True North Wilderness Program is seeking Act 250 permits to operate its wilderness therapy programs in Waitsfield and in Fayston. True North has local permits to operate with up to 24 students and eight counselors on the Howe Block of Camel’s Hump State Forest and on private land in Waitsfield. This week’s Act 250 hearing took place on July 19.
In Fayston, the Development Review Board completed taking testimony last week on whether to permit True North to operate on 650 acres of property off Bassett Hill Road. At that location, True North is seeking permits to host 42 students plus 14 counselors.
Fayston Act 250 hearings begin August 2. The District 5 Environmental Commission has ruled on party status for the Fayston project, granting status to the Fayston Citizens Group, adjoining landowner Patti Lewis and the adjoining Big Basin Trust.
The commission also issued a request for assistance from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Environmental Conservation –Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Division to assess potential impacts of the project on French Brook (which runs through the parcel) and the significant wildlife habitat in the area.
Party status has not yet been determined for the Waitsfield Act 250 application. At this week’s hearing, attorney David Grayck, representing adjoining landowners Kinny Perot and Richard Czaplinski, queried the applicants Madhurii Barefoot and Ty Maves about the project. Grayck sought clarification details of the Act 250 application that are different from other state and local permits. He asked the applicants and their attorney Rebecca Boucher and their engineer Don Marsh about the logistics of where students would camp in the spring, summer and fall.
He asked for specifics about how many students and counselors would be on the Waitsfield site and sought clarification for discrepancies between the Waitsfield permit for 24 students and the Vermont ANR camping permit for 42 students.
Additionally, Grayck asked the applicants if the leave no trace camping standards that they used were similar to those used by the state of Vermont. Perot and Czaplinski asked further questions about setbacks as well as steep slopes.
Following this week’s hearing, Grayck will submit a letter affirming which of the 10 Act 250 review criteria for which his clients seek party status. The commission will then issue a recess memorandum on party status and set the date for the next hearing.
{loadnavigation}
