To the Editor:
Irasville is the commercial hub of the MRV. It should adapt and grow to prosper. By freeing up land currently dedicated to wastewater treatment and creating more treatment capacity off-site, community wastewater infrastructure enables adaptation and growth.
The public health, housing, and economic development benefits of the Waitsfield wastewater project are well described on the project website, construction will be funded by grants, and we've successfully run an analogous community water supply system since 2012. As someone who recently served a term on the Waitsfield Planning Commission, I believe the project is worth supporting for these reasons alone.
But consider too how it could shape, for the better, the built environment in Irasville. The Waitsfield wastewater project would allow for compact, walkable, mixed-use development favored in public plans for decades. The density to drive this pattern of development, recently reset in the zoning bylaws, is only possible with community wastewater infrastructure.
The bond proposed on June 11, 2024, is our best chance yet to make community wastewater treatment possible in our Valley's hub. Our external funding prospects may never line up this well again. Pushing the bond vote into November risks losing funding needed to make the project succeed with no cost to taxpayers. With many public meetings about the project under our belts and more planned between now and June, voters can make an informed decision on the bond this June.
Kevin Anderson
Waitsfield
