State awards $450,000 for local planning

A dozen southern Vermont communities will receive municipal planning grants as part of a $450,000 state package to assist 42 cities and towns prepare for future development and protect themselves from floods.
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20131207/NEWS02/712079928

Published December 7, 2013 in the Rutland Herald State awards $450,000 for local planning Staff Report A dozen southern Vermont communities will receive municipal planning grants as part of a $450,000 state package to assist 42 cities and towns prepare for future development and protect themselves from floods. “Jobs, businesses, transportation options and affordable places to live are dependent on proactive, community driven local plans and land use policies,” Noelle MacKay, state commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development, said in a statement. “The MPG program helps communities develop the necessary planning and implementation tools — and makes it easier for families, communities and entire regions to thrive,” she said. The department chose the following projects from a pool of 63 communities requesting more than $733,000: Arlington: $11,051 to update its town plan to address flood resilience, economic development and village center designation for Arlington and East Arlington. Bennington: $7,950 to develop a detailed plan for a pedestrian and bicycle travel corridor on Benmont Avenue between downtown Bennington and Northside Drive’s businesses and nearby housing complexes. Brattleboro: $20,000 to draft new zoning district regulations based on guidance from its town plan and public feedback. Cavendish: $9,947 to update its town plan to address newly required economic development and flood resiliency elements and issues identified by the Regional Planning Commission. Halifax: $8,000 to update its zoning regulations to address fluvial erosion hazards and conflicts between its current town plan and new zoning, and to develop draft subdivision regulations. Ludlow: $6,951 to inventory buildings and properties at risk of flooding and to clarify permitting requirements for greater flood resilience. Manchester, Shaftsbury and Sunderland: $18,325 to develop a solid waste management plan to meet the requirements of the Vermont Materials Management Plan Act 148. Rockingham: $8,000 to create a design review guide for a second sub-district within the Bellows Falls Downtown Design Review District to supplement and support the recently completed Bellows Falls Island Growth Plan. Springfield: $11,747 to update its 1995 downtown master plan in order to identify new projects that will help the town move forward with revitalization efforts. Wilmington: $12,667 to evaluate changes to its Historic Review District and other aspects of zoning bylaws in support of downtown and to enhance preservation. In total, the Municipal Planning Grant program has provided over $9.5 million to cities and towns since 1998.