SOUTH HERO DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD MINUTES February 28, 2024
Members Present: Tim Maxham (Chair), Doug Patterson (Vice-Chair); Mike Welch; Gareth Hunt;
Jim Brightwell; Liza Kilcoyne; Ellie Reid (Alternate, via Zoom).
Others Present: Rick Hamlin; Rich Gardner; Hartmuth Sommer; Branston Hunt; Dennis DePaul; Robert Fireovid; Joan Falcao; Jeff Sikora; (the following via Zoom) Susan Mahany; Walt Mahany; Sue Arguin; Mary Ann Cryan; Christian Chorda; Jimmy K; Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA.
7:00PM – T. Maxham called the meeting to order.
Changes to the Agenda
There were none.
Public Input
None.
Request to Amend Site Plan for Additional Parking at 238 US RT 2 – Pest Pro/Jon Quackenbush (24-45-RT238)
Jeff Sikora presented the site plan to the Board. The Applicant is asking for approval for an additional 4 parking spaces, increasing the total spaces to 12. The spaces will be angled for directional approach and 2 accesses to the parking area from Heritage Dr. will be designated entrance/exit. The additional space added is 36’x60’. There are some existing trees as screening between the parking area and the road. At least 2 more will be added. Jeff stated that screening can obstruct the view of cars exiting the lot for cars that are on the road, but the screening was required by Environmental Court in 2015 and they will abide with that. Susan Mahaney asked what the blue lines on the site plan were on the east side of the parking area. Those show the dimensions of the area. Ms. Mahany continued that the 2015 E Court decision did not allow any expansion of the business and that permit was final. No further growth is allowed, and the zoning administrator must enforce the 2015 E Court decision. She asked that the parking expansion be required to return to its original state – remove the gravel and replace the grass – and allow no more than 8 parking spaces. Mary Ann Cryan asked if the application was asking for additional parking space or permission for the work that was already done. T. Maxham said it was for the work that was already done. She said she objects to the expansion of the parking area and referred to the earlier letter from attorney Liam Murphy that had been presented at the appeal hearing for the Pest Pro notice of violation last year. She said that Pest Pro had moved to their present location because they had expanded. No additional expansion should be allowed. Walt Mahany said he wants to be a good neighbor. He understood that there was supposed to be screening on the north side of the parking lot. He wants Pest Pro to follow through with the agreement they made. J. Brightwell asked if there will be any signage for the entrance/exit to the lot. And will parking spaces be striped? Yes to both. Liza Kilcoyne asked if there will be screening on the north side of the lot. Jeff Sikora agreed there could be. Mary Ann Cryan said the neighbors had put in trees, but they were damaged. She said that in 2015 Pest Pro agreed it could operate with many conditions. It’s unfair to the neighbors if it is not the restricted use of 2015. The Board is obligated to enforce the 2015 decision.
Jeff Sikora told the Board that he will update the traffic generation numbers. M. Welch asked what zoning district the business was in when reviewed before? It was then in the Rural Residential zoning district. The business was an allowed use with conditional use and site plan review. The location is now in the South Hero Village zoning district, requiring only site plan review. Many Ann Cryan said that South Hero was a party to the 2015 E Court agreement and is a signatory to that agreement. Sue Arguin asked if the homes on Heritage Dr. are year-round or seasonal? There are both.
7:29PM – T. Maxham closed the hearing.
Site Plan Review for a Maintenance Sttructure at 77 Sunset View Rd. – Vermont’s Camp Ta-Kum-Ta (24-52-SV077)
The warning was read and interested persons were sworn in. Liza Kilcoyne told the Board that her husband works at the camp and asked if her participation would be considered a conflict of interest. No one objected. Rick Hamlin of Donald L. Hamlin Consulting Engineering presented to the Board. The Camp proposes to build a maintenance facility south of the main lodge and the chapel, well away from Sunset View Rd., in a spot where campers are not active. The closest view of the new structure will be from a ½ mile away (from the west). The 50’x100’ structure will have 10 parking spaces and will be 22’7” tall. The closest distance to a boundary will be 311’ from the west boundary. The new structure will include bicycle parking, office space, a wood shop, a repair shop, tractor parking, and golf cart parking. A planned mezzanine will not exceed 30% of the structure’s floor space. There will be no new employees, so no additional traffic will be generated.
The 12-ft. wide road to the facility will continue past the chapel and both the road and parking area will be pervious. The proposed site has a gentle slope that will require some grading. Unless there is ledge uncovered, the excavation should be balanced. Water runoff from the roof will be directed to the west side of the structure and to a culvert under the drive to a 4-ft. wide stone-lined ditch along the east side of the drive.
A bathroom is proposed at both the new facility and as an addition to the existing chapel. Wastewater from both will be directed to an existing permitted leach field, yet to be constructed, in the middle of the field south of the camp tennis courts and pool. In addition to local approval the Applicants will be applying for amended Act 250, Stormwater, and Wastewater state permits.
- Maxham asked if the parking area will be lit. Yes, from building-mounted lights on the maintenance facility. D. Patterson – will the new building repurpose existing storage? Y es, it will allow a building closer to the Lodge to go revert to program use. J. Brightwell – will the structure be seen from West Shore Rd.? Parts of it may be. There will be cedar trees screening the west side of the facility. E. Reid – will there be any storage of hazardous materials? Gasoline, paint, solvents, and propane tank. G. Hunt – is a 12-ft. wide access wide enough for emergency vehicles? There are 2 routes to the facility (the new road and an existing road extending from the Lodge parking lot past the courts and the east side of the chapel). The roads will be maintained throughout the year. The camp is open one weekend/month throughout the winter.
Public Comment/Questions
Joan Falcao asked about water flow to their property from the new site. Rick Hamlin explained that the volume will be the same, however the speed may be reduced. There will be a stormwater permit needed. The flow will be engineered.
- Kilcoyne moved to accept the site plan as complete; M. Welch second. All in favor.
8:01PM – T. Maxham closed the hearing.
New Business
There was none.
Review of January 24, 2024 Minutes
- Hunt moved to approve the minutes of January 24, 2024; L. Kilcoyne second. All in favor.
Administrator’s Report
Upcoming hearing schedule –
March 13: Aitchison setback waiver request at 15 Sunset Beach Rd.
March 27: Appeal of building permit issued for 41 Sunset Beach Rd.
Adjournment
8:06PM – D. Patterson move to adjourn; M. Welch second. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA
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.