Published in the Addison Independent
MIDDLEBURY - The Middlebury Planning Commission rejected one proposal, but left the door open for a smaller version of a proposed parking lot at Middlebury College during its meeting Wednesday night.
The meeting represented the third discussion on the project to expand the parking lot at the College's Center for the Arts by 149 spaces, and was met by significant neighborhood resistance.
In a split decision, the commission rejected the proposal for 149 spaces by a 5-1 vote, but postponed action on whether to consider a smaller proposal when the vote was deadlocked at 3-3.
The project would require the relocation of Porter Field Road, a college-owned road which is open to public traffic. The road will be moved roughly 65-feet closer to neighboring houses.
As part of the plan, the college said it would build an earth berm between the new road site and the adjoining residences in Chipman Park. The college also said it would make other modifications to the project to allay residents' fears of speeding cars and dangerous traffic.
Those changes, college facilities planner Tom McGinn said, include speed bumps and realigning the curve in Porter Field Road to be a squared 90 degrees, as well as a stop sign at the corner for traffic heading east on the road.
Plantings, berms and traffic controls like speed bumps, according to town planner Fred Dunnington, are normally considered to be "mitigating factors," elements which lessen the overall impact of the project on its surrounding area.
Despite having met earlier with college officials on the issue, one complication of the proposal was the resistance of local residents to those mitigating factors.
"We didn't agree to any berm. A seven-foot berm would make us feel like we were being bunkered in," said Chipman Park resident Greg Tomb.
"We also didn't agree to speed bumps," said Doris Dutton, another Chipman Park resident.
The college's proposal was further complicated by wanting to breach what it had earlier stipulated as a 100-foot buffer around the neighborhood. The edge of the road, at the new intersection, would only be 88 feet from the property lines in Chipman Park.
Chipman Park resident Barbara Tomb read a statement of opposition signed by 21 people, representing 16 property owners, including owners of all properties directly adjoining the project's proposed site.
The issues, Tomb said, were both existing problems which were not acceptable, and the expectation that the additional parking and road relocation would make the existing problems worse. New concerns, Tomb said, are pedestrian safety, property values and aesthetic imbalance in the area.
Other neighbors' concerns included noise and air pollution from the cars, light pollution from the parking lot lights, and traffic safety.
South Street resident Ruthe Ayres asked about the logic of adding extra spaces to a parking lot that is rarely used.
"That parking lot's not full most of the time," Ayres said.
The college has recently closed two of its major parking lots for planned construction. It also intended to expand the parking lot west of Ridgeline Woods, but currently lacks state approval for construction in that area, which is a wetland.
There was some indication from McGinn that the college might be close to a deal with the state. That added to the planning commission's uncertainty about the wisdom of approving parking near a residential area, when time might result in a new parking lot in a place with less impact on residents.
"You're bursting at the seams, and I think imposing on the neighborhoods is not the way to go," planning commission member Natalie Peters told McGinn.
Peters, however, was not the only strong voice among the commission.
"I think it's not unreasonable for them to do what they're doing," said commission member Bill Kenerson.
Kenerson recommended requiring reduction of the number of parking spaces and more green space, as conditions of approving the plan.
Commission chair Susan DeWind thought making so many changes to the proposed design was too much to approve without seeing it.
"You should not be designing a site plan," DeWind said.
McGinn and engineer Gary Fern wanted to know whether a smaller proposal might have a chance, or whether building a parking lot in the proposed location will not be approved by the board.
The board initially voted 5-1 to draft a denial of the plan with 149 spaces, but after further discussion split 3-3 on whether a reduced application might have a chance at success. Board member John Barstow was not present.
After a three-hour meeting on this one application, the board voted to recess the discussion until July 5.
McGinn was frustrated by the board's inability to decide.
"What we want to hear is some direction," McGinn said.
He was uncertain as to the future of the college's plans for development near Chipman Park.
"There's no guarantee they're not going to change," he said.
Monday, June 26, 2000
Thursday, June 8, 2000
Trash service gallops ahead: Horses enter fourth year as contract faces new review
Published in the Addison Independent
BRISTOL - Bristol's unconventional garbage collection is moving into its fourth year at a steady, trotting clip-clop pace.
New Haven carpenter Pat Palmer spends his Tuesdays driving a pair of draft horses around Bristol, pulling a custom-designed wagon, slowly filling it with trash and recycling.
The entire run, Palmer said, is about 11 to 13 miles, depending on how many trips he has to take, and lasts five to six hours.
It's an intricate route through Bristol's small roads, weaving through the downtown residential area's one-way and dead-end streets.
