GROWING SMARTER“Sprawl costs us all” — a rallying cry for smart growth initiatives nationwide — highlights the fact that sprawl is an inefficient, consumptive, heavily subsidized

A “WAY TO GROW!”™ publication from the Vermont Forum on Sprawl

GROWING SMARTERBest Site Planning for Residential,

Commercial & Industrial Development

GROWING SMARTER—BEST SITE PLANNING

FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL

DEVELOPMENT

prepared by The Vermont Forum on Sprawl

with a grant from The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

with additional support from The Orton InstituteThe Champlain InitiativeChittenden County Regional Planning Commission

“Way to Grow!” is a series of publications by the Vermont Forumon Sprawl designed to help communities plan for growth. GrowingSmarter—Best Site Planning for Residential, Commercial &Industrial Development is the second in the series. Other publica-tions include The Vermont Smart Growth Scorecard and BetterBylaws, Better Communities. For details, see resources on page 20.Additional copies of this publication are available from theVermont Forum on Sprawl at $10.00 each.

PROJECT MANAGER

Dana Farley

PROJECT CONSULTANTS

Burnt Rock Inc. Associates in Community Planning/Sharon Murray andBrian Shupe, Waitsfield, VT.

Terra Firma Urban Design/Julie Campoli, Burlington, VT.

STEERING COMMITTEE

Robert Bast, Bast & Rood Architects

Terry Boyle, T.J. Boyle & Associates

Paul Bruhn, Preservation Trust of Vermont

Michael Crane, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission

Bart Frisbie, Sterling Construction

Steven Holmes, Vermont Natural Resources Council

Penrose Jackson, Champlain Initiative

Lee Krohn, Vermont Planners Association

William Niquette, Winooski Development Corporation

Larry Williams, Redstone Commercial Group

John Winter, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

DESIGN

Liquid Studio/Lisa Cadieux

Burlington, Vt.

VERMONT FORUM ON SPRAWL

110 Main Street

Burlington, VT 05401

tel: 802 864-6310

fax: 802 862-4487

email: [email protected]

Web site: www.vtsprawl.org

March, 2001© Vermont Forum on SprawlPhotos ©Terra Firma Urban Design or Burnt Rock, Inc., unless otherwise noted.

GROWING SMARTER—BEST SITE PLANNING 1

I. Introducing the Growing Smarter Site Planning Handbook

WHY A HANDBOOK?Growing Smarter — Best Site Planning for Residential,

Commercial & Industrial Development is the second in the“Way to Grow!” series of tools prepared for community use bythe Vermont Forum on Sprawl (VFOS).

Our aim in producing this handbook is to provide commu-nities, developers, nonprofit groups and others interested insmart growth with a set of best development practices (Part II)for residential, commercial and industrial development — prac-tices that characterize and promote “smart growth” as a viablealternative to sprawl. Specific examples are included to illustratethat smart growth development is not just a possibility — it’shappening here in Vermont and around the country.

Also presented is a summary of best development processes(Part III) for addressing common barriers to smart growth. Theseinclude recommendations for how municipal officials and boards,landowners and developers, and local citizens can more effectivelyparticipate in planning and development review processes to pro-mote smart growth.

WHAT IS “SMART GROWTH?”Growth, and the development that accompanies it, can take

many forms — some more desirable than others. Key findings ofa recent survey conducted by the VFOS (Vermonters’ Attitudes onSprawl. Exploring Sprawl #1) indicate that Vermonters believe:

Communities should consist of compact settlementswith access to preserved open land, surrounded by a work-

ing landscape. This is consistentwith Vermont’s traditional devel-opment pattern, and a statewidegoal to promote the developmentof compact village and urbancenters surrounded by opencountryside.

Patterns of scattered lowdensity or strip development,characterized as ‘sprawl,’ aredetrimental to this desired pat-tern of growth and, thoughcommon, are not inevitable.Undesired aspects of develop-ment most identified with sprawlinclude commercial strip devel-opment, large paved areas (roads,parking lots), houses scatteredover former farm fields, andauto-dependent development.

It is possible to have growthwithout sprawl. Smart growth

does not mean no growth! It means responding to local andregional needs for housing, employment, goods and servicesthrough more efficient, inclusive development that contributes tothe fabric and character of the community.

Survey findings indicated that many Vermonters want com-munities that have a mix of stores and services within walking dis-tance of a variety of housing options, connected by sidewalks andbike paths, and access to public transportation. Instead, most cur-rent development patterns continue to devour land and resources,destroy community character, segregate people and uses, andremain auto-dependent, pedestrian unfriendly and inaccessible tothose without reliable transportation. There is increasing aware-ness, around the state and nationwide, that current forms ofdevelopment are at best inconsistent with desired patterns ofgrowth, and because of their fiscal, social, and environmentalcosts, are at worst unsustainable.

HOW CAN WE GROW SMARTER?The VFOS has identified a set of Smart Growth Principles

to help guide planning and development in support of growingsmarter. These principles form the basis for the “Way to Grow!”series and the best development practices and processes includedin this handbook.

While the term “smartgrowth” is new, the conceptis not. The differencebetween today and the1960s when I began working on the issue as aState Senator in the Vermontlegislature, is the recognitionof an unprecedented fork in the road. One road leadsto unchecked growth,devouring open countryside.The other leads to growththat will strengthen commu-nities and preserve theworking landscape.

SENATOR JAMES JEFFORDS “Smart Growth: A View from CapitolHill”, Planning CommissionersJournal, Summer 2000

Vermont Forum on Sprawl Smart Growth Principles

1. Plan development so as to maintain the historic settlement patternof compact village and urban centers separated by rural countryside.

2. Promote the health and vitality of Vermont communities througheconomic and residential growth that is targeted to compact, mixeduse centers, including resort centers, at a scale convenient and acces-sible for pedestrians and appropriate for the community and region.

3. Enable choice in the mode of transportation available and insurethat transportation options are integrated and consistent with landuse objectives.

4. Protect and preserve environmental quality and important naturaland historic features of Vermont, including natural areas, waterresources, air quality, scenic resources, and historic sites and districts.

5. Provide the public with access to formal and informal open spaces,including parks, playgrounds, public greens, water bodies, forests andmountains.

6. Encourage and strengthen agricultural and forest enterprises andminimize conflicts of development with these businesses.

7. Provide for housing that meets the needs of a diversity of socialand income groups in each Vermont community, but especially incommunities that are most rapidly growing.

8. Support a diversity of viable business enterprises in downtownsand villages, including locally-owned businesses, and a diversity ofagricultural and forestry enterprises in the countryside.

9. Balance growth with the availability of economic and efficient public utilities and services and through the investment of publicfunds consistent with these principles.

10. Accomplish goals and strategies for smart growth through coalitions with stakeholders and engagement of the public.

2 VERMONT FORUM ON SPRAWL

The first step toward growing smarter, as presented in thecompanion VFOS publication, The Vermont Smart GrowthScorecard, is to assess how well your community is prepared torespond to the pressures of growth. The scorecard can be used toevaluate whether local plans, policies and regulations foster smartgrowth in accordance with the principles, or encourage sprawl.

The next step — the subject of this handbook, GrowingSmarter—Best Site Planning for Residential, Commercial &Industrial Development — is to recognize how smart growthprinciples may be applied to the development of a particular site,and to address potential procedural barriers to such development.

Smart Growth Site Planning Guidelines

• Concentrate development to maintain Vermont’s traditional compactsettlement pattern and make more efficient use of land, infrastructureand resources,

• Incorporate a mix of uses to provide a diversity of housing,employment, shopping and social opportunities for all members ofthe community,

• Provide transportation options to increase accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists and the transportation disadvantaged, as well as motor vehicles,

• Preserve the working landscape to sustain productive farm andforest land and other rural resource lands, to maintain contiguoustracts of open land, and to minimize use conflicts in rural areas,

• Foster a human scale of development that maintains the traditionalcharacter of Vermont’s downtowns, villages, and neighborhoods, andis comfortable for pedestrians, and

• Protect environmental quality by incorporating “green infrastruc-ture” in site design, preserving natural areas, and creating attractiveand pleasant community environments.

A supplemental publication, which includes more detailed informa-tion on best development processes, is available through the VFOS.

The final step is to address regulatory barriers to smartgrowth. The next publication in the “Way to Grow!” series —Better Bylaws, Better Communities — produced in associationwith the Conservation Law Foundation, provides a useful guide tothe crafting of local smart growth regulations.

Subsequent VFOS publications in this series will providemore specific information on infill development, new models forcommercial and industrial development, and smart growth publicinvestment strategies.

II. Best Development Practices

Growing smarter means applying smart growth princi-ples to the siting, layout and design of new develop-ment in a way that enhances our communities and theenvironment. For the development of individual sites,this involves the application of best development

practices to site layout and design. Best development practices,compiled from a variety of sources and adapted for use inVermont, are presented here in association with the following siteplanning guidelines that incorporate smart growth principles.

Examples of practices are included under each guideline todemonstrate that smart growth, incorporating one or more bestdevelopment practices, is not just a possibility — it’s happeninghere in Vermont, and around the country. For illustrative purpos-es, consideration is given to three general categories of develop-ment — residential, commercial and industrial — within threebroad contexts or settings — urban areas (cities, villages andother designated growth centers), rural areas, and the growingfringe between the two — suburban or “new growth” areas.


CONCENTRATE DEVELOPMENT…to maintain Vermont’s traditional compact settlementpattern and make efficient use of land, infrastructureand resources.

Vermont’s traditional settlement pattern of compact villages surrounded by open farm and forest landreflects an efficiency borne of necessity and tradition,and remains a highly valued — and highly promoted— representation of small town life.

