Essex

While construction on the Municipal Offices takes place, Planning Commission meetings are being held at the Police Station Community Room.  Normally, the Essex Planning Commission meetings are all held at the Town Offices at 81 Main Street in Essex Junction, in the downstairs conference room on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. The public is always welcome, and the meetings start promptly at 6:30 PM. If special accommodations are needed please call (802) 878-1343.

After months of studying how planning governance in Essex works today and how it could be improved, the Working Group for Thoughtful Growth in Action (TGIA) presents its findings and recommendations.

The Working Group’s recommendations will head to the Town Selectboard and Village Trustees in February 2016. The two boards will have a joint meeting in March to discuss the recommendations.

Currently, the Town of Essex and Village of Essex Junction have separate planning commissions and zoning boards of adjustment. TGIA formed around the belief that the community wants to move toward a shared Essex vision that simultaneously honors and builds in the unique characteristics of the Village and Town outside the Village.

For more information, visit www.essextgia.com or contact Assistant Town Manager/Town Planner Greg Duggan at 878-1343 or gduggan@essex.org

The Essex Selectboard meetings are all held at the Town Offices at 81 Main Street in Essex Junction, in the downstairs conference room on the first and third Mondays of the month. The public is always welcome, and the meetings start promptly at 7:30 PM. If special accommodations are needed please call (802) 878-1341. Until further notice, meetings are held in the Police Station Community Room while renovatoins at 81 Main continue.

Thoughtful Growth in Action (TGIA) hosts this community-wide workshop to confirm Essex residents’ desire to move toward a shared vision, educate about current planning governance, and engage in a conversation about how people would like to see planning governance improved.  This 3rd Working Group meeting has the goals of determining preferred governance structure scenario(s), determining a prioritized set of ideas on how to improve community engagement, and evaluation of Working Group process.

TGIA is a continuation of Heart & Soul of Essex, a two-year project that engaged residents to identify shared values and a vision for the future of the community. Thoughtful Growth emerged from Heart & Soul as one of the community’s top six values, and TGIA is based on the Heart & Soul belief that the community wants to move toward a shared Essex vision that simultaneously honors and builds on the unique characteristics of the Village and the Town outside the Village.

More information at: www.essextgia.com