Herald of Randolph article by Martha Slater (7/31/14)
About 25 people attended a community meeting Thursday evening, July 24 at the town office to gather input about the re-use of the Lillard property alongside Route 100 at the north end of the Rochester village.
Rochester took title to the property, which included an apartment house, in April. The building, which was badly damaged during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, was demolished earlier this summer, and the town is working with the White River Partnership on plans for what is now public land.
Mary Russ, executive director of the White River Partnership, led the meeting. Kevin Geiger of the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Steve Libby of the Vermont River Conservancy, and Karen Foley, an intern with the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, were also present to contribute.
Russ asked each person in the room to identify themselves and say what they would like to see the property used for. Almost all of those who spoke expressed their wish to have the land used for recreational purposes, including a picnic area, hiking trail head, a spot to launch canoes and kayaks, etc.
Following the initial discussion, there was a site visit to the property, which has been seeded and mulched, then everyone returned to the town office to talk about what they had seen.
“Everyone then had a better realization about where some of the components that people were interested in seeing happen would fit the best, based on where the mature trees were, the slope of the land, access to the road and the river, etc.,” Russ said.
Dan McKinley marked out where a riparian buffer would be best, and Russ noted that a 50-ft. buffer at the site would improve water quality and habitat for fish and wildlife, as well as shading the river to keep it cool.
During a brainstorming session after the site visit, it was pretty much agreed that access from Route 100 into a small parking area of 8-10 spaces would be best from a south corner of the parcel on the Route 100 side. Since it’s a state road, VTrans would have to do a traffic study before permission for access to a parking lot was approved.
Russ noted that if approval for that driveway was not given, alternate access could be through a driveway behind the new firehouse.
“There are two options for river access,” she said. “We think the best one is at the north end of the property, near where the Brook Street Brook runs into the White River. It’s good as a swimming hole and for boat access. Also, the northeast corner of the parcel is where most of the mature trees are and folks thought that would be the best spot for a picnic area. A community garden and a porta-potty were also suggested.
“Another idea was to have an interpretive sign there to explain the history of that spot, including the fact that mills were once located there, as well as the story of Irene,” Russ added. “There were also suggestions for having a sculpture, or a community garden and apple orchard located on the Graham-Frock property across the road.”
Other interesting adjacent opportunities that Dean Mendell talked about were creating a trailhead that went south to connect with the path already established along the river behind the school property and further south. The driveway by the old creamery building behind the new firehouse was also mentioned as a good unloading spot for canoes and kayaks, or even drift boats.
Russ noted that the money from HUD can only be used on improvements to the buyout parcels, but additional grants could possibly be found to do work on adjacent property.
What are the next steps?
“The goal is to apply for a Community Development Block Grant planning grant from HUD to develop a design, perhaps work with a landscape architect, and get more community feedback,” Russ said. “The aim would be to do things on the ground next summer if funds are received.”
For more information
Follow this link to learn more about the WRP buyout improvement project.
News
Posted: August 14, 2014 by wrp_admin
33 attend Bethel buyout meeting
33 people attended a public meeting on Thursday, August 7 at the Bethel Town Hall to discuss improvements to 4 town-owned buyout properties.
15 Miller Drive, 251 Marsh Meadow Road, 132 Spring Hollow Road, and 2811 Gilead Brook Road were substantially-damaged during Irene. The town received FEMA and matching funds to purchase the properties and to remove all remaining structures and debris. The White River Partnership (WRP), Vermont River Conservancy, and Bethel Conservation Commission hosted the community meeting to discuss if and how the town might improve public use at the 4 sites.
After presentations from WRP Executive Director Mary Russ about the buyout sites in Bethel and from Redstart Forestry’s Dan ‘Rudi’ Ruddell about the current physical condition of the river in Bethel, attendees walked to the Marsh Meadow Road buyout site in the village. The 5-acre parcel is adjacent to the Bethel Mills property, and has significant frontage along the Third Branch.
“Keeping in mind that the Marsh Meadow Road site is likely to flood in the future, we discussed opportunities to improve both river health and primitive recreation,” said Mary Russ. “Ideas included stabilizing the eroding streambank at the north end of the property using large wood instead of rock; restoring native trees and shrubs along the riverbank; and developing a walking trail around the perimeter.” Improvements at the Marsh Meadow Road site must be approved by FEMA and by the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, which conserved the property to ensure public access and river health.
During the feedback session that followed the site visit, there was general consensus about making minimal public investments in Bethel buyout properties. Attendees did not want to see any improvements for public use at the 15 Miller Drive site; neighbors have offered to maintain the property long-term. Feedback about the 132 Spring Hollow Road and 2811 Gilead Brook Road sites included restoring native trees and shrubs along Gilead Brook and making minor improvements for fishing and hunting access.
Buyout site improvement funding is available through the Community Development Block Grant program, which is being administered by the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission.
Thanks to the Bethel Selectboard for providing meeting refreshments.
