By Martha Taylor-Varney, Zoning Administrator
The April 2 meeting of the South Hero Planning Commission of South Hero will discuss the impact of Act 181 on South Hero’s zoning. This meeting is at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall. Community participation is encouraged. There will be a zoom option as well.
Act 181 – “An act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use” is a new framework for regional planning which seeks to encourage housing development. This Act, passed in 2024, has made state-wide changes to local zoning regulations. The most significant change – an exemption from Act 250 review -- applies to the two village centers of South, Hero and Keeler Bay, as well as a ¼ mile buffer around them, and this exemption is temporary. An additional exemption, also temporary, would allow up to 50 housing units to be built in a parcel of 10 acres or less without the expense, delay and possible denial associated with an Act 250 review.   
Northwest Regional Planning Commission is assisting planning commissions in understanding these changes and deciding whether to adopt them permanently. Towns can also redraw the village center maps to reflect local priorities. The Planning Commission is seeking community engagement for the decisions to be made by the Town of South Hero around the Act 181 changes.

By Michele Gammal, South Hero Planning Commission
The South Hero Planning Commission is seeking information and feedback from residents.  
Please attend a discovery meeting with the Planning Commission on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. at the Worthen Library lower-level meeting space. The planning commission would like to start a conversation regarding sidewalk options along South Steet from Route 2 down to Folsom School to provide safety, connectivity, and convenience for the community.

By Bridget Kerr, Chair, South Hero Conservation Commission
Did you know there are over 120 municipal conservation commissions in Vermont, but South Hero is the only town in Grand Isle County with a conservation commission?
If you are passionate about the natural world and want to promote and preserve what makes South Hero a special place to live and recreate, join the conservation commission. The commission is looking for additional residents who enjoy collaborative work and have the time to contribute to current projects and help create a vision for the future of the South Hero Conservation Commission.
Attend the next meeting to learn about current projects, including monitoring local American Kestrels, compiling a town natural resources inventory and coordinating Green Up Day. Meetings are held at the South Hero Town Office and via Zoom on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.
Young people in the community are especially encouraged to join and those who are young at heart!
Information: www.southherovt.org

By Sandy Gregg, Planning Commission
The Meeting House Committee has been very busy meeting with Architect Arnold & Scangas, submitting grant applications, and creating a Build Committee. Final build documents for Phases 1 & 2 are expected by the end of April. A Build Committee has been formed to work with the General Contractor and report to the Town on a regular basis. Shovels will hit the ground April 2025.
A REDI Grant (Rural Economic Development Initiative) paid for a specialized grant-writer to write a pre-application grant for a Northern Borders Catalyst Grant. The Town was notified on Friday, April 5 that the Pre-Application was accepted and now the Town is invited to apply with a full grant application for a possible $500,000 implementation (build) grant. Additionally, a grant application went in through Senator Welch’s Office for a Save Americas Treasures Grant for a potential $400,000. Visit the project website www.SouthHeroMeetingHouse.org for updates.

 OPEN ELECTED POSITIONS
​By Martha Taylor-Varney, Zoning Adminstrator
Town Meeting Day will be held across Vermont on Tuesday, March 3.  Open positions are Selelctboard, 3 and 2 year term; Library Trustee, 2 year term; Lister, 3 year term; Grand Juror, 1 year term; Cemetery Commission, 3 year term; and School Director, 3 year term.
Petitions are available in the Town Office and due Monday, Jan. 27.
DRB OPENING FOR ALTERNATE
The Development Review Board is seeking an Alternate member for this busy and interesting Board. For more information 802-372-4841 or email [email protected]

By Martha Taylor-Varney, South Hero Zoning Administrator
The South Hero Selectboard will hold a public hearing on Monday, Jan. 6 at the South Hero Worthen Library to review proposed amendments to the Town’s Development Regulations beginning at 6 p.m.  This draft is the result of the Planning Commission’s multi-year effort to comprehensively review, clarify, and update the document.
Highlights of the draft Regulations include the creation of 2 new zoning districts: The South Hero Village District and the Keeler Bay Village District.  These 2 new districts are the traditional village centers of the town and the new Regulations seek to encourage greater concentration of residential, commercial, and public-use development in these areas, in addition to pedestrian-friendly streets and sidewalks.  All principal structures subject to conditional use and/or site plan review within these districts must conform to general form-base standards, including entrance orientation, scale, minimum window coverage, and possible required architectural details.  Maps showing the boundaries of the new Village Districts are in the Town Office or can be found online at the Town’s website.
An increase in the density of development in the Village Districts will help ensure that future development in the Rural Residential District is focused on residential development.  There are no proposed changes to the Conservation District.  The Shoreland District, extending inland 500 feet from the mean water level of the lake, will remain the same except for shoreland areas within the proposed boundaries of the new Village Districts.  
Other additions to the proposed Regulations include: An optional preliminary site plan review for larger projects, where the Applicant can present a conceptual plan to the Development Review Board prior to applying for a full Site Plan Review; Setback waivers for new and pre-existing (conforming and non-conforming) structures, driveways and parking areas within the Village and Shoreland Districts; Subdivision review for 2 and 3-lot subdivisions has been simplified to allow administrative review by the Zoning Administrator, replacing Sketch Plan review and reducing the number of hearings before the DRB to one; Types of Home Businesses will be defined and clarified to meet the requirements of Home Occupations or Home Enterprises; All previous development review procedures referencing the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment have been replaced by the Development Review Board; and the document includes numerous additions and revisions to the General Definitions for clarity.
The draft of the Development Regulations can be found on the town website, southherovt.org, or by contacting the zoning administrator at 802-372-4841 or [email protected]
The Planning Commission will present a PowerPoint presentation and be available to answer questions from the public at the meeting.

​Trunk or Treat at Folsom School
By Karen Browning
SOUTH HERO – It is that time of year again: time to plan for the South Hero Trunk or Treat.
To add to the Halloween fun on South Street, we are inviting people to decorate their vehicles and dole out treats from their trunk for “trick or treating” children. 
Our goal is to provide a safe environment for Island kids to trick or treat and an opportunity for our Island community members who live more rurally to join in the Halloween fun. 
Do not miss this year’s Truck or Treat at Folsom School on Thursday, Oct. 31. Come join your friends and neighbors from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Setup begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Folsom School parking lot. Cars will be allowed into the parking lot between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. cars will not be allowed to enter or leave the area for safety reasons. The Folsom PTO will be providing hot dogs and other food items. 
Location: 75 South Street.