Chester board hears reaction to draft ‘Town Green Use Ordinance’ Sidewalk news and recap of busy festival weekends

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC

It was looking like the Chester Select Board meeting last Wednesday would be contentious because a draft document for regulating the use of the Chester Green had been circulating in town.

For more than a year, the Chester Green has been the venue for a number of anti-Trump administration protests that have face opposition by some businesses on the Green as well by Republicans.  And recently, a letter circulated by a second homeowner who is also a lawyer had some people concerned that their use of the Green would be restricted.

The draft proposal was a combination of a model policy from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns mixed with ordinances from Woodstock and Richmond. It was compiled by Town Manager Julie Hance at the request of the Select Board in May 2025. In her manager’s memo, which accompanies the board’s meeting packet, Hance said town attorney Jim Carroll had suggested that she draft an initial document for him to work with, which she presented to the board. Carroll told Hance he would look at the draft and meet with the board, but that the board should not put too much work into this until then.

When board chair Lee Gustafson introduced the agenda item, he suggested that since Carroll had not yet seen the draft, the board should put delay discussion until its next meeting. But board member Arne Jonynas, taking note of the number of people in the room and on Zoom, suggested they let audience members speak.

While Gustafson thought that would be “putting the cart before the horse,”  board member Tim Roper agreed with Jonynas. And board member Peter Hudkins pointed out that the draft focused on commercial use of the Green,  which he felt needed to be discussed.

“Commercial use is not demonstrating,” Hudkins said, adding that the board should split commercial use regulations from the right to assemble language. Hudkins also asked for a definition of what is considered “the Green,” then questioned whether it includes the Academy Building and Brookside Cemetery area.

Hance said her focus was public safety,  such as staying out of the road. But she also said she was ensuring that camping on the Green is prohibited, specifically to prevent homeless encampments.

“I don’t think anyone is against people gathering on the Green,” said Hance.

When the board turned to the public for comment, Robert Nied said that the Woodstock’s  ordinance does not address specifically “demonstration,” even though that town has had a demonstration on its Green every day for the past 500 days. “Clearly they understand the importance of this,” Nied said.

Linda Diak pointed to the use of both the word “policy” and “ordinance” in the agenda and the draft and board members were using the terms interchangeably in their discussion.  A policy is basically a guide, while an ordinance is a law.

Steve Dock, who has organized a number of the rallies on the Green, suggested that town might want to offer safety recommendations rather than rules.

Regarding the issue of noise as presented in the draft, Evan Parks, a D.J. who runs the sound for many Chester events including several political rallies, noted that amplified sound systems are not just for entertainment or speeches but also for emergency communications, crowd control and de-escalation, directing pedestrian movement and giving out vital information such as missing children notices.

When everyone who wanted to speak had finished, Gustafson said the board would return to this in a future meeting.

Sidewalk projects and ‘pedestrian scale’ lighting

Hance told the board that the town will be receiving a grant of $1.3 million to do sidewalk and stormwater work from the Veterans Bridge (crossing the Williams River from the Depot into the Stone Village) along North Street to Dalrymple Street. The grant, made up of federal and state funds through the state’s Bicycle and Pedestrian program, will improve the existing sidewalk and fill in gaps where there is no walk.

According to Hance, this is a federal grant and engineering will begin in 2027, with construction in 2028 or 2029.

This makes three grant funded projects including the much-delayed Depot sidewalk project. When complete the three projects will result in new, uninterrupted sidewalks from Bargfrede Road to Dalrymple Street.

Hance also told the board that the original grant proposal for the Depot Street project included lower, more decorative “pedestrian scale” lighting fixtures, to present a warmer, more welcoming atmosphere and slow traffic. But since the original grant was awarded in 2017, many things in town have changed and Hance asked the board if they still wished to go through with the lighting. To have this option, she had asked contractors to bid that portion of the work separately.

The cost of the lighting project is $450,000 with a 20 percent match, which amounts to a town outlay of $90,000. The board discussed the advantages and disadvantages of continuing with that portion of the project, which is funded with federal money. Hance has also said that if the town decides to drop the lighting portion, it cannot repurpose that grant funding to other aspects of the project – like extending the length of the sidewalk.

Hudkins said that once the lights are in, their maintenance is going to fall on the town, unlike the current streetlights, which are maintained by Green Mountain Power. Hudkins envisioned a car or snowplow hitting a lamp and the the town having to fix it.

Chester Resident Laurie Goodrich said she did not feel the town needed the new lights; while Evan Parks said he disagreed. Stone Village resident Ian Montgomery asked if there could be safety lighting at the crosswalk in on North Street.

“We take our live in our hands crossing North Street,” said Montgomery. “We’re not asking for ambiance.”

Roper moved to approve the lighting, which carried 3 to 1.

Festival recaps

Organizers of three recent festivals came to the meeting to give the board recaps of their activities. These included the Chester Festival at the American Legion’s Gateway Field and the Chester Celebrates Vermont Special Foods and the Chester Scarecrow Festival, both of which took place on the Green.

Shannon Parker, a board member of the Chester Festival organizers, told the Select Board that while people may have been disappointed in leaving the Green, the 2026 festival was a success despite the weather on Sunday.

Sharon Baker, who organized the food celebration, said that the vendors and attendees were happy with the food-focused event and she asked to use the Green again on the same weekend next year. Baker also presented a check for $900 from vendor contributions, which she asked be put toward the work of the Chester Economic Development Commission.

Scarecrow Festival organizer Julian Sottovia also said that event was a success with many creative scarecrows and a host of vendors for the two days. He also invited everyone to come to the Green for the Halloween celebration on from 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The board discussed ways that the town could help such events continue.