The executive session was scheduled to discuss legal issues. One of the
three pending projects is the town's municipal water project. That
project would provide municipal water from a well on Reed Road to a
service area that runs from Tremblay Road through Irasville. The Act 250
permit for that project has been appealed by adjoining landowner
Virginia Houston.
OUT FOR BID
Final engineering on the project was almost complete and the project
almost ready to go out for bid when it was appealed in February.
Installation of the underground pipes for the water project will require
digging up the sides of Route 100 so that project was to have been
timed to work with the two other projects, a municipal sidewalk project
and the Vermont Agency of Transportation's repaving of Route 100 from
Waitsfield to Warren.
Because the water project is delayed due to the appeal, the board has
considered whether it makes sense to delay either the sidewalk or
repaving project, or go forward with those projects with the
understanding that the water project will require, at a minimum, digging
up the sidewalk if the sidewalk is built this year and the water
project is constructed afterwards.
WATER PROJECT
"We've received a lot of information and worked with VTrans officials
and our legal team to understand the ramifications of the various
decisions," explained Town Administrator Valerie Capels.
She said that the town learned from VTrans that it will be possible for
the state to repave Route 100 from Route 17 south to Warren and hold off
on the Irasville and Waitsfield Village sections until the water
project is constructed.
Originally the board proposed the infrastructure summit to hear public
input on the various options of sidewalk now or later, repave now or
later, etc. At this week's meeting, board members reiterated a desire to
hear that public input but noted that until the board has more firm
information on legal and technical issues, a summit would be premature.
GREAT VALUE
Steve Shea, chair of the town planning commission, was at this week's
meeting to discuss proposed zoning changes and told the board that he
sees great value in such a summit.
"I think it's really important to have a summit and I think a public
forum is a really good idea. I understand the board wanting to have
enough information to make good decisions and I think there are a lot of
townspeople who don't know enough about the background of what's going
on. I think they need to know that to be supportive of the select board
and the town when it does make a decision. I'd urge you to have that
summit as soon as you can," Shea said.
Select board chair Kate Williams said that the board remains committed
to the summit but wants to hold it when the board has enough information
so that a summit could be productive. Shea said that such a summit
would also help the planning commission as it works on revising the Town
Plan.
{loadnavigation}
