The conversation between Sugarbush reps and Warren officials about the town’s proposed new Land Use and Development Regulations (LUDRs) is ongoing with resort planning director Margo Wade asked to provide a redline version of the proposed rules.
Warren Select Board and Planning Commission members met with Sugarbush officials on March 23 to continue discussion of areas in the LUDRs where the resort has concerns. This was the second meeting between the groups to discuss nuts and bolts specifics of language.
At the March 23 meeting, Wade explained the resort’s concerns with language about how and when the master planning process will be triggered. She noted that a specific provision of master planning requiring the resort to enter into an agreement with the town’s department of public safety was troubling.
“Requiring the applicant to enter into an agreement with the department of public safety for a fair share contribution is challenging. It’s been a very challenging conversation to have in the past and not having the select board involved from the get go isn’t ideal,” she said.
Select board chair Luke Youmell asked for clarification and Wade said that there had been some pretty significant asks from the resort in the past in terms of fire protection and that they could have been showstoppers.
“That’s put us in a pretty awkward position if technically the fire department could sink a project if Sugarbush is not willing to give as much as they’re asking for. It might be helpful to have someone from the select board at the table during those negotiations,” Wade said.
Select board members agreed and board member Andy Cunningham said that that had been the intent of the town setting up a working group around public safety issues. Board members agreed to clarify that language to involve the select board.
Regarding the issue of what could trigger the master plan process, Wade voiced concerns that everything the resort is doing could trigger a master plan review. Planning commission chair Jim Sanford said that was not the intent of the language. Wade and Sugarbush vice president of real estate Jim Westhelle referenced the resort’s 2005 Lincoln Peak redevelopment plan and said that most of it has been realized, with the exception of three lots internal to Lincoln Peak. They asked for clarification on how to avoid having to re-permit previously approved (but not permitted) plans.
After more discussion on how to square up unpermitted plans approved under the existing regulations, planning commissioner Dan Raddock suggested taking the specific language question to Josh Schwartz, executive director of the Mad River Valley Planning District, for his opinion.
The discussion moved onto a consideration of requiring the resort or other developers to bear the burden of improving roads impacted by a particular project. Wade said costs should be shared between developers and the town and also said transportation impacts are cumulative rather than linked to a specific project.
Youmell suggested that the language could be changed from requiring that applicants “must improve” impacted roads to “may require improvement of impacted roads.”
Town and Sugarbush officials briefly considered an issue Sugarbush had raised previously about the cost of zoning fees and Warren planning and zoning administrator Ruth Robbins presented preliminary data comparing Warren’s costs to those of Waitsfield, Fayston, Killington, Bolton, and Stowe with preliminary recommendations on revising the zoning fee schedule.
