July 15, 2026 PC Minutes | Town of Town of South Hero

SOUTH HERO PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 15, 2026

Members Present: Don Bedard; Michele Gammal; Joan Falco.

Others Present: Marian Fritz; Martha Taylor-Varney (ZA)

6:00PM — ZA Martha Taylor-Varney called the meeting to order.

Annual Reorganization

M. Gammal moved to nominate D. Bedard as Chair of the Planning Commission; J. Falcao second. All in favor.

D. Bedard moved to nominate J. Falcao as Vice-Chair; M. Gammal second. All in favor.

Changes to the Agenda

There were no changes.

Public Comment

There was none.

New Business – Discussion with Marian Fritz. Potential new Planning Commission member

M. Gammal introduced Marian Fritz to the Commission as a potential new member. The PC’s Rules of Procedure call for 5 members on the Commission. Currently there are only 2. Michele told the members that she is impressed with Marian’s skills. They initially met through the board for Friends of Northern Lake Champlain. Marialn told the members that she has lived in South Hero for 30 years. She had previously been on the boards for the Chamber of Commerce, United Way, and Rotary when they were still in the Islands, in addition to the VT Symphony. She was also on the board of CIDER and helped write their strategic plan. She worked for a company in Burlington that owns and manages properties (she was a “one man show”) and worked extensively with city offices and Burlington’s DRB. She was an adjunct professor at UVM in the school of business and has been a financial consultant. She told the Commission members that she wants to be more involved with South Hero and feels she has something to offer. She believes in intentional growth in a responsible way.

Marian had some questions for the Commission members –

What are the biggest challenges here?

J. Falcao – engaging people; need for affordable housing; no transportation system and few jobs; low student numbers; need more diversity n housing (senior housing, low-income housing); need more businesses.

D. Bedard – the old vs. the new (resistance to change); need progress; create new things.

M. Gammal – any change makes someone unhappy; recognizing the benefits of different ideas; the library is a big benefit to the Town.

What are the biggest obstacles?

D. Bedard – limited control; no municipal water or sewer.

M. Gammal – the Land Trust prevents development for housing.

Why are you on the Board?

J. Falcao – People have the right to know; to inform and include people; get more issues on the ballot.

D. Bedard – Has been on the Board for 3 years and did a lot of research before moving here; wanted to be involved. On the CIDER Board and involved in Little League as a coach; Wants to be involved in the community to help create more opportunities for his children and grow his family here.

M. Gammal – Has been on the PC since 2018 when she moved here; enjoys being involved.

Marian told the members that she was willing to add her voice to the conversation as a member of the Planning Commission.

**J. Falcao moved to recommend that the Selectboard appoint Marian Fritz to the Planning Commission for a 3-year term; D. Bedard second. All in favor.

Old Business

Discuss June 24 DRB meeting with PC members re definitions – The Commission members agreed to meet with the DRB on July 29 to continue the discussion. This will be a fifth Wednesday of the month at 6PM, when neither Board has a regular meeting. Martha will confirm with the DRB at their meeting on the 22^nd.

Continue review of proposed updated pages of the Development Regulations

Martha still needs the graphic to replace Figure 2.1 (Measuring Height).

Approve Meeting Minutes from Regular PC Meeting on June 17, 2026

J. Falcao moved to approve the minutes of June 17, 2026; M. Gammal second. All in favor.

Administrator’s Report

Martha received the summary of the 2026 legislative session from VT Dept. of Housing and Community Development. The report focused on housing, economic development, and community development. The report noted the repeal of Tier 3 areas and the “road rule” that had been implemented as part of Act 181. Martha will forward the report to the Commission members.
The Selectboard re-appointed Joan Falcao to a full 3-year term at their meeting on July 13. Joan has been a member for about a year, finishing the term of a previous member of the Commission. Her new term will expire at the end of June 2029.
Martha will be working remotely from July 23 through August 4^th. She can be contacted via email or phone call to her office. Messages will be forwarded immediately to her email.

Announcements

Meeting House – the forms have been set for the new foundation and concrete should be poured any day.
Town Office – Construction is on schedule, with move-in anticipated in November.
Lavin Property Planning Committee – the public walk of the property was held on June 20. About 15 people attended. There is a great deal of wetlands that have been identified, including a vernal pool, from a recent delineation. Based on the draft wetlands maps, only about 30 acres of the property is developable. The rest will be used for recreation. The next steps for the committee will be community engagement, including a mapping event identifying possible uses. This has been tentatively scheduled for August 18, possibly at the school.

Adjournment

7:35PM — J. Falcao moved to adjourn; M. Gammal second. All in favor.

Respectfully submitted,

Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA

Signed: __________________________________________ Date: __________________

For the Planning Commission

These minutes are unofficial until approved at the next regularly scheduled meeting. All motions were unanimous unless otherwise indicated.