Williston Observer 11-15-18

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NOVEMBER 15, 2018

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Family applies for 55-acre subdivision Near S. Burlington line, parcel straddles industrial and mixed-use zones By Jason Starr Observer staff

Members of the Robear family that has owned 55 undeveloped acres between Williston and Shunpike roads for nearly a century have applied to subdivide the parcel into nine lots. Along with commercial Realtor Jeff Nick, they envision future commercial and industrial uses. The Development Review Board endorsed a preliminary version of the proposal in July and considered a more refined version Tuesday night. The majority of the parcel is in the town’s industrial zone, restricted to commercial uses. A small portion is in the Gateway West zone that allows commercial and residential uses. A 20-acre section of wetland would remain undeveloped, as part of the proposal. Any future lot development would require separate Development Review Board approval. Williston Planning and Zoning Director Matt Boulanger recommended approval of the subdivision. In anticipation of approval, the Morway’s Moving and Storage company headquartered in Williston has requested pre-application review for a commercial storage business on one of the lots. The application is on the DRB’s Nov. 27 agenda. Nick said on Tuesday that another use under consideration is a truck and car repair shop. The parcel is near the town line with South Burlington, and the Department of Public Works sees the subdivision application as an opportunity to secure a recreation path connection between the two municipalities, and eventually into Taft Corners. “A large missing link to that would be through this property,” Boulanger said. “That is a large and significant bike and pedestrian facility that is being requested,” he continued. “It is a bigger request for that kind of facility than we normally see.” see sUBDIVIsION Page 3

OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

Admissions staff were on hand to answer questions at Vermont Tech’s Williston Campus open house on Saturday.

Vermont Tech expands offerings

State’s only dental therapy and radiography programs to open at Williston campus By Jason Starr Observer staff

When Vermont Technical College welcomed prospective students to its Williston campus Saturday for an open house, the college had two new degree programs to promote. Starting next year, Vermont Tech will squeeze the state’s only radiography program onto its campus off Route 2A. And in 2020, it will begin offering the state’s first and only dental therapy program. “Change is a constant to keep up with changes in workforce development and needs,” college communications director Amanda Chaulk said.

Vermont Tech is headquartered in Randolph, but its Williston campus has nearly the same enrollment at 422 students this fall (45 of them live on campus). The college has eight other satellite locations across the state. As Champlain College in Burlington has dropped its associate’s degree programs over the past several years to focus solely on bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Vermont Tech has helped fill the void. “An associate’s degree is a good stepping stone. There are many jobs that are relevant to a two-year education,” said Chaulk, adding that about half of Vermont Tech’s students are first-generation college students. Champlain College’s final associate’s degree program to close was radiography in 2017. Champlain administrators reached out to their counterparts at Ver-

mont Tech about stepping up to ensure a program remained available in Vermont. Administrators studied the market need for radiographers (health care professionals who produce X-rays, CT scans and MRIs) and the availability of professors and began to plan for a 2019 launch. With the two-year hiatus, the school is expecting pent up demand. “We’ve built up over 100 inquiries from students looking for the program,” Chaulk said. Both radiography and dental therapy require clinical practice areas, and the college is in the process of reorganizing classrooms to create the space. “Our campus is almost at capacity,” Chaulk said. “It will be a thing to absorb two more programs. We are having to make tradeoffs.” see VT TeCH Page 2

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