Town manager responds with 5-page letter to the state

February 18, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti

The state’s proposal to convert the former National Guard armory in Waterbury for use as a shelter will be on the Waterbury Select Board’s agenda Monday night and the board will meet at the Main Street fire station to accommodate the public.

Municipal Manager Tom Leitz said Commissioner Chris Winters of the Vermont Department for Children and Families is scheduled to attend along with other state officials. Winters came to the Jan. 29 Select Board meeting to introduce the state’s plan that calls for opening a 40-bed shelter in the former National Guard facility on Armory Drive as soon as April 1 and running it through at least June 30.

State Commissioner of the Department for Children and Families Chris Winters addresses a meeting of the Waterbury Select Board at the Main Street fire station on Jan. 29. Winters with several other state officials will attend the board’s meeting on Monday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. Photo by Gordon Miller

The shelter would serve adults, not families, Winters told the community, and it likely would be run by an agency from out of state because Vermont providers lack capacity to oversee additional shelters. The proposal is one of several Winters is charged with establishing to meet the need for emergency shelter as the state looks to transition from a motel-hotel program that’s now housing hundreds of individuals including many who are elderly and disabled.

Town officials had barely a week’s notice of the plan for the armory facility that was decommissioned by the National Guard in December 2022. Until recently, they had hoped it would be sold and potentially redeveloped for housing. At the Jan. 29 meeting, town officials joined with community members in asking many questions of Winters regarding the timeline for opening and running the shelter, details on daily operations and potential impacts on town services.

The topic attracted much community interest and concern with approximately 200 people attending the recent board meeting, about half each in person and watching online.

In the two weeks since, town officials have been gathering information and compiling questions for state officials. Leitz on Wednesday, Feb. 14, sent a five-page letter to Winters with a list of concerns and questions regarding the shelter proposal (see below).

In it, the town manager characterizes the public reaction to the proposal as “varied and complex” based on comments at and following the meeting. Leitz said he’s received calls and emails and he’s followed various threads on social media.

“While there is an acknowledgment of Waterbury’s current and historical welcoming nature, there nonetheless remains a great deal of community concern, ranging from apprehension to anger, at the proposal,” he writes. “We have heard from many individuals and believe this community would be welcoming towards a homeless shelter that is an appropriate size, managed by a trusted local operator, and is brought forth with a long public input and planning process. Unfortunately, that has not been the case with this proposal.”

*Sign opposing the shelter proposal on a trailer along South Main Street. Photo by Gordon Miller*

Front Porch Forum has had numerous comments and discussion on the topic as well as social media and posts on Waterbury Roundabout news stories and opinion pieces. Last week, signs downtown were put up with the message “Don’t Import Homeless.” Downtown resident Todd Volitis told Waterbury Roundabout he opposes the shelter proposal and he placed the signs. He also claimed that some had been taken down. He’s since parked a trailer at 51 S. Main Street with his message.

Leitz then details questions in several main categories: timing and timeline, shelter operations, public safety, services needed to accommodate a shelter in the community.

Towards the end of the letter, Leitz notes that the state had considered the Econo Lodge in Montpelier as a possible shelter run by the local operator in Barre, Good Samaritan Haven. The Barre shelter provider declined that suggestion for a variety of reasons, and Leitz asks if that location might be reconsidered given that a Waterbury shelter would not have a Vermont operator either. “That community is better equipped to accept a shelter as they have an array of local service providers and a police department,” he points out.

Leitz also reiterates the hope that local officials have for the Waterbury armory property to eventually be developed into permanent housing.

He closes by acknowledging that, although the town has said the project would require a local zoning permit for changing the armory building’s use, that likely would not prevent the state from moving ahead with the project. Leitz notes the town’s history of working with the state as a base for its large office complex and the former state mental hospital. That relationship should be considered, he writes.

“We have long been partners in success and believe that relationship can continue in the future. Our concerns above are not merely about this specific proposal; they are also tied to this history and sentiment that history of cooperation could be eroded if a short-term proposal, not fully vetted and without the proper and cohesive support systems, is forced upon the residents of Waterbury,” Leitz writes.

A new spot has been created on the town website for Armory Updates where the letter is posted as well. Town Zoning Administrator Mike Bishop last week wrote to state Buildings and General Services Commissioner Jennifer Fitch saying the project would need a local permit for its change of use under the local zoning regulations. As of Friday, the state had not filed an application or responded to that notification, according to Bishop.

At the previous meeting, Winters suggested that he would return with additional staff to answer questions from town officials and community members. On Monday, he will be joined by Miranda Gray, Deputy Commissioner for Economic Services, and Lily Sojourner, Interim Director of the Office of Economic Services.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the upstairs room at the fire station and it will be available to watch and participate online via Zoom. Town officials last week had some upgrades done with the tech system at the station and to the town’s Zoom capacity. The large audience for the Jan. 29 meeting maxed out the Zoom livestream capacity and there were audio issues for attendees online.

Leitz said he can’t promise the setup will be glitch-free on Monday, but it’s likely to be smoother. To be sure, however, he advises that anyone who wants to be certain they can hear and comment during the meeting should try to attend in person.

Attendees are reminded to not park at the fire station. The lot at 51 S. Main St. adjacent to Waterbury Service Station is available as well as street parking.

The meeting agenda with the Zoom link is posted on the Select Board webpage on the town website, waterburyvt.com.

The letter from Municipal Manager Tom Leitz to Commissioner Chris Winters is below. Click to enlarge the images.