"We start way away and then we get closer," Palmer said. He serves up to 300 homes, not all of whom use the service every week.
He does some of the pick-ups in his truck before taking the horses out, in a couple of hilly areas and dangerous spots near the Lord's Prayer rock.
In between stops to throw bags and boxes of trash and recycling onto the back of his wagon, Palmer discussed his experience running a national rarity: a public service powered by draft horses.
The past three years have been fairly eventful, he said. Not only have tourists and national media organizations shown interest, but the weather and the seasons have made it an enjoyable adventure as well.
"We've done it in rain, snow, sleet, sunshine and sometimes all in the same day," Palmer said, showing his easy, wide grin.
He shrugs off the media attention, though. Palmer considers the media attention as much of a public spectacle as the TV stations think he is.
"It was kind of interesting when "Good Morning America" was here, and we had Trent (Campbell, the Addison Independent's photographer) taking pictures of them taking pictures," Palmer said.
"It comes in droves. Now and again we get reporters or independent writers, doing their own story to sell," Palmer said of the media interest.
Horse-drawn trash collection was a national news story when he got the contract, but it's not such a big deal at home, where even Palmer isn't sure what will happen next week when the town contract comes up for review.
The choice, he said, is for the town to make. That choice is between having him continue to make pick-ups or making everyone take their own trash to the town dump.
According to Town Manager Bob Hall, the selectboard will be discussing the issue at the board's next meeting on June 19.
Not surprisingly, Palmer thinks it's become a great part of life in Bristol, though he doesn't flatter himself.
"I think people want to keep it," Palmer said. "I don't think people care much about me. It's basically about the horses."
Cost is an important issue, though. Until recently, town refuse charges were $1.50 per bag for the pick-up and $2 per bag at the dump. But people complained that the self-serve dump was subsidizing the pick-up, so the town selectmen raised pick-up costs to $3 per bag.
Recycling is free.
"We had difficulty financing the pick-up under those conditions," said Bristol selectman David Sharpe. "We may discontinue. Obviously, we don't want to do that."
The increased rate cut Palmer's load, from 4,000 pounds to about 3,200 per week. Now he sees a lot of recycling put out, and not so much trash. He's concerned that the pick-up service may not be able to pay for itself with the rates so different.
"In order to keep (the service), they may have to lower the difference between taking it to the dump and getting it picked up," Palmer said.
"It's worked pretty well, but it just needs some adjusting," Sharpe said.
But Palmer is still more than willing to do the job, "as long as they want," he said. "This is a perfect town to do it in because it's generally flat."
It has its own rewards, beyond the fiscal.
"I just like the constant interaction with the horses," Palmer said.
And he's good with them. Chief and Spud are a team of brothers he bought in January. Together, they weigh nearly 4,000 pounds in harness. Palmer gets them moving with a soft-spoken, "Okay, giddup."
He's very calm around them, and works with them easily.
"Some people when they drive they have to raise their voices to get to the horses, but he's very gentle," said Ashley Oosterman, who sometimes helps with the driving.
Palmer has the horses so well-trained that they can basically do the route without him at the reins. But, he warns, "they like to cut corners."
That can be dangerous with small spaces and with fire hydrants and other obstacles ready to snag the wagon if Palmer isn't careful. When at the reins, though, he can maneuver the wagon in very tight areas, with only inches to spare between it and a parked car or a telephone pole.
His trash-collection service has the support of many town residents, he said.
"Everybody tells me they look for it," Palmer said. "There are two or three people who leave carrots out for them every week." And one woman leaves a couple of buckets of water at the curb for the horses.
Palmer and his helpers are on the lookout, too, watching the changes in town at one-week intervals.
"You get some really nice yards and the houses are all fixed up," said Bill Oosterman, who has helped Palmer with the route for about a year.
Palmer has had tourists along on the wagon from Kansas and Miami. A couple of those visitors were also waste professionals. A recycling coordinator from Detroit came along on a sleigh ride and saw a picture Palmer has up of the horses. "He stayed an extra day so he could ride around with me and take pictures," Palmer said.
He's bemused by the attention, and keeps his high spirits at an infectious level. Halfway through the day, Oosterman carefully balanced a box of cardboard atop the burgeoning load.
Oosterman lifted an eyebrow at it, and then at Palmer, who grinned.
"Oh, it'll stay," he laughed. It did.
BRISTOL - Bristol's unconventional garbage collection is moving into its fourth year at a steady, trotting clip-clop pace.
New Haven carpenter Pat Palmer spends his Tuesdays driving a pair of draft horses around Bristol, pulling a custom-designed wagon, slowly filling it with trash and recycling.