As documented in the VFOS’s Exploring Sprawl series, in rapidly growing areas of the state this settlement pattern is beingeroded at the edges by scattered, strip and leapfrog development— patterns of suburban development that extend far into thecountryside and blur any clear distinction between developed andopen land. Such growth results in the loss of community characterand identity, the decentralization of community facilities and services, the undermining of traditional urban and village centers,and the unnecessary loss and fragmentation of valuable naturalresources. It also comes with a hefty price tag — straining stateand municipal budgets to extend roads, infrastructure and services into previously undeveloped areas.

“Sprawl costs us all” — a rallying cry for smart growth initiatives nationwide — highlights the fact that sprawl is aninefficient, consumptive, heavily subsidized form of develop-ment. Fragmented patterns of suburban and exurban develop-ment do not serve our environment, our communities, or ourpocketbooks very well. Growing smarter means growing moreefficiently and cost effectively by:

Maintaining Traditional Patterns of CompactDevelopment

This includes siting commercial, industrial and most resi-dential development within or immediately adjacent to existingsettlements — through the adaptive reuse of old buildings, strate-gic infill development, “brownfield” (contaminated site) develop-ment, and suburban redevelopment — or within newly designat-ed growth centers served by central infrastructure.

It also involves extending and incorporating traditional pat-terns of development — including the “footprint” and “grain”(street network, density, lot size and configuration) — to neigh-boring sites to be developed or redeveloped.

Maximizing Density within Growth AreasMaximizing the density of development within clearly

delineated growth or infrastructure service areas promotes moreefficient use of land and infrastructure capacity, accommodatesdensities needed to support a variety of uses and services, allowsfor affordable housing development, and protects, or holds inreserve, adjoining open land.

Delineated Growth BoundariesDelineated growth boundaries also serve to establish a

distinct, unbroken visual and physical edge between the builtenvironment and surrounding open land — interrupted onlyby distinct entrances or “gateways” into the community.Municipalities such as South Burlington, Essex and Willistonare counteracting inefficient patterns of development by designating new town centers, and adopting related policies and programs that promote compact, higher density, mixed use development within areas supported by infrastructure.

Practices• Site new development in or

immediately adjacent to existingsettlements consistent with his-toric densities and patterns —avoid patterns of leapfrog andstrip development. (Fig. 1.1)

• Develop at high densities — minimize lot area, maximize building coverage and floor arearatios — on sites served bymunicipal infrastructure (i.e., within designated serviceareas). (Fig. 1.2-1.4)

• Build multi-story structures —increase density in downtownsand village centers by building uprather than out. (Fig. 1.2-1.4)

• Site buildings close to the street,and close to each other — mini-mize lot frontage and setbacks.(Fig. 1.2, 1.3, 1.4)

• Integrate higher density, mixed-use development into moderatelydeveloped, single — use areasthrough infill and redevelopment.(Fig. 1.3-1.4)

• Minimize on-site parking —incorporate shared access, andshared and on-street parking insite design. (Fig. 1.5-1.6)

• Where density allows, build compatible parking structuresinstead of at-grade lots.

• Restore and reuse existing buildings.• Maintain a continuous, well-

defined edge between existingdevelopment and adjoining openland — site new structures nextto existing structures.

Fig. 1.2 Fig. 1.5

Fig. 1.6

Fig. 1.1

Fig. 1.3

Fig. 1.4

this this

this not this

not this


Project Examples

DowntownsThe following examples illus-trate how new developmentcan use land, facilities andresources efficiently. Each ofthe projects was located in apreviously developed area,served by existing municipalsewer, water, streets and side-walks. They demonstrate howto “build up rather than out”by maximizing the space avail-able on small urban sites.

Chittenden Bank, Montpelier, VTWhen the Chittenden Bank neededmore space for its Montpelier opera-tions, it replaced a single story bankbranch with a 5-story office build-ing. Although the new buildingretained a drive-through function,its wider frontage and upper levelstories makes greater use of theavailable site.

Filenes Department Store,Burlington, VTFilenes fit 150,000 square feet ofretail space into a downtown sitethat had long been underutilized asa surface parking lot. Close to exist-ing businesses, neighborhoods, andthe heart of a regional public tran-sit network, this location takes fulladvantage of alternative transporta-tion. The retail space is divided into2 levels and the 400-car parking lotis stacked in an adjacent, mid-blockstructure that also serves otherbuildings.

State Office Building, Newport, VTThis new 3-story building is locatedin downtown Newport, connectingthe main shopping street with thewaterfront. The result of a public /private development effort, it housesa bank branch, law office, coffeeshop and other retail businesses, aswell as state offices. A parking lotbeside the building is shared bymany other downtown uses.

Elm Street Apartments, Montpelier, VTThis building sits on a narrow parcelbut it maximizes the space availableby covering the lot and using fourlevels. By extending the traditionalpattern and density of the surround-ing neighborhood, it provides manyhousing units in a centrally locatedneighborhood.

Seven Lebanon Street, Hanover, NHWhen the town of Hanover andDartmouth College’s Real EstateOffice combined parcels to build amunicipal garage, they added morethan just parking to the downtown.They combined a 289-space parkingstructure with a three-story retailand office building, adding 45,000square feet of commercial space.This site was formerly a surfaceparking lot and small drive-throughbank. Its well-proportioned facadefits the context of its surroundings.The display windows and doors thatline the building add appeal forpedestrians.

Stacked parking, The Berkleyan,Berkeley, CAThis innovative technology providesa less expensive and space-consum-ing alternative to conventional park-ing structures. Easy-to-use electriclifts raise and lower cars to floorlevel. The developer has installedover 100 of these lifts in his build-ings and has another 200 coming online. The lifts require little mainte-nance and the concept has met noresistance among tenants.

Gregory Supply, Burlington, VTThis building supply company wasable to expand from 30,000 to45,000 square feet, by making betteruse of its small urban site. Stackinglumber along two levels helped theowners maximize display area andprovide a tighter layout than theirbig-box counterparts.

VillagesThese projects also use landefficiently but, because thecontext is a village rather thana downtown, they are smallerin scale. Like their downtowncounterparts, these projects arelocated in town centers. Theytake advantage of existinginfrastructure: streets, side-walks and available utilities.

Railroad Street Housing, Richmond, VTThis new extension of an existingvillage street provides homes withinwalking distance of Richmond vil-lage. The project consists of duplex-es on small lots with a density of 8.4units/acre.

Lantman’s IGA, Hinesburg, VTAs it expanded to meet the needs ofcontemporary food marketing, thegrocery store in Hinesburg stayed inthe center of the village. Rather thandemolishing the original structure,Lantman’s renovated and re-used it,adding on to the rear. Parking wasplaced on the side and is shared witha neighboring building. Officesoccupy the upper stories of thebuilding.

Pilgrim Park, Waterbury, VTLocated adjacent to WaterburyVillage, Pilgrim Park sits on indus-trial land that had been vacant forseveral years. Limited access pre-vented development until themunicipality assisted with the con-struction of a new road, sidewalksand streetscape improvements,which connect the area to the villagecore. Currently occupied by a multi-story, mixed-use office and industri-al facility, and a successful coffeeprocessing facility, recent acquisitionof an adjacent parcel provides anopportunity for a doubling of floorspace within the park.

PANORAMIC INTERESTS


Norwich Square, Norwich, VTTwo historic buildings were re-usedand three new ones were added inthe redevelopment of this site. Aselsewhere in Norwich, buildings sitclose together and close to the street,offering a mix of commercial useswithin a small area.

SuburbsSuburban growth is character-ized by low-density develop-ment that jumps beyond thebounds of existing settlement.Widely-spaced suburbanbuildings, typically one-storyand sited in the center of largelots, often require excessiveinfrastructure. Recently, how-ever, a few projects in subur-ban settings set an example ofgreater efficiency. They adddensity to areas that alreadyhave streets and utilities inplace but are underused.

New Street, South Burlington, VTPart of South Burlington’s CityCenter district, this new street andmulti-story hotel helps the cityachieve its long-term goal of a com-pact center. The hotel was construct-ed within one block of an emerginggrid of streets along the city’s maincommercial road. As each parcel inthe area is redeveloped, the densityis increased and a segment of thestreet network is completed. Thisnew street connects with an adjacentresidential street.

Infill Building, Berlin, VTThis new building helps to fill in oneof many gaps left by commercialstrip development along the Barre-Montpelier Road. Unlike the build-ings around it, this one sits close tothe street and is two stories high.The developer of this project addeddensity to an underused area andgave new life to this vacant sitewhich had formerly contained adilapidated, one-story structure.

Essex Town Center, Essex, VTThis new building is the first in aseries planned for Essex’s emergingtown center. The overall plan iscompact, with multi-story buildings,and connecting streets and side-walks. This building contains storeson ground level and affordablehousing units in two levels above.

Mashpee Center, Mashpee, MAThis redeveloped shopping centeron Cape Cod is growing into amixed-use center, complete withapartments, shops, cinemas, restau-rants and a post office. More hous-ing is planned in compact neighbor-hoods surrounding the core.

CountrysideProjects that use land efficientlyin the countryside are locatedat crossroads hamlets, or otherexisting settlements, in a compact, traditional pattern.They often re-use and expandexisting structures, rehabilitat-ing historic buildings.

General Store, Morrisville Corners,Morristown, VTThis business is typical of manystores found at rural intersections inVermont. The general store is thetraditional counterpart to the con-temporary convenience store. Whileboth provide a neighborhood serv-ice, general stores are locally ownedand offer a wider range of goodswithin small quarters.

