Arlington Planning Commission
Minutes – 1/22/2026
Planning Commission member in attendance:
Jon Murray
Mary Anne Holmes
Jenna Tait
Sebastian Massey
Garret Siegel
Also in attendance:
Cynthia Browning, Interim Town Administrator
Nick Zaiac, BCRC
Dara Zink, BCRC
Joan Nash, LUA
A motion was made by Jon Murray to approve the minutes from the last APC meeting (October 23, 2025), seconded by Michael Murno. Approved unanimously.
LUA update: It was announced that Joan Nash has decided to step down from her position as Land Use Administrator effective March 2026. An interim LUA will need to be in place by March 1st. Michael Murno questioned how the town would solicit a new person for the position. Cynthia Browning noted that the town would use similar material that the town has used in previous searches. Advertisements can be placed on the VLCT (Vermont League of Cities & Town) website and could also be listed in the local newspapers (although Cynthia noted that she is not sure that is where people are hiring from). The town does have a Linkedin account and could advertise the position there as well. And of course, the opening will now be listed on the sign board in front of Town Hall. In the interim, it was suggested that the Planning Commission should make a recommendation to the Select Board that an interim LUA be appointed in case the position is not filled by March 1st. There was some concern that the interim town administrator might not be able to fully cover the added responsibilities of LUA while also working as interim Town Administrator.
A motion was made by Garret Siegel to recommend to the Select Board that Cynthia Browning, Nick Zaiac and Dara Zink be appointed to cover the position of Land Use Administrator in the event that the position has not been filled by March 1, 2026. Seconded by Jon Murray. Approved unanimously.
New Business: Nick Zaiac and Dara Zink of the BCRC were present for a municipal consultation regarding the Town Plan and Town Bylaws. The Town Plan is due for a revision before the end of 2027, and a municipal grant has already been secured to fund this work. Nick noted that the town plan has been reviewed to find any components that might be missing and that the current plan is in compliance with state statutes. He asked, “How well is the town plan working? Is it serving as a useful document?” In discussion, it was agreed that there is a lot of goal setting in the Town Plan but not a lot of goal accomplishing. It was agreed that the new plan needs an implementation timeline with accountability.
Some recommendations from the BCRC based on their review:
- Increase housing component
- Language of historical resources
- Discussion of wildlife areas
- Sidewalk connections/recreational resources
- Updated information on water/wastewater
- Updated 2020 census data
- Need to update bylaws
The APC members highlighted some other issues that should be discussed in the plan’s revision. There should be more information about communication and public awareness. It was hoped that the town might be able to increase its digital presence, including an easier, more interactive Town website. It was also agreed that there should be some discussion of the current school issue due to the pending district consolidation, which could affect whether the Arlington schools remain open, as well as the tangential issue of the school’s wastewater system. Mary Anne Holmes questioned how much public involvement would occur beyond the APC in the revision process. There will be multiple meetings, likely a walking tour of Arlington as well as a chance to practice digital engagement methods. Jenna Tait wondered if the town has a Chamber of Commerce to foster business. There is no CoC for Arlington specifically, but it was suggested that the town could integrate more with Bennington County to have a hub for business ideas and the business community. Garret Siegel raised concern about the lack of governance descriptions available in the Town Plan and Bylaws. As an example, the APC recently discussed that there is a town committee called the Board of Civil Authority that is listed in neither the Town Plan nor the Town Bylaws. It was suggested that the newly revised plan have a “guide to town governance.”
Nick asked what kind of training needs and information did the Planning Commission feel was needed? It was noted that it has been very difficult to get clarity on the river corridors issue and its likely effect on permitting on the municipal level. It was also felt that enforcement pathways are not well spelled out. The group agreed that there was a need to build collaborative relationships with the many existing town boards (SB, ZBA, etc.) for implementation purposes. It was also suggested that there should be collaborative meeting with other boards, so that stakeholders in town government get to know each other. This does not necessarily have to be a formal meeting but methods to integrate the disparate entities of town government should be encouraged. On a similar note, a public “meet your government” event might be considered.
A general discussion of issues that need to be further elaborated in a revision of the town bylaws followed. These are the issues that have been flagged by the present bylaws subcommitee:
- Concept of a fence
- Definition of substantial change
- Consolidated review is of questionable value for Arlington
- Reinforcement of the junk ordinance and a plan for enforcement need to be incorporated into the bylaws. Integration of the junk ordinance into zoning bylaw lowers the bar for enforcement. Can drones be used to survey junk issues? Concern about wetlands being affected by contamination.
- RVs
- Shipping containers, which are presently permittable for short term usage, are rampant in Arlington.
- It is anticipated that more issues would be added to this list over time.
The BCRC also suggested that the merits of a Development Review Board system should be explored again. This concept was discussed during our last bylaw revision but rejected by the group.
As for the immediate priorities related to the plan: it was agreed that we have already hit the regulatory priorities. Other priorities discussed were recreation, communication and town education regarding local government.
How can the BCRC assist the APC?
- Facilitate town plan writing
- Grants for businesses
- Support for solid waste/hazardous materials
- Telecom team/energy planning
- Natural resources/brownfields arm to facilitate with remediation
- Transportation/Sidewalks. Improvements to recreational signage. Bike routes.
The strengths of the existing plan:
- Data and demographics are well presented
- Consistent with state plan
- Brand new energy plan as of our last revision which will be updated with assistance of members of the Arlington Energy Committee
The weaknesses of the existing plan:
- Housing doesn’t keep track with recent conversations
- Implementation is weak – goal rather than plan
- Natural resources section needs updating
- Recreation/active transportation not really talked about
- Water & Wastewater need updating incorporating that the town now owns the water department.
Other opportunities for improvement noted by the APC:
- Discuss more recent history/context
- Flood resiliency. General resiliency
- Better communication about the Town to town inhabitants; an example is a Guide to the Permitting Process(es)
Timeline: The revision process will start in April 2026 and continue in May. Public engagement regarding the revision process will start in June and last through September. Drafting of the new plan will over between November 2026 and March 2027.
It was questioned where the public can see the current Regional Plan and noted that it is available on the BCRC website. It was suggested that the town should perhaps have a flyer for town meeting about the revision of the town plan. This subject will be added to the agenda for the February meeting.
Old Business: A review of the year ahead was deferred until the next meeting. The APC still intends to invite Todd Wilkins and Nicol Whalen to discuss the school issue with the Planning Commission. The Land Use Administrators report was reviewed by the commission.
A motion was made to end the meeting by . Seconded by . Unanimously approved.
The next meeting of the Arlington Planning Commission will be held on February 26, 2026 at 7pm.