2018 Update #58

A Drone’s-Eye View of Downtown, Landscape Design Update

VTrans Aviation, the group responsible for managing Vermont’s 10 state airports, was in town recently to capture aerial footage of the rail and bridge project using a drone camera.

It’s rare that we have an opportunity to view our town from a few hundred feet up. The drone images provide an interesting perspective of the rail line and Otter Creek and offer a look into Receiving Pit 2 (behind Triangle Park) and the Launch Pit. You can link to the YouTube video here.

The flyover took place on Tuesday, November 7. Maybe you were driving or walking through town at the time?

Update on Landscape Design Concepts for Triangle Park and Printer’s Alley

A third and final public meeting to take community comments on revised landscape design concepts for Triangle Park and Printer’s Alley will take place on Wednesday, December 5, at 7 PM in the Town Offices. The meeting will be jointly hosted by the Town of Middlebury and the Vermont Agency of Transportation.

The revised concepts, developed by VHB, reflect community feedback in previous meetings that emphasized the importance of 1) providing space in Triangle Park for public events that can help drive economic development downtown and 2) connecting our downtown green spaces, with Printer’s Alley as the gateway between the Marble Works and Main Street.

You can view the revised concepts and read through the designer’s narrative notes here.

If you’re interested in the future look and feel of these two downtown spaces, you should plan to attend the public meeting. VHB’s Director of Land Planning and Landscape Architecture, Mark Hamelin, will describe how he has approached the design of Triangle Park and Printer’s Alley and then we’ll open it up for discussion. The drone video gives you a good look at how these spaces fit into the downtown landscape.

The Selectboard, which will make a final decision at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, December 11, has also asked the Planning Commission and the Design Advisory Committee to provide written comments on the design alternatives.

What We’re Eating

On Saturday night, thanks to intrepid friends who managed to snare opening night reservations, my wife and I had an opportunity to dine out at Middlebury’s newest restaurant, The Arcadian, which sits along Otter Creek down Bakery Lane. Featuring Italian cuisine, a remodeled interior, a good wine list, and some quirky cocktails, The Arcadian was a hit at our table. You can check out the menu and read more about the restaurant and its sister enterprise, Haymaker Bun Company, here.

That’s all for today. Have a great Thanksgiving holiday and see you downtown.

Please keep your comments and questions coming. Send me an email at jgish@townofmiddlebury.org and I’ll try to cover it in my next update.