Please sign our letter asking State leaders to increase tax incentives that support the redevelopment of older and historic downtown properties. During the legislative session, Smart Growth Vermont and other stakeholders will encourage legislators to make these incentives more widely available to communities throughout Vermont. Please show your support by signing the letter now.

Williston Receives First Growth Center Designation

On October 22, 2007, the expanded Downtown Development Board approved the first Growth Center Designation in Williston. This represents a milestone for Vermont, but one that raises some concerns.

Smart Growth Vermont commends Lee Nellis, Williston’s Town Planner, and the Planning Commission for reaching out to the community and various non-profit organizations in developing the boundaries for their growth center. During our work with the Town, staff and Commission members carefully discussed the intent of the growth centers program and how it could help them to reshape Taft Corners and correct poor land use decisions made in the past. They wanted to move from being a single-use retail center to an area where people could live, work and play by adding a variety of housing types, walking and biking trails, and a transit center to the existing retail center.

Smart Growth Vermont, together with Smart Growth Collaborative members Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Vermont Natural Resources Council presented options for a smaller growth center. The Planning Commission as well as the state Planning and Coordination Group agreed that the smaller area would accomplish both the community’s goals and the goals of the growth centers program.

Unfortunately, the expanded Downtown Development Board decided to enlarge the boundaries of the growth center to include a portion of Taft Corners that is single-use, large scale retail, and is not likely to be redeveloped in accordance with smart growth principles. We are hoping that this decision by the Board will not set a precedent for future growth center designation. This program was not designed to provide incentives to communities that bend the growth center requirements to “fit” past land use and development decisions – regardless of whether they comply with the designation requirements – rather than adjusting their land use plans to comply with those requirements. The risk of this is that growth centers with excessive land areas will be designated, and that development patterns within those growth centers will be characterized by scattered, automobile-dependent sprawl rather than smart growth, as called for in the statute. This would likely result in the dilution of state benefits, loss of public support for the program and the ongoing degradation of Vermont’s landscape and loss of economic vitality in our downtowns and village centers. We hope the Board will consider this when reviewing future applications.

Smart Growth Vermont Presentations Address Preservation of Scenic Road Corridors

In October, Smart Growth Vermont staff participated in two conference panels addressing preservation of scenic road corridors. Executive Director, Noelle MacKay gave a presentation at the Community Matters conference on The Roadscape Guide, which helps communities preserve viewsheds and scenic gateways along road corridors. Together with Brad Cownover, Director of Scenic America, she outlined methodologies and strategies for protecting valuable scenic byways.

Program Director Brian Shupe participated in a panel discussion at a conference for the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association. The focus was preserving scenic corridors to enhance a region's historic and scenic character. Panelists also shared experiences of Vermont, Maine and Florida's efforts to protect these byways.

If you are interested in learning more about the preservation of scenic corridors, you can obtain a copy of the Roadscape Guide by contacting Serena Parnau at (802) 864-6310..

Smart Growth Vermont's 2008 Legislative Agenda

While the legislative session does not begin until January, work has already begun on many issues in which Smart Growth Vermont is actively involved. We urge you to get involved in these important issues:

During the session we provide regular legislative updates. If you would like to receive these e-updates, please contact Serena Parnau at (802) 864-6310.

Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page on our new website! You'll find information about conferences, lectures and presentations on a wide variety of topics. For example, there is still time to register for the Environmental Action 2007 conference on November 17. Smart Growth Vermont is co-sponsoring this event and has three tickets available. Please contact Serena Parnau if you are interested in attending.

Smart Growth in Action

Dave Farrington and Bren Alvarez are rehabilitating the Leavenworth Block in downtown Burlington.

Removing a drop ceiling to reveal an intact tin ceiling, finding warm hardwood floors under layers of linoleum or ripping off drywall to find a weathered brick wall are some of the treasures Dave Farrington and his wife Bren Alvarez have uncovered when bringing new life to an historic building. Dave, a local builder, focuses on remodeling health facilities and Bren is an architect specializing in green building. Several years ago, they were looking for a project to work on together and found 80,000 square feet on Flynn Avenue in an abandoned building. After investing their time, work and money, the building is now home to FlynnDog Gallery and a number of local businesses. Dave and Bren are now hard at work on 110 Main Street, home of Smart Growth Vermont’s office, and their newest building on the corner of College and South Winooski. Slowly their work has resulted in the rebirth of beautiful, historic buildings that now provide space for non-profits, restaurants and many other businesses.

Community Spotlight: Waterbury

Known as the "Recreational Crossroads of Vermont," Waterbury offers recreational and scenic opportunities to its many visitors. Yet, the slogan, which adorns a sign at the end of the community's interstate ramp, only tells part of the story.

