[shankwheat]

Are there any Williston residents out there? More specifically the Southridge neighborhood? Just wondering what kind of neighborhood it is and if there a lot of kids, friendly people etc. Thanks

[momnh]

I am in the process of relocating to Williston with two small kids, one that will be entering the school system this fall. We liked the Southridge community a lot but ended up renting a house in the Brennan Woods neighborhood for now (just because that is what was available). Southridge is high on our list for when it comes time to buy, since it is a little older and therefore has more mature trees and landscaping.

Are you looking at a particular house in the neighborhood?

[shankwheat]

We're not looking at any specific house. We're just looking for a neighborhood with lots of young children near the schools and we like the homes in this neighborhood.

[momnh]

I think it would be a great choice. We were there this weekend and saw kids all over the place. Same thing in Brennan Woods. Can't beat the access to the schools via the bike path!

[vter]

Two things to keep in mind...not sure if the realtors will tell you this or not
Southridge & Brennan Woods- the proposed circumfrential highway that has been on the drawing table for 20+ years abuts the western edge of Southridge and the eastern edge of Brennan Woods. So...some of those homes could possible have a highway in their back yards. If you look at an aerial view of Southridge/Brennan Woods you can pick out where the road will be (if it ever gets built).
Brennan Woods - the Chittenden Solid Waste District is proposing a large landfill to the north of the Brennan Woods neighborhood on Redmond Road that is causing a lot of controversy in town (especially residents of the Brennan Woods neighborhood) as you can imagine.

[momnh]

Thanks for the reminder about the highway. The house I am renting in Brennan Woods abuts it. We only plan on being there 1-2 years though, thankfully!

What is the latest with the highway? Is it likely to be built or will it continue to be tabled?

[68vette]

I believe it's still on the table, but there is pressure to get it built due to federal stimulus money for construction of roadways and the ever growing number of automobiles in Chittenden County.

[momnh]

I did read that it won't qualify for the stimulus money because it isn't shovel-ready. There is still quite a bit of permitting to do and then a court battle is expected. I assume it will get build eventually though - 5-10 years out...assuming VT has the funds for it.

[vter]

It'll get built eventually I'm sure. Just won't happen in the next few years.

[flu189]

Originally Posted by momnh

I did read that it won't qualify for the stimulus money because it isn't shovel-ready. There is still quite a bit of permitting to do and then a court battle is expected. I assume it will get build eventually though - 5-10 years out...assuming VT has the funds for it.

I guess it would be in the long term safe to consider that the long delayed plan may come to fruition, but Vt will probably never have the funds necessary to match the federal outlay. Regulatory and permitting will delay it for sure even if the money were to appear. The proposal to build exit 12B on I89 has been again suggested and at today's costs it would itself cost $30 to $40 million. This project would make the most sense to improve traffic flow in a business area. As far as vehicle traffic volume, Vt has very low daily highway counts, so other areas will be at the front of the line for expansion and improvements. There really is no reason to expect growth here which would increase traffic volumes appreciably. If the cap and trade energy scheme does in fact come to be then with the costs of energy it will be a sure bet that growth here will be staunched.