What Planners do...

Planners are elected at Town Meeting, for 4-year terms. The Commission prepares the Town Plan and the Zoning Bylaws for consideration by the legislative body.

The sidebar link will take you to the By-Laws and other town documents available for download.

Final Draft Zoning Regulations Presented to Selectboard

The Planning Commission, subsequent to changes made after the public hearing on June 13, '07, presented the new Zoning Regulations document to the Selectboard on July 9. After review, the board will set a final public hearing date before presenting the Regulations to the town for a vote.

You can download the revised Zoning Regulations, as presented to the Selectboard, from the Doc Download page. It's in PDF format (about 2.5MB) and includes maps ofthe town and the village area.

 

Updated Zoning Summary of Changes (June '07)

• The last total rewrite of Town bylaws was 1987, revisions made in 1999 & 2004.
• Many changes were made to meet the requirements of the 2004 update of State statute (Chapter 117). These changes include permitting small day care facilities, group homes, and home occupations as by right residential uses. A provision for an accessory apartment as a by right residential use was also included.
• The list of permitted and conditional uses was expanded in all districts. A provision was added to allow consideration of a use not specifically mentioned.
• Expanded Village districts (Village Commercial and Village Residential), and reduced setback, lot size, frontage and dimensional standards to reflect existing conditions.
• In developed lakeshore areas the frontage and setback standards are reduced, and language was added to clarify treatment of leased lots to be similar to lots owned outright.
• Changed treatment of Agricultural district from a roadside strip zone of 2 acre minimum lots with an interior zone of 25 acre minimum lot size, to one district with a 2 acre minimum lot size with a density limit of one dwelling per 15 acres. There is a density bonus available for PUDs. The goal is to allow some residential development on lots as small as practical, while retaining large land areas for agriculture. The number of allowable residential lots will not change substantially from the previous bylaws, but will encourage smaller building lots located with regard to retaining useful agricultural land.
• Planned Unit Developments (PUD) are allowed by the new statute which combined the PUD with the former Planned Residential Development. The bylaws allow the Planning Commission to consider a development plan which meets the standards of the bylaws, and to benefit the applicant, may include flexibility in modifying area and dimensional requirements, including lot size, setbacks, frontage, etc.
• There are no subdivision regulations, Shoreham and Bristol are the only towns in the county without these regulations. As subdivision is regulated via a zoning permit, which expires in a year, a mechanism has been added so that when a subdivision plat or deed description is filed in the land records, the subdivision remains in effect.
• Treatment of preexisting uses and structures has been consolidated as required by statute, but remains similar in effect.
• Added provision for waiver of setback requirements, up to 30% reduction, with conditional use review.
• Added provisions for farm labor housing to allow more than one residence on a farm lot that will be used specifically to house agricultural employees.
• Expanded home occupations to include the more intensive 'Home-based business'.
• Incorporates the phosphorus reduction elements currently adopted as an interim amendment.

 

Commission Members Glenn Symon, Chair  Terance Eagan Bob Fisher Joe Hescock Karen Shackett Jeep Madison Scott Stanley

Meetings Meetings are open to the public; they are held regularly, currently the first and third Thursday of each month. To accommodate members’ schedules, the day may change. Check the calendar or give the Clerk’s office a call. Minutes are available at the Town Clerk’s.

 

Contacting the Planners

You can contact any board member by US Mail to the Town Clerk (297 Main St., Shoreham, VT 05770), by calling the Clerk’s office, 897-5841, or via this form.