More than 130 people gathered on Burlington’s waterfront to celebrate the work of Vermonters whose projects and plans create economic opportunities, housing and a sense of community in a way that respects our unique landscape.

“Each of these projects is a story of how Vermonters breathed new life into their community in a way that truly serves the needs of its residents,” said Noelle MacKay, Executive Director of Smart Growth Vermont.

This year’s Smart Growth Award winners show how communities, both large or small, can:

Robert Lloyd, of Tinmouth, was presented with the 2007 Arthur Gibb Award for Individual Leadership. In accepting the award, Bob shared his observation that “...all land in Vermont is, in some sense, a common interest commodity. Living in Vermont is a common interest enterprise.”

Smart Growth Vermont Offers Training on Land Use Challenges

Do you want to encourage neighborhood development in your downtown or village? Would you like to protect farmland and forests from future development? Smart Growth Vermont offers 2 to 2 ½ -hour trainings for municipal staff and volunteer boards on specific land use planning issues. If you are interested in scheduling a training session in your community, please contact our Program Director, Jason Van Driesche, at (802) 864-6310. Visit our How We Can Help page to learn more about how we can help your community plan for growth and conservation.

Communities Move Forward with Growth Center Planning

The Town of Colchester was recently awarded a special $40,000 State Growth Center Planning Grant. Six municipalities applied for the grant. The Town will use this grant to develop growth projections, conduct a build-out assessment and finalize its application. Town staff has asked for Smart Growth Vermont’s assistance on their preliminary application materials.

Seeking guidance on its growth center designation, the Town of Williston has been meeting with the State's Planning and Coordination Group. Comprised of representatives from state agencies and interest groups, this group is charged with assisting communities seeking state designation. Williston revised its initial application for a growth center after Smart Growth Vermont, the Preservation Trust of Vermont and other members of the Vermont Smart Growth Collaborative worked with local officials to address concerns over the scale of the preliminary growth center boundary.

The Town of Bennington has also met with the Planning and Coordination Group to discuss their pending application. That community is expected to finalize their application in the coming months and seek designation this winter.

Reflecting the range in size and character of communities interested in the growth center program, the Town of Waitsfield recently received Village Center designation for Waitsfield Village. Smart Growth Vermont staff assisted with the application process and presentation to the Downtown Board as part of our efforts to assist the Town with growth center designation through our Community Planning Partnership. The Town is also working with Brandy Saxton of PlaceSense, who is currently conducting a build-out study of the proposed Irasville growth center.

For more information on how your community may benefit from the growth center program, contact Brian Shupe 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 2007 Community Matters Conference, hosted by the Orton Family Foundation and PlaceMatters. The Conference will include panels on planning successes and challenges, as well as re-development and sustainable building techniques.

Smart Growth in Action

AppleRidge, a new housing development under construction in Bennington, will offer new homeowners a neighborhood close to downtown shops, restaurants and schools when it is complete. Local developer Jack Appleman is building this 42-unit project adjacent to Bennington’s designated downtown. It will connect to the existing street network, including Routes 7 and 9. A unique project feature is the preservation of an existing historic home, and its incorporation into one of the development’s duplex units. The project is currently in its first phase, and builds on Bennington’s efforts to revitalize their community.

Community Spotlight: Enosburg, VT

A spectacular view of Jay Peak is just one of many features that Enosburg, and the village of Enosburg Falls, have to offer. A small, yet vibrant community, located in northern Vermont on the Missisquoi River, Enosburg Falls is thriving once again after a fire engulfed an entire block on Main Street, displacing businesses and residences just two years ago. Housing Vermont, a non-profit development organization, purchased one of the downtown buildings and transformed it into a mixed use development, which has enabled businesses to move back to Main Street. The building also has affordable housing units on the second floor, as well as a parking garage in the basement.

The fire and subsequent revitalization effort spurred discussions of how and where the community will grow. As a result, the town, in agreement with Enosburg Falls, has put in place a growth cap to encourage compact development in and around the village center. The cap limits new home construction to fifteen units per year outside of the village, not including replacement dwellings. The Town also adopted an exemption to the growth cap for planned residential developments (PRDs) that are built central to downtown, adding a bonus density clause to projects that include affordable housing.

