Irasville Growth Center Initiative

May 15, 2007 Plannign Commission Public Hearing
to Consider Proposed Revisions to the Waitsfield Zoning Bylaw

(1) The Planning Commission proposes the existing Irasville Village District to be rezoned into eight new districts and two new overlay districts. District boundaries are illustrated on the proposed Irasville Zoning Map and identified by Narrative Description in Appendix-A. Permitted Uses, Conditional Uses and Dimensional Criteria are described in Section 2.03.

(2) The Planning Commission also proposes the following itemized revisions:

(a) Add “Personal Service” to the list of conditional uses allowed in the Village Business District (Table 2.1);
(b) Establish new standard that 25% of the gross floor area of any building constructed after May 1 2007 within the Village Business District be occupied by residential uses (Table 2.1);
(c) Delete “Livestock Exhibition, Training, Boarding & Instruction” as a defined land use as this falls within the statutory definition of Agriculture (Tables 2.2, 2.7);
(d) Except within Irasville, revise all front setback distances to be measured from the streetline for consistency (Article 2);
(e) Clarify provisions under Section 3.7 related to the number of principal uses allowed on a single parcel, and revise to allow two principle uses on a single parcel in the Agricultural-Residential District, in accordance with specified criteria;
(f) Clarify, under Section 3.8, that a nonconforming structure may be restored or replaced after damage or destruction, provided the reconstruction is commenced within 12 months of the initial damage;
(g) Clarify that parking requirements for warehouses and other non-public uses apply to the total number of employees on the largest shift under Table 3.1;
(h) Eliminate the exemption from bonding requirements for quarries and mining operations under Section 4.5;
(i) Revise Section 6.5 to authorize the Development Review Board to waive certain setback standards in accordance with specified criteria that is different from variance criteria.
(j) Revise Section 4.6 to allow home occupations in accessory structures;
(k) Revise Section 4.12 to add a provision allowing special events as an accessory to other uses, in accordance with specific criteria;
(l) Revise conditional use criteria (Section 5.3(D)(1)) to require that proposed uses not result in undue adverse impacts to significant natural features, rather than only to natural features located on the site as is presently the case;
(m) Revise zoning permit exemptions under Section 6.2 to include tree houses not less than 100 square feet and excavation and grading involving up to 100 yards of fill outside of the floodplain. In addition, clarify exemption of forestry practices;
(n) Revise Section 3.07 (E) for interior lots with substandard frontages to require yard setbacks equal to side yard setback instead of front yard setback;
(o) Revise consistently throughout Bylaw transition from Board of Adjustment to Development Review Board, including Municipal Administrative Requirements
described in Section 6.07; and
(p) Revise definitions of Agriculture, Basement, Building Height, Dwelling Unit – Multi-Family, Floor Area, Half-Story, Home Occupation, Lot Coverage, Nonconforming Structure, Indoor and Outdoor Recreation, Light Industry, Setback and Story and add definitions for Attic, Back Alley, Cottage Industry, Building Footprint, Dwelling Unit – Duplex, Energy Generation Facility, Irasville, Principal Use, Principal Building Research & Development, Special Event and Gross Floor Area.

All of the proposed amendments and regulations are consistent with the Act, including the goals set forth in §4302, and are in conformance with, and are intended to implement, the Waitsfield Town Plan.  Copies of the full text of the proposed amendments to the zoning bylaws and a report prepared in accordance with §4441 of the Act are available at the Waitsfield Town Offices during regular business hours and at the links below.  All interested persons are requested to attend and provide comments during the public hearing.  Written comments may also be submitted to the Waitsfield Planning Commission, 9 Bridge Street, Waitsfield, VT 05673.

• Proposed Zoning Revisions
• Proposed Irasville Zoning Districts - 11" x 17" map
• Planning Commission Report - April 11, 2007

Irasville Master Plan, 2002 - Full document
Or, available in the following sections:
Plan Cover & Contents
I. Introduction
II. Opportunities & Constraints
III. Irasville Development Plan
IV. Making it Happen