More than 50 citizens assembled at Town Hall on Sunday evening to share their visions for Brandon’s future with the town Planning Commission, as a first step toward updating the Brandon Town Plan.
A Town Plan sets forth a multi-year blueprint for improvements and growth, specifying projects and goals that the town hopes to execute. Vermont law requires that every town update its Town Plan every eight years. Brandon’s plan was last updated in 2016, necessitating an update in 2024.
Planning Commission Chair Cecil Reniche-Smith started the meeting with a short introduction about the Commission and its involvement in drafting the Town Plan and the town’s Land Use Ordinances. Ed Bove from the Rutland Regional Planning Commission then spoke about the importance of town plans and how they factor into state regulatory decisions and municipal eligibility for funding.
After the introductions, Commission member Natalie Steen divided the attendees into four working groups. Each group was assigned an initial category: Public Facilities and Services; Housing and Development; Historic, Cultural and Natural Resources; or Economic Development and Transportation. The groups were given about fifteen minutes to throw out ideas about what they would like to see happen within its assigned category. After fifteen minutes, the groups exchanged categories, and this continued until every group had an opportunity to weigh in on every category. In addition to Ms. Reniche-Smith and Ms. Steen, Commission members Robert Foley and Jack Schneider served as group facilitators, moving from group to group as the topics were exchanged.
Discussions ranged from the condition of the town’s sidewalks to dreams of a regional recreational center with an indoor swimming pool and game courts. At this stage of the planning process, no idea was too small or too large. As they talked, the groups memorialized their ideas on Post-It notes, which they stuck to foam boards for each category. By the end of the evening, the boards were covered with colorful evidence of active engagement. Participants were also treated to pizza.
The Planning Commission hopes to have more outreach events over the coming months as it works to finalize the updated Town Plan, and citizens are also encouraged to attend Planning Commission meetings where the updates will be discussed. The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 5, at 6:00 PM, in the downstairs lobby of Town Hall.
