Vermont Technical College is holding a meeting for community members on Tuesday evening to lay out plans for the future, and college officials are appealing for local support as the institution tries to recover from financial problems.
Audio for this story will be posted at approximately 11 a.m. on Monday, June 15.
There are a couple of projects that I think are pretty crucial to this college establishing some momentum towards recovery,” says VTC President Dan Smith.
The college’s Randolph Center campus will be the site of a new state Agriculture and Environmental Laboratory, to replace the Waterbury facility flooded by Tropical Storm Irene.
There are also plans for a five acre solar project on college land.
Smith says both will provide students with valuable learning opportunities.
The hilltop village, with its large, well-kept homes set back from the road, is in the midst of a rapid transformation that includes the VTC projects and a new senior care facility.
Some residents are concerned about the loss of agricultural land used for the projects, and the cumulative effect they’ll have on traffic and noise, as well as how views from the picturesque location might be affected.
Smith would like VTC to be involved in a community discussion to help the village chart a path forward.
“I think we’re all interested in creating some definition about the future of Randolph Center because the change has been quick for a town this size,” he says.
In addition to questions about the planned projects, officials are also likely to hear from residents about the college’s biodigester which has caused some foul odors in the village.
The community discussion will take place Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Campus Center.
