To the editor: Pass the Chester development bylaws

I attended many Planning Board meetings and gave input, have read over the 114 page UDBs three times and have attended the Select Board’s review process.

I have listened to presenters about their personal issues and re-read letters written about the issue added to the minutes. In a debate competition, debaters are given a topic and have to debate either side of an issue regardless of personal views. I would have a hard time debating a view against the new bylaws because of the following reasons.

The time and effort put into it, the main purpose of the review, which was because of imperfections of the previous document and because it’s a living, breathing document that can be improved upon in the near future. I don’t like all of it but who would? It’s all rules.

From what I can, tell no one opposing the document employs people in our town. One opposition member in a lengthy letter suggested people who live in Chester could work elsewhere as he and his wife do and he did not want to see construction equipment like dump trucks drive by his house. Ironically, he lives on a gravel road.

Another opposition member has in my opinion one of the most beautiful rural properties in our town with acres of land. She and her husband (although with very low impact) work out of their property. They do not want a neighbor with a more visible business to be able to work out of theirs. The person does not feel she should have to see log trucks go down a driveway or hear a log splitter run in the distance. Another opponent does not want to look at an area of town in her back yard that’s been an existing rail and industrial area since the town’s inception.

Most of the people speaking in favor of the new UDBs are working class people, people providing goods and services, people investing in our community, people who employ others or are trying too.

I live on right on Route 103 with cars and trucks rumbling by.I have a neighbor with a house falling down and a dump truck parked right outside my bedroom window and yes he’s an early riser. The town garage and sand pile is across the road and at 6 a.m. on fall mornings, trucks dump sand, banging tailgates like ringing a bell! Fire trucks leave past my door sirens blaring. I chose to live here. I can almost make a living here!

We live in an imperfect world with imperfect neighbors. We try to regulate what’s best for us as a whole considering everyone’s rights. This is real life; it’s not perfection. I have done work for people who live in places where there is no noise, no business and it’s peaceful. They live in gated communities and many still dislike their neighbors! Chester is a working class town. It needs working class zoning and that’s what’s being proposed.

I encourage people to come out and support the passing of the new UDBs.

Barre Pinske
Chester

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  1. Barre Pinske says:

    Tim,

    The new bylaws are actually more inclusive. Your opponents want to keep the old bylaws and create smaller zones using overlays to yet reduce the area trades can operate. The new UDBs are much better for small business. Development review is a process everyone has to go through for change of use. My friend Rich just had to do it with his gallery up the street from me. It’s a bit of a pain, but helps keep neighbors informed on what’s going on. Rich’s neighbors were very helpful to him and encouraging. There are a lot of businesspeople counting on the new UDBs getting passed. I have been to the meetings. You are on the right team but picking up the ball and running the wrong way. These need to pass. The opposition does not want them to.

  2. Barre Pinske says:

    I am not opposed to development review. It allows neighbors to have a say on what new things will happen next to them. If the use is permitted, the review board, in most cases, will just set limits such as noise, signage and hours of operation.

    I encouraged my friend Rich Koons to move here and open his gallery, which is right up the street. I helped him get through the board. It was a bit of a pain but it helped him start out on a good foot with his neighbors. The old bylaws are less inclusive with respect to possibilities for uses in the different zones, which I feel is a much worse issue. Also, not passing the new regs could create greater issues and more limits.

    The folks you are speaking about in your letter will make it worse. Please support these regs and work with business leaders moving forward to keep things here small business friendly.

  3. Tim Roper says:

    Barre,

    Are you aware that the proposed UDB document includes language that disallows any “construction trades” business to be operated from a Chester home without the owner applying for and receiving a variance from the planning board?

    That language seems completely counter to the points you’ve made in your letter, with which I am otherwise in agreement.

    The proposed changes can bee seen here: http://www.chestervt.gov/uploads/5/0/4/4/50449173/10_10_16_proposed_chester_udb__003_.pdf