The City of Essex Junction invites residents to participate in shaping the future of their community through the newly released Connect the Junction Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Draft Master Plan. As part of this initiative, the City has launched an online Open House to gather public feedback, with the goal of finalizing the plan for adoption by fall 2025.
Residents can explore the plan's key recommendations in the Draft Plan, which focuses on activating streets for people, updating roads to allow for better bike facilities, and adjusting zoning regulations to allow for more home choices in convenient, connected places.
The Connect the Junction Master Plan, developed in collaboration with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission and Framework Cultural Placemaking, aims to transform the City Center and Pearl Street Corridor into a more pedestrian-friendly environment filled with more housing options, vibrant public spaces, and enhanced connectivity for walking, biking, and public transit. Over the last year, the City has studied existing conditions and gathered community input to formulate this plan.
The Draft Plan introduces seven "Big Ideas" with suggested actions designed to enhance the livability and connectivity throughout the project area. These include:
1. Prioritize People: Focus on improving experiences for pedestrians and cyclists while calming traffic. This includes food trucks on Memorial Way, a redesign of Pearl Street, and a focus on Railroad Ave as a people-oriented street.
2. Capitalize on the Crescent Connector: Leverage the City’s investment in the new Railroad Street with complementary development of open space, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, retail, and housing. This includes rechanneling traffic between Main and Park Street to use the Crescent Connector to narrow the street and reduce wait times at the Five Corners, testing road closures on Main Street, and the redevelopment of properties along Main and Maple streets.
3. Develop to Add Activities and Amenities: Ensure that new developments include community amenities through updated design guidelines. This includes design guidelines for streetscapes, entrances, and amenities, adding retail along the Pearl Street frontage of Post Office Square, the redevelopment of the Pearl Street shopping centers, and partnering with the Champlain Valley Expo on redevelopment opportunities that add amenities and enhance economic development.
4. Add Housing Thoughtfully: Create regulations that enable diverse housing options to meet community needs and alleviate the housing shortage. This includes increasing building heights in appropriate zones, increasing housing capacity, developing a land capacity model and monitoring program for housing production, and considering permit streamlining approaches.
5. Make More Connections: Enhance safety and connectivity for all modes of transport—walking, cycling, public transit, and driving. This includes adding crosswalks, especially near transit, establishing pedestrian connections through the Champlain Valley Expo, and developing an official map with street and public improvements.
6. Make the Assets Shine: Leverage existing community assets, such as open spaces and the Champlain Valley Exposition. This includes enhancing Stevens Park as a community asset, making use of Champlain Valley Expo for employee parking, keeping historic buildings and supporting them with quality public space, and creating and maintaining a public mural program.
7. Essex Junction for Essex Junction: Support local businesses and organizations through marketing and public space improvements. This includes marketing and recruiting desired businesses, more community events and programming, promoting Essex Junction as a destination based on local industry, culture, and assets, and exploring a Main Street type organization for Five Corners.
Residents interested in learning more about the plan and sharing their feedback are encouraged to visit the ConnectTheJunction.org website, where they can access the Draft Plan and participate in the online Open House.
Throughout the summer, the project team will also attend various local events and host an in-person Open House in early fall to further encourage community engagement. Residents can also view our recent Junction City News episode to learn about the Draft Plan.
By actively involving residents in the planning process, the City hopes to create a vibrant and accessible environment that reflects the unique character of Essex Junction.