BURNS PARCEL PROJECT

1. A Brief History

2. Burns Committee

3. RFP for Site Evaluation

4. RFP to Facilitate Planning of a Town-Owned Parcel

5. Burns Committee meeting minutes

6. Map

1. A Brief History by Dana Farley

The community was introduced to the planning processes for the former Burns property and the west village last spring through The Charlotte News and then became more acquainted at the Town Party in July 2003. To refresh memories, the Town owns 55 acres, as a result of transactions between the Charlotte Land Trust, the Vermont Land Trust, the Preservation Trust of Vermont, and several private landowners. The property, which starts at Greenbush Road to the west and ends U.S. Route 7 to the east, is characterized by high visibility at the periphery of the west village on Greenbush Road, open space, natural resources, and by some accounts, a considerable amount of septic soils.

At the Town Party, the Selectboard-appointed committee charged with conducting the planning process and making recommendations, arranged an informational booth with aerial photos, narrative materials, a survey, and an interactive model of the former Burns property. The results of the survey, which were published in The Charlotte News in October 2003, were varied. Suggestions ranged from land banking the former Burns property until some point in the future, construction of affordable housing, and agricultural use with trail access. The interactive model produced visions ranging from open space, clustered housing, and small scale commercial uses.

The town committee is moving into a phase of the project which includes technical feasibility analyses for septic resources and wetlands. The Committee is also evaluating candidates for planning and facilitating the process which will include extensive community outreach, interactive events at the town hall and other venues, small group gatherings, and a planning charrette. The result of this work will be presented in a Master Plan for the former Burns property, which may include other portions of the Village’s southwest quadrant.

Planning efforts on the broader west village will result in a designation of Planning Neighborhood Areas, most likely into four quadrants, which produce specialized Design Statements that reflect the unique circumstances, land ownership patterns, topography, wildlife features and goals for development, or lack thereof, in the individual neighborhoods. These will be included with the Committee’s recommendations to the Selectboard relative to use of the former Burns property; both in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding executed between the above mentioned parties. The Master Plan may be the subject of a town wide vote on Town meeting 2005. The Design Statements from the Neighborhood Planning Areas will form the basis for the next round of village planning initiated by the Planning Commission.

The Committee will be holding a meeting on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. at the Town Hall. This meeting will focus on designating the four village planning areas, establishing a coordinator for each quadrant, and setting up a planning schedule to coincide with the overall schedule for the process established in the Memorandum of Understanding.

2. The Burns Committee

Dana Farley (Village Resident), Chair Moe Harvey (Citizen at large)

Jessie Bradley (Recreation Committee) John Owen (Affordable Housing Committee)

Charles Russell (Selectboard) Jack Clemmons ((Economic Development Committee)

Dee Pierce (Conservation Commission) Al Moraska (Planning Commission)

Chris McGee (Citizen at large)

3. RFP for Site Evaluation

TOWN OF CHARLOTTE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

FOR SITE EVALUATION

General Information

The Town of Charlotte is issuing a Request for Proposals for the evaluation of two adjacent parcels near the West Charlotte Village. The area to be evaluated is approximately 60 acres, and is a combination of field and woodland. (A map is available.)

Product

The selected consultant is to provide:

1. A comprehensive evaluation of on-site wastewater disposal capacity, including review by the State Wastewater Management Division; a final report (hard copy and electronic copy) will be submitted which includes an analysis of capacity (gallons-per-day) based on both the 1996 and 2002 Vermont Environmental Protection Rules.

2. A site plan (hard copy and electronic copy) showing 10’ USGS contours, property lines, wetlands, utilities, easements, and potential wastewater disposal areas.

3. A topographic survey (hard copy and electronic copy) at 1”= 40’ with 2’ contours in the vicinity of potential wastewater disposal sites with control or benchmark points;

4. A wetland delineation (hard copy and electronic copy) of the Town parcel.

Schedule

All work except Spring-time monitoring (if needed) must be completed by May 30, 2004.

Site Visit

Site visits can be arranged by contacting the Town.

Proposal Deadline

Proposals should be delivered no later than March 31, 2004 at 4:00 PM to the Charlotte Town Office at 159 Ferry Road (P.O. Box 119). Proposals delivered after this date will not be accepted.

Submission

Proposals should include the following:

Name and general description of the firm
Proposed fee and budget
Proposed schedule for completing the project
Resume of all prospective staff who will work on the project
Examples of previous similar work by firm
Names and phone numbers of at least three references

Review Criteria

In selecting a consultant the Town will consider the experience of applicants, the ability to complete the work within the proposed schedule, the proposed fee, and references. The Town reserves the ability to select a consultant which has not submitted the lowest proposed fee.

Contact

Dean Bloch, Town Planner,

Charlotte Town Office

P.O. 119

Charlotte, VT 05445-0119

Phone: 802 425-3533

4. RFP to Facilitate Planning of a Town-Owned Parcel

TOWN OF CHARLOTTE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

TO FACILITATE PLANNING OF A TOWN-OWNED PARCEL

General Information

The Town of Charlotte is issuing a Request for Proposals from consultants (or teams) with facilitation, architectural design, and planning skills who can assist with developing a Master Plan for a town-owned parcel adjacent to the West Charlotte Village. Additionally, the consultant will assist with the creation of “use and design statements” for neighborhoods within the West Charlotte Village.

Specifically the consultant will:

Facilitate community planning events, including a charrette, action planning forums, neighborhood meetings, and meetings with the Selectboard, Planning Commission, School Board, and the Charlotte Land Trust;
Prepare graphic and narrative representations of ideas generated during public discussions;
Generate use and design statements for town-owned parcel and neighborhoods;
Create a Master Plan and accompanying narrative for the town-owned parcel based on public input and feasibility analyses. This will be used as the basis for a recommendation to the Charlotte Selectboard.

Proposals

Proposals must be based on The Town of Charlotte’s Proposed Planning Process for the Former Burns Property and the West Village Neighborhood Planning Areas, (attached). The schedule included in proposals must coincide with the timeframe established in this document.

Budget

The approximate budget for the project is $12,000. Proposals should provide a more detailed budget.

Submission

Proposals should include the following:

Name and general description of the firm
Proposed fee and budget
Resume of staff and/or team members who will work on the project
Examples of previous similar work by firm
Names and phone numbers of at least three references

Site Visit

Site visits can be arranged by contacting the Town.

Deadline

Proposals should be submitted no later than April 2, 2004 at 4:00 PM to the Charlotte Town Office at 159 Ferry Road (P.O. Box 119).

Review Criteria

In selecting a consultant the Town will consider the experience of applicants, the facilitation, design and planning skills of applicant/team, the proposed fee, and references. The Town reserves the ability to select a consultant which has not submitted the lowest proposed fee.

Contact

Dean Bloch, Town Planner

Charlotte Town Office

P.O. 119

Charlotte, VT 05445-0119

Phone: 802 425-3533

5. Burns Committee Meeting Minutes