Sanborn Bridge Reconstruction Will Require Act 250 Permit

Paul Hayes phayes@littletonrecord.com Staff Writer Feb 7, 2026 Updated Feb 8, 2026

LYNDON — State officials have ruled that reconstruction of the Sanborn Covered Bridge will require an Act 250 permit, citing design changes and potential impacts tied to a nearby, contested development along the Passumpsic River.

In a jurisdictional opinion dated Feb. 3, District 7 coordinator Kevin Anderson said the bridge project represents a “material change” to land already under Act 250 review — the former Lyn-Burke Motel property at the north end of the bridge — triggering Act 250 oversight.

Anderson also concluded the project would have “a significant impact” on river management plans connected to a proposed gas station and mini-mart planned for the former motel site at 791 Main St. The jurisdictional opinion was requested by the town’s Zoning Administrator, Jon Prue.

The ruling adds a new layer of review to a bridge restoration project that has already undergone multiple revisions following catastrophic flooding in July 2024, when the swollen Passumpsic River bowed the structure, broke one abutment, and nearly swept the bridge away. The bridge was later disassembled and removed to prevent further damage while restoration plans were reevaluated.

The Development Review Board approved revised bridge plans in November. The board approved an earlier version of the project in May 2024, but engineers redesigned it after the flood to raise the bridge and strengthen its abutments.

Select Board Chair Chris Thompson told the board in November the new design would raise the bridge four feet — one foot above the 500-year flood level — compared with the earlier plan to raise it about 2.5 feet to meet the 100-year flood standard.

“The town is presenting to you tonight a better project than the one that your legislative body approved unanimously about a year and a half ago,” Thompson said at the time. “This version of the design provides greater protection for not only the bridge itself, but also for the community, by increasing flood resilience in the area around the bridge.”

At the same time, state environmental regulators continue to challenge plans for a $4 million gas station and mini-mart proposed for the former Lyn-Burke Motel property at the north end of the bridge, a flood-prone site at the intersection of Routes 5, 114 and 122.

Late last year, the Agency of Natural Resources appealed a partial Act 250 ruling by the District 7 Environmental Commission that found the project would likely meet floodway and stream-impact criteria. ANR disputed the commission’s conclusion that the development “will not endanger the health, safety, or welfare of the public or of adjoining landowners … and will not cause or contribute to fluvial erosion.”

The appeal has put on hold landowner Louis “Joe” Buzzi’s plans to build a 4,500-square-foot mini-mart, 16 parking spaces, a 3,100-square-foot gas island with eight pumps, and a 576-square-foot diesel island on the two-acre parcel immediately north of the bridge. Buzzi demolished the former motel in 2021 after purchasing the property in 2018.

Rebuilding the north abutment of the Sanborn Covered Bridge would impact flood mitigation aspects of the gas station proposal, the Feb. 3 jurisdictional opinion said.

Built in 1869 and moved to its current location over the Passumpsic River in 1960, the Sanborn Covered Bridge was purchased by the town in 2022 along with a two-acre parcel on the south end.

The restoration project carries a $2.2 million budget set two years ago that has not been updated to reflect inflation or design changes. Officials have warned that higher-than-expected bids could force the town to scale back or delay construction, with much of the funding expected to come from grants.