Wellness Festival this Saturday page 20 for info
NOVEMBER 1, 2018
A vision for the village
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WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
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Redhawk runners reign
By Jason Starr Observer staff
Town officials are putting in writing what Williston residents have long wished for their historic village: that it be a community focal point distinct from the bustle of Taft Corners with pedestrian-scale vibrancy that promotes gatherings and respects historic charm. The selectboard is hosting a public hearing on a newly written “Village Master Plan” prepared by the Williston Planning and Zoning Department, scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Monday at the town hall meeting room, 7900 Williston Road. It will be the second of two hearings before the board considers adopting the plan and incorporating it into the town’s Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted last year with a mandate to create a master plan for the village The Village Master Plan tackles three planning areas — land use, transportation and vibrancy — along the stretch of Williston Road roughly from Southridge to North Williston Road, outlining objectives and directing town staff to craft policies to achieve them. While the village already hosts several of the town’s most popular festivities, there is a desire for a locally-owned food service business that can create a daily gathering spot, according to results of a 2016 citizen survey that kicked off the planning effort. A few attempts at a restaurant have come and gone in recent years. “The town has learned more about the challenges (businesses) face and how that connects to the stated goals that the village contain a vibrant mix of shops, offices and homes,” the plan states. The plan calls for more flexibility in allowing all or part of a building in the village to be converted for commercial use, as well as more education about tax incentives for commercial upgrades available through the village’s status as a state-designated “village center.” Planning and Zoning Director Matt Boulanger also said during the plan’s first public hearing in October that the department can make it easier for entreprenuers to test the waters of a food truck or a creemee stand, for example, with permitting that doesn’t require a hearing in front of the Development Review Board. “We can streamline the permitting for something like that, because it’s worth trying it out,” he said. Village food service businesses have closed for reasons other than onerous town regulations or lack see VILLAGE page 24
PHOTO COURTESY ALEX ABRAMI/BURLINGTON FREE PRESS
CVU’s girls cross country team took the state title — it’s 10th straight and 15th in 16 years — with a record-setting score and all seven of its runners in the top 10 Saturday in Thetford. Teammates, from left to right, Alice Larson, Sadie Holmes, Alicia Veronneau, Ella Whitman, Cate Noel, Jasmine Nails and Chloe Silverman, celebrate the win. See page 14 for more.
CVSD considers vaping ban By Jason Starr Observer staff
The Champlain Valley School Board is catching up to nicotine technology, expanding its tobacco prohibition policy beyond traditional cigarettes to include “all forms of nicotine delivery devices.” The board heard a draft of the policy change at its October meeting and plans to vote on adoption later this month. The change comes in response to an uptick in student use of electronic cigarettes (also known as vaporizers, or vapes) at Champlain Valley Union High School. “It’s just something that’s kind of snuck up on us,” board member Colleen MacKinnon said. “Last year, it was a growing prob-
lem,” Kate Gruendling, one of CVU’s student representatives to the school board, said during the board’s Oct. 16 meeting. Student representative Kyle Bergeron said administrators began cautioning students about vape use last year. In October, federal regulators launched an investigation into the way e-cigarettes are marketed to minors. “It is a big problem,” Bergeron confirmed. In the absence of a clear ban last year, students were unsure what the vaping rules were at CVU, board member Dave Connery said. “It was out of control because kids didn’t really think it was (prohibited),” he said. The policy would ban all forms of nicotine consumption on school grounds throughout the district. It would apply to
students, employees and visitors, whether school is in session or not. Students in violation of the policy would have e-cigarettes confiscated and would be subject to discipline — as is the existing policy for traditional tobacco use. The updated policy, however, adds an outlet for substance abuse counseling. Referrals to a substance abuse counselor would be made on a case-by-case basis. Williston board member Erin Brady requested input from school administrators before agreeing to the substance abuse referral provision, expressing concern about overwhelming staff. “I worry that it’s an unfunded mandate,” she said. “With how prolific this is, that could (create) a lot of work for people, and I’m trying to be conscious of the repercussions of our decisions.
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