For more information
Contact us or visit our River Access Improvement project webpage.
Posted: August 7, 2014 by wrp_admin
Public meeting seeks input on Bethel buyouts
A public meeting on Thursday, August 7 from 6-8pm at the Bethel Town Hall will raise awareness about four FEMA “buyout” properties in Bethel and seek input from community members about the potential public use of the properties and the re-use planning process. The meeting will include a short presentation about the four sites, followed by a field visit to the Marsh Meadow Road buyout site in the village. After the site visit, Cockadoodle Café will provide ice cream donated by the Bethel Selectboard. The meeting is co-hosted by the Bethel Conservation Commission, White River Partnership (WRP), and Vermont River Conservancy (VRC).
The four Bethel buyout properties are located at 15 Miller Drive, 251 Marsh Meadow Road, 132 Spring Hollow Road, and 2811 Gilead Brook Road. All four sites were privately owned and severely damaged during Tropical Storm Irene. Bethel applied for FEMA buyout funding to purchase the properties from the private landowners, to remove the damaged structures and infrastructure, and to grade and seed the sites. Permanent deed restrictions will limit future development to reduce flood damages at the sites. A Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) easement will ensure permanent public access to the Marsh Meadow Road site.
The state has set aside $750,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to help towns plan and construct buyout site improvements that meet community needs. Bethel is considering applying for CDBG funds to conduct a community planning and design process in 2014 and to implement site improvements in 2015.
Since Tropical Storm Irene, the WRP, VRC, VHCB, and Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission have worked with watershed towns to raise awareness about FEMA’s buyout program; to submit buyout project applications on behalf of eligible landowners; and to raise awareness about allowable uses and community re-use options for completed buyout projects. Project support has been provided by the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program and the Vermont Watershed Grant.
For more information, please contact Mary Russ, WRP Executive Director, at (802) 763-7733 or mary[at]whiteriverpartnership.org.
Posted: August 7, 2014 by wrp_admin
Lillard property meeting attracts crowd
Herald of Randolph article by Martha Slater (7/31/14)
About 25 people attended a community meeting Thursday evening, July 24 at the town office to gather input about the re-use of the Lillard property alongside Route 100 at the north end of the Rochester village.
Rochester took title to the property, which included an apartment house, in April. The building, which was badly damaged during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, was demolished earlier this summer, and the town is working with the White River Partnership on plans for what is now public land.
Mary Russ, executive director of the White River Partnership, led the meeting. Kevin Geiger of the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Steve Libby of the Vermont River Conservancy, and Karen Foley, an intern with the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, were also present to contribute.
Russ asked each person in the room to identify themselves and say what they would like to see the property used for. Almost all of those who spoke expressed their wish to have the land used for recreational purposes, including a picnic area, hiking trail head, a spot to launch canoes and kayaks, etc.
Following the initial discussion, there was a site visit to the property, which has been seeded and mulched, then everyone returned to the town office to talk about what they had seen.
“Everyone then had a better realization about where some of the components that people were interested in seeing happen would fit the best, based on where the mature trees were, the slope of the land, access to the road and the river, etc.,” Russ said.
Dan McKinley marked out where a riparian buffer would be best, and Russ noted that a 50-ft. buffer at the site would improve water quality and habitat for fish and wildlife, as well as shading the river to keep it cool.
During a brainstorming session after the site visit, it was pretty much agreed that access from Route 100 into a small parking area of 8-10 spaces would be best from a south corner of the parcel on the Route 100 side. Since it’s a state road, VTrans would have to do a traffic study before permission for access to a parking lot was approved.
Russ noted that if approval for that driveway was not given, alternate access could be through a driveway behind the new firehouse.
“There are two options for river access,” she said. “We think the best one is at the north end of the property, near where the Brook Street Brook runs into the White River. It’s good as a swimming hole and for boat access. Also, the northeast corner of the parcel is where most of the mature trees are and folks thought that would be the best spot for a picnic area. A community garden and a porta-potty were also suggested.
“Another idea was to have an interpretive sign there to explain the history of that spot, including the fact that mills were once located there, as well as the story of Irene,” Russ added. “There were also suggestions for having a sculpture, or a community garden and apple orchard located on the Graham-Frock property across the road.”
Other interesting adjacent opportunities that Dean Mendell talked about were creating a trailhead that went south to connect with the path already established along the river behind the school property and further south. The driveway by the old creamery building behind the new firehouse was also mentioned as a good unloading spot for canoes and kayaks, or even drift boats.
Russ noted that the money from HUD can only be used on improvements to the buyout parcels, but additional grants could possibly be found to do work on adjacent property.
What are the next steps?
“The goal is to apply for a Community Development Block Grant planning grant from HUD to develop a design, perhaps work with a landscape architect, and get more community feedback,” Russ said. “The aim would be to do things on the ground next summer if funds are received.”
For more information
Follow this link to learn more about the WRP buyout improvement project.