Letters to the Editor: Feb. 6

Take the steps to restore town voting on land-use regulations

To the Editor:

Step one is accomplished, we gathered more than enough signatures to get on the Australian ballot. But there are challenging steps ahead, one at a time.

Step two, critical for the charter to have any hope of moving forward in Montpelier, is to demonstrate strong support from a majority of Charlotte voters on March 4. Absentee ballots will be available. I’ve been told legislators read letters to the editors and Front Porch Forum posts. Showing a history of support in writing is important and helpful when seeking change, so is talking to your friends and neighbors and encouraging them to vote yes.

Our land-use regulations are key to the character of Charlotte. The selectboard already holds the power to influence land-use regulation changes by appointing members to the development review board and planning commission. Now they also have the power to make these regulation changes without a town vote.

This charter is not about closing the doors to Charlotte. It is about retaining and growing civic engagement. It’s about building on the values and years of hard work and commitment by many that have resulted in the feeling you get, heading south from Burlington or Shelburne, when you think, “Ah, I’m home,” and retaining the ability to continue this work, to solve the issues facing our town by more of us, not fewer.

Please show your support for growing civic engagement around Charlotte’s future. vote yes for the charter by Australian ballot on March 4, in person or by absentee ballot. One step at a time.

Karen Frost
Charlotte

Seeking support from voters for three-year selectboard seat

To the Editor:

Please allow me to introduce myself as a candidate for the three-year seat on our Charlotte Selectboard.

For those who may not know me, please find below brief aspects of my background:

• 24+ years with the town of Manchester, including planning director, zoning administrator, tree warden, interim town manager, service officer, grant writer and construction project manager.
• 4+ years with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, involving emergency management and varied assistance to local communities.
• 5 years as Shelburne Town Manager.
• Former chair of Putney Planning Commission
• Founding member and longtime president of Manchester Community Land Trust
• Volunteer firefighter with Manchester and Shelburne fire departments
• Longtime volunteer photographer for local newspapers and nonprofits such as Girls on the Run, Dragonheart Festival, Run Vermont, Vermont City Marathon, Richard Tom Foundation and Sail Beyond Cancer.

In seeking this opportunity to serve Charlotte, I hope to bring a calm, collaborative approach to board dynamics, staff relations and community conversations; a cooperative, appreciative approach to interactions with our volunteer committees; and an efficient, effective approach to governance that prioritizes big picture policy issues facing our town.

I care deeply about community and the importance of working toward the common good. Yet, to borrow from an old folk song, “It’s all such a delicate balance.” We must be willing to listen to each other, analyze issues and concerns and then make the best decisions that we can, based on the best available information at that point in time.

I hope you will entrust me with your vote and have confidence in my ability to help govern our community with the best of intentions.

Lee Krohn
Charlotte

We can have abundant housing and a healthy environment 

To the Editor:

Vermont can both grow housing and protect our natural resources. The state faces an array of complex challenges, from escalating housing and healthcare costs to climate change-related flooding events. Yet, there is reason for optimism.

Thanks to recent legislative action and persistent community advocacy, Vermont is turning a corner in how we plan for a healthier, more sustainable future by breaking down entrenched silos and adopting a holistic, collaborative approach to housing development and community planning.

The key to success will be not succumbing to the “zero-sum” mentality that too often pits progress in one area against another. This outdated way of thinking suggests that solutions to one problem, such as affordability, must come at the expense of environmental stewardship. The reality is that the choices we make about where and how we grow our communities are interconnected and influence our local economy, our environment and, ultimately, our quality of life and ability to thrive.

In 2024, Vermont took a critical step forward with the passage of Act 181, a landmark law designed to spur well-planned housing development and protect critical natural resources by aligning local and regional land-use planning with state incentives and regulations, breaking down the siloed approach to land use that has hampered progress for too long. 

We need to let this law work as intended to ensure the full housing development and conservation benefits come to fruition. Over the next year, there will be several working groups, reports and planning processes to flesh out the details of Act 181, which will require all of us to remain diligent to make certain the right questions are being asked and answered, and all perspectives are being incorporated. This law was passed due to diverse stakeholders and legislative leaders working together to find common ground and compromise; we must continue this work together with shared goals that prioritize sustainable growth, affordable housing and a healthy environment. 

When it comes to securing a future that is affordable, accessible and healthy for all, location matters more than ever.  Expanding development into the periphery of our communities unnecessarily increases household costs while further eroding our fragile public infrastructure, access to jobs and services, intact farms and forests, and accelerating the very climate risks we are trying to reduce.

Take, for example, the state’s aging and flood-prone infrastructure. Long driveways, steep gravel roads and an over-reliance on private vehicles are becoming unsustainable in an age of frequent climate-related storms and rising costs. The transportation sector remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont, contributing significantly to both water pollution and climate change. A lack of transportation options means more traffic congestion, higher household costs and increased road maintenance expenses. As these costs rise, Vermonters who already face financial hardship find themselves further burdened by the inefficiencies of sprawling, low-density development.

According to a 2024 report from the Center for Biological Diversity, “U.S. sprawl development increases per capita infrastructure costs by 50 percent, pulling public funds away from existing neighborhoods, harming communities and wildlife and endangering our collective future.” 

As we plan to accommodate new, affordable and flood-safe housing, we should follow the model set by our historic town centers, which cover our infrastructure costs and then some, often subsidizing other, less economically productive areas. By investing in and ensuring local zoning allows for compact community centers, we maximize municipal infrastructure and taxpayer dollars. These strategies also provide for more housing and mobility options, allowing families to keep more money in their pockets, older adults to age in place and opening up access to employment, health care and social connection. 

Housing and transportation must go hand in hand if we are to build and maintain thriving communities that are both affordable and resilient. Transportation is the second-highest cost for Vermont families, particularly for those in rural areas. To build a truly sustainable future, Vermont must prioritize a transportation and housing system that serves all residents by investing in our towns’ ability to offer public transit, bike-friendly infrastructure and walkable neighborhoods.

Looking to the 2025 legislative session, I am optimistic that Vermont’s leaders will seize this opportunity to build on the progress made in recent years, rather than taking us backwards to rehash the same issues over and over again. Act 181 set in motion a more integrated, holistic approach to housing development and community planning. Now, it’s up to us to do the work to implement this law as intended and move Vermont toward more sustainable housing and vibrant communities.

Kati Gallagher
Waterbury
(Gallagher is program director of Sustainable Communities.)