TOWARD A “VILLAGE MASTER PLAN”

Report of the Village Steering Committee to the Select Board and Planning Commission (July 6, 2007)

Committee Personnel

The Select Board created the Village Steering Committee, following the recommendation of the 2004 Town Plan, in the fall of 2005. The Committee began meeting in November of that year. The 2005-2006 members of the Village Steering Committee were Tracy Applin, Brian Busier, Donna Constantineau, George Dameron (chair), Rolf Kielman (secretary), Karla Munson, and Dona Walker. The 2006-2007 Committee consists of the same membership, although Karla Munson rotated off the Committee when her term ended in October (2006). However, Karla Munson rejoined the Village Steering Committee in February, 2007.

Committee Mandate

The 2005 Town Plan (page 61) mandates that the Village Steering Committee will develop along with the Select Board and the Planning Commission a Village Master Plan (3.2.1a.b) within two years (by June, 2007). The following is the contribution of the Village Steering Committee (henceforth known as the VSC), and it consists of specific recommendations and suggestions (with their rationales) to create such a Master Plan (should the Planning Commission and Select Board create one). The VSC refers its recommendations and this report to the Town Planner, the Town Administrator, the Select Board, the Zoning Administrator, and the Planning Commission. The VSC recognizes that the creation of a Village Master Plan is specifically within the purview of the Select Board and the Planning Commission, but it wishes to forward these recommendations to those two bodies so that they can be taken into consideration as the Village Growth Project continues to take shape. For the purpose of this report, the “village” is defined as corresponding to the area represented on the map, “Proposed Zoning Districts (Village Growth Area Re-zoning)”:

http://www.hinesburg.org/documents/village_growth_project/zoning_district_map.pdf

The Committee Report: Toward a Master Plan for the Village

The following is the contribution of the Village Steering Committee to the creation of a village master plan. The VSC embraced the goals and objectives below in the form of recommendations passed during its monthly meetings. Details are available in the committee minutes that are posted at the committee web site (http://www.hinesburg.org/villagesteering.html). At its first meeting (November, 2005), the Committee decided that walk-ability and connectivity would be its fundamental priorities for its first year. The VSC has strongly recommended that the Select Board, Planning Commission, and Development Review Board act swiftly and urgently to reduce speed on roads within the village district, secure funding for new sidewalks and crosswalks, and oversee the construction of such sidewalks and crosswalks. The VSC is deeply concerned that the village currently does not yet have the sidewalk/crosswalk infrastructure and traffic control improvements to accommodate development. Many of its recommendations stem from that assumption and from the strong view that gaps in village infrastructure should be remedied as soon as possible.