One of the downtown's prominent features is Lincoln Park, which hosts a summer concert series and a farmer's market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. One thing Enosburg is missing is a hotel, however, the owner of America’s Mattress is working to change that by refurbishing his downtown building to include Enosburg Inn and Suites. After all, tourists will need a place to rest after taking a walk or bike ride on the Missisquoi Valley River Trail, which extends 26 miles from St. Albans, north to Richford.

Enosburg is also a lively arts community, which is evident when you visit Artists in Residence, a newly founded artists co-operative, that provides a space for local artists to feature their spectacular work. Historically, Enosburg was also home to Charles Hardin Andrus, a stage curtain designer whose works are showcased in theaters across Vermont. The Enosburg Opera House is a perfect example of a historic public meeting space that was also used as a stage for traveling theater productions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The tradition is still present today, as common events include music and theatrical performances, as well as local town meetings.

Finally, you can’t talk about Enosburg without mentioning the annual Vermont Dairy Festival which takes place in June and offers four days of rides, dairy baking and kids milking contests.

So, while you’re looking for Vermont towns to visit, consider Enosburg, get acquainted with the local businesses, and see what makes this community special.

Report Details Housing Challenges Facing Aging Vermont Population

Vermont is graying rapidly, and that demographic fact presents major challenges in housing, supportive services and transportation, according to a new issue paper by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA). The new publication, "Housing and the Needs of Vermont's Aging Population," is the third in a series of VHFA issue papers on affordable housing issues. The paper details the growing challenge of providing for an aging population in a time of rapidly-rising costs and limited resources. For example, by 2030, nearly one-fourth of Vermont's population will be 65 or older, and many of those Vermonters will be living on modest incomes even as the costs for necessities like housing, health care and transportation grow. Read more…

Training Grants Available to Communities

The Vermont Department of Housing & Community Affairs is offering small grants to help municipal boards and commissions get the training needed to help them perform their duties as defined under 24 V.S.A. Chapter 117. The Municipal Education Grant program (MEG) is designed to bring trainers directly to the community so that all members of the land use boards and commissions have the opportunity for basic and on-going education. Municipalities may apply for a grant of up to $800 any time before May 16, 2008.

Several communities have used MEG funds to work with Smart Growth Vermont on workshops addressing a variety of land use and smart growth topics, including options for controlling rural residential development, planning for highway corridors and avoiding strip development, village and growth center planning, and integrating smart growth principles into local plans and bylaws. For information on the type of workshops available through Smart Growth Vermont contact Brian Shupe at (802) 864-6310. MEG application information is available on-line at: http://www.dhca.state.vt.us/Planning/MEG.htm

Champlain Housing Trust Seeks Volunteers

Champlain Housing Trust, a non-profit organization that creates and preserves affordable housing, is looking for volunteers to help with their annual two-week Community Campaign. The campaign runs from October 29 through November 9, from 5:30 to 8:30pm. If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, please contact Julia Curry at Julia@champlainghousingtrust.org or call 862-6244.

Safety Concerns and Development Costs Push Schools to the Outskirts of Towns

Despite U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) efforts to promote the construction and renovation of schools in centralized locations, more communities are building large complexes on the outskirts of cities and towns. The trend to build out of town is partially due to the cost effectiveness of purchasing property outside of town, rather than building within town or city limits or renovating an existing school. Parental concerns that children are more vulnerable to predators and traffic accidents have also been cited as reasons for moving schools to outlying areas. You can read more about the construction of “mega-schools” at Smart Growth Online.

Walkable Communities Reduce Carbon Footprint

A group of planning researchers have recently published the book, Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, which indicates that an increase in walkable neighborhoods would significantly decrease the nation’s carbon footprint. While fuel-efficient cars, including hybrids, are helping to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and resulting emissions, this is only a part of the solution. We must slow our growth in driving by creating local policies that encourage land use patterns where people can walk to meet their daily needs.

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E-News October 2007

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Awards Celebration Honors Smart Growth Projects