BENNINGTON — The Select Board has unanimously approved a major amendment to the land use regulations designed to allow greater flexibility for desired economic development in the downtown and surrounding areas.
The detailed amendment to land use development review regulations was prepared by the Planning Commission, town staff and staff at Bennington County Regional Commission, which acted as a consultant in the effort.
In general, the form-based approach to zoning focuses on the form or design of a project instead of the specific use, which in traditional zoning is usually listed as allowed in a district or not allowed. Traditional zones include residential, commercial or industrial districts and are geared toward those uses and the exclusion of others.
According to Catherine Bryars, Community Planning Program manager with the BCRC, who gave a presentation before the Select Board, the changes also strive for “simplification of the zoning bylaw” and consolidation of some of the regulated uses.
She said 47 regulated uses previously were listed, but planners were able to down to 14. In addition, the number of specific zoning districts were reduced from seven to five, as three were combined into areas allowing a mix of uses.
“It is also more user-friendly,” she said, with a regulation package that includes graphics illustrating the types of uses and how owners or developers can make their proposals compatible.
Some of the overriding features of form based zoning, Bryars said, is that it encourages “walkability” in mixed use areas like the downtown, in part because an area where it is easy to walk around rather than drive is associated with thriving commercial districts including apartments and other housing.
Other typical features include short setbacks from the street, such as along Main Street, and glazing, or window area, that is expansive on the lower levels of a building. Structures with commercial activity at the ground level and housing on upper floors is also encouraged, she said, and can help businesses endure through the inevitable economic ups and downs.
IN TOWN PLAN
Planning Commission Chairman Michael McDonough said consideration of form-based standards for the central areas of town was a recommendation in the current Town Plan, and preparation of the specific changes began more than three years ago.
He said the process has included outreach to stakeholders in the downtown area, along with prior presentations before the Select Board and a public hearing this spring. Information on the process and form-based zoning also is posted on the BCRC and town websites.
The changes also should allow flexibility for new development in areas where the dominant uses have changed over time.
Planning Director Daniel Monks and McDonough said the area around the Energizer factory buildings off Gage and Scott streets was included because of the on-going shutdown of the longtime battery manufacturing operations, which are being shifted by the company to a Wisconsin site.
“We also took into account that that [zoning area] really needed to be changed,” Monks said during the meeting.
Officials recognized that the factory site, which is close to Main Street and dates back early textile manufacturing in Bennington, is not likely to remain attractive for industrial operations, and a mix of uses is expected. The town currently is seeking a consultant to consider possible reuse options for the Energizer parcels.
The officials said the rural residential and rural conservation areas outside the central areas of town were not included in the amendment, which encourages a mix of uses commercial and residential uses. The aim there is for “a vibrant place to live and work,” Bryars said.
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April 29, 2021 at 05:30AM
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Major zoning amendment OK'd by Select Board - Bennington Banner
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