Shoreline development laws were a hot issue in the Vermont legislature this year, although no new bills on the topic were passed. Municipalities also have the ability to regulate land use around lakes and ponds through local zoning regulations, drafted in accordance with documents such as a Town Plan. In fact, Hinesburg began work to update it's shoreline zoning district regulations at about the same time the legislature convened for its 2013 session.
In January 2013, the Hinesburg Planning Commission (PC) began a comprehensive look at the zoning regulations that guide development in the Shoreline District – i.e., the area around Lake Iroquois and Sunset Lake. The PC hasn’t discussed this part of town for many years, and zoning changes are recommended in the Town Plan. So far, the discussion has focused on the boundaries of the district, property improvement/development, and water quality protection.
While the groundwork for new regulations has been laid, the planning commission is actively seeking community feedback before making specific zoning changes. To that end, its created an online survey to solicit public opinion on the matter.
The PC wants to hear from you BEFORE it starts improving Hinesburg’s shoreline zoning regulations. This survey is meant to get your feedback on some of the key topics under discussion. We realize that regular PC meetings and formal public hearings attract a small slice of the community, so we hope this survey will provide feedback from a larger percentage of the community.
The 12 question anonymous survey will remain open until the end of June. The results will be posted on the Hinesburg website in July.
