Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced $468,552 in Municipal Planning Grant awards at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. Of the 51 municipalities that applied, 31 towns and cities will receive planning grants to develop solutions that address local community issues.
The Governor highlighted three planning grants awarded within in Washington County: Berlin, Middlesex and Waitsfield. Berlin is working to create a new, mixed-use and walkable town center in the area encompassing the Berlin Mall and the Central Vermont Medical Center. Middlesex and Waitsfield are also pursuing projects to create lively, walkable and economically vibrant town centers.
“Reinforcing town and village centers is critical to growing our economy. Like so many towns in Vermont, Berlin, Middlesex and Waitsfield rely on the work of planning commissioners, select board members and other volunteers to strengthen their communities for future generations,” said Governor Scott. “I’m pleased we can support their efforts through these grants.”
“These funds will help towns focus on building, enhancing and making connections in the community to develop the town centers of the future where both businesses and residents can thrive,” said Bonnie Waninger, executive director of the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission. “In Berlin, the grant will help make progress towards creating a new town center in the mall area with a wide range of uses including new housing and a childcare center.”
Other municipal grants awarded will fund a wide range of projects in municipalities large and small throughout Vermont, including a study to resolve the childcare shortage in Randolph, evaluating the potential for inter-town firefighting in and around St. Johnsbury, and recovering from the loss of Green Mountain College in Poultney. Several towns will use grants to revise zoning regulations and take other steps to improve local housing opportunities.
The Municipal Planning Grant Program is administered by the Community Planning and Revitalization Division in the Department of Housing and Community Development and has been funding local initiatives since 1988. More information about the program is available at: https://accd.vermont.gov/community-development/funding-incentives/municipal-planning-grant.
Summaries of the all 2020 grants are available below and here: https://accd.vermont.gov/sites/accdnew/files/documents/CD/CPR/MPG/CPR-MPG-FundedProjects-FY20.pdf.
Berlin – A New Town Center at the Berlin Mall
Prepare a conceptual master plan, and other items necessary for obtaining New Town Center and Neighborhood Development Area designation from the State to help realize the town's vision for a mixed-use town center in the Berlin Mall area. For more information, contact Tom Badowski, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $60,010
Grant Funds Awarded: $22,000
Burke – Economic Opportunities for West Burke
Create an economic development plan and host a visioning session for West Burke village to identify redevelopment and business opportunities. For more information, contact Linda Hackett-Corey, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $46,698
Grant Funds Awarded: $22,000
Castleton –. Making the Regulations Work Better
Consolidate and update the town's land use regulations to reflect the recommendations of the 2018 Town Plan. For more information, contact Jonas Rosenthal, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $9,650 Grant Funds Awarded: $8,685 Dorset and Arlington – Multi-town Zoning Re-set With Dorset as the lead municipality, the Regional Planning Commission will recommend specific zoning updates for 17 villages and towns seeking to improve the quality and diversity of homes in the region. For more information, contact Robert Gaiotti, [email protected]. Total Project Cost: $15,000 Grant Funds Awarded: $13,500
Fairfield – Facing Change and Re-examining Goals
Apply a focused, accelerated process to update Fairfield's Town Plan and address the recent changes facing the community. For more information, contact Amanda Forbes, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $11,980
Grant Funds Awarded: $10,880
FY20 Municipal Planning Grant Projects December 2019
Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development Page 2
Fairfax – Looking Back to Better Guide Growth
Assess the recent trajectory of residential development to ensure zoning regulations align with the 2018 Town Plan and the long-term community vision. For more information, contact Amber Soter, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $18,618
Grant Funds Awarded: $16,500
Ferrisburgh – A Vision for Village Neighborhoods
Identify the kind of compact mixed-use neighborhoods that could be encouraged through updated zoning regulations and use illustrations to build a shared vision. For more information, contact Arabella Holzapfel, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $9,940
Grant Funds Awarded: $8,946
Highgate – Support for Village Wastewater Solutions Coordination for the local steering committee to ensure the success of the ANR-funded wastewater feasibility study in Highgate Center, including community outreach, archeological assessment and more. For more information, contact Heidi Britch-Valenta, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $14,345
Grant Funds Awarded: $12,845
Hinesburg – Graphics to Communicate Development Requirements Create illustrations of the town's architectural and streetscape design standards to provide clarity for growth in the village area and bolster public confidence in development outcomes. For more information, contact Alex Weinhagen, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $6,590
Grant Funds Awarded: $5,500
Hyde Park, Waterville, and Eden – Placemaking in Three Villages A multi-town initiative to develop strategies that enhance public spaces and create vibrant, walkable environments in the villages of Eden, North Hyde Park and Waterville. For more information, contact Seth Jensen, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $25,024
Grant Funds Awarded: $22,749
Manchester – Downtown Re-investment Opportunities Identify and assess downtown sites that are most viable for the kind of vibrant, mixed use development sought by the community. For more information, contact Janet Hurley, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $17,500
Grant Funds Awarded: $15,750
FY20 Municipal Planning Grant Projects December 2019
Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development Page 3
Middlebury – Zoning to Match the Downtown Vision Update the zoning regulations for Middlebury's downtown area, encouraging development that furthers the soon-to-be completed Downtown Master Plan. For more information, contact Jennifer Murray, [email protected]. Total Project Cost: $22,000
Grant Funds Awarded: $20,000
Middlesex – A Walkable Village Design
Design a walkable, bikeable, vibrant Village Center in Middlesex, creating a destination with multimodal access. For more information, contact Sarah Merriman, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $22,225
Grant Funds Awarded: $20,000
