Quechee
Chris Goodwin, who owns and operates Vermont Illustrating LLC, would like to build a 6,000-square foot facility on land on Stagecoach Road currently owned by Wayne Punt .
Goodwin said that though the function would be to house his office and the company’s wholesale souvenirs (which consist mostly of New England-themed calendars, coffee mugs and cookbooks), the design will be more like a traditional Vermont barn.
Goodwin has the land under contract, and is working with Hartford planners to design the project in a way that complies with zoning requirements for the area.
“I’m trying to jump through the hoops with the town and see if we can pull this off,” he said.
He said that one issue is that the current dirt road may not be suitable for tractor trailers that transport his products to customers.
Goodwin, who also owns the Vermont Spot Country Store in Quechee Gorge Village, said Vermont Illustrated has only two full-time employees, including himself, and a handful of seasonal part-time workers.
A public hearing on the project was scheduled for Monday, but Goodwin said it has been postponed pending the resolution of paperwork related to the site’s suitability for the project.
Quechee Highlands, a much larger project planned near the Quechee interchange by former gubernatorial candidate Scott Milne, is scheduled to be debated in the Vermont Supreme Court this summer because Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission says that it is a primary retail outlet that conflicts with the regional plan.
Goodwin said his project would include no retail operations.
Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at mhonghet@vnews.com or 603-727-3211.