What’s to study?
‘Virtual pipeline’
Charlotte debates inclusivity statement
Gas tanker fires spark concern
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August 29, 2024
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Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg
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Charlotte moves ahead with Spear Street fix
Civic minded
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
After remnants of Hurricane Beryl devastated a section of Spear Street in Charlotte, the availability of federal funding has given the town a few options on how to reopen the important thoroughfare. Charlotte saw nearly 5.3 inches of rain overnight on July 10 and a 10-foot by 60-foot culvert was washed away on
Spear Street, leaving the road completely unpassable. Since then, the town has been working with the Vermont Agency of Transportation and Civil Engineering Associates to determine the repair costs for two potential options. Two primary funding sources are available to offset the cost of repairing the town’s infrastrucSee SPEAR STREET on page 13
Village planning project hits setback LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
A volunteer waters the flowers and seasonal displays at the historical monument in Charlotte.
Charlotte’s village planning project, a two-year comprehensive dive into the future of the town’s East and West villages, hit a snag this summer when consultants unveiled an initial draft of their work, which the chair of the planning commission called “a terrible job.” The draft highlighted at a July 11 Charlotte Planning Commission meeting showed an initial conceptual plan to funnel development into the town’s east and west villages to minimize sprawl in the town’s rural areas and
create more walkable and vibrant neighborhoods. “I just want to make sure that folks understand that framing of the project, we’re not trying to add a ton of housing for the sake of housing. We’re really trying to make this a vibrant, walkable place that has these housing types and has these places for people to live and create community, which is something we heard time and again throughout the engagement process,” Darren Schibler, a senior planner with Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, See VILLAGE PLANNING on page 16
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