The Town of Jericho (Town) is considering amending its Land Use and Development Regulations to include “Town Garage/Maintenance Facility” as a conditional use in the Open Space District.
The Town’s existing garage and maintenance facility is in an Open Space zone where Municipal Facilities are not permitted. The Town completed a Highway Garage Feasibility Study that found multiple issues with the structure, functional deficiencies, and system failures. The Select Board accepted the findings that a new maintenance facility would be at the existing site. In March 2024, residents of Jericho voted to approve a $4.15 million bond for a new maintenance facility.
The purpose of the amendments is to allow the Town to continue providing adequate public services in an expanded and modern facility at its current location.
More information on proposed amendments are posted in the Planning Commission's presentation from their November 19th, 2024 meeting here. If you have questions about the proposed amendments, contact Chris Shaheen, Town Planner, at cshaheen@jerichovt.gov or (802) 899-2287 x 103.
The Planning Commission would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Town Planner, Chris Shaheen. Chris came on board in the first week of October and brings his extensive experience from over 20 years with the Planning Department in Washington D.C. to join Jericho's Town Hall staff. Chris will primarily support and advise the PC, and we are excited to work with him. Chris is our Community Member feature for November - read more here.
The Planning Commission, guided by Chris Shaheen and our planning consultant, David White, continues our work on updating zoning for the Village Centers. The Bylaw Modernization Grant project scope (as defined in the grant agreement with VT Department of Housing and Community Development) focuses on Jericho's three designated Village Centers. Our deliberations consider the following points:
- Develop amendments to simplify Character Based Zoning overlay in Riverside
- Update Village Center zones using Enabling Better Places as a guide
- Create vibrant, walkable, mixed-use village centers
- Align with our Town Plan and anticipated future wastewater infrastructure
The PC will continue its review/edits of the zoning through the remainder of 2024 and we plan to begin public review and public hearings regarding our proposed changes in early 2025. The Selectboard would then hold two warned public hearings prior to adopting the proposed amended zoning bylaws.
In 2024 the Planning Commission has been focused on updating the town's Land Use and Development regulations, to align the zoning rules with the Town Plan. The first update will address the need for more housing, especially for first-time home buyers, young families, and seniors. The town secured a Bylaw Modernization Grant to hire a consultant to update zoning to create better neighborhoods, in sync with state requirements and recommendations. The PC intends to recommend specific zoning amendments to the Selectboard by November, for adoption by the end of the year. Please visit the project page for more information. jerichovt.org/2024-village-center-zoning-updates
Now that the Town Plan has been adopted by the Selectboard the PC is starting 2024 with an invigorated mission. The "Getting It Done" chapter outlines goals and priorities for 2024 and beyond and the PC is using that as a guide for creating a Work Plan for the year. The PC hopes to work with the Selectboard, other Town committees, and staff, to accomplish many of the Town Plan goals in a transparent and timely way.
The first item on the PC’s list for 2024 is to begin work to update parts of the Town’s land use regulations (“zoning”). The Jericho Planning Office received a Bylaw Modernization Grant from the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development to align the zoning with the new Town Plan. The Town Planner and PC will be working with a consultant to review and update zoning items such as dimensional requirements, allowable uses, street standards, and the development review process. The focus will be the Village Center zoning district and the Character Based Zoning overlay for Riverside. The goal of these zoning updates is to support a pedestrian-oriented development pattern that increases housing choice, affordability, and opportunity in areas planned in accordance with Vermont's smart growth principles (24 VSA 2791). Updates will be guided by recommendations from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development's publication Enabling Better Places: A Zoning Guide for Vermont Neighborhoods. Visit the 2024 Village Center Zoning Update project page to learn more about this work.
Questions? Comments? Please share your thoughts with Linda Blasch, Town Planner - lblasch@jerichovt.gov
Looking forward to Selectboard's second and hopefully final public hearing on new Town Plan, Dec.19...etc. PC message is to hope all residents Enjoy the holidays with friends, neighbors, and loved ones, we are thankful for this wonderful community and the opportunity to serve, and we plan to hit the ground running in 2024 with many projects including zoning updates, bike/ped improvements, and wastewater infrastructure planning for our villages.
