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Town Hall parking lot question placed on ballot
Back in the swing Fall sports are ramping up at CVU with the Redhawks volleyball team hosting tryouts this week. For more from tryouts, see Page 14. OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY
WVPD nears deal on new public park in Williston
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Plans for a new riverside park in Williston are progressing on a 29-acre parcel that was donated to the town in 2019. Known as the Jacob parcel, the land fronts the Winooski River across from GlobalFoundries’ campus in Essex Junction. It was gifted to the public by Peter Jacob, a retired Chittenden County land developer and one of the founders of the Champlain Water District. Shortly after the town acquired the land,
“Our conversations are progressing with GlobalFoundries on our ability to have a parking lot,” Larned told Williston Conservation Commission members during a Wednesday morning meeting. “It seems promising. It’s progressed more than it ever has.” The proposed parking lot site is located between Paya’s Auto dealership and Mama’s Farm — a chicken, goat and vegetable grower. The Jacob parcel is about a half-mile from the parking lot and has existing trails, Larned said. Acquiring the parking area is “the first domino to fall” in welcoming the public to the park, Larned said. Other necessities are receiving an easement from GlobalFoundries
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BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Winooski Valley Parks District (WVPD) leaders presented the idea of adding it to the district’s portfolio of 18 local parks and natural areas that it manages to “provide residents the opportunity to experience the natural environment with minimal human disturbance,” the wvpd.org website states. Creating a parking area and trail to access the parcel has been a primary hurdle. But recent talks between the district and GlobalFoundries about a land transfer for a parking lot off Mountain View Road and an easement for a gravel trail that would lead to the parcel have picked up pace, according to WVPD Parks Superintendent Tim Larned. GlobalFoundries owns land on both the Essex and Williston sides of the river.
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29-acre town-owned parcel fronts the Winooski River
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The Williston Selectboard on Tuesday unanimously approved a question to voters for borrowing authority of up to $400,000 for improvements to the parking lot behind Town Hall. The question will appear on the General Election ballots mailed by the Vermont Secretary of State’s office to every registered town voter ahead of the Nov. 5 election. This follows voter rejection of a similar proposal during the Town Meeting Day election in March. That question asked for up to $700,000. Since then, the town has received a $200,000 state grant for the project, committed $200,000 in funds it received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and scaled back the lighting plan to reduce costs. “This number is a big departure from the bonding amount we were asking for at Town Meeting Day,” selectboard member Greta
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D’Agostino said. The total project cost is estimated at $860,000. Plans include adding roughly 30 spaces to the lot, improving drainage to reduce puddling and icing, adding lighting, repaving and installing conduits for future electric vehicle charging. “Our parking lot needs to be safe,” D’Agostino said. “I do think this is imperative.” The town faced a deadline of this week to get the question on the ballot, where it will appear alongside choices for U.S. president and Congress as well as local representation in the Vermont Legislature. Town Manager Erik Wells plans to hold a public informational meeting the night before election day, Nov. 4 in the Williston Central School auditorium, to explain the project to voters. That meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Before approving the bond question Tuesday, the board approved a “necessity resolution” that states, in part: “The Selectboard … has concluded and determined that the public interest and necessity demand that the Town undertake a capital improvement project to expand and improve the municipal parking lot.”
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Board approves bonding question ahead of November election
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AUGUST 22, 2024
The red dot marks the location of the Jacob parcel.
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