Town of Monkton Notice of Public Hearing
On the Proposed Amendments to the Unified Planning Document
The Monkton Selectboard will hold a public Hearing at 8:00 PM Monday September 19, 2016 at the Monkton Fire Station (3747 States Prison Hollow Road), to take public testimony on the proposed Amendments to the Unified Planning Document. There will be an informational session from 7:00 to 7:45PM on September 19, 2016 at the Fire House prior to the public hearing.
The Selectboard will discuss and vote on any proposed changes after the Public Hearing at their regularly scheduled meeting on September 26, 2016 at 7.00 at the Town Hall.
Copies of the Unified Planning Document and copies of the proposed amendments are available for review or obtained at the Town Offices, 280 Monkton Ridge during normal business hours. They may also be viewed on the town website in both ‘redline’ and clean versions at monktonvt.com/town-info/town-plan-and-zoning-bylaws/.
For more information please contact: Stephen Pilcher 425-2178 Selectboard Chair (or e-mail to selectboard@monktonvt.com) or Sharon Gomez, the Town Clerk at (802) 453-3800.
Statement of Purpose
Monkton’s Unified Planning Document exists to provide process and procedure to guide orderly development within the town. It is comprised of two parts, Section I that contains the town’s Zoning Regulations and Section II which addresses the Subdivision Regulations. All development regulations take their guidance from the Town Plan, but unlike the Town Plan do not expire. Once adopted these regulations remain in effect until amended by the voters. The amendments proposed here, are intended to streamline the Zoning and Subdivision process and to make the process more open to the community.
All of the proposed amendments support the goals of the Town Plan and provide clarity and greater community input in the development process. They are compatible with proposed future land uses and densities of the municipal plan and planned community facilities.
In the Zoning regulations:
We have updated the Conditional Use regulations by narrowing the list of by-right land uses and increasing the list of conditional use activities. These changes are proposed not to limit use of the land but to ensure the review of the potential side effects development can bring and to allow for increased community participation within the hearing process.
We have added language to better explain the differences between a non-conforming use, a non-conforming structure and a non-conforming lot.
We have also revised the sections that pertain to blasting and large scale earth moving by adding language that states these activities are permitted only in conjunction with building construction and subsequent landscaping.
In the Subdivision regulations
We have revised the open space requirements for Planned Unit Developments (PUDs).
We have created a new section 593 that brings the Town into conformance with recently adopted state Shoreland Protection Regulations. (10V.S.A. chapter 24 §1441 et seq.)
Other conforming language has been added to incorporate required newly enacted solar siting and other alternative energy land use regulations.
We have also added definitions and made other minor administrative or editing changes as seemed to be necessary and prudent.
The areas of the town affected the proposed Amendments are:
Section 593 affects the Pond Overlay District surrounding Monkton Pond/Cedar Lake and the small section of Bristol Pond /Lake Winona located in the Southeast quadrant of the Town.
All other proposed amendments affect all districts of the town.
