Rutland planning commission puts subdivision-regulations work on hold, plans charge review
April 19, 2025 | Town of Rutland, Rutland County, Vermont
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The Rutland Town Planning Commission on April 17, 2025, agreed to pause the subcommittee's work on subdivision regulations and to revisit the subcommittee's charge at the commission's next meeting.
Members discussed whether to pursue a longer-term approach that would include zoning or to take a shorter route of adopting subdivision regulations only. Unidentified Planning Commission Member 3 said he worried that pursuing the shorter, immediate route could leave the longer-term work undone: "I would be kind of afraid that if we just do the 1, the second might never get done. And that you have the implications of act 1 81." Unidentified Planning Commission Member 1 told the subcommittee, "No. We're just postponing your work," indicating the commission's decision to pause activity rather than terminate it.
Why it matters: the choice between immediate subdivision regulations and a longer zoning effort will shape how the town governs new lot divisions and future development; members cited implications of "act 1 81," which was raised during the discussion.
Discussion details: commissioners outlined three options: pursue zoning now, adopt subdivision regulations only, or attempt both sequenced (an approach one member called the "third option"). Members noted concern for wasted effort by citizens who had already worked on earlier drafts. The commission chair said the subcommittee's charge "is going to be revised at our next meeting," and that there was no reason for the subcommittee to meet again until the planning commission sets a revised charge.
Related business: commissioners briefly noted items that will remain on future agendas, including a river-corridor questions list from Kyle Madash and the pocket-park project, which the select board asked the commission to help re-scope after a grant was not approved.
Meeting context: the discussion followed an executive session and was framed as a direction to pause and revisit, not as a formal adoption of new policy. Commissioners instructed staff and the subcommittee to await the next planning commission meeting for a formal decision on the subcommittee's remit.
Ending: The commission left the subcommittee's work on hold and scheduled a discussion of the subcommittee's revised charge for the next regular planning commission meeting.
Members discussed whether to pursue a longer-term approach that would include zoning or to take a shorter route of adopting subdivision regulations only. Unidentified Planning Commission Member 3 said he worried that pursuing the shorter, immediate route could leave the longer-term work undone: "I would be kind of afraid that if we just do the 1, the second might never get done. And that you have the implications of act 1 81." Unidentified Planning Commission Member 1 told the subcommittee, "No. We're just postponing your work," indicating the commission's decision to pause activity rather than terminate it.
Why it matters: the choice between immediate subdivision regulations and a longer zoning effort will shape how the town governs new lot divisions and future development; members cited implications of "act 1 81," which was raised during the discussion.
Discussion details: commissioners outlined three options: pursue zoning now, adopt subdivision regulations only, or attempt both sequenced (an approach one member called the "third option"). Members noted concern for wasted effort by citizens who had already worked on earlier drafts. The commission chair said the subcommittee's charge "is going to be revised at our next meeting," and that there was no reason for the subcommittee to meet again until the planning commission sets a revised charge.
Related business: commissioners briefly noted items that will remain on future agendas, including a river-corridor questions list from Kyle Madash and the pocket-park project, which the select board asked the commission to help re-scope after a grant was not approved.
Meeting context: the discussion followed an executive session and was framed as a direction to pause and revisit, not as a formal adoption of new policy. Commissioners instructed staff and the subcommittee to await the next planning commission meeting for a formal decision on the subcommittee's remit.
Ending: The commission left the subcommittee's work on hold and scheduled a discussion of the subcommittee's revised charge for the next regular planning commission meeting.
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