INTERSTATE INTERCHANGE PLANNING

EPA SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE GRANT
COMMUNITY PARTNERS MEETING

August 12, 2003

Participants:
Mary Clark, Stone Environmental, Colchester
Ron Lyon, Berlin Planning Commission
Jim Donovan, Wilbur Smith Associates
Fran Thomas, Richmond Selectboard
Ron Rodjenski, Richmond Town Administrator
Michael Crane, Economic And Policy Resources
Jim Kennedy, Exit 4 Committee, Randolph
Julie Iffland, Randolph Planning Commissioner
Don Bourdon, TR-ORC, Randolph
Kathleen Kanz, TR-ORC, Randolph
John Hall, Commissioner, DHCA
Peg, Elmer, Faith Ingulsrud, Sue Minter, Wendy Tudor from Planning Division, DHCA

1) Colchester, Exit 17: Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Options for Exit 17, (Mary Clark, Stone Environmental. Note: Sarah Hadd, Colchester Planning Dept. was unable to attend.)

The Colchester project followed from a municipal planning grant(MPG)-funded Interchange planning project that Colchester had undertaken in 1999-2000. The 2000 project designated new growth areas, and included concentrated mixed-use growth centers, as well as identified lands for conservation. The plan also developed new "use and design standards" to direct the type of development that occurs within these areas. These were incorporated into the Town Plan and zoning.

As a follow-up to the 2000 plan and to better understand the long term needs/impacts of growth for the area the town used the EPA Grant funds to undertake a build-out analysis for their new growth area around Exit 17. In particular, the study evaluated wastewater flows, and offered recommendations for how to manage decentralized wastewater treatment options for the growth area. The detailed study, conducted by Stone Environmental in association with Forcier, Aldrich & Assoc., included hydrogeologic investigations of several key properties, as well as discussions with landowners to assess intentions for development of the property. It recommended design options for decentralized treatment and disposal systems (as opposed to traditional centralized solutions). These include cost estimates and a conceptual plan for phasing development and wastewater management solutions. To follow through with the recommendations from this study the Town will likely need assistance with both the financing and negotiating with private entities to host potential cluster wastewater disposal systems under municipal management and/or ownership.

2) Richmond, Exit 11: The Challenges of Purchasing Development Rights In Transportation Corridors, Lessons from Vermont & Beyond (Ron Rodjenski, Richmond Town Administrator, Fran Thomas, Richmond Selectboard)

Exit 11 on I-89 is well recognized for its highly scenic vistas and agricultural landscape. The Town of Richmond has been working over the past decade to preserve the 600 acres of active farmlands near the interchange, and received a $100,000 Enhancement Grant in 1998 to assist their effort to buy the development rights of the farmland. This effort was unsuccessful, however, due to differences between the appraised value of farms for conservation and the landowners' assessment of their potential development value.

The Town used the EPA Grant funds to further investigate the apparent barriers and unique challenges to conservation efforts near development "hotspots" such as interstate interchanges. The original intent was to investigate potential options for improving methodologies for land appraisals. The report provides a review of the appraisals at Exit 11 as well as other transactions around Vermont, and examines the experiences of other jurisdictions around the country in addressing challenges to purchasing conservation easements. The report recognizes that there are not realistic alternatives to the current property appraisal process but that there are ways to improve the existing process. The report offers several recommendations for improving the process of pursuing conservation (and scenic) easements. The report also includes an excellent "Primer on valuing Conservation Easements", which is a useful guide for any entity pursuing land conservation.

This report is a useful resource for other communities that should certainly be made available to communities interested in conservation around interchanges or elsewhere. Our Department should work to offer this resource to other communities, Conservation Commissions and Land Trusts. In addition, our Department could follow up on the recommendation within the report to convene a meeting with VHCB, VTrans, Vermont Land Trust and other conservation organizations.

3) Berlin, Exit 6 & 7: Berlin Interchange Master Plans (Jim Donovan, Wilbur Smith Associates & Ron Lyon, Berlin Planning Commission Chair)

Berlin initiated a public dialogue and planning process around its interchange area development in 1999 -2000. With the support of a MPG the Planning Commission developed a conceptual plan for a new Town Center for Berlin, which would be a mixed-use village-scale development to the south of Route 62.

The Planning Commission used the EPA Grant funds to undertake a build-out analysis for the interchange area and to consider guidelines to address and improve management of future impacts of development. The planning process for this project included the use of Orton Family Foundations's CommunityViz technology to evaluate impacts of alternative future growth scenarios. The Planning Commission hosted several public meetings to gather public sentiment about future scenarios. Significantly, the future scenario most supported by the Planning Commission included moving the Town Center to a different location (behind the Berlin Mall area, north of Route 62). The project is nearing completion of a final draft of the preferred alternative, including a series of recommendations for implementation.

4) Randolph, Exit 4: Interchange Master Planning, Community Viz and Beyond (Jim Kennedy, Exit 4 Committee; Julie Iffland, Randolph Planning Commission; Don Bourdon & Kathleen Kanz, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission)

The scenic Randolph exit has been a site of development pressure and an area of community concern over the past five years. In 1998 Randolph used CDBG funds to undertake an economic development (policy) plan for the area. This planning process resulted in a master plan for the interchange area that included potential sites for development as well as sensitive scenic areas. The Town used the EPA Grant funds to further the planning work of previous studies. These funds assisted a re-established Exit 4 Committee to bring the community and land owner closer together about future development of the area.

The Regional Planning Commission provided technical assistance to Randolph on this project. With support from the Orton Family Foundation, the Community Viz 3-dimensional development simulation was used to help the community actually visualize what different development scenarios would look like. The Committee developed a scenario that was agreeable and presented it to the community. Subsequent MPG funds were used to develop additional zoning regulations and design standards for the area that will enable the type and density and location of development envisioned by the committee. In addition, an access management plan for the interchange area has been developed, in concert with Vtrans, which will hopefully be incorporated into the Town Plan.