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OCTOBER 20, 2022
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
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A townwide vote on zoning regs? Petitioner seeks to overturn selectboard’s approval
Gerry Malavenda
Cyclist killed in collision with car BY JASON STARR Observer staff Williston cyclist Gerard Malavenda was killed Saturday when he was hit by a vehicle while biking on Hinesburg Road. A native of Essex Junction who had lived in Williston for the past eight years, Malavenda, 65, was an avid cyclist, according to his sister, Maureen Locker of Williston, and a member of the Green Mountain Bicycling Club. “It was his passion. That’s what he did,” Locker said. “That’s where he found his passion and his peace.” Locker said her brother was known for his sense of humor, irreverence, generosity and kindness. “Everyone who met him would say what a wonderful guy he was, always trying to bring a smile to people’s faces — just a real downto-earth kind of guy,” she said. A South Burlington Police investigation into the collision is ongoing. Police did not return calls this week seeking more information. A WCAX report identified the driver of the vehicle as Richsee CYCLIST page 2
BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Bruce Roy
Tony O’Rourke
Erin Brady
Angela Arsenault
A Q&A with the four candidates vying for Williston’s two House seats Ballots have been mailed to all registered voters ahead of the Nov. 8 General Election, when votes will be tallied for a number of statewide and local offices. In Williston, the Chittenden 2 Legislative District has two open seats for representation in the Vermont House of Representatives. There are two Republicans and two Democrats seeking election. Erin Brady, a Democrat who has served one term, is the only incumbent seeking re-election. With the retirement this year of longtime Rep. Jim McCullough, three candidates are hoping for a first term in the Legislature: Democrat Angela Arsenault, Republican Tony O’Rourke and Republican Bruce Roy. Ballots can be mailed to the Town Clerk or dropped off ahead of Election Day — or filled out on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the National Guard Ar-
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mory on Williston Road. The Observer asked each of the candidates to respond to the following five questions.
Describe your personal connection to the Town of Williston. ARSENAULT: Williston is where my family sprouted roots and continues to bloom. It will always be the place my kids call their hometown, and it’s where my parents chose to retire. That carries incredible weight for me. It drives me to find ways that I can help strengthen the fabric of our community and ensure that Williston is a place people will want to call home for a long time to come. I grew up in Vermont and must admit that my understanding of Williston was limited to Taft Corners and Blair Park.
But with a 2-year-old and a newborn when we first moved here in 2010, it took less than a week for me to see that the true character of this town encompassed the berry picking at Isham Farm, the hike at Five Tree Hill, the beach at Lake Iroquois, and incredible access to the rest of Vermont afforded us by I-89, of all things (we joked that Williston was somehow only 12 minutes to all of Chittenden County, which isn’t altogether inaccurate!). In a few short weeks that summer, our little family fell in love with this magical village. BRADY: My husband and I chose to make Williston our family home because we value the quality of life here and the strong sense of community. We appreciate the excellent schools, see CANDIDATE Q&A page 3
Next week — Find our Q&A with Noah Hyman, the South Burlington Democrat running unopposed to represent a portion of both Williston and South Burlington in the newly created Chittenden 8 Legislative District.
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David Martel is working feverishly this week to collect enough signatures to force a townwide vote on recently adopted zoning regulations for Taft Corners. The selectboard replaced the zoning regulations on a 4-1 vote Oct. 4 with a new “form-based code” aimed at creating a more pedestrian-friendly, urban cen-
“Nobody likes going door to door, but if you want to get the signatures, that’s what you have to do to.” David Martel Williston
ter in the area around the intersection of Routes 2 and 2A and near the Exit 12 interchange of Interstate 89. The new regulations, which prescribe the aesthetics and context of buildings and the placement of streets and parks, came on recommendation from the planning commission and after a series of public hearings. Martel, a native of Williston, was one of the lead critics of the see PETITION page 2
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