We report on the design and prototype studies for a new double-sided silicon vertex detector for the CLEO-II experiment at CESR. To minimize multiple scattering, two new techniques are employed: (1) the detector is supported by low mass, low Z boron carbide foam U-channels; and (2) the preamplifiers are removed entirely from the tracking volume by using a second layer of metallization on the silicon to provide longitudinal readout traces for the transverse sense strips.