Vermont Planners Association honors Lotspeich with career award

June 3, 2023 | By Waterbury Roundabout 

Waterbury’s longtime town planner Steve Lotspeich was honored on Friday by the Vermont Planners Association. The trade group presented Lotspeich with its Career Achievement Award.

Steve Lotspeich with his wife, Judith, at a community reception for his retirement in March. Photo by Gordon Miller

Lotspeich retired at the end of March after three decades as the town’s planning director. The group honors community planning professionals and projects from around Vermont each year, recognizing the work of local, regional, and state planners. 

“The goal of planning is to maximize the health, safety, and economic well-being for all of the people living in our communities. The annual Planning Awards highlight the often unseen work done by people and projects in Vermont that make our state a great place to live,” said Scott Grimm-Lyon, chair of the association’s Award Committee.”We hope these examples will inspire community participation in the planning process, and help Vermonters see opportunities for growth and change that they can be part of in their own towns.”

The career award is given by the group’s Executive Committee to recognize members for their service to the profession. It noted Lotspeich’s work over the years as Waterbury’s community planner overseeing numerous plan and zoning bylaw rewrites as well as his efforts to help the community recover from Tropical Storm Irene, to attract numerous new businesses town and to revitalize Main Street. 

The group quoted the recent Waterbury Annual Report for 2022. Its dedication to Lotspeich notes how he “negotiates the ‘gauntlet’ of public decision-making ‘with grace and general good nature,’ and is someone always willing to ‘take on the next task at hand or to lend a helping hand to someone in need.’”

Lotspeich also served as the association’s treasurer for over a decade. 

The group also honored Sandy Gregg of South Hero with its Citizen Planner of the Year Award for her 20 years of service on the town’s planning commission and on the South Hero Meeting House Steering Committee. 

The group recognized Gregg’s leadership on the planning commission, seeing it through efforts such as updating the town plan and rewriting the town’s zoning bylaw. “Sandy facilitated sometimes challenging conversations about the community’s future, and supported work that has led to the development of South Hero’s village center along with a plan to grow responsibly while maintaining South Hero’s special island character,” the planning group said in its announcement. 

The association also recognized a plan and project in the past year. The town plan for Woodbury was recognized with the Plan of the Year Award. The plan for the community with just under 1,000 residents was commended for being “a forward-looking vision” with a focus on economic development, historic preservation in village centers, attention to forests, clustered neighborhoods with new housing along with public gathering and recreation areas, expansion of broadband service and consideration of wastewater options.

“The plan is written in a way that is accessible and engaging, making a document that will be used for years to come and that provides a strong example of how a rural community can advance its vision,” the Award Committee wrote. 

The Project of the Year Award went to a study by a private entity that was recognized for its cooperative focus with its surrounding communities. The Kingdom Trails Network in Burke was honored for its Kingdom Trails Network Capacity Study helped the trails organization assess how to manage usage and the impacts of growing use on its trails and the surrounding areas. 

The Kingdom Trails Association worked with the consulting firm SE Group to collect data and draft recommendations regarding trail and access infrastructure, messaging, and partnerships. The project acknowledges the connection between outdoor recreation and community and regional goals, the planning association said.  

The awards were presented at a hybrid ceremony on Friday as part of the group’s spring workshop in Randolph which focused on revitalizing downtowns and village centers. 

The Vermont Planners Association is a nonprofit advocacy and educational organization of planners and related professionals in Vermont. It supports community planning at all levels with the goals of nurturing vibrant communities and a healthy environment.