Massive mix of housing could begin construction this summer
This is the first installment of “The Big Five,” our first in a series of major developments in the Town of Hinesburg. We will explore the proposals, where they stand, and what to expect in 2025.
Windy Ridge developers could finish their Town permitting soon and begin construction this summer. A proposed mix of housing options, both rental and home ownership models, are slated to be constructed on the hill across from Champlain Valley High School. A shared use path is proposed to allow access to CVU and the Village Center for pedestrians and cyclists.
Jan Blomstrann owns this land as Peace of Mind Revocable Trust. It’s a 41.98-acre property located in the Village Growth Area and the municipal water and sewer district on the east side of Route 116. Blomstrann and Champlain Housing Trust have proposed two 11-unit buildings, two eight-plexes, four six-plexes, one quad-plex and eight single-family homes for this development, as well as a non-residential lot for a proposed day care.

The Development Review Board (DRB) reviewed a draft approval for the preliminary plat review on Jan. 7. DRB Coordinator Mitchel Cypes said the preliminary plat is the second of three approvals that are required for a subdivision approval. “This approval describes the improvements to the submitted documents and what additional information the applicant will need to provide at final plat review, which is the last step in subdivision review,” he said in an interview with The Record.
Proposed are a 15-lot, 74-residential unit subdivision, including one non-residential lot, between Riggs Road and CVU Road in the Village Northeast Zoning District surrounding the NRG property. Sketch plan approval was granted on Dec. 19, 2023; preliminary plat review began Nov. 19, 2024.
Besides final plat review and approval, conditional use and site plan approvals for the multi-family dwelling units and the proposed daycare business are required. Cypes said the applicant could apply for the conditional use and site plan approvals along with final plat subdivision review and receive all the required approvals at the same time. Being in a neighborhood designation area with inclusionary (affordable) housing, Act 250 approval is not required.
Amy Demetrowitz of Champlain Housing Trust said they have partnered with Vermont Gas Systems (VGS) and applied for a major grant to install the infrastructure for geothermal; solar panels would be incorporated on rooftops wherever possible.
There are three areas in the plan that meet the open space requirement regulation, Julia Ginorio of Engineering Ventures said: a playground between the two multi-family units near South Meadow; and a terraced community garden.
Four distinct sections are outlined for the project:
- The first section of the project would be adjacent to Riggs Road (currently being called Riggs Meadow), made up of 36 proposed rental units and eight home ownership units (for a community total of 44).
- The second section would be the commercial lot, proposed to be a childcare center to serve up to 100 children, located adjacent to CVU Road and access by a CVU connector road.
- The third section would be the eight private lots along the CVU connector road, that could be either market rate or affordable homes (dependent upon which developers build the homes) and either single-unit dwellings or duplexes.
- The fourth section would be another community, adjacent to Route 116, with 22 affordable townhomes proposed, and located at the end of the CVU connector road.
In the Dec. 17 hearing, Cypes said the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) confirmed a 90-foot radius traffic circle would be appropriate for Route 116 at the Riggs Road intersection to accommodate traffic. The traffic circle is on the Hinesburg Official Map as a future improvement. “New developments can not restrict future designated improvements that are on the Hinesburg Official Map, like the traffic circle, from being built,” he said. “In other words, no buildings or critical unmovable infrastructure can be built that would prohibit the construction of the traffic circle in the future.”
This traffic circle would require an additional 10-foot, front-yard setback, and a 100-foot radius would be required. The proposed buildings in the Windy Ridge development would not be impacted but some existing infrastructure would need to be relocated, such as the outlet for stormwater and some of the existing sidewalk would need to be pushed back. Its timeline is up to VTrans.
Please direct further information, comments, and questions regarding this story to Lynn Monty at Vermontsongbird@gmail.com.