Waitsfield Common, Waitsfield, VTThese houses on small lots are typi-cal of a residential crossroads ham-let. They are arranged around asmall green, in the middle of a ruralarea. This older, more compact andefficient housing pattern is anappropriate model for new rural res-idential development.

Restored barn, Richmond, VTThis barn was restored and adaptedto new uses. It currently providesspace for a construction companyand woodworking shop.

Smugglers’ Notch Resort,Jeffersonville, VT The condominiums and shops ofSmugglers’ Notch Resort are locatedclose together within a small radius.Densities are high here. Most of thebuildings and activities are confinedto a central core area. Except forsome recent development that hascrept up the hillside along the skislopes, the edge between develop-ment and adjoining land has beenmaintained.

ELIZABETH HUMSTONE


INCORPORATE A MIX OF USES…to provide a diversity of housing, employment andshopping and social opportunities for all members ofthe community.

At one time most people could walk to work, schoolor the corner store. The physical separation of usesis now common, and often required by local landuse regulations. As a result, many of us live in resi-dential developments far removed from employ-

ment, shopping and community centers. Current developmentpatterns isolate us from our daily tasks and from each other.This segregation of land use reduces community diversity andsocial interaction, and limits individual options — particularlyfor those lacking reliable transportation. Growing smartermeans finding ways to reintegrate, within each of our commu-nities, more inclusive types of development that address every-one’s needs for housing, employment, goods, services, andsocial interaction. This includes:

Providing “Life Cycle” Housing Residential developments, unlike traditional neighbor-

hoods, typically serve only one household type and incomegroup. By design they exclude households that don’t fit a partic-ular demographic profile. But the demographics are changing —with the aging of the baby boom population, ethnic diversifica-tion, and smaller households that reflect new lifestyles and livingarrangements. Changing markets afford opportunities to devel-op more traditional neighborhoods that incorporate a mix ofhousing types — including granny flats and garage apartments,detached, attached, and multi-family units, and apartmentsabove stores. A variety of housing allows people in different lifestages to remain in the same community, and promotes socialdiversity and interaction.

Bringing Back the Corner StoreDriving miles for a loaf of bread and a quart of milk is now

commonplace, but it’s not a viable option for children, seniors,and other transportation disadvantaged who can’t drive.Providing goods and services in the local mix of uses can makelife easier for everyone by providing options close by, and agreater degree of physical independence. It also lessens automo-bile dependence, supports smaller, pedestrian-oriented business-es, and can generate more tax revenues for the community.

Contributing to the Region’s Jobs-Housing Balance

Communities today typically promote themselves as goodplaces to live and work, but in reality most serve as bedroomcommunities to a few regional job centers. Indicators such as jobto housing ratios, vehicle miles traveled, and commuting timessuggest growing regional disparities between where people workand live. Many workers can’t afford to live where they work —too often the lowest paid workers have to travel the farthest dis-tances for employment. Mixed use development can help balancethe local jobs-housing mix — by providing employment oppor-tunities where people live (including home occupation and live-work arrangements) and housing opportunities where they work.

Putting the “Neighbor” Back in NeighborhoodsPrivate developments typically exclude civic uses and public

spaces that foster a sense of community. There are no formal orinformal gathering places — places which, in traditional neigh-borhoods, strengthen the sense of community by bringing peopletogether to socialize and interact. Larger developments around thecountry now include central sites for schools, churches, libraries,public parks and local gathering spots. Even Vermont’s smallestvillages offer the example of inviting, well-defined streetscapes,central greens, and community spaces that serve as venues forinformal meetings and organized public events. Incorporatingcivic places on-site, and physical connections to such places off-site, can help foster a sense of neighborliness and community thatis presently lacking in many private developments.


Railroad Street Housing, Richmond, VTNew duplexes in Richmond featurean attached office/studio for homeoccupations. These affordable unitsare located on a new residentialstreet close to the village center

SuburbsThese suburban examplesintroduce a measure ofdiversity to a traditionallyhomogenous environment.The incorporation of new usesand different building types

Gale Farm Center, Stowe, VTUnlike many shopping centers, thisone in Stowe has apartments abovethe row of shops. These apartmentshelp fill a need for affordable hous-ing in this resort community.

The Pines, South Burlington, VTThis 124-unit senior housing devel-opment is located within walkingdistance of the commercial heart ofSouth Burlington. It adds densityand an alternative housing type towhat was a low-density area. Newsidewalks connect the apartmentswith businesses and bus stops alongDorset Street.

Project ExamplesDowntowns & VillagesThese projects uphold the tradition of diverse uses andhousing types in a downtownor village setting. They incorporate a neighborhoodneed for housing by offeringupstairs apartments, or theyprovide space for a wide rangeof businesses.

Park Place, Burlington, VTThis project rehabilitated a historicbut rundown building in the heartof Burlington, replacing substandardapartments with higher qualityhousing. 34 units of affordablehousing now occupy the two floorsabove retail stores and offices.

Howe Center, Rutland, VTThis site, originally a scale manu-facturing plant, is 1/2 mile south ofdowntown. The buildings werevacant until recently redevelopedinto a commercial center contain-ing a mix of retail, office and indus-trial space offering a broad array ofservices to the surrounding area.

Infill building, Randolph, VTThis project combines affordablehousing and retail on Main Street inRandolph. It replaces an older build-ing, destroyed by fire, with a newone of similar size and density.

Mad River Shopping Center,Waitsfield, VTUnlike many new retail and bankbuildings, these two in the MadRiver Green Shopping Centerinclude upstairs apartments, offer-ing residents a convenient villagelocation. They are part of an overallplan to add diverse commercial andresidential space to Waitsfield’semerging satellite village.

Infill building, Arlington, VTA new building in the center ofArlington Village houses offices andupstairs apartments.

Park & Wheelock Rental Housing,Hanover, NH This infill project combines existingand new multi-family structuresinto a more dense and diverseneighborhood block. 22 new unitswere added to the 16 already on site.They include duplex town homes,four-plexes, and a larger 8-unitbuilding. The development offers arange of modestly priced units with-in walking distance of downtownHanover.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE REAL ESTATE

Practices• Accommodate a mix of uses

on site and within individualbuildings.

• Site new residential neighbor-hoods within walking distance of commercial and employmentcenters.

• Locate new commercial develop-ment within compact downtown,village or new growth centers;incorporate neighborhood commercial development inmixed-use developments orwithin walking distance of exist-ing residential neighborhoods.

• Plan in-fill development toaddress local needs for housing,goods and services (e.g., a neigh-borhood store, day care facility).

• Provide a mix of market rate and affordable housing types,including multi-family, smallersingle family and accessorydwellings (e.g., guest houses,in-law or garage apartments) inneighborhood and mixed-usedevelopments.

• Site higher density multi-familysenior and affordable housing inor adjacent to downtowns andcommercial centers.

• Incorporate upper floor apart-ments above commercial uses.

• Incorporate well designed, land-scaped green space.

• Include seasonal employee hous-ing in new resort development.

• Incorporate home office space(live-work arrangements) in residential design.

• Site new industrial and officepark development within oradjacent to urban and villagecenters.

• In larger developments, set asidecentral lots and common areas to accommodate public, personalservice, and neighborhood commercial uses. Incorporate an internal network of greens,commons and pocket parks.

• Incorporate a linked network ofgreens, commons and parks foroutdoor recreational use.


PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS…to increase accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists,and the transportation disadvantaged, as well as motor vehicles.

The old Vermont adage, “You can’t get there from here,”applies just as well to more contemporary road net-works that elevate the dead end and cul-de-sac to anart form. Wide, curving streets, engineered for cars andtrucks, meander through subdivisions without clear

destination and dump traffic onto increasingly congested thor-oughfares. To avoid traffic, houses are arranged around discon-nected, dead end streets that, by definition, don’t go anywhere.The result can be a highly inaccessible, disorienting landscape,particularly for non-motorists. Growing smarter means increas-ing accessibility by re-establishing physical connections, and bet-ter accommodating alternative means of getting around. This canbe accomplished by:

Incorporating Variations on the GridInternal roads and pathways can serve to link rather than

divide communities by providing a coherent, user-friendly trans-portation network, and a logical framework for development. Aprime example is the traditional grid network of streets, whichconnects and serves immediately adjoining land uses, dispersestraffic, and is convenient for pedestrians and cyclists. Integratingnew roads and paths into existing networks increases “connectivi-ty” and improves accessibility — grids offer a selection of com-paratively direct routes.

Introducing Traffic CalmingShort blocks, abrupt changes in road alignment, T-intersec-

tions, decreased right-of-way and street widths, street trees, on-street parking and shared use of lanes, all serve to decrease trafficspeeds — and the number and severity of accidents. The installa-tion of pedestrian-oriented traffic calming elements — such assidewalks, “bump-outs,” mid-block crossings, and raised cross-walks also makes for a friendlier street environment.

Providing for Alternate Modes New development cannot exclude motor vehicles — cars and

trucks are a fact of life that will be around for some time to come.It can, however, be designed to lessen our collective automobiledependence — by building at densities sufficient to support con-venient public transit systems, providing transit facilities on-site,incorporating other modes of travel into street design, and givingpedestrian accessibility and circulation as much, if not more, con-sideration as vehicular circulation. On a smaller scale, all newdevelopments can be made more pedestrian, handicapped andcyclist friendly — by providing a local network of sidewalks orpaths on-site, and by incorporating connections to adjoiningdevelopment and regional on- and off-road networks.

