All by Karson Petty
A disagreement over whether a pre-planned development project in Taft Corners should have to conform to a new set of zoning rules came to light during last week’s meeting of the Williston Planning Commission.
The debate was sparked by developer Chris Snyder’s housing proposal for the Essex Alliance Church property along Route 2A, which has already received preliminary approval from the Development Review Board.
Developers pushed back on proposed rule changes to turn Taft Corners into a walkable downtown area at the latest Williston Planning Commission meeting.
The Feb. 15 meeting was the second one held by the planning commission where Williston residents and developers could weigh in on changes to a working draft of new zoning rules. The rules are called form-based code, which was formally introduced in a Feb. 1 planning commission meeting, but has been in discussion for about a year.
Proposed rule changes that aim to make Taft Corners more walkable and people-friendly were met with pushback by local developers at a Williston Planning Commission meeting held on Feb. 1.
The new rules, known as form-based code, do away with the notion of residential and commercial districts. The rules would put more priority on the town’s goal of creating more pedestrian-focused developments that are pleasing to the eye.
