SOUTH HERO DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD MINUTES November 12, 2025
Members Present: Doug Patterson (Vice-Chair); Gareth Hunt; Mike Welch; Jim Brightwell; Sherry Dupont (Alternate); Tim Mullen (Alternate); Liza Kilcoyne (via Zoom).
Members Absent: Tim Maxham (Chair); Nate Hayward.
Others Present: Justin Myers (via Zoom); Amanda Raab (Mountain View Site Design); Jason Baral; Jan Stiles; Mike Stiles; Britni Myers; Mark Naud; Renee Naud; Marco DiCarlo; Martha Taylor-Varney (ZA).
7:03PM – D. Patterson called the meeting to order and introduced the Board.
Changes to the Agenda
There were no changes.
Public Input
There was none.
Continued conditional use/final site plan review for a PUD at 9 Old Farm Rd. (Myers — #26-24-OF009)
Amanda Raab of Mountain View Site Design reviewed the updates to the site plan requested by the Board at the October 22nd hearing. The updated site plan includes the delineation of the open space and improvements to the driveway layouts for better maneuverability.
Open Space
Amanda told the Board that by setting aside the open space under Sec. 304.G.1(c) – Open Space/Common – that a deed restriction held by the owner to restrict further development would satisfy the requirement. The project area is 3.3 acres. There are no plans to develop the remaining 9.9 acres of open space. If there are any plans in the future, they will need to come back before the Board for another review.
Liza Kilcoyne – What drove the location of the boundaries of the open space? Amanda Raab: It meets the acreage threshold and includes all known wetlands and buffers. There is a very small amount of upland included. How will these lands be used? Much is not useful, but it can include trails. The area is environmentally sensitive. Justin Myers said that his plan is to protect the open space land.
Gareth Hunt – How do you plan to do that – easement/deed restriction? Amanda Raab: I used language from a previously approved PUD in South Hero. It is shown on the plan. Jim Brightwell – the land should be preserved by including in the deed a requirement for review by the Town for any future development.
Parking and Layout Changes
Amanda Raab told the Board that the changes to the plan include:
- The width of the main driveway was increased to 15 feet.
- The well building near the west end of the main driveway was eliminated and the fixtures moved to Unit 6, allowing for more space to maneuver boat trailers.
- The dumpster was also moved from the west end of the main driveway to Unit 6.
- Boats can be parked on the lawn between the 2 western-most units and the wetland buffer.
- Units 3-6 will have a community parking area. Units 1 and 2 will have their own designated parking.
- There will be no parking allowed at the east or west ends of the main driveway.
- Snow storage will be at the west end and in the boat storage area.
- The updated parking plan increased the number of spaces to 19.
Amanda told the Board that VTrans had reviewed the plan and were okay with it.
**G. Hunt moved to accept the November 6, 2025 revised drawings, Sheets 1-6, and the revised narrative; M. Welch second. All in favor.
Liza Kilcoyne – There doesn’t appear to be enough room to back out of parking spaces at Unit 4. Amanda Raab: The aisle is 24 feet wide. Unit 1 has a hammerhead for backing out. Justin Myers: There is parking partially under a second-level deck on Unit 5.
Doug Patterson – Are there any lights? Amanda Raab: Other than building mounted lights at each building’s entrance, there are only 2 other locations for lights – near the entrance sign and by the dumpster. All lights will be downcast and will have motion sensors.
Questions from the Public
Mark Naud: There is an ongoing traffic study in that area of RT 2 (Featherbed Lane/RT 2 intersection, F&W parking, Apple Island Resort entrance, Apple Island Marina, Sandbar Restaurant, Near Coastal Holdings’ Marina). This proposal should be included in this study, due to traffic and overflow parking on RT 2 from the F&W parking area. Although it is outside the study area, VTrans should consider the existing conditions and add this location to the study. As for the open space, the decision should be conditioned that the open space be preserved in perpetuity. The language regarding this in the Development Regulations is vague and needs to be clarified. There needs to be language to properly calculate the amount of common land. The S. Hero Planning Commission and Northwest Regional Planning Commission need to address this. Amanda Raab: We have been working with VTrans for the past several months. The proposal for this PUD does not meet the threshold for a traffic study. This proposal meets the Town’s requirements. VTrans is taking the issue of parking on RT 2 into consideration. As for open space requirements, we have followed South Hero’s regulations and “in perpetuity” is not in the regulations [Sec. 304.G.1]. D. Patterson stated that it is included in the definition of Open Space/Common in Article 10 (Definitions). Justin Myers stated that he has no plans to further develop the open space.
7:43PM – D. Patterson closed the hearing.
Review of October 22, 2025 DRB Minutes
G. Hunt moved to accept the minutes of October 22, 2025; J. Brightwell second. All in favor.
Administrator’s Report
- Upcoming schedule
- No meeting November 26
- Next meeting December 10 – setback waiver hearing and deliberation
- No meeting December 24
- The ZA received notice that Mitchel Richardson has appealed the denial of his request of a site plan amendment and renewal of his conditional use (decision #25-18-FR138).
- The Planning Commission has sent to the DRB an updated definition of ‘average natural grade’. The Board will review that at their next meeting. Also discussed were the Planning Commission’s first draft for changing the procedure for measuring setbacks. Currently they are measured from the edge of the eaves rather than from the walls. The DRB has requested that it be changed to the walls, while giving the Board some discretion when reviewing setback wavier applications. This discussion will also continue at the next meeting.
8:05PM – G. Hunt moved to adjourn and move to deliberative; L. Kilcoyne 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.