General Guidelines* for Pedestrian- and Transit-Friendly Design

STREETS

Maximum Design Speeds 20 mph for local streets35 mph for collectors

Residential Street Width 18 feet (curb to curb)

TRANSIT-ORIENTED DENSITIES

Residential 7 units/acre minimum15 units/acre to 100 units/acre premium (depending on size of community and presence of rail)

Employment 50 employees/acre

PEDESTRIAN-ORIENTED DESIGN

Walking Distance 1/4 mile radius (10 to 15 minutes)

Block Length 300-500 feet

SidewalksArterials/Collectors Both sidesLocal Commercial Both sidesLocal Residential Both sides for >4 units/acre

One side for 1-4 units/acreNone for <1 unit per acre

Width 5-6 feet for light pedestrian traffic

* Intended for general reference purposes only; smart growth models emphasize that all streetand pedestrian networks, including individual blocks or segments, should be designed in relationto their particular setting and function.

Source: Reid Ewing, Best Development Practices, published by the American PlanningAssociation, Chicago, Illinois, 1996.

Practices• Organize streets in a coherent net-

work — relate street design to theland uses they serve. (Fig. 3.1-3.2)

• Maximize the density and mix ofdevelopment located within walk-ing distance of neighborhoodservices and public transit service— include transit facilities on-site(e.g., enclosed or covered waitingareas with benches). (Fig. 3.1-3.2)

• Integrate new roads with the existing street network; maintainvariations on the grid. (Fig. 3.3)

• Maintain street connectivity —incorporate connecting and looproads rather than dead-endstreets and cul-de-sacs in thestreet layout. (Fig. 3.3-3.4)

• Incorporate future road, pedestrianand parking connections toadjoining parcels. (Fig. 3.5-3.6)

• Design development to be pedestrian friendly. Incorporateconvenient pedestrian access andcirculation in site and streetdesigns. (Fig. 3.7-3.8)

• Except in rural areas, provide con-tinuous sidewalks or paths alongat least one side of a street —minimize curb cuts, and incorpo-

rate well-defined pedestriancrossings in high traffic areas.

• Minimize block lengths, or pro-vide mid-block pedestrian cross-ings, and off-street paths toadjoining streets.

• Provide an internal network ofpathways — incorporate off-streetshortcuts for walkers and bicyclists.

• Design downtown, village andneighborhood streets for slowvehicle speeds — incorporateinnovative road geometry (e.g.,T-intersections, forks and triangles, round-a-bouts), andother traffic calming devices.

• Minimize lot frontage and thespacing between buildings toreduce walking distances.

• Include bicycle racks and/or lock-ers on-site.

• Incorporate lanes or service alleysto provide rear or mid-blockaccess to lots and parking areas,particularly for commercial devel-opment.

• In rural areas incorporate a net-work of on- and off-road walkingand recreational paths, to connectbuildings and uses, and to pro-vide access to adjoining openland and regional trail networks.


Main Street Landing, Burlington, VTThis redevelopment project restoredthe old Burlington train station toserve a brand new commuter line.Trains arrive and depart from therear of the building, city buses stopat the front. There are bike racks aswell as showers for bicyclists. Thisbuilding restoration was part of alarger redevelopment of the water-front block that added both com-mercial and residential density to alocation served by public transit.

Mid-block connection, Burlington, VTWhen a large department store andparking garage was built on anurban renewal site, the developerconstructed a mid-block path, con-necting two streets, three parkingareas and several businesses. Thepath offers a convenient shortcut forpedestrians and cyclists, making iteasier to move about this area ofdowntown without a car.

New Sidewalk, Stowe, VTThe sidewalk, street trees, fence,landscaping, and parallel parkingalong this new village street, create acomfortable environment for walk-ing. These features combine tobuffer the pedestrian space from theadjoining street and parking lot.

100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VTThe developer of this shopping areaadded several amenities that encour-age the use of public transit.Benches, street trees, and a shelterprovide a resting place along a bikepath and sidewalk. This designmakes it easier and more comfort-able to take the bus, walk, or bike.

Bike Path, Williston, VTWhen this neighborhood was laidout, a corridor of land was set asideas a right-of-way to adjoining publicland and a nearby school. This pathalong that right-of-way provides anoff-road link and a direct short cutfor pedestrians and bicyclists.

Project ExamplesDowntowns & SuburbsThese downtown and suburban projects provide transportationoptions by adding density at public transit stops, extending aninterconnected street or path network, or incorporating pedestri-an and bicycle amenities.

Fig. 3.8Auto-oriented industrial district

Fig. 3.7Pedestrian-friendly industrial district

Fig. 3.1Urban

Fig. 3.5

Fig. 3.6

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Fig. 3.2Village

Fig. 3.3

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PRESERVE THE WORKING LANDSCAPE…to sustain productive farm and forest land and otherrural resource lands, to maintain large, contiguoustracts of open land, and to minimize use conflicts.

Based on population distribution, Vermont is one ofthe most rural states in the country. Our rural land-scape embodies a highly revered tradition of peopleworking on the land, but in many parts of the stateproductive farms and forests are rapidly giving way

to scattered housing development, poplar and pucker brush.The attendant open space that provides the cultural, economicand visual backdrop for settlement patterns is being lost.

According to VFOS’s Exploring Sprawl series, one exampleof rural or exurban sprawl is incremental, low density, large lot residential development located far from urban and villagecenters. Such development creates a variety of challengesbecause it must be served by on-site water and wastewater systems, occupies an inordinate amount of land, takes resourcelands out of production, and results in land use conflicts thatadversely affect farm and forestry operations. Growing smartermeans preserving the working landscape, and associated openspace by:

Limiting Incompatible Uses in Rural AreasTypes of development best suited to rural areas are those

that support and enhance the working landscape and a sustain-able rural economy. However, given the common desire for ahouse in the country, and a changing rural economy, residentialand other potentially incompatible development are rarelyexcluded from the countryside.

Growing smarter suggests that such development should besited and designed to buffer and preserve productive land (e.g.,through conservation easements), and to minimize use conflictsand visual impacts. The siting of more compatible types of use(see chart on right) should be carefully considered in relation topotential impacts on existing operations and the rural land base.

Avoiding Fragmentation of Resource Lands“Large lot” development of 1-, 2- or 5-acres or more

per dwelling unit is typically considered a “rural” pattern ofdevelopment, required under zoning to maintain rural character. In fact it promotes exaggerated, consumptive patternsof development that protect neither rural character nor theworking landscape. The result has been residential lots that “are too small to farm, and too large to mow.” Municipalities are beginning to distinguish density from lot size under localzoning, by requiring low overall densities of development andclustering on small lots.

The clustering of development under “conservation” or“open space” subdivision designs that maintain large tracts of open land is promoted as a means to preserve both ruralcharacter and productive open land. In Vermont this is mostcommonly accomplished through planned residential orplanned unit development. Such subdivisions can more readily

incorporate traditional hamlet and village patterns of develop-ment. Clustering, however, is not, the answer to rural sprawl! In the broader context too many clusters create “cluster sprawl.”Growing smarter, as noted previously, ultimately means concen-trating development within, rather than outside of, designatedgrowth areas supported by infrastructure.

Practices• Limit new development outside

of urban, village and designatedgrowth centers to those uses thatcomplement, or otherwise do notconflict with, resource-based usesof the land - including agricul-ture, forestry, quarrying and min-ing, and developed outdoor recre-ational uses (e.g., ski areas).

• Locate new development withinor immediately adjacent to exist-ing villages, hamlets and otherbuilt-up areas. (Fig. 4.1-4.2)

• Avoid inefficient, large lot devel-opment in rural areas — main-tain an overall low density ofdevelopment by clustering build-ings on small lots laid out in tra-ditional patterns (e.g., farmsteads,cross-road hamlets) that protectlarge contiguous tracts of openland and reduce the amount ofsupporting infrastructurerequired. (Fig. 4.3-4.4)

• Site necessary development andassociated building envelopes,road and utility corridors, toavoid encroachments on or thefragmentation of resource land.(Fig. 4.3-4.4)

• Incorporate buffers betweendeveloped and resource lands toavoid conflicts between incom-patible uses — maintain a well-defined edge between developedand open land. (Fig. 4.5)

“Compatible” rural land uses under local land use regulations areoften defined to include…

• traditional uses, such as farming, forestry, mining and quarrying,

• housing for farm families and workers,

• contemporary resource-based uses, such as ski areas and other outdoor recreational facilities,

• cottage industries that add market value to raw resources,

• market outlets such as farm stands or community supported agriculture(CSA) that offer for sale, or by subscription, products produced on site,

• related services, such as veterinary services and development thatenhances resource based uses, such as agri-tourism (farm stays, bedand breakfasts), or the adaptive reuse of historic barns for storage.

• Integrate the preservation of openspace, (e.g., through easements)— especially contiguous tracts ofproductive land when land isbeing subdivided. (Fig. 4.6-4.7)

• Define development and buildingenvelopes to exclude open fieldsand other cleared areas, andexposed ridgelines and promonto-ries — screen necessary but visual-ly incompatible development (e.g., telecommunications towers)from public view. (Fig. 4.6-4.9)

not this

Fig. 4.2

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Fig. 4.1


Project ExamplesUrban & SuburbanThe following examples illus-trate development that helpspreserve the working land-scape in urban and suburbansettings, where a strong marketfor housing threatens resourceland. They show developmentthat complements or does notconflict with use of the landfor agriculture, forestry, or outdoor recreation.

Intervale Farm, Burlington, VTThis 700-acre tract of land in thecity of Burlington is home to several farms, businesses, andorganizations that take advantageof its fertile soils and unspoiledenvironment while sustaining itsnatural resources. Uses include amunicipal composting facility,organic farms, community gardens,an experimental waste treatmentsystem, a gardening supply store,and a seed company. In addition,the regional parkprovides outdooreducation and access for recreation.

