a future home on that unit. The original 0.12-acre will increase to 0.32-acre.
Questions from the Boar
T. Mullen – Will there continue to be 2 driveway accesses? No, only one. Location is not yet known.
L. Kilcoyne – the current residents agree to the proposal? Yes. This will allow for more space between homes.
D. Patterson – How does this affect septic capacity? Unit 4 had already been allocated for a 4BR home. The allocation for unit 3 will be absorbed into the current available wastewater and used elsewhere. There is no specific plan for it yet.
7:43PM — There were no further questions. D. Patterson closed the hearing.
Old Business – Sign the Updated Rules of Procedure
The Board moved this to the June 11 agenda.
Review May 14, 2025 Minutes
L. Kilcoyne moved to accept the minutes of May 14, 2025; N. Hayward second. All in favor.
Administrator’s Report
- FEMA has changed the base flood elevation for this part of Lake Champlain from 102 feet to 102.4 feet.
- FEMA estimates that updated flood maps will be available for public review in Winter 2026.
- Martha received a new ZA’s Handbook for Vermont League of Cities and Towns today. This is the first update since 2015. It includes new requirements from the HOME Act and Act 18.
- Mitchel Richardson had asked the ZA if the Board would allow changes to his site plan for application #21-26-FR138. The elevations for the proposed structure are apparently off by 4 feet, resulting in the structure’s height increasing. The Board asked for Mitchel to come before them at their June 11 meeting to present his documentation and to discuss whether a hearing will be needed for a site plan amendment.
- The next meeting is May 11. There are no hearings scheduled for that meeting.
- Martha will send the ethics webinar link to the Board members. The deadline to complete the online training is September 1st.
Adjournment
8:10PM – L. Kilcoyne moved to adjourn; G. Hunt second. All in favor.
Signed: __________________________________________ Date: __________________________
For the Development Review Board
These minutes are unofficial until approved at the next regularly scheduled meeting. All motions were unanimous unless otherwise indicated.