New ski in, ski off development awaits permit approval for Killington

Staff report

A new homeowners ‘association could be coming to Killington.

An Act 250 permit for the project, submitted by Moon Dance LLC, has been under review since last August to subdivide a 257-acre parcel into 25 lots off of Falls Brook Road in Killington. A permit was granted in March pending approval from the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife and the permit is currently under further review. 

The applicant is only seeking approval to subdivide the property. Development would be left to the future homeowners’ association.

The plan is to subdivide parcels into one to five acres in size. Once fully developed, there could be as many as 21 single-family residences and three duplexes, for 27 total units, plus 20 lots with a four-bedroom single family residence, three lots with four-bedroom residential duplexes, one lot with a five-bedroom single family residence and another lot with a private equestrian barn.  

It could bring as many as six new children to the district, according to Act 250 documents.

The parcel surrounds the Sunrise Village complex and Falls Brook Commons, which offers the opportunity for ski-in, ski-out homesites from Killington’s Sunrise Triple chairlift and along trails covered by snowmaking located on the Cherry Knoll land. Cherry Knoll peak in Killington is surrounded by thousands of acres of protected land with miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, cross country skiing, horseback riding, snowshoeing, snowmobile and ATV riding.

James Brady, a habitat protection specialist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife, reviewed the project and found the project could interfere with existing wetlands, according to documents submitted on April 7.

“As designed, there are meaningful impacts proposed to several unnamed tributaries to both Falls Brook and Reservoir Brook,” Brady said in documents. “There are also delineated wetland complexes that are likely contiguous with one or several of these streams.”

The agency asked the applicant to provide updated plans that show streams, wetlands contiguous with streams, and riparian zones. 

Rhonda Grace, who submitted the application, said she’s working with the agency to address issues. She declined to comment in the meantime. 

“We are working with them and prefer not to comment until we have the permit,” Grace said in a text message.