Exciting changes ahead in Lyndon

LYNDON — The former Vermont Tap and Die property has sat idle for nearly a decade. That may soon change. Robert Bosch Tool Corp., which owns the 4-acre lot located in the heart of town at 378 Main St., and Kennametal, the leaseholder for the 93,000-square-foot building that has been vacant since 2014, have applied to demolish the structure and clear the site. The Development Review Board will hear the application on Aug. 24. DRB denied Bosch a demolition permit in Sept. 2001 because the company wouldn’t commit to removing the concrete slab foundation, which would hinder redevelopment of the site. Under the new application, Bosch would meet town demands and get rid of the slab. Company officials did not explain why they changed their mind on slab removal, but they wrote in a June 29 letter to the town that neither Bosch nor Kennametal “has an expected use for the property or buildings in the future.” According to project documents, Bosch has proposed a 30-week demolition and site restoration process. That would include two months of permitting, eight weeks of building demolition, eight to nine weeks of soil restoration, and three weeks of slab removal.