The Rutland Regional Planning Commission voted Sept. 16 to submit its draft regional plan to the Vermont Land Use Review Board for the state's new pre-application review process, kicking off a 60-day review and a locally held public hearing.

The commission authorized staff to file the draft plan so the Land Use Review Board can conduct its statutory 60-day review and solicit comment from six partner agencies, Executive Director Devin Meri said. "We are the first RPC in the state to hit this milestone," Meri said.

The vote came after Meri told commissioners the application includes a 30-page report documenting how the draft meets statutory goals and that the Land Use Review Board will hold a public hearing in the region. Meri said the hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16 at the Rutland Regional Planning Commission office and will include a field trip: "The Land Use Review Board wants to see our future land-use mapping in action ... we're actually chartering the bus to take us all around the county and look at downtowns and village centers with the Land Use Review Board."

Nut graf: The submission begins the formal review required by state law and starts local public engagement tied to that review. The commission framed the filing as an intermediate step: the draft remains subject to change during the Land Use Review Board process and subsequent local hearings before the commission aims to adopt a final plan in April.

Commissioners were told the draft is posted online and chapter files are broken out for easier review. Meri said the commission plans multiple supplemental meetings around the county before adoption, noting that statute requires a minimum of two public hearings but the RPC intends to hold additional meetings in December and January to meet towns "where they are."

During discussion commissioners thanked staff for the level of engagement and effort. The board then voted to submit the draft; the motion to submit the draft plan to the Land Use Review Board was made from the floor and seconded by Jim Myers. Chair calls for the vote were met with "aye" and the submission was approved.

What happens next: under the state process the Land Use Review Board and partner agencies will have 60 days to review the submission, the board will hold a regional hearing on Oct. 16, and staff said further local hearings and revisions are expected before the commission advances adoption next spring.

Ending: The commission encouraged members and the public to review the full draft and supplemental materials on the RPC website and to attend the Oct. 16 hearing; Meri said he will circulate more details and that printed copies can be made on request because the full draft runs to several hundred pages.