Cobble Creek Nursery, Monkton, VTThis plant nursery, which growswholesale trees and shrubs for thelandscaping trade, is located in asmall town. As nearby farms havebeen subdivided for house lots, thisbusiness has expanded from 10 to31 acres, keeping the land open.Because half of its stock is field-grown, this business depends onthe soil it sits on.

Snow Farm Winery, South Hero, VTSnow Farm consists of a vineyardand a winery. It is located in agrowing rural town. A store complements the agricultural sideof the business with wine tastingand sales. The site is also used forconcerts in the summer.

Ten Stones Community, Charlotte, VTMembers of this community in asuburban area set their 13 houseson half-acre lots, so they could usethe remaining acreage for a formalgreen, a woodlot, an engineeredwetland that functions as an alter-native septic system, and a commu-nity garden that serves other townresidents. 40 acres of this 85-acresite is permanently protectedthrough a local land trust. The sin-gle, shared road in the develop-ment, is narrow (14’) and parkingareas are minimal.

Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, VTAlthough this resort sits on 2500acres of land, most of its buildingsare clustered around a central coreof no more than 40 acres. Thisdevelopment has successfully avoid-ed encroaching on the forest thatsustains its nordic skiing operation.As Trapps added housing units inthe developed core, it placed forestedtracts under permanent protection,donating easements on 1,100 acresof land.

Farm subdivision, Fayston, VTWhen this hillside farm property wassubdivided in this resort town, houseswere sited away from open fields,exposed ridgelines and promontories.This practice kept the meadows intact.

CountrysideThe following examples showtypical resource-based uses inrural areas.

Borderview Farm, Alburg, VTThis dairy farmer also raises ostrichesand has an additional home business.

Clear Brook Farm, Shaftsbury, VTThe owners of this farm raise organicvegetables and bedding plants. A con-servation easement permits two housesites on the 144-acre parcel. The restof the land will remain open.

McGuire’s Furniture, Isle LaMotte, VTMcGuire’s re-used this historic farm-house and adapted it as a woodwork-ing studio. This is a family-owned,home-based business, manufacturingcustom furniture sold worldwide.

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Fig. 4.3

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conservation land

adjacent farm

conservationland

adjacent farm


FOSTER A HUMAN SCALE…that maintains the traditional character of Vermont’sdowntowns, villages, and neighborhoods, and is com-fortable for pedestrians.

Automobile-oriented development effectively elimi-nates people from the landscape. The car becomes theprimary design element — resulting in vast waste-lands of parking around commercial, office andindustrial uses, and residential streets dominated by

unsightly garage doors. Despite or because of current land useregulations, much contemporary development is scattered about,seemingly without rhyme or reason, in deference to the mobilityafforded by the car. The result is an inhospitable, uninviting land-scape devoid of much human activity. Growing smarter means:

Designing for PeopleNew development can put people back into the equation by

developing new streets, buildings, neighborhoods and towns at amore traditional, human scale. This means incorporating suchmeasures as the space a person occupies, the reach of normalsocial interaction, the distance someone can comfortably walk,and the scale of buildings in relation to a person’s physical andvisual frame of reference while walking down the street.

Traditional Vermont development patterns provide a com-pelling framework for the design and layout of new buildings andassociated streetscapes. Analyses of Vermont’s traditional villagesand urban centers, and historic maps that track their develop-ment, reveal a surprising consistency in the scale, form, orienta-tion and spacing of buildings — patterns that predate the auto-mobile and local land use regulations. This suggests that signifi-cant consideration was given to the “fit” of new buildings to theirsurroundings, in relation to their intended purpose.

Traditional layouts define and integrate public and privatespace. The orientation, height, setback and spacing of buildings— and building features such as rooflines, doors, and windows— visually define the streetscape, and create a rhythm of devel-opment scaled to the person moving through on foot. Privateand public spaces are blended in a “transition zone” created bystorefronts, street furniture, front yards and front porches.Parking areas are relegated to the side or rear of buildings.

Designing for the Local ContextThere is also remarkable consistency in traditional styles

of development, which though of different historic periods,incorporate local design features that lend to the visual

PracticesIn urban areas, villages andgrowth centers, maintain orestablish a pedestrian street-scape, defined by consistentbuilding spacing, setbacks andfacades, street trees, sidewalksor paths, appropriately scaledsigns and lighting, and streetfurniture.• Orient building facades and

entrances to the street, and not toparking areas — where necessary,provide double entrances.(Fig. 5.1-5.2)

• Break up larger buildings tomaintain a visually compatible,pedestrian scale of development.(Fig. 5.3-5.6)

• Maintain a pedestrian scale andorientation at street level (e.g.,storefronts, display windows,canopies, signs) — avoid largeblank walls. (Fig. 5.7-5.8)

• Screen and landscape parking areas— separate parking aisles with treestrips, walkways. (Fig. 5.9)

• Recess or site garages to the sideor rear of new housing — garagesshould not dominate or extendbeyond the building facade.(Fig. 5.11-5.12)

• Maintain shared or public access(visual and/or physical) to naturalamenities.

• Design new buildings in down-towns and village centers to complement historic structuressurrounding the site.

• Site and design chains or franchises(e.g., gas stations, fast food estab-lishments) to fit in with traditionalbuilding design and architecture.

• Site parking under, to the rear orside of buildings (e.g., center ofthe block) rather than to the front.

• Incorporate well-designed andlandscaped green space (e.g.,central green, pocket parks, treebelts) to serve higher densitydevelopment. (Fig. 5.13-5.14)

• Preserve visual access to adjoiningopen space and prominent culturalfeatures — through the spacing ofbuildings, the siting of open areas,and the incorporation of view-sheds (e.g., terminal vistas at inter-sections) in site design and layout.(Fig. 5.13-5.14)

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The Pedestrian Realm Since buildings frame the streetscape, buildingheight as defined in proportion to streetscape width (facade to facade)becomes a key pedestrian design element. The maximum proportiondeveloped in Renaissance of 1:6 — for every foot of building heightthere should be no more than 6 feet of space in front — is still used todefine public buildings and civic space. For a New England village orurban streetscape, with building heights ranging from 2 to 6 stories, aratio of 1:1 or 1:2 is more typical and pleasing for pedestrians.

cohesiveness of the Vermont townscape. “Pattern books” onceprovided building designs that were modified and adapted bylocal builders to conform to unwritten, but visibly understood,community design standards.

Contemporary building styles, often reflecting modern systems of mass production, mass marketing, and easy productidentification, break dramatically from local styles, resulting in abland homogeneity that can destroy community character andidentity. Developers however — particularly at the coercion ofmunicipalities — are becoming more sensitive to local designissues. Even national chains, including “big box” retailers and con-venience stores, are willing to alter standard building designs tobetter fit local character, in order to secure a profitable trade area.

Perhaps the greatest challenge on this front is convincingpublic agencies and institutions — which are often exempt fromlocal regulations — that the location and design of public build-ings, such as post offices and schools, are critical to the functionand character of a community.

Fig. 5.1

Fig. 5.2Fig. 5.2

Fig. 5.4

Fig. 5.3Urban


Post Office, Huntington, VTDespite the constraints of a chal-lenging site, this postal facility meetsthe needs of modern postal opera-tions while maintaining a compactform and scale in the center ofHuntington. A historic village build-ing was restored and expanded toaccommodate the USPS as well asother businesses. The entrance facesthe street, not the parking lot.

Fire Station, Bennington, VTBy necessity, the facade of this build-ing is made up of garage doors butits design avoids the monotony andawkward scale typical of many fireand rescue buildings. Multiple storiesand high quality materials give thebuilding a more substantial presenceon the street while multiple doorsbreak the scale of the garage openinginto more human proportions.

Stewart’s Shop and gas station,Manchester Center, VTThis new franchise conveniencestore was constructed close to thestreet, and a sidewalk was built infront of it. Unlike many gas stations,it has no canopy over the pumps.Parking and gas pumping take placeon the side of the lot, not the front,and signs are small. The building’swindows help maintain a pedestrianscale along the street

Project ExamplesUrban & Village CentersThe following projects illustratehow new development can fit into a traditional pattern,maintaining a human scale and pedestrian orientation.

News Bank, Chester, VTThis fast-growing, high-tech infor-mation company employs 200 peopleon Chester’s main street. Despite itslarge size, News Bank maintains ascale and pattern of developmentthat is compatible with the characterof the village, and comfortable forpedestrians. The company achievesthis by using several smaller buildingsrather than one large facility. Itsbuildings adhere to the traditionalsetback of Main Street, and havebeen expanded to the rear. Servicefunctions — loading and unloadingof goods, as well as parking — occurin the rear.

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Fig. 5.5Village

Fig. 5.13

Fig. 5.6Village

Fig. 5.7

Fig. 5.8

Fig. 5.9

Fig. 5.10

Fig. 5.11

Fig. 5.12

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Fig. 5.14 Pitcher Inn, Warren, VTThis is a relatively large structure ina small village but it doesn’t appearoversized because the building isarticulated with ells, porches, andgables. Several entrances and manywindows along the street help ani-mate the facade, giving it a pedestri-an-friendly character.

Palisades Street, Stowe, VTThis small residential developmentwas recently added onto to the exist-ing village street grid. The narrowlots and consistent setbacks of thisstreet create a strong building edge,similar to the traditional pattern ofStowe village. Shared garages are setin the rear of the lot, not in thefront. Landscaping reinforces thepublic orientation of the streetscape.

Carriage house apartments, Boulder, COThis building is part of a larger resi-dential infill project in an urbanneighborhood. This mid-blockaccessory unit provides parking onthe ground floor and apartmentsupstairs. The garage doors that linethe facade are recessed and brokeninto smaller units, minimizing theirnegative visual impact.

public land


PROTECT ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY…by incorporating green infrastructure, preservingnatural areas, and creating attractive, pleasant communities.

