2007 Smart Growth Awards

Housing Vermont
Mac's Market, Inc.
Richford Renaissance
Richford Health Center
The Hartland Group

The restoration and redevelopment of the remaining Sweat-Comings Furniture building is a unique project, accomplishing many community and smart growth goals including historic preservation, brownfield redevelopment and community engagement.  This mixed-use project in the heart of Richford allows residents to purchase groceries at the much needed grocery store, provides access to an expanded health clinic and creates twelve units of permanently, affordable rental housing.  It is a project that will catalyze future community development and economic growth.

City of Montpelier
Montpelier Housing Task Force

Seeing the need for new housing opportunities in established neighborhoods, the City of Montpelier designed an innovative program to assist homeowners with creating new accessory apartments.  The One More Home program accomplishes this through a combination of homeowner education, changes to the City’s zoning bylaw, technical assistance, and grant funds.  Launched in the summer of 2006, the program has resulted in twelve new units in various stages of completion and serves as a model for other communities.

Starksboro Select Board

Many small Vermont towns are losing their sense of community as their village stores close and post offices and town halls move to facilities at the outskirts of town.  Not so in Starksboro.  The town rallied together to reverse this trend.  Purchasing a three acre property in the village between the Town Hall and Village Meeting House for a new town office was only the beginning.  With town residents volunteering their labor, a new town office was completed, and sidewalks were installed connecting several buildings, and shared parking facilities created.  The old town office, housing the Post Office, was transformed to a general store.  This project has brought a community together, enhanced the town center and sparked other smart growth projects.

Redstone Commercial Group
Housing Strategies, Inc.

Set in the Marble Works Historic District on the banks of Otter Creek, this projects adds the missing element to this downtown location – housing.  Built on less than one acre, these 30 units will allow their new homeowners pedestrian access to a lively mix of restaurants, shops, professional offices, and recreational opportunities.  Over five acres was also set aside for public access to the river for fishing and paddling.

Middlebury South Village, LLC.
Otter Creek Engineering
OWR Landscape Landscape Architects and Planners
William Maclay Architects and Planners  

Designed and planned in accordance with smart growth principles, South Village in Middlebury provides a mix of uses including 56 single family homes, 30 affordable apartments, a bank, a restaurant and retail and office space adjacent to the historic downtown.  All this is within walking distance to major employers, grocery stores, schools and recreation facilities.

Southern Vermont Recreation Center Foundation
Freeman French Freeman, Inc.

Vacant for 33 years, the Old Foundry, a dilapidated, historic resource, has been transformed into a valuable recreational resource for the community and surrounding region.  Serving as a gateway to Springfield, the Southern Vermont Recreation Center provides physical fitness opportunities for people of all income levels and will eventually add space for community events and art exhibitions.  In keeping with smart growth principles, the design minimized the building footprint, shared parking with neighboring businesses and is accessible for people with disabilities.  This project exemplifies the community’s commitment to revitalizing their community core and preserving their history.