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wholeWheatButterfly t1_j8navk6 wrote

Reply to comment by idreamofchickpea in How Vermont’s Housing Crisis Got So Bad by punkthesystem

His suggestion is to change act 250 so that it starts applying to residential projects of 50 or more units. This is an increase from the current of 10 units or more.

Recently, a senior living facility was going to open up here in Rutland, at the old college of saint Joseph campus. Right next to the new rec center, and the organization was even going to strongly subsidize the library moving to the old college library - a beautiful and modern facility, especially compared to the current building which is falling apart and crowded. Unfortunately the developer backed out. I'm not sure if they cited Act 250 specifically as a reason, but I'm sure that concerns about the development process dragging out contributed to their decision to back out. this wouldn't have even been entirely new development, as most of it would have just been repurposing the college campus, which is tucked away in the woods anyway. Again, idk how much of it is act 250 specifically, but I was excited about the new library, and I'm sure the senior living facility would have been an economic boost. It's a bummer.

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[deleted] t1_j8ndqye wrote

I have a LONG history of working with the CSJ property, going back to the 80s. It has always been an Act 250 nightmare there due to the proximity to the creek and there are also significant wetlands about the property. There is also a lot of ledge and bedrock on the property that makes it very costly to bring in utilities (water/sewer) for expansion / development. Unfortunately, the same problems are presenting themselves for the old Rutland Plywood property across the creek, which has put off developers from looking into utilizing that property as well. :(

That was a real shame when the senior housing project fell through. However, I see that Casella has been looking at investing in the property, so we are all keeping our fingers crossed!! :)

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idreamofchickpea t1_j8ndtoq wrote

What a loss! That sounds like exactly the kind of development to benefit everyone. Super curious why the developer backed out.

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