Smart Growth Vermont recently helped the Town of Bristol with a major overhaul of its Town Plan. The project, which you can learn more about in our Community Planning Partnership section, was funded cooperatively by the Town, community donors, and Smart Growth Vermont grant funds provided by the Argosy Foundation.

Bristol is a vibrant, growing community whose downtown serves the needs for not only for its own residents, but also those in surrounding towns. As Planning Commissioners worked on updating the Plan, our staff provided detailed analysis and recommendations of earlier drafts and prepared an implementation plan that identifies specific implementation steps to ensure that the goals in the plan are achieved. Intern Abby Farnham helped evaluate and analyze the over 600 responses to a town-wide survey.

"Local planning can be very contentious, and it helps to have an organization like Smart Growth Vermont at your side as you work through the process. I can honestly say that our new Town Plan would not be as good or as complete without their help," said Tom Wells, Chair of the Bristol Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission held their first public hearing on the new plan on January 6th and plans future meetings to ensure residents have time to review and comment on the plan. For information on future meetings, go to the town's website.

Fair Housing in your Community

For the second year in a row, Smart Growth Vermont has participated in Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity's (CVOEO) video productions designed to provide planning tools for Vermont's communities. Last year we were interviewed for their video highlighting growth centers, and this year Executive Director, Noelle MacKay was part of a video that describes the connection between fair housing and affordable housing. One of the key smart growth principles that we discuss with communities around the state is the need to implement tools that ensure a diversity of housing types and price points in the community so that their residents can find housing that they can afford.

This video, produced by CCTV Productions, outlines the connection between fair housing and affordable housing. Adopting planning and zoning rules that allow for the creation of affordable housing is one way municipalities can meet their responsibility to promote fair housing. Projects in Middlebury and Tinmouth, as well as state and non profits working on this important issue, are profiled. You can view the video on our website. And, if you would like more information on the project or would like to use it in a training for your community, please contact the CVOEO Fair Housing Project at 800.278.7971.

Volunteer Update

Volunteers and interns are crucial to the success of Smart Growth Vermont and we are fortunate to have an energetic group of individuals assisting with several of our projects. In the coming months, we will showcase these wonderful individuals.

Mariana Du Brul came to us last September interested in learning more about environmental and political issues in Vermont. She brought with her a knowledge of GIS (Geographic Information Systems, or computer-based mapping) that has proven extremely useful in our community work. Mariana also brought her passion for Vermont's traditional landscapes and a care and attention to detail for every project she undertakes.

By volunteering her time and skills, Mariana has helped save Danville hundreds of dollars by developing maps of proposed zoning districts in and around Danville Village to help the Planning Commission envision how village-specific zoning standards can work in their community. She is now working on a map of Warren Village's core commercial area as part of the town's application for state Village Center designation. Thank you, Mariana!

If you are interested in volunteer or internship opportunities with Smart Growth Vermont, please contact Serena.

Development Update

In our November 2008 E-Newsletter, we featured a project in Shelburne Village that received Housing Endorsement by the Vermont Smart Growth Collaborative. The Shelburne Woods Project proposes building a mixture of single family homes, duplexes, multi-family homes, homes for seniors and an assisted living residence on 23 acres of land while preserving the remaining 21 acres along the LaPlatte River in perpetuity. The project, located north east of Shelburne Inn and north of the shopping plaza, is close to schools, public transportation access and grocery and hardware stores.

The Planning Commission and Select Board are updating their bylaws to ensure that the goals of the new town plan are met and that new growth and development can occur in a compact, mixed-use fashion in the heart of the village center. The project will take advantage of these amendments. On February 24th there will be a public hearing on the new by-law amendments; if you live in Shelburne plan on getting involved. For information on the amendments, minutes of past hearings and the public meeting go to shelburnevt.org or stop by the town offices to view the documents and project plans and for more information on the project go to shelburneneighbors.org.

New Resources Added to the Community Planning Toolbox

The first is a case study that highlights Montpelier's One More Home program, which promoted accessory, or as they are sometimes called, "mother-in-law" apartments as a way of increasing density without constructing new buildings. The program also offered a handbook for individuals interested in adding an accessory apartment to their home. Check it out.

We also added a Land Use law section on The Vested Rights Doctrine, which refers to the rules governing when a development permit application must be reviewed under the bylaws in place when it was filed. This new section includes a description of the law, examples of how it can be used, and references to pertinent Vermont Supreme Court cases.

We Want Your Feedback!
If you have used the Toolbox, we want to know what you think! Please take a moment to complete our brief feedback form and share your thoughts on improving this resource. Thanks!

Save the date! Attend Vermont Housing & Conservation Coalition's Legislative Day, Thursday, February 26 at the State House in Montpelier. Governor Douglas has proposed a $9 million dollar reduction in Housing and Conservation funds, which would result in a massive reduction in affordable housing investments and the elimination of ALL funding for land conservation. For more information about the proposed cuts, contact Erhard Mahnke at 233-2902 or erhardm@burlingtontelecom.net, John Shullenberger at 373-2590 or jdsdiann@together.net.