The entire run, Palmer said, is about 11 to 13 miles, depending on how many trips he has to take, and lasts five to six hours.
It's an intricate route through Bristol's small roads, weaving through the downtown residential area's one-way and dead-end streets.
"We start way away and then we get closer," Palmer said. He serves up to 300 homes, not all of whom use the service every week.
He does some of the pick-ups in his truck before taking the horses out, in a couple of hilly areas and dangerous spots near the Lord's Prayer rock.
In between stops to throw bags and boxes of trash and recycling onto the back of his wagon, Palmer discussed his experience running a national rarity: a public service powered by draft horses.
The past three years have been fairly eventful, he said. Not only have tourists and national media organizations shown interest, but the weather and the seasons have made it an enjoyable adventure as well.
"We've done it in rain, snow, sleet, sunshine and sometimes all in the same day," Palmer said, showing his easy, wide grin.
He shrugs off the media attention, though. Palmer considers the media attention as much of a public spectacle as the TV stations think he is.
"It was kind of interesting when "Good Morning America" was here, and we had Trent (Campbell, the Addison Independent's photographer) taking pictures of them taking pictures," Palmer said.
"It comes in droves. Now and again we get reporters or independent writers, doing their own story to sell," Palmer said of the media interest.
Horse-drawn trash collection was a national news story when he got the contract, but it's not such a big deal at home, where even Palmer isn't sure what will happen next week when the town contract comes up for review.
The choice, he said, is for the town to make. That choice is between having him continue to make pick-ups or making everyone take their own trash to the town dump.
According to Town Manager Bob Hall, the selectboard will be discussing the issue at the board's next meeting on June 19.
Not surprisingly, Palmer thinks it's become a great part of life in Bristol, though he doesn't flatter himself.
"I think people want to keep it," Palmer said. "I don't think people care much about me. It's basically about the horses."
Cost is an important issue, though. Until recently, town refuse charges were $1.50 per bag for the pick-up and $2 per bag at the dump. But people complained that the self-serve dump was subsidizing the pick-up, so the town selectmen raised pick-up costs to $3 per bag.
Recycling is free.
"We had difficulty financing the pick-up under those conditions," said Bristol selectman David Sharpe. "We may discontinue. Obviously, we don't want to do that."
The increased rate cut Palmer's load, from 4,000 pounds to about 3,200 per week. Now he sees a lot of recycling put out, and not so much trash. He's concerned that the pick-up service may not be able to pay for itself with the rates so different.
"In order to keep (the service), they may have to lower the difference between taking it to the dump and getting it picked up," Palmer said.
"It's worked pretty well, but it just needs some adjusting," Sharpe said.
But Palmer is still more than willing to do the job, "as long as they want," he said. "This is a perfect town to do it in because it's generally flat."
It has its own rewards, beyond the fiscal.
"I just like the constant interaction with the horses," Palmer said.
And he's good with them. Chief and Spud are a team of brothers he bought in January. Together, they weigh nearly 4,000 pounds in harness. Palmer gets them moving with a soft-spoken, "Okay, giddup."
He's very calm around them, and works with them easily.
"Some people when they drive they have to raise their voices to get to the horses, but he's very gentle," said Ashley Oosterman, who sometimes helps with the driving.
Palmer has the horses so well-trained that they can basically do the route without him at the reins. But, he warns, "they like to cut corners."
That can be dangerous with small spaces and with fire hydrants and other obstacles ready to snag the wagon if Palmer isn't careful. When at the reins, though, he can maneuver the wagon in very tight areas, with only inches to spare between it and a parked car or a telephone pole.
His trash-collection service has the support of many town residents, he said.
"Everybody tells me they look for it," Palmer said. "There are two or three people who leave carrots out for them every week." And one woman leaves a couple of buckets of water at the curb for the horses.
Palmer and his helpers are on the lookout, too, watching the changes in town at one-week intervals.
"You get some really nice yards and the houses are all fixed up," said Bill Oosterman, who has helped Palmer with the route for about a year.
Palmer has had tourists along on the wagon from Kansas and Miami. A couple of those visitors were also waste professionals. A recycling coordinator from Detroit came along on a sleigh ride and saw a picture Palmer has up of the horses. "He stayed an extra day so he could ride around with me and take pictures," Palmer said.
He's bemused by the attention, and keeps his high spirits at an infectious level. Halfway through the day, Oosterman carefully balanced a box of cardboard atop the burgeoning load.
Oosterman lifted an eyebrow at it, and then at Palmer, who grinned.
"Oh, it'll stay," he laughed. It did.
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