Lawmakers adjourned on May 9, but the 2009 Legislative Session is not quite over. Legislators are being called back by the Governor for a special session starting on June 2nd because of a dispute over the state budget. With one exception – the level of investment in the Housing and Conservation program – most of Smart Growth Vermont's state policy agenda is unlikely to be impacted by the special session.

Together with our legislative partner, Preservation Trust of Vermont, Smart Growth Vermont had a very active session advocating for reforms and public investments that have great impact on land use and development patterns. As with any session, there were highs and lows and some issues that will carry over into the 2010 session. Highlights include a $100,000 increase in the downtown and village center tax credits, reforms to the Tax Increment Finance (TIF) program and expanded transportation enhancements. These programs all aid communities in their efforts to support investment in our traditional community centers. In 2010, we will continue to work on clarification to key Act 250 criteria to address strip development as well as improvements to the implementation of the Growth Center Program. Visit our website for a full 2009 wrap up.

On the downside, the future of the Housing and Conservation program is still up in the air. The Legislature’s FY 2010 budget calls for a drastic reduction in funding for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. However, they rejected the Governor’s proposal to the conservation investment program entirely. On June 2nd, Legislators are returning to Montpelier for a special session to resolve the dispute over the state budget. To learn more about how you can help, go to our most recent Legislative Alert.

What Vermonters Think: The 2009 Vermonter Poll Results Are In

Since 1998, Smart Growth Vermont has included five questions on the University of Vermont’s Center for Rural Studies Annual Vermonter Poll asking respondents about their views on land use and development trends. Over the years, between 50 and 80 percent of Vermonters have expressed concern about sprawl, and between 60 and 80 percent feel that current trends in development and land use will lead to sprawl.

However, there is often a disconnect between Vermonters’ concern about sprawl and personal choice. Many people who say they are concerned about sprawl also say that they would prefer to live on a large lot in the country. This trend seems to be changing; significantly more people indicate a preference for a home in an urban neighborhood or a village center rather than in an outlying area -- especially in fast-growing Chittenden County, where the preference was 62 percent. What’s more, over 80 percent of respondents say they prefer to shop in a neighborhood store or a store in a nearby downtown or village center rather than in a mall or on a commercial strip.

Perhaps it is the rising cost of gas or concern over climate change that has prompted this shift. Maybe it is a desire to support local stores or to bike and walk more. In any case, we Vermonters are beginning to walk our talk. For complete results, visit the, What Vermonters Think section on our website.

New Tool in the Community Planning Toolbox

This month, with the help of the Land Use Institute at the Vermont Law School we have added information on inclusionary zoning (link to Toolbox) to aid communities that are considering ways to increase affordable housing options for local residents. An overview is provided as a tool and more detailed information on the statutory provisions are available in the Land Use Law section.

Almost 1,000 people access information on our Community Planning Toolbox each month. In the coming months look for information on public participation, wildlife and habitat protection and transportation options. By adding new information, we hope to keep folks coming back.

Volunteer Spotlight

Smart Growth Vermont is pleased to have Joey Solomon working as our legal intern this summer, researching and writing a section of the Community Planning Toolbox dedicated to Public Engagement.

Joey will begin his third year at Vermont Law School in the fall, and plans to graduate with a Juris Doctorate and Masters of Environmental Law and Policy in May 2010. After an academic career dedicated to studying environment issues, he hopes to begin a legal career in Land Use Regulation so that he can continue to help communities protect their natural resources through smart growth development.

Joey first became interested in smart growth development as an undergraduate focusing on Environmental Studies at Connecticut College. This interest was further solidified while taking classes in Community Planning and Real Property at Vermont Law School.

When he is not studying or interning, Joey enjoys skiing, boating, hiking, and pretty much anything else that gives him an opportunity to be outside.

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Preservation Trust of Vermont will host its Fifteenth Annual Preservation Conference, "Along Champlain's Shores", Friday, June 12, 2009, in Isle La Motte, VT. This year's conference will focus on Native American life, French settlement and the early exploration of Lake Champlain. Featured speakers include, Joseph Bruchac, Abenaki storyteller and author, Jesse Bruchac, Abenaki linguist, musician and founder of Dawn Land Singers, Art Cohn, Director of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, and Jessica Desany, archaeologist and Fort St. Anne scholar.

For more information, or to register, visit, www.ptvermont.org, or call 802-828-3540.

Also, 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: Business Invests in Downtown Location

The Montpelier regional office of Phase Forward, an international data management company, is an exceptional example of a company that discovered the benefits of relocating to a Vermont downtown. In 2000, the former Company, Green Mountain Logic, saw the advantages of expanding from their Rochester offices to a strong, vibrant business community like Montpelier.

