Gus Seelig Honored With Art Gibb Award

Robin Scheu, Board chair; Gus Seelig; Noelle MacKay, Executive Director; John Ewing, Founder.

Close to 140 people crowded the T.W. Wood Gallery in Montpelier a few weeks ago at a gala event to applaud the 2010 recipient of the Arthur Gibb Award for Individual Leadership, Gus Seelig of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.

Speakers from Smart Growth Vermont, the offices of Representative Welch as well as Senators Sanders and Leahy congratulated Gus on his creative, collaborative approach to leadership that has resulted in an organization that brings affordable housing and land conservation efforts under one roof. Since it was founded, the VHCB has funded almost 10,000 affordable homes and conserved over 370,000 acres of farmland, wildlife habitat and recreational areas.

“We need more of the kind of quiet, collaborative leadership Gus provides,” said Steven Kimbell in his introduction of Gus.

The award, donated by Danforth Pewter, was presented to Gus by Robin Scheu, chair of the Smart Growth Vermont board. We thank all our sponsors for helping us make this a truly special night for Gus.

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New in our Toolbox: Looking to Traditional Neighborhoods to Create Housing Options

Town leaders around Vermont struggle with how to provide people with safe, decent housing that is affordable in their communities. They are working on how to provide options for people with different lifestyles  - empty nesters, young people just out of college, single parents, retirees as well as growing families – while at the same time ensuring that these new homes fit the community’s character. When Planning Commissions start talking density, set backs and building envelopes, meetings can become strained as citizens struggle with what these numbers mean for their neighborhood.  

To help communities visualize what these dimensions look like on the ground, we have added a new tool, Vermont Traditional Neighborhoods, that outlines key features of Vermont town centers that are designed with a focus on people, not cars. We have also evaluated several blocks in four case study towns – Bristol, Burlington, Orwell and Vergennes. These case studies provide a list of the uses, average and net densities, square footage and lot dimensions. We have provided photos and maps to help you translate these numbers into how it works on the ground in real neighborhoods.

To learn more, check out these new tools and case studies in our Community Planning Toolbox. Thanks to volunteer Chris Robbins for researching these case studies and to Chittenden Bank and TD Bank for their support of these tools that help communities address Vermont’s housing needs.

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Member Spotlight

David Raphael, Middlebury

I believe in the importance of effective planning. Smart Growth Vermont gives the kind of support to communities that is essential to guiding their plans for the future. The organization also provides support when consultants might otherwise not be hired due to local funding. The organization’s role supporting appropriate legislation and promoting programs such as the Downtown Program is very valuable. The bottom line is that if we want to keep Vermont the way it is, we need to reflect and guide the overall goals and values as they relate to planning and development in our state. This is why I support Smart Growth Vermont.

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The Vermont League of Cities and Towns is hosting a Planning and Zoning Forum, which will be held at the Capital Plaza in Montpelier on Thursday, October 28.  The Forum offers participants a chance to discuss pressing issues in municipal planning and zoning with officials from across the state. The workshop will provide a mix of legal information, practical solutions, policy discussions, as well as many opportunities to ask questions and share experiences.  For more information, or to register, visit, www.vlct.org.

Check out our calendar of events for more.

Vermont League of Conservation Voters Releases 2010 Environmental Scorecard

Since 1982, VLCV has kept score of Vermont Legislators and their records on environmental issues. After each legislative session, scorecards are released to provide voters with a clear record of who does and does not support key environmental issues. Check out this year's scorecard.

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Municipal Planning Grants Available

Once again, Municipal Planning Grants are being offered through the Vermont Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development. Two notable changes have been made in the program for FY 2011: 1. The emphasis of the statewide priorities is now more focused on implementation of the municipal plan;  2. A cash match will be required for grant requests between $8,000 - $15,000. Matching funds will not be required for grant requests of $8,000 or less. 

For more information, or to apply, visit, the Department of Housing and Community Affairs website or contact Wendy Tutor, at 802-828-5249.

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Wal-Mart Competes for Urban Market

It's true. Wal-Mart hopes to open two dozen stores in the San Francisco Bay Area region, featuring fresh food and prepared take-out. Calling it the "urban strategy," the stores will be in the 20,000 square foot range. Read more.

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Urban Sprawl Threatens Animal Biodiversity

Federal Biologists just released a study linking sprawl and habitat fragmentation to genetic changes in populations of animals. The researchers studied four species - three types of lizards and one bird - in the Santa Monica mountains of California. Results showed the formation of "habitat islands," which can cause in-breeding and decreased genetic diversity. In turn, the lack of genetic diversity threatens the species ability to adapt to a changing environment. Read more.

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