Open land is commonly perceived as “vacant” land ripefor development. Natural site features — topographyand drainage, wetlands and streams, woodlands andwildlife habitat — are often viewed as obstructions tobe filled, channeled, cleared and bulldozed to pave way

for new development. At best, select features are retained as natu-ral “amenities” intended to add market value to a project.Growing smarter means growing greener by:

Developing Brown rather than Green FieldsGreen fields, in the short term, are comparatively cheap

and easy to develop. In the long run extending and maintaininginfrastructure, roads, services and other improvements intoundeveloped areas can result in considerable ongoing expenseand more wide spread environmental degradation. Growingsmarter means developing vacant or abandoned areas served byinfrastructure that are already disturbed — through infill or“brownfield” (contaminated site) development — beforeextending development, infrastructure and services into unde-veloped areas of the community.

Incorporating Green InfrastructureThere is growing awareness that the natural functions of

“green infrastructure” — e.g., natural topography and drainage,floodways, wetlands, and existing vegetation — are as fundamen-tal to site design as the “gray infrastructure” of roads, parkinglots, water, sewer and utility lines. Incorporating natural featuresup front in site planning and project design can save time andmoney — many features serve valuable engineering functionsthat minimize flooding, surface runoff and soil erosion andenhance water quality. This does not preclude higher develop-ment densities. In central business districts and growth centers,where the highest densities are desired, off-site mitigation and/orthe provision of gray infrastructure also may be required.Vegetative screening, building orientation and design, can alsosubstantially increase energy efficiency, thereby reducing energycosts and associated environmental impacts.

Protecting Water QualityShorelands, rivers, and wetlands are dynamic systems that

change over time. Buffering these systems from development notonly protects valuable natural functions — including stormwaterconveyance, flood control and groundwater recharge — it alsoprotects adjoining properties by reducing environmental risk andthe need for more expensive control measures. Buffered areasserve a variety of functions — including water storage, filtration,erosion and temperature regulation — that protect water qualityand aquatic habitat. Linked, they can also serve as wildlife andrecreational corridors.

Preserving BiodiversityThe definition of “critical wildlife habitat” is expanding —

to include not only localized rare plant and animal species (asrequired under the Endangered Species Act), but also largerupland core or interior habitats, edge habitat, and connectingtravel corridors. Sprawling development — including poorlysited roads and utility lines — often results in habitat fragmen-tation and loss, and the interruption of major wildlife travelcorridors. It also limits access to land for hunting and fishing,and other wildlife-related recreational pursuits that contributesignificantly to the state’s economy. Development can be sited toavoid major habitat areas, and be designed to incorporate edgehabitat and linking corridors.

Integrating GreenwaysMany communities are defining greenway networks that may

include recreational, riparian, wildlife, and utility corridors, and“green belts” that edge and visually define settlement. Greenwayslink urban and village centers to local parks, open space areas andthe surrounding countryside. They also provide a framework fordevelopment, just as road networks do. Incorporating greenwaysin site design offers on-site access to off-site amenities and recre-ational opportunities.

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Fig. 6.1

Fig. 6.2

Fig. 6.3

Practices• Redevelop sites that have already

been disturbed (e.g., brownfields,vacant shopping centers).

• Incorporate “green infrastructure,”including natural features,drainage patterns and other func-tional open space (e.g., land-scaped areas) in site design.

• Avoid building in floodplains —limit these areas of the site toopen space uses (e.g., agriculture,forestry, outdoor recreation).

• Incorporate to the extent feasibleexisting contours and vegetation insite design to minimize the amountof grading and clearing required.

• Maximize density in areas servedby wastewater and stormwatercollection and treatment systems.

• Incorporate energy efficient sitelayout and building design.

• Incorporate nonstructural and/orstructural best management prac-tices (BMPs) for stormwatermanagement and erosion controlin site planning and development.

• Minimize the need for fertilizersand pesticides — avoid large lawnareas and use native species inlandscaping.

• Outside of urban, village or otherdesignated growth centers, definedevelopment and buildingenvelopes to exclude environmen-tally sensitive areas (e.g., steepslope, head-water, aquifer recharge,wetland and critical habitat areas).

• Maintain or establish undisturbed,vegetated buffers of sufficientwidth to protect water quality andwildlife habitat along rivers andstreams, and around ponds andwetland areas. (Fig. 6.1-6.2)

• Locate development and associatedbuilding envelopes, road and utilitycorridors to avoid the fragmenta-tion of wildlife habitat, includingcore habitat areas and connectingtravel corridors. (Fig. 6.3)


Project ExamplesDowntowns & VillagesThe following examples showhow developers can help pro-tect the environment by locat-ing projects in existing centersand using energy efficient andalternative building materialsand techniques.

Infill building, Hardwick, VTThis building filled a hole left by afire in downtown Hardwick. Likemany of the examples shown in the“Concentrate Development” sec-tion, this development project savesland by recycling a site that hadalready been disturbed. In locatinghomes and businesses centrally, ituses the transportation systemmore efficiently, saving energy. Italso saves energy with its greendesign. Double exterior walls, high-ly insulated ceilings and windows, afresh air circulation system withheat recovery, and the use of non-toxic materials combine to mini-mize the resources needed to oper-ate and maintain the building.

Oakes Hall, Vermont Law School,South Royalton, VTVermont Law School’s goals for thisnew classroom building were dura-bility, efficient use of resources, andadaptability to future needs. Theyachieved these through a design thatused durable materials, innovativeheating, cooling and lighting tech-niques, and composting toilets. Thisstructure consumes significantly lessfuel oil (59%), electricity (27%) andwater than a similarly sized conven-tional building. Recycled and envi-ronmentally friendly materials wereused throughout the building. It islocated in an existing settlement.

CountrysideIn the countryside, careful sit-ing and management practiceshelp protect water quality, bio-diversity, and wildlife habitat.

Mad River Greenway, Waitsfield, VTThis farm, through a partnershipbetween the farmer, a local pathassociation, and a watershed conser-vation group, helped protect thewater quality of the Mad Riverthrough the establishment of agreenway along its edge. A vegetatedzone between farm fields and theriverbank prevents farm runoff fromentering the Mad River. This linearopen space also provides habitat forwildlife and a natural recreation areafor local residents.

TRUEX,CULLINS & PARTNERS

Mad River Glen Ski Area, Fayston, VTAs it renovates its facilities and main-tains its trail system, this cooperativeski area carefully balances the needsof skiers with those of the StarkMountain ecosystem. As it providesrecreation, the cooperative strives tomaintain a healthy forest, managethe wildlife habitat, monitor thewatershed, and minimize the envi-ronmental impact of the ski areaoperations. Trails are narrow and fol-low the natural contours of themountain. When trees are felled bystorms, Mad River Glen follows asustainable forest management planto guide restoration efforts, includingthe planting of trees and the preven-tion of skiing in regeneration zones.

Essex County Forest Land A 3,598-acre tract of forestland inthe Northeast Kingdom has been setaside for timber harvest, wildlifehabitat and recreation. The VermontLand Trust purchased the land thenresold the bulk of it to a timberinvestment and forest managementcompany. The two groups workedtogether to identify significant natu-ral areas and draft easements to pro-tect the integrity of these areas whileallowing timber to be harvested. 81acres of the newly assembled parcelinclude fragile land within theNulhegan River basin that will notbe logged but sold to the NatureConservancy

JEFFREY P.ROBERTS


To grow smarter, the social, economic and politicalobstacles to smart growth need to be identified andthose within our control minimized. Several organiza-tions, including the Vermont Forum on Sprawl, havedocumented that many of the barriers to smart growth

involve the way in which our communities plan for their futureand regulate development. The processes we put in place for citi-zens to decide upon a common community vision, and the rulesand regulations we enact to achieve that vision, can either help orhinder smart growth.

Better Planning, Fewer BarriersIn a study of eight sample communities to determine local

causes of sprawl, the Vermont Forum on Sprawl identified a pat-tern of inconsistency between town plans and associated land useregulations. The town plan, by statute, provides the frameworkfor local zoning and other regulations, and should establish aclear vision for community growth. This is not always the case,however, for a variety of reasons.

Too often, citizens don’t participate in the process of devel-oping a plan for their community. Planning commissions need toreach out to local residents and landowners and provide mean-ingful opportunities to participate. The link between the plan andpolicy — including development regulations — must be clear sothat those who exercise their right to participate in the regulatoryprocess have exercised their responsibility to participate in theplanning process.

Much has been written on tools and techniques for involvingcitizens in the planning process. The more focused that process iswith regard to where and how the community should grow, thestronger will be the link to development regulations. In additionto common — and still very useful — public participation toolssuch as community surveys, neighborhood meetings, focusgroups and pot-luck suppers, other tools that take advantage ofmodern technologies and focus on design and development canstrengthen the link between planning and smart growth. Theseinclude:

Design workshops, or charrettes, which can help citizens tounderstand how the individual choices of landowners and devel-opers can contribute to — or detract from — a vibrant, healthycommunity while helping to establish a vision for a neighbor-hood or community.

Visual preference surveys, which allow citizens andlandowners to view images of various land uses and developmentpatterns and rank those images in order of preference.

Visualization techniques, used during the planningprocess, also can better educate the public regarding the implica-tions and benefits of smart growth principles.

Conducting build-out studies to predict future develop-ment of a community or area based upon physical constraints,market trends and existing regulations, can shed a great deal oflight on the long term outcome of keeping, or revising, currentdevelopment regulations.

