Alburgh officials plan to repurpose a 90-acre portion of the town’s industrial park as a year-round recreation area, hoping it will be an asset for residents and attract new visitors to the nearby village center.
Nearly all of the parcel off Industrial Park Road has been classified as a protected wetland by the state, and it’s not suitable for industrial development, said Emily Klofft, a regional planner at the Northwest Regional Planning Commission who is working with the town.
That’s led officials to look into other uses for the land, Klofft said.
Alburgh received a municipal planning grant to develop a master plan for the area, she said, and officials heard ideas for the site from community members at an Oct. 20 meeting. Planners also received about 150 responses to a survey about the project.
“Even though it is wetlands,” Klofft said, “because recreation and education are considered parts of the values and functions of the wetlands, there are certain low-impact uses that make sense.”
Some uses that planners are considering include boardwalks, a treehouse and a trail network, she said. An existing rail trail, called the Alburgh Recreation Trail, runs along the parcel and could connect visitors to Lake Champlain.
Residents also are interested in birdwatching at the site. Many have said they would like a story walk there for children that could be changed out seasonally, said Josie Henry, chair of the Alburgh Selectboard.
The town’s goals with the industrial park project are twofold, Henry said: increase the recreation opportunities available in town and attract outside visitors.
“It’s a great opportunity to kind of draw people into that village center area,” Klofft said, “and encourage more business there.”
Currently, the village does not have many businesses and there are no restaurants, Henry said. But that’s slated to change next spring when a coffee shop and bakery, as well as a pizza shop, are set to open.
“I think if you talk to any resident in Alburgh and ask what their top priority is for something in the village, it would be a restaurant or a coffee shop,” she said.
Looking forward, Henry said she’s optimistic about the project.
“We’re progressing on schedule,” she said, “and we’re getting more momentum now that residents are seeing that this is coming together.”
