This article by Liberty Dar was first published in the Shelburne News on April 25th.
Shelburne is in the midst of regulatory reform, and members of Shelburne's farming community, some of whom have called the town home for over 100 years, are concerned that some of the proposed changes will They are concerned about the impact on their land and property values.
Situated in the middle of busy Route 7, Shelburne is less than 10 miles from Burlington and South Burlington, the state's most populous cities. Driving down Route 7, the first view of Shelburne isn't much different from a small suburban community tucked between busy highways filled with drive-throughs, new developments, and commercial businesses.
But on the other side of town, hidden among homes with a median price of about $800,000, is a community of farmers whose families have maintained hundreds of acres of Shelburne land, some for more than 100 years. There are some things. Now, as the town begins discussing changes to rural zoning districts, farmers are putting down their farm equipment and attending planning commission meetings instead.
Last year, the town hired PlaceSense to lead regulatory reform after hearing requests from local residents to undertake a major zoning project with the help of consultants. Since then, the ordinance has been rewritten, and a second draft of the proposed changes is in the works, City Planning and Zoning Director Aaron Denamour said.
But the original proposal has caused a stir among some landowners, who say it would lower the value of their property and place an undue burden on their farming operations. The core of the concern centers on a proposal to change from 5-acre zoning to 10-acre zoning in certain rural areas.
Like much of the state, Shelburne is sticking to its course of protecting the town's natural resources while encouraging the development of much-needed housing, something a zoning rewrite is about to improve. This is one of the aspects. Denamur said the proposal to switch zoning from 5 acres to 10 acres in certain areas of rural areas would concentrate growth and development in more residential areas of town, while also focusing growth and development on more residential areas such as rural areas. The location said it would hinder it. What is the town's protected land?
“I think the consultant suggested that change just as an additional step to encourage the preservation of space in that part of town, as that is encouraged in the city plan,” Denamer said. “I think that's the main motivation behind this recommendation.”
However, in an open letter circulated on social media last month, four farms and farmers – Guillemette Farm, LaPierre Farm, Maille Farm, and Fisher Brothers Farm – came together to express their concerns that these types of proposed changes would be made to their land. It emphasized what it could bring.
“This negatively impacts our ability to secure financial support, grow our businesses, feed our families, and succeed,” the letter, signed by six farmers, said. “If the end result that various organizations are trying to achieve is really the preservation of ‘open space’, then the direction they are setting is not the way to do it. He added that with land becoming increasingly competitive, it undermines their motivation and their property is targeted as “undesirable”.
“Its maintenance will definitely end,” they wrote.
Andy LaPierre, whose family has owned a farm on Route 116 since 1912, said his family doesn't necessarily want development, but rezoning his 10 acres is a good idea for his property. He explained that it could significantly change the value and could change the future of some farms. There is uncertainty in that area.
“Tightening restrictions really takes away a lot of options for what happens to farms in the future,” he says. “That makes a huge difference to property values. A lot of conservationists are trying to put their two cents into this effort. A lot of the changes they want to see don't necessarily benefit landowners. ”
The same goes for the Maille family, the last family-owned dairy farm in Shelburne that has been in operation for 105 years, according to Sylvia Maille, whose youngest son, Benjamin, is looking to take over farm operations, and the zoning proposal will force him to do so. Their future livelihoods are at risk.
“As a fourth-generation farmer in Shelburne, my son has to be able to make a living. If he can't sell,” Sylvia Maille said at the planning commission meeting. he said while raising his voice. “Please protect us as we help the city.”
Denamour stressed that the Planning Commission has not yet made a concrete decision on the 10-acre zoning proposal, as there are mixed opinions and strong opposition to the proposal from landowners.
“We expect the planning commission to discuss it in May,” he said. “And we'll probably end up deciding where we go in at least the second draft. I think it'll be discussed next month.”
Becky Castle and Bob Clark began their farming endeavors in 2012 with their farm, Fisher Brother Farms, which may be considered “new” to the area compared to neighboring farms. , has been leading much of the advocacy work in recent months.
“Urban planning says they want working land and they want passive recreation. We are that, and Lapierre, Maille, Guillemette and other farms are all land-based business,” Clark said. “When you start eroding the value of our land, it directly erodes the value of our way of life.”
