Vernon Citizens For Responsible Development (VCRD) is committed to preserve the things that are special in our town, such as our quiet and open spaces, our scenic areas, and our parks. We will encourage and assist, when possible, business development that is introduced in a productive and respectful way that complements our community.

VCRD led the fight in 2010 to deny Ticketnetworks's application to hold concerts at Exit 66. Our current campaign addresses revisions to the Planning & Zoning Regulations submitted by former Mayor McCoy that would make it much easier for developers to do as they wish without approval by the PZC or input from residents.

The Issue

Although McCoy is out of office his influence lingers on. His initiative to revise some sections of the Planning & Zoning regulations, supposedly to "streamline the application process," however, in reality the changes greatly reduce the PZC's authority and take away citizens' rights to speak at public hearings. McCoy's application is now being reviewed by the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC).

The proposed changes will allow some uses to be built "as of right". That is, they will not require a public hearing, and they will not require the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) to consider important "Special Permit" evaluation criteria.

If your property is near (or abuts) a commercial or industrial zone, or is in a historic district, you are especially vulnerable to the impacts of these regulation changes. You may not have opportunity to express any opposition to development proposals since the use may be permitted "as of right" and will not require a public hearing.

What Happened?

The story begins with Mayor McCoy's decision to not run for a third term in July followed by his hiring a Manchester law firm in August involving a number of irregularities, an application to change the Zoning Reglations in October, requests to new Mayor Apel to withdraw the application and the PZC's decision to process the application. Read the full narrative of events.

Concerns

VCRD is concerned with the irregular process that resulted in McCoy's application to revise PZC's Zoning Regulations as well as the revisions themselves. This page looks at those concerns.

Had these changes been in place when TicketNetwork tried to create a concert venue, the PZC could NOT have denied the application on the basis of incompatibility with neighboring uses, or creation of a nuisance. The PZC would have had to approve the application - unless technical issues were found in the application or the site plan.

In The Press

Articles have been published in the Journal Inquirer and Vernon Reminder News as well as 'Letters To The Editor' in the Journal Inquirer. Links to these stories are provided. The tab at the top of this page will also take you to our Press page.

Reference Documents

There are a number of primary documents that provide information on the regulaton issue include attorney letters, regulation changes and contracts.

What's Next?

The next PZC meeting is on Thursday, February 16 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The application is on the agenda as old business, but will likely not be discussed until the committee concludes its review. The subcommittee is scheduled to meet at the Town Planner's office each Monday at 3 p.m. beginning February 8 and will meet until their review is complete.

Even though little may be done at the PZC meetings a good turnout shows our concern.

VCRD will monitor the subcommittee meetings.

What You Can Do

If you are concerned about the impact McCoys zoning changes will have on Vernon development and your right to speak against it it's important you speak out and make them known. Once they are approved the Planning & Zoning Committee loses much of its authority and residents lose the right to speak against development. There are a number of things you can do to ensure responsible development in Vernon. You'll find details on the linked page.