Community Update: Burke

Smart Growth Vermont (SGV) and Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA) have enjoyed a long-standing collaboration working with the Town of Burke.  Residents have long voiced a concern over their ability to manage growth in a way that protects the community’s rural character and traditions. Last year, this challenge took on a new dimension when a development for a resource-based industry was proposed. The proposal sparked a broader debate about economic development in a rural community and sparked these questions. If there is economic opportunity in resource-based, value-added processing, can such uses be sited in a way that minimizes adverse impacts? Also, how can a community ensure that its residents have adequate opportunities for self-employment in a region where jobs are harder to come by?

After extensive consultation with the Burke Planning Commission and input from the public, SGV and NVDA drafted a new set of regulations for home employment opportunities. These new regulations lessened some existing restrictions on home occupations and allowed for more intensive “home business” uses in some areas of the community, subject to conditional use review. SGV and NVDA also introduced new industrial performance standards for industrial uses that avoided traditional classifications for “light” industry and “heavy” industry and established clearer guidelines for limiting adverse impacts, such as traffic, smoke, and noise. The new regulations were incorporated into Burke’s bylaws and the Planning Commission will soon propose adoption of the revised bylaws.

Visit the Community Planning Partnership section of our website for more information on our work with the Town of Burke.

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Toolbox Case Studies: Alternative Dispute Resolution

Saving Time and Money; Strengthening Community

"Gravel pit expansion" and "300-unit housing development" are phrases that often strike fear in a community and can lead to long-protracted legal battles.  However, the Village of East Middlebury in Vermont and the City of Somerville in Massachusetts are examples of how a more collaborative process utilizing alternative dispute resolution can build community support, save time and money and result in developments that provide jobs. Thanks to Justin Pevnick, a Vermont Law School student interning with the Land Use Clinic, these case studies are now available in the Toolbox. Check them out!

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Intern Spotlight: Michael Verla

In January, Mike began working as an intern with Smart Growth Vermont as Electronic Communications Coordinator. Working closely with staff, Mike researches, writes and posts news and events to the website and to our monthly e-newsletter.

Mike was introduced to Smart Growth Principles through his Contemporary Policy Issues in Community Development class at UVM, where he incorporated some of the principles into his creative final project for the class. Since then, his interest in the fields of land use and sustainable planning has grown, and he is thrilled to gain hands-on experience on issues related to smart growth.

Currently a senior at UVM, Mike is studying Community and International Development with a minor in Spanish. In his free time, Mike loves playing guitar, riding his bike, and cooking. After spending a semester in Chile last spring, Mike realized that his desire for seeing the world is nearly insatiable. He will spend a bit more time here in Vermont after he graduates and then plans to travel and do service work either in the United States or Latin America.

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Transportation and Community Character Lecture
Mark your calendars for a lecture and Q & A on Transportation and Community Character at the Dana Auditorium at Middlebury College on February 10, featuring traffic engineer Walter Kulash. There is no registration required, and the event starts at 7:00pm. For those unable to attend, there will be remote Interactive Television showings on Friday, February 11 from 9:00am-11:00am. For more information, please contact Chris Robbins at a.c.robbins@comcast.net.

Also, be sure to check out our calendar of events for more.

Farm to Plate Executive Summary Released

After eighteen months of research and development, the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) has released the executive summary of the Farm to Plate (F2P) ten-year strategic plan to strengthen Vermont’s food system. The full plan, which is currently being edited, will be released within the next 6-8 weeks. With the assistance and involvement of more than 1,200 Vermonters, the VSJF created the plan to present a detailed analysis of the food system in Vermont. Read more. If you would like a hardcopy of the summary, please contact the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund at info@vsjf.org. In order to incorporate all Vermonters into the implementation of the F2P Strategic Plan, staff from the Farm to Plate program are available to give an informative presentation in your community. Please contact Heather at the VSJF with potential dates and locations.

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Pete’s Greens Barn Destroyed by Fire

In the early morning hours of January 12, the barn at Pete’s Greens Farm in Craftsbury was destroyed by fire, with estimated damages of more than $500,000. The barn housed the farm’s washing and processing equipment, harvested crops and several coolers and freezers filled with meat. In a moment of great luck, though, employees had removed around $40,000 worth of seeds from the barn on Tuesday. The loss of the barn is a devastating one for the farm, which runs the Good Eats CSA. The farm had been working on improving its four-season harvest capabilities, but will now be out of operation until early spring in order to focus on rebuilding the barn and growing crops in the farm’s greenhouses. Read more.

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Garden Grants Galore!

Community garden in Montpelier.

Friends of Burlington Gardens will award forty $1,000 mini-grants this spring to groups developing or expanding school community gardens in Vermont. The mini-grant program provides reimbursements for garden infrastructure items including top soil and compost, water systems, fencing, hand tools and more. Prospective applicants are invited to attend a free mini-grant planning workshop to be held January 29 in Burlington, February 19 in Derby, or February 26 in Rutland. Grant applications must be submitted by March 15, with recipients announced on April 12. Visit the Friends of Burlington Gardens website for more information.

In related news, the New England Grassroots Environment Fund (NEGEF) has announced that grants of up to $2,500 are available to community garden groups and organizations with annual budgets of $100,000 or less. Applications are due by February 15. More information is available on NEGEF’s website.

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Developers Transform Providence Industrial Complex

Providence, RI has evolved as a city over the years while also retaining its industrial history. In an effort to further preserve and promote this legacy, several young developers have transformed a property formerly used by Providence Steel and Iron into what is now known as the The Steel Yard. The renovated buildings house multiple community services and offer space for local artists as well as youth programs in various trades. The Steel Yard has also been contracted by the Providence Downtown Improvement District for pieces of street furniture. Support for the project was made possible with the help of local residents and brownfield-redevelopment funds from the EPA. Read more.

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School Overhaul Seen as Opportunity to Rebuild New Orleans

A new plan for the school districts of New Orleans aims to put schools at the center of community activity five and a half years after Hurricane Katrina. Many of the city’s school districts still function with outdated buildings and temporary structures and thanks to a $1.8 billion settlement with FEMA, the city is looking to change that by completely rebuilding schools and revamping neighborhoods. Read more.

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