Newport – A New Plan for the Future Produce an all-new comprehensive plan incorporating recent planning efforts into a cohesive, inspiring, and visionary document with targeted implementation strategies. For more information, contact Laura Dolgin, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $24,200
Grant Funds Awarded: $22,000
North Hero – A Vision for Village Improvements Prepare a village master plan offering a vision for future improvements for safety and mobility, public spaces, and walk-bike connectivity between community designations. For more information, contact Corinn Julow, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $18,000
Grant Funds Awarded: $16,200
Poultney – A Plan to Navigate Recent Changes Develop a guiding vision for the town and explore updates to the regulations to support the downtown following closure of Green Mountain College. For more information, contact Paul Donaldson, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $9,950
Grant Funds Awarded: $9,000
Randolph – Meeting Urgent Childcare Needs
Assess the childcare needs of the Randolph region, identify a sustainable childcare model to meet those needs and evaluate a municipal property to determine if it can be re-developed into a childcare center. For more information, contact Joshua Jerome, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $10,575
Grant Funds Awarded: $9,518
FY20 Municipal Planning Grant Projects December 2019
Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development Page 4
Reading – A New Look at the Town Plan
Prepare a Town Plan update to address affordable housing, village revitalization, infrastructure, energy and other community concerns. For more information, contact Jason Rasmussen, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $10,680
Grant Funds Awarded: $9,709
Rockingham – Design for a New Downtown Park
Plan and design a town park/common in downtown Bellows Falls that can be constructed by the Town of Rockingham. For more information, contact Charles Wise, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $6,750
Grant Funds Awarded: $6,000
Rutland City – Zoning Updates for Neighborhoods and Gateways
Refine development review standards and processes specifically for the multifamily neighborhoods and commercial gateway corridors to address community concerns. For more information, contact Barbara Spaulding, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $24,385
Grant Funds Awarded: $22,000
Sharon – Planning for a Strong Community Update the Town Plan to reflect the recently articulated community vision and develop actionable recommendations for maintaining a strong rural community. For more information, contact Victoria Littlefield, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $9,984
Grant Funds Awarded: $9,076
Sheldon – Strategies for Maximizing Rail Trail Benefits
Identify priority actions to enhance the walkability of Sheldon’s newly designated villages and capitalize on the recreational and economic opportunities of the Lamoille and Missisquoi Valley Rail Trails. For more information, Kimberlee Dufresne, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $9,590
Grant Funds Awarded: $8,718
Shoreham – Village Design for New Homes and Vitality Prepare a conceptual plan for the Farnum Property in Shoreham Village to encourage mixed-use development including housing. For more information, contact Peter Lynch, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $15,380
Grant Funds Awarded: $13,482
FY20 Municipal Planning Grant Projects December 2019
Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development Page 5
Springfield – Modernizing Regulations for the Downtown Update zoning and subdivision regulations and improve the permitting process to encourage downtown revitalization and further other Town Plan priorities. For more information, contact Renee Vondle, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $14,400
Grant Funds Awarded: $13,090
St. Johnsbury and Waterford – Possibilities for Multi-town Public Services A multi-municipal study to evaluate opportunities for regional cooperation, including consideration of partial or complete consolidation of Fire Protection and Prevention Services. For more information, contact Irene Nagle, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $34,710
Grant Funds Awarded: $31,000
Underhill – Determining Housing Needs Assess the current and projected housing needs for Underhill, particularly with respect to addressing the need for more affordable homes. For more information, contact John Romanoff, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $12,550
Grant Funds Awarded: $11,295
Vernon – A Plan for the Vermont Yankee Site
Collaborate on a plan for site restoration at Vermont Yankee, including an evaluation of geologic conditions that could impact future development. For more information, contact Michelle Pong, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $56,000
Grant Funds Awarded: $22,000
Waitsfield – Wetlands Identification for Village Planning
Identify and map the wetlands and other important natural resources in Irasville and Waitsfield Village to inform master planning for mixed use infill. For more information, contact Trevor Lashua, [email protected].
Total Project Cost: $6,050
Grant Funds Awarded: $4,938
Westfield – Study for Senior Home Redevelopment Determine the highest and best use of the now-closed community care home in Westfield village and complete an assessment for funding to keep the homes affordable. For more information, contact LaDonna Dunn, [email protected]. Total Project Cost: $22,175
Grant Funds Awarded: $19,957
FY20 Municipal Planning Grant Projects December 2019
Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development Page 6
Whitingham – Reducing Flooding in Jacksonville Assistance to oversee a multi-facetted flood resilience project in the Village of Jacksonville including removal and replacement of undersized bridges and culverts. For more information, contact Gig Zboray, [email protected]. Total Project Cost: $21,163
Grant Funds Awarded: $19,239
Winooski – Focus on Historic Preservation Conduct an historic resource inventory, facilitate a community dialogue about preservation priorities, and develop recommendations for a preservation bylaw. For more information, contact Heather Carrington, [email protected]. Total Project Cost: $25,275
Grant Funds Awarded: $21,975 State Award Funding Totals: $468,552
The State also prepared a short annual report with case studies of completed Municipal Planning Grant projects.
About the Department of Housing and Community Development
The Department of Housing and Community Development works to support vibrant and resilient communities, promote safe and affordable housing for all, protect the state’s historic resources, and improve the quality of life for Vermonters.
About the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development’s (ACCD) mission is to help Vermonters improve their quality of life and build strong communities. ACCD accomplishes this mission by providing grants, technical assistance, and advocacy through three divisions: The Department of Economic Development, the Department of Tourism and Marketing, and the Department of Housing and Community Development. For more information on ACCD please visit: accd.vermont.gov.