Sustainability in Montpelier, Vermont

Here in Montpelier we've been having a debate for several years over how and whether to develop a large parcel of land, adjacent to residential neighborhoods and close to downtown, to meet the community's needs for housing and open space. These are the comments of my son Adam, a committed environmentalist and lifelong resident of Montpelier, and he asked me to post them for you all to read.


MY THOUGHTS ON SABIN’S PASTURE
Adam McCullough


It must be admitted that all things are connected. This is a fact of nature as well as a fact of the economy and culture. Therefore the actions taken to develop Sabin's pasture will indubitably have large impacts on the rest of Montpelier and indeed the rest of Vermont. It is folly to think that a part can change without affecting the whole. This interrelated nature of our town is the reason why I believe it is completely justified for the people of Montpelier to have a say in what goes on inside it.

That being said, here is my input and I hope that it is taken to heart. Though the effects aren't obvious, the deforestation of Sabin's Pasture has had many. This process of development has already taken its environmental toll. The equipment used to complete the project and the project itself have caused massive amounts of soil erosion, which not only reduces the quality of soil on the pasture itself, but harms wildlife habitat, and clouds the nearby Winooski with dirt that chokes out fish populations and other life forms found in the river. The land is changed visually affecting the views from countless locations in Montpelier.

The issue has had many social effects as well. I know from personal conversations with my friends that those who saw that land as their backyard feel a sense of being robbed. I've heard one person say "it’s like our childhood is gone now" This isn't the only sentiment either. I'm sure that other Montpelierites who own large tracts of land are afraid of being told what they can and can't do on their own land. Also the issue has taken tremendous amounts of time and effort from the city council and the zoning board and the housing committee and from all other interested parties. Obviously, even though this project has made very little progress towards its ultimate form: a housing development in Sabin' Pasture, it has already had far reaching environmental and social effects.

At this point I do not believe honestly that Sabin's Pasture can be "saved" in the sense implied by the bumper stickers, however it can be used as a method of saving Vermont. Too much of this country has been commercialized, franchised, advertised, and melted down. The United States is called a cultural melting pot, but from all I've seen I would more closely compare it to a crucible. Cowboys get their hats and belt buckles at the Gap these days I'm afraid. I firmly believe that the reason we live in Vermont is because it is not like the rest of the country. And we don't want it to be.

My vision for this development could be thought of as a new declaration of independence. A declaration of energy independence and a protest against the rampant consumption that has become the American way. I'm referring to a sustainably minded, community oriented development that reduces consumption in a big way and gives business to Local Environmentally conscious contractors.

There should be solar panels on all the roofs and windmills on the hill tops to not only power the people of Sabin's Pasture, but also to develop Montpelier without raising our energy consumption. Also each home will be equipped with energy star appliances, solar water heating, hay bail constructed walls so the energy used to heat the houses will stay inside the houses. Motion sensors for the light switches so when no one is around the lights will be off. Composting toilets so the development won't need to be attached to the sewers. There should be room for a garden in each yard, and a big meeting hall where there can be dances, concerts, banquets, and meetings. There will be a bulk foods catalog distributed to all the residents so they can order what they need and then pick it up from the meeting hall when it is brought there by a truck. It would be better to have one truck drive in, than for all of the residents' cars to trek to the store.

And the construction of the place will be an opportunity for education, allowing Montpelier students to study the process and help with the project (especially useful since Mr. Brown's tech ed position was cut from the middle school)

And, there would be a grand playground. The reincarnation of Union Elementary's fun zone, built by volunteers and enjoyed by all for years to come. A great use for tires that would otherwise go to waste.

You might say that this development would encroach on personal liberty, but I would strongly disagree. There are plenty of places in this country where you could live in a state of disconnection from the land. There are many states and many houses where you can live in ways that harm the earth, and the surrounding community. Therefore to develop in a sustainable way, will be not an encroachment, but an opportunity.