There is still time to register for the 2008 Arthur Gibb Award celebration this Wednesday, December 10 at the Vergennes Opera House, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm.

Paul Bruhn, founder and Executive Director of Preservation Trust of Vermont, is being honored by Smart Growth Vermont for his significant contribution to preserving Vermont’s landscapes, village centers, and historic landmarks. Since 1980, Preservation Trust has touched the lives of Vermonters in almost every city and town in the state, from the Latchis Hotel & Theater in Brattleboro to the Opera House at Enosburg Falls.

Smart Growth Vermont invites you to join us in celebrating the legacy of Arthur Gibb as exemplified by Paul Bruhn and Preservation Trust of Vermont. You can register online or call the office to reserve your tickets.

Community Planning Partnership Update

BURKE
A standing-room-only crowd of Burke residents attended a community meeting on October 16 led by Smart Growth Vermont and our partners (the Burke Planning Commission and the Northeastern Vermont Development Association). The meeting focused on a “community character inventory” that summarizes how residents feel about Burke’s rural character, shows what is actually happening to rural character on the ground, and assesses what Burke’s town plan and bylaws are doing to protect rural character. To learn more, visit the Burke page on our website or download the community character inventory.
DANVILLE
Danville residents helped Smart Growth Vermont set priorities for new village zoning districts at a community meeting on September 25. Participants learned what their neighbors feel is important for the village’s future, heard about smart growth strategies for guiding new development, and helped to prioritize development standards based on what was most appropriate for Danville. The information from the meeting is being used to develop strategies to ensure that new development fits with the character of the village. To learn more, visit the Danville Project Materials page on our website and download maps of the proposed village districts.

Development News

Shelburne
The Vermont Smart Growth Collaborative recently gave a Housing Endorsement to the Shelburne Woods project, a proposed compact, mixed-income development adjacent to historic Shelburne Village. The project received a high score from the review committee because its location, layout, and design embody a number of smart growth principles, among them walkability, proximity to schools, public transportation access, and affordability. Smart Growth Vermont is a member of the Collaborative, a group of Vermont nonprofits that work together to promote smart growth.

Shoreham
Green Woods Village - a development in the Village of Shoreham - has just received a Housing Endorsement from the Vermont Smart Growth Collaborative. The endorsement is for an old farmhouse, donated by the National Bank of Orwell, that will be divided into two individual residences. The homes will be renovated to retain their historic character, but with many upgrades, including new insulation, plumbing, electrical and heating systems. The addition of these homes will compliment the existing development. The Addison County Community Trust is selling the homes to qualified buyers as permanently affordable housing stock.

Become a Part of our Future

What will your town look like in 50 years? Maybe you are or your community is worried about the impact of strip malls; or preserving forests; perhaps your main concern is retaining the historic village character. Land use lies at the heart of these concerns and the issues that impact all of us – our quality of life, having the land we need to produce our food, clean air and water, and transportation options when fuel costs go through the roof. Smart growth addresses all of these and Smart Growth Vermont is here to work on state policy as well as work hand-in-hand with communities to address their specific concerns.

In spite of our uncertain economy, please take time today to become a member. As a member, you are the lifeblood of Smart Growth Vermont. You make on-the-ground community outreach possible and help supply Vermont’s cities and towns with the resources they need to retain their unique characters while planning for growth.

As we move into 2009, we will be working with communities on land use options to help address our energy crisis and continued legislative outreach to give our representatives solid information to develop state policy and provide innovative solutions to integrate new growth.

Make your membership gift today. Or, consider making a donation in honor or in memory of someone during this holiday season. When you choose this option, a card will be sent to the recipient acknowledging your gift to them. Please visit the Support our Work page for a link to our online giving site and our contact information.

Urban Design Workshop Offered

Smart Growth Vermont and the Congress for the New Urbanism have partnered to offer an Urban Design workshop, Tuesday, December 16, from 12:30-4:30 pm, in the Hauke Conference Room at Champlain College.

The workshop is designed for professional urban designers, landscape architects, civil engineers, architects and planners. Instructors will lead participants through a hands-on exercise using a local Vermont project site that presents an urban design challenge common to towns throughout the state. Our experienced urban designers will provide one-on-one instruction and share methods for artfully and economically solving real-life urban design challenges.

Instructors are New England-based designers with over 20 years of experience creating master plans, infill plans, and neighborhood plans across the county and internationally.

Cost for the workshop is $85 for non-members, $65 for Congress for the New Urbanism and Smart Growth Vermont members, and $25 for students (with ID). RSVP to newengland@cnu.org. Space is limited to 20 participants on a first come, first serve basis.

Smart Growth Vermont is once again co-sponsoring the 2008 Environmental Action Conference, Saturday, November 15. The one-day conference will begin at 8:30 AM at Vermont Technical College, in Randolph, and will offer a series of workshops. This year's keynote speaker is Sandra Steingraber, ecologist and author of Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment. We are giving away two complimentary tickets to this event. If you are interested in attending the conference, please contact Serena via phone or email. You can also visit the website for more information about the conference.