CEO John Rosenblum noted one of the main benefits of relocating to a downtown district is having walkable employee access to other businesses such as copy and shipping services and local restaurants. At Green Mountain Logic and now as one of the Vice Presidents of Phase Forward, Rosenblum aims to create and sustain high quality jobs in Central Vermont. Being centrally located also provides employees with the opportunity to use alternative methods of transportation. Of the 16 employees at the regional offices, approximately half carpool, and one employee bikes to work.

The Montpelier offices of Phase Forward are currently located at the south entrance of the Capital on Court Street. Since 1997, the company has been recognized as an international pioneer in providing premier integrated data management solutions for clinical trials and drug safety products and services. In 2007, Phase Forward joined forces with Green Mountain Logic of Montpelier to offer customers the best comprehensive solutions to data management. Globally, the company has over 750 employees throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Community Spotlight: Bellows Falls

Photo by Michael Reynolds

Boasting a population of 3,500 residents, Bellows Falls is the largest population center within the Town of Rockingham. It has long been recognized as a hub for the local agricultural economy due in large part to its canal system and railroad bridge, which were the first to serve as the crossroads for trading goods along the entire 410 mile-long Connecticut river.

Bellows Falls, like many Vermont communities, struggled during the 1970's and 1980's due to factory closings and a shift in development to the outskirts of town, leaving the Village in economic decline. However, residents and community leaders responded by forming Bellows Falls Downtown Development Alliance, which focused on the revitalization of Rockingham's downtown core. The most important step in this process was gaining downtown designation under the state's Downtown Program. The resulting incentives further enabled the community to restore several buildings, provide affordable housing units and increase retail space on two major downtown blocks. Our Community Planning Toolbox offers more detail about the value of this program and how it contributed to the success of Bellows Falls revitalization.

Once known as an agricultural and industrial center, Bellows Falls has transformed into a vibrant community, welcoming artists and businesses alike to take advantage of its renewed spirit.

Summit on the Future of Vermont

Close to 500 people gathered on May 11 at the University of Vermont’s Davis Center for the Summit on the Future of Vermont, an event that culminates nearly two years of conversations across the state about what the next 20 years hold for our state. Organized by the Council on Rural Development, the event also served to showcase “Imagining Vermont: Values and Vision for the Future,” a report detailing the findings of the Future of Vermont project.

Smart Growth Vermont staff participated in two of the breakout sessions at the event: one on public transportation and one on land use planning. Each session resulted in a series of recommendations for next steps, including appointing a task force to develop recommendations for a comprehensive overhaul of land use regulations and promoting an integrated approach to transporting the public (as opposed to simply promoting public transportation in the traditional sense). A summary of the recommendations will be available on the Future of Vermont website by mid-June.

Vermont to Receive $30 Million in Stimulus Funds

Senator Patrick Leahy recently announced that Vermont will receive $30 million in stimulus funding to aid in development projects benefiting low income residents. Thirty two Organizations nationwide received funding as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The money will be issued to Vermont Rural Ventures, a partnership including Housing Vermont, Vermont Economic Development Authority, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Vermont Community Loan Fund and the Northern Tier Center for Health in Richford, and will be used to construct affordable housing to vulnerable Vermonters, while simultaneously providing jobs. Read more.

Picture Smart Growth: A New Google Map Feature

Wonder what your neighborhood would look like if smart growth principles were in place? Now you can, thanks to a new visualization tool created by Urban Advantage with the help of Google Maps.

Starting with pictures of existing conditions, a slide show leads you through a series of smart growth alternatives that show how a neighborhood can become more walkable and livable with just a little bit of work.

Seventy different communities from coast to coast are highlighted. Check it out!

A Town Without Cars

Sounds like science fiction, but it’s a reality in Vauban, Germany. This community of 5,000 was designed and built in 2006 to be car-free except for the main thoroughfare, where the tram to downtown Freiburg runs, and a few side streets on the perimeter of the community. Car ownership is allowed, but cars must be parked in large garages at the edge of the community. Parking is purchased along with your house. As a result, 70% of the families don’t own cars and 57% sold a car to more there.

Vauban is an example of a growing trend in Europe and in the U.S. that separates suburban life from reliance on cars. It is a component of the “smart planning” movement. And it is one of the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Passenger cars produce 12% of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe and up to 50% in car-intensive parts of the U.S.

Could this model work in America? The residents of Quarry Village, on the outskirts of Oakland, California, say yes. The Hayward Area Planning Association is developing a Vauban-like community accessible without car to the Bay Area Rapid Transit system and a university campus. The development is attracting a lot of attention, but faces roadblocks from mortgage lenders to zoning laws. “People in the U.S. are incredibly suspicious of any idea where people are not going to own cars, or are going to own fewer,” said David Ceaser, co-founder of CarFree City USA.

Apply for Trails Assistance from the National Park Service

Is your community in need of funding to construct a bike path or walking trail? The National Park Service is now accepting applications for this type of assistance through their Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA). The application deadline is August 1, 2009. For more information, or to register, visit www.nps.gov/rtca.

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E-News June 2009

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The 2009 Legislative Session