This page answers some of the most common questions that people have about the Essex and Jericho Scenic Roads Project. If you do not see an answer to your question here or would like a personal response, please feel free to email Noelle at noelle@[remove this text]smartgrowthvermont.org.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

What are the goals of this project?

To help the towns of Essex and Jericho develop clear, sensible standards for ensuring that scenic views are protected as the two towns continue to grow.

Does the project have the approval of the towns?

The project was authorized by and partially funded by the select boards of both towns. Residents in both towns have indicated strong support for protecting scenic resources, a priority that is reflected in both communities' town plans but has not yet been implemented in bylaws.

Who is working on the project?

Seth Jensen, the Jericho Town Planner, is the lead for Jericho.  Dana Farley, the Essex Director of Community Development, is the lead for Essex.  They are both working closely with Noelle MacKay, Executive Director, who is overseeing the project  (See the "Quick Links" box on the main project page for contact information.) In addition, the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission are providing funding and expertise for the project.

ABOUT THE SCENIC ASSESSMENT

The first step in the project was to assess the current state of scenic resources in the two towns. The scenic assessment took place from mid-August to mid-October 2009 and was conducted entirely by community volunteers in Essex and Jericho. Volunteers signed up, received training at a workshop, and traveled their assigned road segments completing a detailed assessment and taking digital photos at each marked data point.

Volunteers worked in pairs and were given a map of a one-mile road segment with assessment points marked on it at 500-foot intervals. On the back of the map volunteers completed a simple form for entering assessment data.  At each assessment point, volunteers took a panorama of photos and did a simple qualitative scoring of that data point for 10 criteria. They then entered that data on a special web page.

The aggregated data was then mapped using the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission's geographic information system (See the "Quick Links" box on the main project page to view PDFs of the maps.)

RETURN TO THE MAIN PROJECT PAGE