The Waitsfield Development Review Board will consider expanding parking for the Afterthoughts/Valley Meade building at the corner of Routes 17 and 100 next month, potentially increasing parking for that property to 80-85 spaces. Expanding that parking means amending the existing parking plans for the Afterthoughts parcel as well as the adjacent Valero parcel.
Parking issues at the intersection of Route 17/100 in Waitsfield were brought to the Waitsfield Select Board by adjoining property owner John Morris late last month. He told the board that overflow crowds from shows at Afterthoughts were creating safety and legal risks.
NOT AS OVERFLOW
Morris, owner of Localfolk Smokehouse, described a problem with patrons from Afterthoughts parking on his property and in the adjacent Mad River Valley Rec Hub lot.
His property includes apartments, a bike shop, and the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce visitor center. It also serves as the base for the Mad River Valley Rec Hub, a public reaction access point developed through a $400,000 grant from the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC).
Morris said the roughly 70 parking spaces behind his building were planned and required to meet zoning for all of those uses—not as overflow for events across the road.
“There are 70 spaces behind Localfolk Smokehouse. That’s a conservative number,” said Bob Kogut of Mad River Riders, a VOREC partner. “A portion of those 70 spots are for John’s businesses and uses,” he added, noting the count includes demand from apartments, the restaurant, the visitor center, and trail users.
According to Morris, those spaces are often filled by Afterthoughts customers during evening musical events. He told the board the venue can draw crowds of up to 150 people while having only a few dozen marked spaces of its own. The result, he said, is cars lining nearby roads and patrons walking in the dark along Route 17 and surrounding areas.
IN THE DARK
“I’m actually here to discuss a situation that’s deteriorating,” Morris said, describing “people parking up on Dana Hill… the woodlot landing… and everybody walking around in the dark and also taking advantage of the parking on my property.”
Beyond safety, Morris emphasized the legal stakes. He said he has previously faced lawsuits and even threats to his liquor license over insufficient parking.
“I was sued for this in the past,” he said. “I’ve added the parking twice now… and now I’m going to be back in the same situation.”
Because those spaces are tied directly to his permits, Morris said he cannot simply lease them to Afterthoughts, even if he wanted to. His attorney has advised against it due to liability concerns.
EXPANDING PARKING
For their part, Afterthoughts owners say they are working toward a solution. Aron Shea confirmed plans to expand parking to accommodate uses on his parcel.
“We’re coming to the Waitsfield Development Review Board on May 12 to work on expanding our parking,” Shea said. The proposal, in coordination with the nearby Valero property, would create 80 to 85 new spaces by reconfiguring curb cuts and removing a guardrail between parcels.
Select Board members took no action but acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, particularly the public safety concerns tied to roadside parking and nighttime foot traffic.
