HARBOR PLACE GUESTS RULED MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC

The Shelburne Development Review Board, on a 4-2 vote, reaffirmed that Harbor Place, CHT’s motel serving people who are in crisis or who are experiencing homelessness, complies with the Town’s Zoning Bylaws. Town officials issued a Notice of Violation in October, 2015 and CHT appealed the Town’s claim.

Central to the dispute was whether or not people who access public benefits, services from social service agencies or care from the UVM Medical Center were members of the general public. The bylaws stipulate that hotels and motels must make rooms available to members of the general public. The Shelburne DRB agreed with CHT’s assertion that they were, writing:

“There is no question that Harbor Place’s clientele consists of members of the general public who are in need of an affordable place to stay on a temporary basis while looking for permanent housing or recuperating from a medical condition or disability.  CHT’s decision to pursue a particular market, a subset of the general public, does not mean that Harbor Place fails or refuses to offer transient lodging accommodations to the general public.

…The Bylaws require that motels offer transient lodging accommodations to the general public, without unlawful discrimination, but do not prevent motels from appealing to particular segments of the general public for business, particularly if the hotel/motel industry underserves that segment of the general public.”