SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – At the Monday night meeting of the Springfield Selectboard held on Jan. 22, Christine Eggleton and Jason Rasmussen of the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission were in attendance to present the board with the results of their recent housing study.
The goal of the commission’s study was to begin to address regional housing needs by first identifying potential development and redevelopment opportunities located within community centers.
Rasmussen explained that they had preliminarily created a computer model illustrating “where there is already infrastructure, water and sewer, sidewalks, and transit services. Alternatively, they are looking at where the development constraints are; flood plains, steep slopes, wetlands, and all sorts of things.”
“The best locations, not surprisingly,” said Rasmussen, “are in our villages and downtowns.” Springfield had most of the preferred sites. “But,” Rasmussen continued, “Ludlow, Chester, Cavendish, Proctorsville, Ascutney, Windsor all have locations like this as well.”
The commission is partnering with Springfield Regional Development Corporation and other area housing organizations to assess the overall needs of the community, and plans to report back to the town after further study.
Town manager Jeff Mobus presented the board with the unsafe building committee’s findings regarding three properties the board had previously discussed and determined to be unsafe: 52 Valley Street, 67 Furnace Street, and 105 Clinton Street. The committee recommended all three properties be vacated, with the Valley Street and Furnace Street properties to be demolished, and the Clinton Street property to be repaired until the residence can be brought up to code.
The board reviewed each property independently, taking comments and questions from the audience, ultimately voting to accept the building committee’s recommendations.
Three upcoming public hearings were set at Monday’s meeting.
A 32-year-old issue regarding road discontinuation was being revisited, after Mobus had put in a request with Springfield zoning administrator Charles Wise to assist with the resolution of the matter. Mobus reported that 0.3 miles of roads around the old Southview development had been abandoned and recommended for discontinuance in 1992, after the development was demolished.
Mobus explained that the legal discontinuance never moved forward, and he and Wise were working together to complete the process, which required a public hearing. Mobus suggested scheduling the hearing for March 11, at 6 p.m., to give the town time for proper warnings and legal review. The board concurred.
The board voted to hold two public hearings on Feb. 12, at 6 p.m., the first to give voters an opportunity to weigh in on the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP) grant for improvements to the ventilation system at the Huber Building. One requirement to qualify for the $525,000 grant is that the town must hold a public hearing on the project.
Following the VCDP hearing, a second public hearing to consider an amendment to the town ordinance on non-motorized transportation will commence. This provision is in Chapter 12, Article II, Division 4, Nuisances Affecting Public Property.
After a Springfield resident raised the issue that some of the wording in the ordinance “restricts certain activity in public places,” the ordinance committee considered revisions.
As currently written, the provision states that “no person shall course, coast, or slide upon any sleigh, sled, vehicle, or other thing in any streets or highways within limits of the town.” The revision proposes removing the terms “course” and “coast,” allowing non-motorized transportation like roller skates or scooters on town streets and highways.
The committee’s reasoning was that updating the ordinance would increase the options for residents who seek transportation alternatives that support a healthy lifestyle and protect the environment.
The selectboard will hold their next regular meeting on Feb. 12, immediately following the public hearings.