Draft- Minutes of the Pittsfield Planning Commission Tuesday May 6, 2025

Pittsfield Planning Commission meeting
​May 6, 2025
Attendees:

• Mark Stugart
  
• Craig Westling
  
• Vaughan Micciche (via Teams)
  

1. Meeting called to order at 6.01p
2. Approval of minutes from February 4, 2025

• February meeting minutes approval. Craig motion to approve minutes. Mark second. All in favor, no opposed.
  

3. Presentation by Kyle Hansen from TRORC re. new mapping requirements related to Regional Future Land Use Maps.

• Vermont’s goals are:
  
  • Compact village centers/urban centers
    
  • Protect agricultural and forest lands
    
• TRORC is doing initial public outreach Feb 2025-Oct 2025 re. revising the maps. Timeline:
  
  • Maps ready for hearing: June 2026
    
  • Map adoption: Dec 2026.
    
• Housing targets:
  
  • Add 3,600 new housing units regionally by 2030. 
    
  • Goal is 55% is village centers
    
  • Pittsfield’s share is 0.6%, or 20 new units by 2030. 
    
  • A unit is an independent living space (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom).
    
• The draft map shows expansion of the village center, mostly to reflect property boundaries.
  
  • Won’t restrict business growth.
    
  • The town plan does not need to be updated off-cycle….can wait for 8 years (regular update schedule).
    
• There was much discussion about Act 250 tiers, initiated by town members in the audience.
  
  • Pittsfield is currently in tier 2, and will likely continue.
    
  • Towns can apply for tier 1B, which requires zoning, subdivision, and wastewater management).
    
  • The Land Use maps do not directly affect Act 250 rules being discussed by the Land Use Review Board (which will draw tiers overlaying the maps).
    
• Email follow up from Kyle H. on May 8:
  
  • Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Planners have met with nine towns in our region so far to discuss our new draft Regional Future Land Use Map. 
    
  • We have decided to create a work in progress map to share with all of the Planning Commissions, to show changes made after our meetings, and also to show how the regional areas look as they cross town lines. 
    
  • The link to that map is here: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/b2a2c6a9f3e3479e8984f85e4fc98777
    
  • If there is an area you have questions about or would like to see us adjust slightly, you can drop a comment on that point on the map. 
    
  • We will be checking this map regularly and will be revealing more towns as we meet with them.
    

5. Conduct any other required business

• None
  

6. Set next meeting date

• TBD via email communication
  

7. Adjournment

• Craig motion to adjourn. Mark second. All in favor, no opposed. 7.35
  

To listen to a recording of the meeting click here: https://bit.ly/4m71BSN 
These minutes were approved:  ___________________________By: ______________________________