The preparation of neighborhood or growth center plansdescribe in detail the community’s long term growth objectives,including the desired type, pattern and density of development,and strategies for providing infrastructure and services to supportthat growth.

Through these, and other, planning techniques — which arebeing used with greater frequency in Vermont — communityplanning can become more relevant for citizens and planners,and can strengthen the link between planning for the future andactually building the future.

The Hidden Design in Land Use RegulationsZoning bylaws and other development regulations often dis-

courage, or prohibit, many Best Development Practices.Oversized lot size requirements in village centers and rural areas,large setbacks, rigid segregation of uses, excessive parkingrequirements, and vague review criteria are common examples ofhow regulations discourage smart growth.

Among the most important strategies for eliminating regula-tory barriers to smart growth is to evaluate your community’sregulations to understand the type and pattern of developmentbeing fostered. Do the regulations allow for concentrated devel-opment? A mix of uses? Is development permitted that will dis-courage transportation options or lead to scattered, sprawlingdevelopment in rural areas far from town centers? A hard look atmany current regulations reveals that rules intended to protectthe community actually undermine its character and promotesprawl. Revising standards to encourage — or require — the useof Best Development Practices is a critical smart growth strategy.

For guidance on how smart growth practices can be translat-ed into regulatory standards; and for examples of smart growthdevelopment regulations, the Vermont Forum on Sprawl and theConservation Law Foundation are preparing Better Bylaws, BetterCommunities, a guidebook on smart growth regulations.

Putting Best Development Practices to WorkIn addition to better standards, the administrative processes

used to apply standards can also encourage or discourage the useof Best Development Practices. Just as there are “best develop-ment practices” for smart growth, it is useful to think of “bestdevelopment processes.” Fair and efficient review processes, andincentives to reward good development, should be key features oflocal regulations which promote smart growth.

Local regulations are the vehicle for bringing the communi-ty, as represented by the local review board, the developer, andinterested citizens and neighbors together to consider a proposeddevelopment. Each of these participants comes to the table withspecific rights and responsibilities spelled out in local regulationsand state statutes. Each of the parties can help make the localprocess fair and efficient, and each can undermine that fairnessand efficiency by their respective actions.

III. Best Development Processes: Making Smart Growth Work


Best Development ProcessesMany of the procedures used in local development and land

use regulation are prescribed by statute. Within this framework,there are a number of options available to communities tostreamline regulatory processes and encourage smart growth.Below are several relatively simple options for making local regu-latory processes more predictable for all participants, many ofwhich can also facilitate smart growth through incentives forprojects that incorporate Best Development Practices into theproject design.

In addition to the options briefly described below, theVermont Forum on Sprawl has prepared a supplement to thisreport entitled Best Development Processes: Making Smart GrowthWork, which provides greater detail regarding the differentoptions.

Establish a Development Review Board to place all munic-ipal regulatory authority traditionally shared between the plan-ning commission and board of adjustment into the hands of asingle review body.

Eliminate redundant or overlapping review processes. Itsnot uncommon in Vermont for many development projects to besubject to two or more different local review processes (e.g., sub-division, site plan, conditional use and design review). Where nodevelopment review board has been established, this typicallyrequires that both the board of adjustment and planning com-mission review a single development. By better coordinatingreview processes, and eliminating duplication, applicants can savetime and avoid the potential for receiving contradictory decisionsfrom boards that don’t see eye to eye.

Empower staff to serve as the preliminary, or only, reviewbody in certain situations. With clear standards, room for discre-tion and subjectivity can be minimized, allowing greater adminis-trative review authority. Communities without staff can benefitfrom project review checklists. Such checklists, which typicallyinclude the list of application requirements as well as a list of spe-cific review standards, can guide the process and help documenta project’s compliance with local smart growth standards with aminimum of discretion.

Define “smart growth” as a permitted use. For example, aproposed land use (e.g., multi-family dwellings, mixed commer-cial) could be categorized as a “permitted use” if it incorporatesbest development practices — as determined through locallydevised criteria — and would be issued a permit by the zoningadministrator with little or no board review. Similar developmentthat did not incorporate best development practices would beclassified as a conditional use subject to board review accordingto conditional use (and, perhaps, smart growth) criteria.

Make better use of Planned Unit and Planned ResidentialDevelopments (PUDs & PRDs) that provide greater flexibility ofdesign in accordance with smart growth standards in appropriatezoning districts. In effect, PRDs and PUDs allow review boards toset aside inappropriate zoning standards to achieve a better proj-ect design than would otherwise be possible. By adopting BestDevelopment Practices as guidelines — or PUD and/or PRDdevelopment standards — communities can offer developers asmart growth alternative to the strict application of standardsrelated to lot sizes, building dimensions and land use.

Provide density bonuses for smart growth projects.Vermont statute specifically authorizes local review boards togrant density bonuses to Planned Residential Developments(PRDs) and Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) for a variety ofpurposes, including the provision of affordable housing, good sitedesign or the protection of open space. Communities may allowhigher densities for mixed use and/or multi-story development indowntowns and villages. Higher densities for the adaptive re-useof historic structures (e.g. old mills), or in exchange for the provi-sion of specific “smart-growth features” (e.g. mix of uses, designelements, provision of public space or transportation options),may also be allowed under creative zoning bylaws.

Incorporate Best Development Practices into permit allo-cation programs to give higher priority to smart growth projectsunder zoning permit or wastewater capacity allocation systems.Many communities struggle with the demands of rapid growthby regulating the rate of development. Often, permit or waste-water capacity allocation formulas regulate the timing of develop-ment without addressing broader land use concerns. By tyingallocation and phasing programs to smart growth principles, andrewarding projects that incorporate Best Development Practices,the community can strengthen its land use policies while accom-modating a predictable growth rate.

Require early notification of neighboring landowners forpending applications, and encourage applicants to meet withthem to identify concerns prior to the formal hearing process. Itshould be noted, however, that pre-hearing negotiations can placeapplicants at risk should neighbors not be informed of the stan-dards that will be applied to the project. Notification of neighbor-ing landowners should therefore include a description of the pro-posed development and a description of the standards and crite-ria that will be applied to the proposal.

Run public hearings effectively, efficiently and fairly.Prepare and adopt rules of procedure to guide local reviews, andto explain that process to applicants and other interested partici-pants. Board members should periodically evaluate their process-es — how meetings are conducted, whether deliberations are fairand efficient — and make adjustments as needed.

Publish design guidelines or local best development prac-tices to document and illustrate how smart growth principlesapply within your community; and to advise applicants andinterested parties (e.g. neighbors, citizen groups). By graphicallyarticulating desired development standards, the community willsend a clear message regarding desired types and patterns ofdevelopment, and developers can respond with clear documenta-tion that a project is designed to meet local standards.

Commit to an ongoing training program for local boardmembers and staff. Serving on a local review board can bethankless and time consuming. Taking on the responsibilityinvolves more than going to meetings, as it involves a responsi-bility to make informed decisions in a fair and consistent —and legal — manner.


RULES OF CONDUCT FOR A BETTER PROCESSWe can all support better review processes by abiding by basic “rules of conduct” — formal rules which arerequired by statute, and other more voluntary rules which govern how we participate in the process.

Local review boards and municipal officials can:• Make sure all participants in regulatory proceedings are aware of the procedures and standards used to evaluate proposals — it’s important

that concerned neighbors understand when, and to what extent their concerns can or cannot be addressed through local regulations.

• Limit the review of projects to information relevant to the standards and criteria that are in place.

• Conduct public hearings as efficiently as possible — unnecessary delay in reaching a decision is not a legitimate or effective growth management tool.

• Be prepared — do your homework and understand your regulations.

• Understand the big picture — local regulations are intended implement the municipal plan. Understanding the plan — its vision, policies and objectives — will help in the interpretation and application of your regulations.

• Advocate for smart growth in your community.

Landowners and developers can: • Understand that the review process requires adequate time for staff review, public notices, hearings and fair deliberations by volunteer boards

— and your project is not the only one under consideration.

• Be forthcoming with adequate information — the review process may not start until you have submitted a complete application; respondpromptly to requests for clarifications or additional information or delays in the permitting process will likely result.

• Recognize that poorly conceived development will diminish the quality of life of a neighborhood or community — design projects according tosmart growth principles and practices that contribute to the fabric of the community.

• Participate in the local planning process, not just the regulatory process.

• Provide opportunities for neighborhood involvement in project design—e.g., through a neighborhood charrette process.

• Advocate for, and build, smart growth projects.

Citizens can:• Participate in development of municipal plans and regulations — address up front how your neighborhood will be developed before an applica-

tion is filed.

• Offer constructive solutions to legitimate concerns. Like it or not, developers have the right to use their property in accordance with local andstate regulations — simply leaving a particular property undeveloped may not be a reasonable option, for the developer or the community.

• Recognize that the entire community is your backyard — identify how your concerns relate to the needs of the larger community.

• Take advantage of opportunities to address issues outside of the hearing process — by meeting with the developer and keeping an open mind,you may find an easy solution to a concern before sides become entrenched. At a minimum, you will have a better understanding of the pro-posed development.

• Understand that the review board has specific criteria to use when reviewing projects, and that those criteria may not allow them to address allyour concerns.

• Advocate for smart growth in your community. Be supportive of projects that follow Best Development Practices.