Shortly after the area was settled in 1763, unique cottage industries took shape, including basket-making, the crafting of children’s carriages and the assembly of various leather products. Timber harvesting and commercial agriculture also became important industries; however, tourism and economic growth truly began to thrive in 1849 when the Central Vermont Railroad was built.

Economic vitality and jobs today can be attributed in large part to the presence of State agencies and employers like Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, which employs over 600 full time staff, most of whom live in the area. Ben & Jerry's Homemade and SUSS Microtec also contribute greatly to the job market in the Waterbury area.

Despite its history of economic growth and tourism, Waterbury has struggled to stay true to Vermont's traditional settlement pattern of compact villages surrounded by rural landscape. Despite the emergence of strip development along route 100, local planning efforts have taken a smart growth approach by supporting compact, mixed-use development in Waterbury Village and Wtaerbury Center.

Waterbury Village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers a fascinating glimpse into the past both architecturally and historically. The downtown revitalization that is currently underway in Waterbury Village, which was aided by the recent state designation as a Downtown Development District, highlights these historic attributes and adds to the value of the community.

Another valued addition to the community is RJ's Friendly Market, which has recently taken over an old store front in Waterbury Village. The market provides a nice alternative to the supermarket chain Shaws, which is located north of the Village. RJ's is Vermont-owned and the community is enthusiastic about having a local market that is easily accessible.

Some of the other benefits of the revitalization of Waterbury Village include the reconstruction of the Stimson & Graves building, which contains 14 low-income senior housing units, as well as a Senior Center and retail space. The project featured a variety of uses, serving critically needed community services. It also sparked a wave of private investments in other downtown buildings, which has provided space for new businesses.

All of the efforts to increase business and growth in the downtown district have been accomplished through a Municipal Plan that was revised in 2003 to incorporate a balance between development, environmental conservation and historic preservation. In addition, the community is also looking at how to address transportation and other community development issues to sustain the future growth of the area.

Next time you are traveling through Waterbury, stop and take a walk through the village, shop at the market or enjoy lunch or dinner at a local restaurant. You'll see how the "Recreational Crossroads" has remained home to people who take pride in their community.

Burlington Enters Cyberspace

Vermont's largest city is kicking off a new initiative to create a virtual Burlington in cyberspace. With support from internet giant Google and Green Mountain GeoGraphics of Essex Junction, the city is assembling a volunteer "Community Modeling Team" to create computer models of buildings in Burlington's downtown. The building models will be loaded into Google Earth, to create a virtual queen city online. The kick-off of this project comes as the city celebrates National Community Planning Month. The VisualizeBurlington 3D project will provide a foundation of information that will enable city planners and citizens to understand the visual impact of future development in the city. If you are interested in participating on Burlington's Community Modeling Team, contact David White in the City's Department of Planning and Zoning at 865-7194 or email at DEWhite@ci.burlington.vt.us.

State Commission Releases Final Climate Change Report

The Climate Change Commission, established two years ago to evaluate how Vermont can reduce its contribution to global warming delivered its final report Friday, October 26^th, calling for greater energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The findings of the report highlight the close relationship between land use, energy and global warming. The Commission noted that, in order to meet the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions goals set by the Douglas administration, energy efficiency programs and California automobile emission standards would have to continue, in addition to implementing all of the other recommendations put forth by the Commission’s advisory group. The Commission also recommended preserving forest and farm land throughout the State, as these areas can help decrease the amount of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere. You can view the PDF copy of the report at the Agency of Natural Resource website.

Senior Housing Project Completed Ahead of Schedule

The new West River Senior Housing development in Townshend, VT will be ready to house residents by Thanksgiving, thanks to the hard work put forth by many individuals and programs, including Housing Vermont. The project broke ground last October and has been completed ahead of schedule and on budget. The land on which the development was constructed was donated by Warren Kronemeyer, who had lived on the land since 1980. The project houses an independent living building and an assisted living facility, and was funded through federal and state money, as well as private donations. For more on this story, visit the Rutland Herald.

Americans See Value in Public Transportation

According to the 2007 Growth and Transportation Survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors, Americans are increasingly concerned with the relationship between development and climate change. A high percentage of the 1,000 Americans polled would rather see tax dollars spent on increasing public transportation and developing more walkable communities, over the construction of new roads. The survey also indicates that Americans are opposed to privatizing roads and highways. To read more survey results, visit Smart Growth America.

Total Walmart Square Footage Dwarfs Island of Manhattan

Most people know that Walmart is called a "big box" store for a reason - their stores occupy huge tracts of land. But how big is "big"? A graph produced by Good Magazine shows the total acreage consumed by several large retailers, with WalMart carrying the largest footprint. The graph also shows Mcdonalds, 7-Eleven, Blockbuster and Subway, among others.

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E-News November 2007

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