Also, Be sure to check out Upcoming Events on our website! You'll find information about conferences, lectures and presentations on a wide variety of topics.

Smart Growth in Action: Car Sharing

Car sharing is an innovative approach to mobility that has sprung up in cities around Europe and North America. Car share members reserve one of the cars stationed around a city and use it only as needed. This allows people who car share to go from a two-car to a one-car household – or even to no car at all – thereby reducing their transportation expenses without compromising their ability to get around.

Car sharing only works in compact communities with a mix of uses. Why? First, each shared car needs to be parked within a short walk of a large number of customers to be economically viable, making it best in higher-density neighborhoods where people can walk, bike, or take public transit to work, school, shops and services. And second, car sharing only works if you do not need a car every day.

A successful car sharing program is one indicator of a healthy, well-designed community. The program also brings reciprocal benefits to the community by allowing municipal governments, universities, and other large institutions to retire a portion of their vehicle fleet and move to car share membership and provide the same level of service with fewer vehicles.

Vermont’s first car sharing service launched in late 2008, when CarShare Vermont opened in downtown Burlington. This nonprofit organization currently has over 150 members and 8 cars in 6 locations around the city, several of them purchased in cooperation with Champlain College and the University of Vermont. They plan to add locations and vehicle types, including pickup trucks, to serve a wide range of mobility needs.

Burlington isn’t the only place in our state where car sharing can work. As the cost of owning and operating a car continues to rise, car sharing will no doubt take hold in other small Vermont cities that have retained and built upon their traditional pattern of development.

Community Spotlight: Town Meeting Day

Town Meeting Day is just around the corner! Join your fellow community members in celebrating direct democracy. The statewide holiday is held on the first Tuesday of every March and provides a unique and exciting opportunity for individual communities. Town meeting provides a forum for local citizens to highlight and discuss pertinent issues and often vote for local representatives.

The first Town Meeting was held in Bennington in 1762 and was founded on the ideology of true community commitment. Over time, the level of participation has evolved into two forums - floor votes and Australian (paper) ballots.

For more than 200 years, Town Meeting has continued to set Vermont’s progressive community objectives apart. Individual citizens can have their voices heard in local legislative decisions. The future of each community is placed in the hands of the residents.

Around the state, discussions focus on local as well as national and global issues. In years past, topics such as local affordable housing, education, and climate change initiatives have been discussed. This coming year many meetings will focus on budgets. Bristol, for example, will discuss several budget items including designating funds to the Addison County Transit Resources to match a potential grant from the state of Vermont to expand the Tri-town Shuttle Bus Service.

A key smart growth principle is community engagement and participation. Please participate in your local town meeting! For more information about Vermont Town Meeting, check out the free one-hour seminar from the Central Vermont Adult Basic Education at the Morrisville Learning Center on Thursday February 19th from 1 pm-2 pm. For more information Call 802-888-5531.

Newport Receives Support for Visioning Project

Newport, Vermont, international gateway to the Northeast Kingdom, is the first Vermont community to be awarded a blue-ribbon Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team (RUDAT) for a community planning project by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Over the past 40 years, more than 140 towns and cities around the country have participated in a RUDAT project.

Through their project, Newport will identify its unique qualities and characteristics and develop a vision that is compatible with their heritage. This visioning allows for growth and redevelopment that responds to change and can produce both short-term and long-term benefits for its citizens, property owners and tourists.

For more information please contact Patricia M. Sears, Executive Director of the Newport City Renaissance Corporation at 802 323.1056 or patricia.sears@discovernewportvt.com.

ReStore Re-opens in Barre with Big Hopes

Do you love giving a new life to used treasures? The ReStore in Barre reinvented their style and re-opened for business! In collaboration with its new Burlington partner, ReCycle North, ReStore will offer household goods in addition to building and art materials.

Located at 34 Granite Street, ReStore is in a building previously inhabited by Twin City Custom Sandblast. The Barre development review board approved a permit for ReStore, and renovation of the entire building will soon be underway.

The renovations of the store’s new home will be extensive, but will be designed with energy efficient solutions to pioneer a message of environmental awareness. The new store will create jobs in the community and revitalize inexpensive used materials otherwise destined for landfills.

Students Invited to Submit Their Creative Energy Project Entries

The Igniting Creative Energy competition invites students in grades K-12 across North America to submit creative ideas for individuals and communities to conserve energy and preserve the local and global environment.

The winners will receive a trip to Washington, D.C. to present their ideas to government and energy leaders. Schools with participating students can receive a $1,000 donation to help beautify their school, encourage environmental education, and empower their community. More information can be found at Igniting Creative Energy's website.

Fresh Produce at Your Doorstep

Eating healthy has many benefits and now cash rebates could be one of them. In Madison, Wisconsin, several health insurance companies offer members who choose healthy eating options up to $300 toward shares in Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) farms.

Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition and HMO’s created the incentive to illustrate that supporting sustainable local agriculture fosters healthy urban and rural communities. This unique program stands alone in the U.S., but is sure to lay the groundwork for communities around the nation. Read more.

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E-News February 2009

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Community Update: Bristol