Our in-person survey of 57 South Hero residents in the two village zoning districts (VZDs) determined that most of the residents surveyed do not want dramatically different zoning regulations thrust upon them by the Town government. Many were unaware of the creation of the 634-acre VZDs in 2020 or of the zoning regulations in the VZDs, regulations that include zero minimum lot sizes, 4-story buildings, and dramatically reduced property-line setbacks – all designed to permit high-density developments in the VZDs. The zero minimum lot size in particular is a radical, even extreme departure from the 1-acre minimum lots these neighborhoods enjoyed before.
Earlier this year, we asked the Planning Commission to include at least some questions addressing these village zoning issues in the town survey. But it refused to do so. A subsequent appeal to the Selectboard was deferred to the Planning Commission. This is why we went door-to-door in the Village Zoning Districts to survey residents’ opinions.
We presented our survey results to the Planning Commission and asked it to reduce the size of the village zoning districts. In response, the Planning Commission questioned our motives and attacked our survey as “unauthorized.” While the Chair of the Planning Commission did say, “The Town Plan can include a statement that there are concerns about the Development Regulations as they relate to the Village Zoning Districts,” and “We [the Planning Commission] can reevaluate land use/village zoning as a goal in the Town Plan,” these statements do not remedy the loss that has been imposed on a large number of VZD residents.
Based on the feedback we received from our in-person survey, we circulated a petition to scale down the VZDs. In just 2 days, we had enough signatures to submit our petition to the Town to reduce the size of the VZDs.
Here are the maps we showed to voters as a visual in understanding the size of the VZDs. We outlined the Village Center Designations in black on the official zoning maps.
This is our petition…
Petition of Legal Voters of the Town of South Hero to the Legislative Body
We the undersigned legal voters of the Town of South Hero hereby petition the
South Hero Selectboard to add the following articles to the warning for either the
Town Annual Meeting to be held on March 7, 2023, or the next Town Meeting
thereafter:
- Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4441, shall the Town of South Hero reduce the size
of the approximately 354-acre South Hero Village Zoning District by
changing its boundary (and the official zoning map accordingly) to match
that of the approximately 52-acre, officially designated South Hero Village
Center and reverting areas outside the designated Village Center to the
zoning districts of which they were a part prior to the creation of the Village
Zoning Districts in 2020? - Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4441, shall the Town of South Hero reduce the size
of the approximately 280-acre Keeler Bay Village Zoning District by
changing its boundary (and the official zoning map accordingly) to match
that of the approximately 14-acre, officially designated Keeler Bay Village
Center and reverting areas outside the designated Village Center to the
zoning districts of which they were a part prior to the creation of the Village
Zoning Districts in 2020?
