Village Master Plan
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)”:
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. 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
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TOWN GOALS | OBJECTIVES | ACTION TAKEN | ACTION NEEDED | RESPONSIBLE PARTY | STATUS |
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| b. Install t-intersection at 116/Silver Street | Action pending | VTrans, Select Board, VSC | Pending |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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