Development Review Board (DRB)

The Development Review Board (DRB) is the municipal body that, when required, is authorized and delegated to uphold and interpret Castleton Zoning Ordinance and Castleton Subdivision Regulations. It is also the board authorized to hear appeals from decisions of the Castleton Administrative Officer (formerly known as the Zoning Administrator).

The DRB reviews complete applications for proposed projects at public hearings and consists of five (5) members and an alternate.  Such reviews may be for site plans, conditional uses, variance and waiver requests and subdivisions.  The regulations and state statutes set forth the criteria upon which the DRB makes its decisions.

All public hearings must obey the open meeting law.  This law does, however, allow quasi-judicial boards, such as the DRB, to deliberate in a closed session.  The DRB may also reach a decision in a closed session provided the decision reached is put in writing and made public. 

All decisions of the DRB may be appealed by the applicant or an interested party who participated at the public hearing for the application.  Such an appeal must be made within 30 days of the decision and all appeals are heard by the Vermont Environmental Court.

The Development Review Board meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month in the Parks and Recreation Activity Center located a 47 Mechanic Street, at 7:00pm, unless otherwise posted. All meetings are recorded. The link to the Zoom link to attend remotely is included in the meeting agenda. The link to the recording for each meeting is included in the header of the minutes.  

*If you think  an open meeting law violation has occurred, the first step is to submit a written notice to the public body, alleging the specific violation & requesting a specific cure. See the full statute here: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/01/005/00314