TOWN GOALS	OBJECTIVES	ACTION TAKEN	ACTION NEEDED	RESPONSIBLE PARTY	STATUS
A. ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, CONNECTIVITY, WALKABILITY IN VILLAGE	1. Reduce speed in village on 116	Speed reduced to 30 mph (March 2007)	None	Select Board, VTrans, VSC	Completed
	2. Reduce speed on town roads in village to 30 mph	None	VSC will communicate with Select Board	Select Board and town officials	Pending
	3. Town police to use speed indicators at least once a month	VSC recommendation to Select Board and town officials	None	VSC, Town Police, Select Board	Completed
	4. Town Police to exercise more traffic control within village	Traffic control now more frequent in village	Traffic control must continue	Town Police, Select Board, VSC	Completed
	5. Implement Route 116 Hinesburg Village Corridor Scoping Study (2004)	a. Install traffic light at Charlotte Road/Main Street: went out to bid (June 2007)	Construction should take place summer of 2007	VTrans, Select Board, VSC, town officials	Pending
TOWN GOALS	OBJECTIVES	ACTION TAKEN	ACTION NEEDED	RESPONSIBLE PARTY	STATUS
		b. Install t-intersection at 116/Silver Street	Action pending	VTrans, Select Board, VSC	Pending
		c. Implement 2004 Crosswalk Assessment	Priority list for VSC: Crossing of 1. 116 (Main) at Best Yet 2. Silver south of 116 3. Charlotte Road west of 116 4. 116 west of Lyman Meadows Road 5. Mechanicsville Road east of 116 6. 116 in front of HCS 7. 116 south of Mechanicsville 8. 116 south of Commerce	Select Board, town officials, VTrans	Begun
		d. Crosswalks on town roads to be painted after every winter	VSC should monitor painting	Select Board, town officials, VSC	Completed
TOWN GOALS	OBJECTIVES	ACTION TAKEN	ACTION NEEDED	RESPONSIBLE PARTY	STATUS
		e. Town to remind VTrans to re-paint cross-walks on 116 after every winter	VSC should monitor	Town officials, Select Board, VTrans, VSC	Pending
		f. Complete fabric of sidewalk throughout village	VSC priority list: 1. Saputo to Town Hall 2. Charlotte Road to HCS 3. Hart and Mead to Lyman Meadows 4. East side of 116 from Commerce Street to Mechanicsville 5. North side 116 from Lyman Meadows to point opposite Friendship Lane	Select Board, VTrans, Planning Commission, DRB, VSC	Pending and incomplete
		g. Require developers in village to include adequate sidewalks associated with their development	Some success (Green Street) but should be on-going	DRB, Select Board, VSC	Begun
TOWN GOALS	OBJECTIVES	ACTION TAKEN	ACTION NEEDED	RESPONSIBLE PARTY	STATUS
		h. Sidewalk from Saputo to Town Hall to be constructed summer, 2007; Safe Routes to School Grant applied for (summer 2007) to complete sidewalk on west side of 116	Recommendations to be implemented: 1. No passing on right 2. Narrow the roadway 3. construct appropriate curbing, according to minor arterial village standards 4. Allow on-street parking, perhaps parallel parking 5. Plant more trees and lighting along roadway 6. Sidewalks on both sides of 116 from Commerce Street to Friendship Lane 7. Narrow road width from Commerce to Silver with 4-ft shoulders for bike lanes	VSC, Select Board, VTrans, DRB, Planning Commission	Begun
TOWN GOALS	OBJECTIVES	ACTION TAKEN	ACTION NEEDED	RESPONSIBLE PARTY	STATUS
B. PRESERVE AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF VILLAGE INFRASTRUCTURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE	1. Identify location of public resources and amenities and pro-actively plan for their development: village green (with band shell and amphitheatre, all in Commerce Park, perhaps)	VSC sent recommendation to Planning Commission and Select Board	VSC to communicate with Planning Commission and Select Board	Planning Commission and Select Board, VSC	Not begun
	2. Develop design standards for new building construction that requires compatibility with existing historical character of village	Design standards developed by VSC and sent to Planning Commission; draft of standards in current Village Growth Project proposal draft	Standards to be re-drafted for final Village Growth Project proposal draft	VSC, Planning Commission, Select Board	Begun
TOWN GOALS	OBJECTIVES	ACTION TAKEN	ACTION NEEDED	RESPONSIBLE PARTY	STATUS
	3. Develop historical inventory of existing village structures	Student identified who will do research in town records	Begins in fall of 2007 and will be completed in spring of 2007	VSC (George Dameron), Saint Michael’s College student	Begun; Saint Michael’s College student project, 2007-2008
	4. Develop policy regarding destruction of existing village structures	VSC sent proposal to town boards	Policy should be included in zoning regulations	VSC, Select Board, Planning Commission, DRB, town officials	Pending
	5. Develop historic walking tour of village	VSC	To be done once inventory completed	VSC	Begun
	6. Continue to make Hinesburg a Designated Village Center	VSC, town planner	Must be renewed	VSC, town officials	Completed
	7. Provide attractive signage at village gateways	VSC recommendation	VSC to communicate with Select Board and local business association	Select Board, Hinesburg Business Association, town officials	Begun
TOWN GOALS	OBJECTIVES	ACTION TAKEN	ACTION NEEDED	RESPONSIBLE PARTY	STATUS
	8. Develop a professional historical society that can apply for grants, sponsor tours, and so on.	VSC recommendation	VSC to communicate with existing historical society	VSC, Hinesburg Historical Society, Select Board	Not begun
C. TRANSPORTATION	1. Establish Park-and-Ride in village	Approved	Construction this summer (2007)	Select Board	Completed
	2. Assess and seek to meet transportation needs	a. Conduct survey b. United We Ride Grant applied for and received	Town officials, VSC to decide how grant money to be used	Village Steering Committee, town public works director, town planner	Pending
D. TOWN HALL	1. Provide adequate outside lighting on south side	VSC recommendaiton	VSC to communicate with town officials	Select Board, VSC	Begun
	2. Move town monuments and memorials to town hall	VSC recommendation	VSC to communicate with town officials	Select Board, VSC	Begun
	3. Post attractive sign in front of town hall with US flag	VSC recommendation	Follow-up needed	VSC, Select Board, town officials	Completed (flag); begun (sign)
TOWN GOALS	OBJECTIVES	ACTION TAKEN	ACTION NEEDED	RESPONSIBLE PARTY	STATUS
E. PROMOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING	1. Incorporate inclusionary zoning in zoning regulations	VSC, Planning Commission recommendation	PC draft now before town for discussion	Planning Commission, Select Board, Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committtee	Pending
	2. Assess local needs	Formal survey of local needs	Survey to be done in September	Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee	Begun

Respectfully submitted,

George Dameron, Chair, Village Steering Committee

July 6, 2007