GLOSSARY OF VERMONT REGULATORY TERMS

Interested Person: As defined in statute [§4464(b)], interested persons,who have the right to participate in local regulatory processes and toappeal decisions of the Administrative Officer and local review bodies,includes the following:• The municipality or an adjoining municipality; • A person owning or occupying property in the immediate neighborhood of a

property which is the subject of a decision or act taken under these regula-tions, who alleges that the decision or act, if confirmed, will not be in accordwith the policies, purposes or terms of the plan or regulations of the Town;

• Any ten (10) persons owning real property within the Town who, by signedpetition, allege that any relief requested by a person under this section, ifgranted, will not be in compliance with the plan or regulations of the Town;

• Any department or administrative subdivision of the State owning proper-ty or any interest therein within the Town or adjoining municipality, andthe Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development; and

• The local Conservation Commission, if one exists.

Overlay District: A zoning district that encompasses one or more underly-ing district and that imposes additional requirements or standards thanotherwise required by the underlying district(s).

Permitted Use: A use permitted in a particular zoning district, typicallyupon the issuance of a zoning permit by the Administrative Officer.Permitted uses generally do not require review and approval of localreview boards (e.g. Planning Commission, Development Review Board,Board of Adjustment) providing they meet dimensional and density stan-dards for the district within which they are located. Permits for permitteduses are subject to appeal by Interested Persons to the Board ofAdjustment or Development Review Board within 15 days of issuance.

Planned Residential Development (PRD): An area of land, controlled by alandowner, to be developed as a single entity for a number dwelling units;the plan for which does not correspond in lot size, bulk, or type of dwelling,density, lot coverage, and/or required opens space under local bylaws theseregulations except as a PRD (see also Planned Unit Development).

Planned Unit Development (PUD): An area of land, controlled by alandowner, to be developed as a single entity for a number of dwellingunits and commercial and industrial uses, if any; the plan for which doesnot correspond in lot size, bulk, or type of dwelling, commercial or industri-al use, density, lot coverage, and required opens space under local bylawsexcept as a planned unit development.

Site Plan Review: A review process that may be required for any useother than a 1 or 2 family dwelling. Site plan review is administered by thePlanning Commission or Development Review Board, if such a Board hasbeen established. Historically, site plan review standards were limited tocirculation and parking, traffic access, landscaping and screening, andprotection of renewable energy resources. Statute [§4407(50] waschanged in 1993 to allow the regulation of “other matters specified in thebylaws.” Many communities do not require a warned public hearing forsite plan review, for which a decision must be issued within 60 days of thesubmission of the application. Decisions may be appealed by an InterestedPerson to the Vermont Environmental Court.

The authority of Vermont communities to plan for theirfuture and regulate land use and development is estab-lished in state statute. The Vermont Planning andDevelopment Act [24 V.S.A., Chapter 117] sets forthmany of the processes and mechanisms that are com-

monly used to regulate development. The most common of theseinclude conditional use review, site plan review, design review,subdivision review and Planned Unit Developments (PUD) andPlanned Residential Developments (PRD) review.

Depending upon the process, one of three review boards(Planning Commission, Development Review Board, Board ofAdjustment) will be responsible for reviewing applications fordevelopment to determine whether the proposal complies withstandards and criteria included in local regulations. WhereDevelopment Review Boards have been created, that body (whichreplaces the Board of Adjustment) is responsible for all regulatoryfunctions in the community. Without a Development ReviewBoard, regulatory functions are shared by Planning Commissionand Board of Adjustment. Planning Commissions also fulfillmany planning functions, including drafting town plans and newand revised bylaws. The Board of Adjustment (or DevelopmentReview Board) also considers appeals of decisions made by theAdministrative Officer.

The following describes some common termsassociated with local regulations.Administrative Officer (Zoning Administrator): The AdministrativeOfficer, appointed by the Planning Commission with approval of theLegislative Body [§4442], is responsible for literally administering andstrictly enforcing the provisions of zoning bylaws. This involves issuingzoning permits, inspecting developments, maintaining records, and per-forming other associated tasks as is necessary and appropriate.

Bylaws: Zoning regulations, subdivision regulations or an official mapadopted in accordance with the Vermont Planning and Development Act.

Conditional Use: A use permitted in a particular zoning district only upona finding by the Zoning Board of Adjustment or Development Review Boardthat such use in a specified location will comply with the conditions andstandards set forth in the bylaws. Such conditions and standards mustinclude standards set forth in §4407 (2). Such approval may only occurafter the conclusion of a warned public hearing, and may be appealed byan Interested Person to the Vermont Environmental Court.

Design Review: A process in which development within a particular zon-ing district, designated to encompass an area containing structures of his-torical, architectural or cultural merit, is subject to review by the PlanningCommission or Development Review Board, and may be subject to reviewby a Design Review Board acting in an advisory capacity. Design reviewmay address a wide range of architectural and site design details, depend-ing upon the design issues and associated design criteria adopted by themunicipality. Typically, design review processes are adopted in accordancewith statute which authorizes Design Control Districts [§4407(6)] ofHistoric Districts [§4407(15).


Exploring Sprawl, a six-part series on sprawlresearch in Vermont:1. Vermonters’ Attitudes on Sprawl

2. What is Sprawl in Vermont?

3. The Causes and Effects of Sprawl in Vermont Communities

4. The Impacts on Sprawl of State Investment and Policies

5. The Costs of Development: Downtown vs. Open Spaces

6. Economic, Social, and Land Use Trends Related to Sprawl in Vermont

More in the “Way to Grow!” series:No. 1: The Vermont Smart Growth ScorecardThis community self-assessment tool provides questions localplanners and citizens can ask themselves to see where their townstands on the sprawl to smart growth continuum. It is a valuableguide for updating town plans and regulations and encouragingcitizen involvement. $10.00Education partner: The Orton InstituteAvailable in: now.

No. 3: Better Bylaws, Better Communities, a guidebook onsmart-growth regulations.This guidebook, co-authored by the Vermont Forum on Sprawland the Conservation Law Foundation, provides standards forregulations that reinforce smart-growth principles in town centers, suburban settings, and rural communities. It containsexamples of good zoning, ideas on how to get certain provisionsaccepted, and the techniques for applying standards.Project partner: The Conservation Law Foundation.Education partner: The Orton InstituteAvailable in: May, 2001.

No. 4: How to Determine Your Town’s Infill Potential.This report describes how to find and identify the room forgrowth in your town center (or centers). Often, communities areunaware of the places where they could expand without sprawl— such as, for example, by filling in vacant land and parkinglots, renovating empty buildings, or increasing the number offloors in buildings.Project partner: The University of Vermont HistoricPreservation Program.Available in: summer, 2001.

No. 5: New Models for Compact Commercial andIndustrial DevelopmentDesigned to counter today’s trends toward strip commercialdevelopment and spread-out, isolated industrial lots, these new models reflect smart-growth principles and reinforceVermont’s state policy of compact settlements surrounded byrural countryside.The models are developed for four settings:• urban and village centers• older, vacant and/or underused industrial areas near

downtowns and village centers• new growth centers• older, vacant and underused industrial areas.Project partner: The Vermont Business Roundtable.Available in: 2001.

MORE RESOURCES

From the Vermont Forum on Sprawl

BACKGROUND ON VERMONT FORUM ON SPRAWL

Mission, Objectives, and Work PlanThe Vermont Forum on Sprawl (VFOS), a 501(c)(3) non

profit organization, was founded in 1998 in response to a grow-ing need to address the issue of sprawl in Vermont. Despite well-recognized and successful programs, including Act 250 and theHousing and Conservation Trust Fund, Vermont is now experi-encing the destructive patterns of growth that other parts of thecountry have faced for years. Seeing the need for more informa-tion on sprawl, and its causes and effects, and for strategies tocombat sprawl, the Vermont Forum on Sprawl was formed to filla major void.

The mission of the Vermont Forum on Sprawl is: to preserveVermont’s unique working landscape and quality of life whileencouraging economic vitality in community centers.

We accomplish our mission through: 1) research and com-munications, 2) public policy development, 3) community toolsand demonstration projects, and 4) building partnerships.

Our program objectives are to:• Provide information on the causes and effects of sprawl that

inform strategies to arrest this form of development;• Communicate about sprawl and its consequences in a clear

and understandable way;• Share information and build coalitions with government,

business, conservation and community organizations onthe strategies to address sprawl and achieve smart growth.

• Involve a broad cross-section of Vermonters and experts inthe development of solutions to counter sprawl;

• Learn from other places and from demonstrations and test-ing in Vermont about what solutions are effective

In three years, the Vermont Forum on Sprawl has increasedpublic awareness on sprawl, advanced state policy, and developedpartnerships to tackle specific issues. We have established our-selves as a resource on sprawl and smart growth for local, state,and national public policy makers, other non-profits, the businesscommunity, the media and citizens.

StaffBeth Humstone, Executive Director/ PresidentSarah Judd, Associate DirectorNancy Morin, Office Manager

Board of DirectorsJohn Ewing, Board Chair.William J. Basa, President, Global Market ResearchDarby Bradley, President, Vermont Land TrustPaul Bruhn, Executive Director, Preservation Trust of VermontDelia Clark, Co-Director, Antioch New England Institute Wayne Granquist, Senior Advisor, Manchester Capital InvestmentRobert Klein, Director, The Nature Conservancy of VermontCharles Kireker, Partner, Green Mountain CapitalJohn Marshall, Esq., Member of the firm, Downs, Rachlin &

MartinNancy Nye, Community Development ConsultantWilliam C. Shouldice, IV, President and CEO, The Orton Family

FoundationThomas Slayton, Editor, Vermont Life MagazineHelen Whyte, Northeast Regional Program Director, The Orton

Family Foundation.

110 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Tel: 802 864-6310

Fax: 802 862-4487

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.vtsprawl.org

GROWING SMARTER“Sprawl costs us all” — a rallying cry for smart growth initiatives nationwide — highlights the fact that sprawl is an inefficient, consumptive, heavily subsidized

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