The Planning Commission has prepared an Executive Summary of the new Town Plan, for those who want a brief overview of the new Town Plan. If you are short on time, want a quick snapshot, or need to decide if you should dig into more details, this Executive Summary is for you...
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission reviewed a draft of Jericho's new Town Plan. CCRPC determined the Plan complies with all state statute requirements and is compatible with the Regional Plan, in preparation for review and adoption by the Jericho Selectboard, currently planned for December 2023 or early January 2024 after two public hearings are conducted.
The Town Plan report was submitted to the CCRPC by Town Planner, Linda Blasch, as required by Vermont State statute.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE TOWN PLAN REPORT
The Planning and Housing Commissions collaborated to create a Resolution on Housing Construction Goals in Jericho. The committees have jointly submitted the Resolution to the Selectboard for review and recommend adoption. Once adopted the resolution will help guide the Town Selectboard in their work to promote and provide infrastructure to create a more diverse housing stock.
Read the resolution here: Resolution on Housing Construction Goals in Jericho
Why are we doing this scoping study?
The Planning Commission continues to hear that Jericho residents want more infrastructure that provides safe ways to walk and bike more around town - to get to school, visit friends, shop and dine. Fewer car trips improves health and well-being, and reducing emissions is better for clean air and water.
The backbone of a safe and useful bike/ped network would be a connection between our three Village Centers. This was identified as a priority in a Bike & Pedestrian Master Plan for Jericho that was developed in 2015. (click to view study report)
The current study will look at 2 options to connect Jericho Corners (Jericho Elementary School/Griswold Street) with Riverside/Flats (Browns River Middle School/Mills Riverside Park) and determine which is most feasible. One option is along the south side of Route 15 and the other is following along an old railroad bed through private property north of route 15.
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission receives federal funds to work with consultants and towns to complete scoping studies like these. Jericho is fortunate to only pay a small portion of consulting fees for this work.
Didn't we already study this idea?
Yes. The Town hired Dubois & King (D&K) in 2016, to develop plans to connect Jericho Corners with Riverside. (click to view study report)
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D&K considered 3 options for a sidewalk/path. One on the north side of Route 15, one on the south side of Route 15, and a "cross-country" path using the old railroad bed north of route 15, which runs parallel to Browns River, generally from Cilley Hill Road to Raceway Road/Route 15. The 2016 study considered:
Traffic
Who would use the path and where would they go (i.e. school, work)
Options for crossing Route 15
Impacts to homes and utilities along the route.
The river, wetlands, and private property issues (no existing right-of-way) were perceived as major obstacles to using the old railroad bed, therefore the option of using that route was not fully explored.
The option on the north side of route 15 had more significant impacts to utilities, required more property acquisition, required more residents to cross route 15 in order to access the path, and was more expensive than the south side option.
In 2016 public engagement was minimal - fewer than 10 residents attended the primary meeting and about 10 others wrote emails.
In May 2017, the Selectboard selected the option for a sidewalk/path along the south side of Route 15, separated by a green strip where possible as the preferred alternative.
Why repeat the study? Why aren't we just building something?
In 2017, D&K estimated costs to build a connection would range from $600,000 to $900,000. State and federal grants pay to design and build most sidewalks and paths. Towns typically cover 10%-20% of the costs; grants cover 80%-90%.
Jericho applied for Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) grants to build segments of the Route 15 south side path but was declined twice. VTrans gave feedback on improvements needed to strengthen a grant application in order for the project to be funded. Without grants, building the connection would be too expensive.
Since the original study, residents continue to press for safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure with a lot of interest in a cross-country path option. The Planning Commission and the Selectboard decided to re-open the project and fully evaluate the cross-country railbed option along with the south side of Route 15 option.
The Planning Commission believes that more public engagement will lead to a better design with more public support, and a better design will lead to a stronger application which is more likely to win funding. In fact, we have already seen higher participation rates with over 70 people attending the initial public meeting in February, 2023.
