Springfield Select Board to revise town Plan

The Springfield Select Board wants to make revisions to the town plan before approving it for another five-year period.
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140501/NEWS02/705019929

Published May 1, 2014 in the Rutland Herald Springfield Select Board to revise town Plan By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Select Board wants to make revisions to the town plan before approving it for another five-year period. The Select Board balked at reapproving the current plan at a public hearing Monday night and said they wanted to make changes. The immediate issue is the town’s downtown designation and state funding for projects such as Springfield On The Move, the town’s designated downtown organization. Without a current town plan, the state will not reauthorize the downtown designation, said Thomas Kennedy, executive director of the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission. Kennedy agreed to send a Word document to the Select Board members so they could “red line” their proposed changes and recommendations and make the changes to the original document absolutely clear. The proposed town plan is also on the town’s website, in a PDF format, Kennedy said. “This is an interim step,” he said. Under the schedule finally adopted after much discussion, Select Board members will have their comments submitted by May 8, in time for another public hearing on the plan May 12. Selectman George McNaughton had already compiled four pages of comments and suggestions, and School Board member Steve Karaffa said the School Board should receive a copy of the plan so it could review the education portion. The most recent information dated to 2009, he said. “In two weeks, we could have something to you,” Karaffa said. Selectman David Yesman said the changes proposed to the plan were “significant,” and would trigger at least another public hearing or two before the plan is adopted. Town Attorney Stephen Ankuda recommended the Select Board “hash it all out” at the May 12 hearing and adopt it, and then hold yet another public hearing. Selectwoman Stephanie Thompson said she wanted the town plan to eventually go back to the Planning Commission. The town is shooting for a June-July completion date. Residents with concerns about the town plan are instructed to bring them to Select Board members or the Planning Commission, said Selectman Peter MacGillivray. The board was reminded exactly how important a town plan can be by North Springfield resident Bob Kiosko, chairman of the North Springfield Action Group, which had opposed the proposed wood-fired power plant in North Springfield. The proposal to build the plant was rejected this winter by the Vermont Public Service Board. “This document is extremely important,” Kiosko said. “The stronger your town plan is, the better it protects your community.” Fredda Kiosko urged the board to include language that would foster “transparency” in town affairs and town involvement in such projects as the rejected biomass plant, which was a joint project of Winstanley Enterprises of North Springfield and Weston Solutions of West Chester, Pa.