Planning Commission Meeting 12-9-25

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2025 1209 PC Meeting Draft Minutes 263 KB

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SWANTON PLANNING COMMISSION

DRAFT MINUTES

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Town Office Building

1 Academy Street, Swanton, VT

5:00 p.m.

Present: Ross Lavoie-Chair, Desireah Ladeiu, Oliver Manning, Shawn Cheney, Heather Buczkowski-Members, Amy Giroux-Zoning Administrator, Christina Candels-Assistant Town Administrator, Greta Brunswick-Regional Planning

Zoom: No Attendance

1. Call to Order

Mr. Lavoie called the meeting to order at 5:03 pm.

2. Agenda Review

No changes to the agenda.

3. Review minutes of November 10, 2025

Ms. Ladieu made a motion to approve the meeting minutes from November 10, 2025, as written, seconded by Ms. Buczkowski. Motion carried.

4. NRPC Greta; Review Cottage Court

Ms. Brunswick came before the board to share a new draft copy of Cottage Court (CD) and Rural Planned Development (RUD) for the Swanton Land Use Bylaws.

A CD is intended for the Village area where water and sewer are available.

A RUD would require 60% of the developments land to be conserved in exchange for smaller dimensional standards with clustering lots.

The CD was drafted from the last meeting.

Noted discussions in a CD are listed below:

• Sketch plan for a CD will be approved administratively. Site plan and Final review would need DRB approval. (Please see attached)

Ms. Giroux asked why Sketch Plan would be done administratively when this is part of the DRB? Ms. Brunswick said the goal of this is to streamline the review process. This would only pertain to CD no other development/subdivisions.

The board discussed this and the scenarios that this would be applicable, as well as the Planning Commissions goal of streamlining development in Swanton.

Mr. Manning made a motion to have Sketch Plan review done administratively, seconded by Mr. Cheney. Motion carried.

• Maximum total road frontage will only pertain to a single street when on a corner lot.
• CDs will not be required to follow Road Standards. These roads will be required to be privately maintained. In the future they will not be eligible to be Town/Village owned/maintained because they will not be built to Road Standards.
• Parking areas shall be shared and not laid out separately will be removed.  
• Minimum building setbacks side, rear and from other building will be 10’.

The discussion on what is required in a fire code for single-family homes vs. apartment building codes will be reviewed and discussed at the next meeting. Mr. Lavoie will get more information on this.

• Maximum number of units in one building will be 4.

Ms. Brunswick shared her draft of a RUD. This will be discussed at a later date.

Ms. Brunswick shared Flood Hazard and River Corridor Draft Regulations to be discussed at a later date.  Ms. Brunswick will compare this to the Towns current regulations.

5. Bylaw Changes

Postponed until the next meeting.

6. Set next Planning Commission Meeting date.

January 13, 2026, 5:00 pm.

7. Public Comment

None

8. Any Other Necessary Business

Mr. Manning said they need to have a meeting with the DRB and Selectboard to discuss the changes made and what the goals of the Planning Commission are.

Mr. Manning & Mr. Lavoie discussed the expectations of a variance. They were under the understanding variances were removed. Variances are part of the State statue and they cannot be removed.

9. Adjournment

Ms. Ladieu made a motion to adjourn at 6:15 pm, seconded by Mr. Cheney.

Motion carried.

Respectfully Submitted by

Christina Candels-Assistant Town Administrator