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

Smart Growth in Action: Lewis S. Gordon Storefront Restoration

The LS Gordon Store in 1977. Photo courtesy of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.

The sketch illustrated by Ginny Joyner, represents the restored LS Gordon Store.

Located in the village of Starksboro, Vermont, the historic Lewis S. Gordon General Store is undergoing a major renovation that will not only preserve the landmark building, but will also be used as an archive space for the Vermont Music Library. However, this is just one phase of a project aimed at preserving some of the area's important historical and natural features.

A historical wayside exhibit has been created on the land adjacent to the Lewis S. Gordon Store, which was once home to the Cold Mountain Creamery. Through photos and narratives, the exhibit will highlight the importance of the creamery to the community and the natural beauty of the Lewis Creek Valley.

The Lewis S. Gordon Store was built in 1907, and sold food, provisions and grains to residents of Starksboro. Over the years, the building has housed various businesses and a private residence. In 2006, it was purchased for the Vermont Music Library & Shop by supporters to help the organization create a climate-controlled Vermont-made music recording archive space. If the organization's fundraising efforts are successful, the facility will be a rich addition to the state's musical heritage.

For more information on the Lewis S. Gordon Storefront restoration project, or the wayside exhibits, please visit, www.vmls.org.

Community Spotlight: Poultney

Community spirit, integrity and mutual respect are all values that make Poultney, VT, the "Home of the Good Life." Situated between two lakes and bordering New York State, Poultney is bursting with scenic beauty and a sense of community that draws people from all over the country.

History is abundant in Poultney, which was charted in 1761 by Benning Wentworth, Governor of New Hampshire. Later, in 1777, construction of a grist mill laid the foundation for a growing village. The slate industry transformed this predominately agrarian community into an industrialized town with the opening of the Eureka Quarry in 1852.

Today, Poultney's population is a mix of retired residents and a growing student population from Green Mountain College. For people living here, life revolves around work, school, community involvement and recreational activities.

Poultney was recently honored by the Vermont Downtown Program for projects that have enhanced the quality of the downtown district. Most noteworthy has been the rehabilitation of the 1840 Stonebridge building, which suffered from a catastrophic fire in 1996. The building, one of the most vital community resources in town, is home to numerous community service agencies and the local visitors center and chamber of commerce.

Poultney has also invested in public improvements such as replacing and upgrading deteriorated sidewalks to allow for increased handicapped accessibility, constructing new sidewalks that connect downtown Poultney with the Historic East Poultney Village, and installing new, energy efficient sidewalk lighting.

Having a livable, walkable community and strong downtown district are two ways Poultney exemplifies and continues to amplify its strong sense of community.

Vermont Downtown Program Honors Community Projects

The State’s Vermont Downtown Program honored towns with the first annual Green Mountain Awards this month. The awards were given to towns across the state for a wide range of projects, from the restoration of the Central Vermont Railroad Station in Waterbury to the Newport Shopping Bag: a re-usable bag available from downtown Newport businesses. These bags have been successfully utilized to promote the city. You can view the full list and description of Green Mountain award recipients.

VTrans Increases Funding for Public Transit

Public transportation in Vermont received a boost in the way of three grants from the Vermont Agency of Transportation to public transportation companies to provide new or expanded bus routes across the state. Read more about bus routes.

Burlington's Church Street Marketplace is Honored by APA

The Church Street Marketplace in Burlington was honored by the American Planning Association as one of the 30 Great Places in America chosen for 2008. Church Street was named to the list under the category of Great Public Spaces and shares that spot with the likes of Central Park in New York. According to the APA’s website, a Great Public space “may be a gathering spot or part of a neighborhood, downtown, special district, waterfront or other area within the public realm that helps promote social interaction and a sense of community.” The public space must be at least ten years old to be considered for the award.

Bicycle Commuter Tax Credit Approved

For a long time, employers have provided public transportation options and tax-free parking for their workers. Now, bikers are able to enjoy benefits as well through a monthly tax credit, a measure that was added to the historic $700 billion economic bailout. Starting in January 2009, bicyclists can receive $20 a month from their employers. In turn, the employers can deduct the credit from their corporate taxes. Now bicycle commuters can replace their rock hard seat, flat tire, or save up for a new bike. However, backers of this bill found it bittersweet to have such a victory attached to the unpopular bail out. Read more.

Senate Approves Amtrak Funding

At the end of September, the US Senate voted 74-24 for a $13 billion bill towards Amtrak development. The money will go towards safety measures, operating expenses, railroad repairs, and a grant to encourage states to expand their railways. High gas prices are increasing train ridership in the US, and an increase in reliability and convenience will make it easier to ride Amtrak. More congressional action is needed so funding may not be allocated for another year or two. Read more.

California Invests in Sustainable Community Development

California is making the connection between climate change and land use planning by enacting the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Through a series of grants and loans, planning organizations are being asked to build sustainable communities by strengthening urban community centers, increasing the availability of affordable housing, improving transportation options, as well as air and water quality and protecting natural resources. Read more.

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E-News November 2008

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