We anticipated that 2009 would see the resolution of the legal
wrangling over the proposed Rivers quarry in Moretown and we were
wrong. The Vermont Environmental Court decision is months overdue and
agitators are already agitating for the town to set aside funds to
appeal the decision to the Vermont Supreme Court. We wonder if the rest
of the townspeople will continue to allow a small, vocal minority to
hijack this project?
Last year we asked if 2009 would see VTrans make a firm commitment to
bike lanes on Route 100 from Waitsfield to Warren. We expressed doubt
and are happy to report we were wrong. Although the date of the project
has been pushed back another year, VTrans is on board with "enhanced
shoulders," which are not bike lanes proper but better than a poke in
the eye with a sharp stick and better than what we have now.
And next year? We wonder if Warren will succeed in 2010 in wresting
legal control of the Sue Carter path from the Brook Road up to the
elementary school. We predict some strong-arming on the part of the
town and spirited legal defense from Ms. Carter.
We wonder if Waitsfield's Town Plan will be gutted by no-growthers who
are sure the way to keep the town and Valley rural is to allow
McMansions to be built all over all the hillsides, rather than channel
development into designated nodes. We predict no-growthers versus
plan-for-the-futurists will come to a draw.
We are curious to see how all the knotweed eradication programs will
work and curious to see if humans in The Valley can slow or stop the
spread of invasive species. We can only hope!
Send us predictions and forecasts and estimations on this season's snowfall!
Happy New Year.
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