Dorset Town Plan
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Zoning Office Town Offices Ph: (802) 362-4571 x 5 112 Mad Tom Rd Fax: (802) 362-5156 PO Box 715 [email protected] East Dorset, VT 05253 Hours: Tues. Wed. Thurs. : 11am-4pm ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ TOWN OF DORSET PUBLIC HEARING The Planning Commission will hold a hearing Tuesday, October 1, 2019, at 7:00 pm at the Dorset Town Offices, 112 Mad Tom Rd, East Dorset, Vermont, to receive public comment on proposed amendments to the Dorset Town Plan. The purpose of the proposed amendments is to update the 2014 Town Plan. The proposed amendments address, among other things, land use, energy planning, and economic development. The proposed amendments cover all geographic areas within the Town and would alter the designation of some land use planning areas in the Town. The following is a list of the Town Plan section headings: Section 1: Introduction Section 2: General Planning Background Section 3: Statement of Objectives Section 4: Land Use Section 5: Natural, Scenic, and Historic Resources Section 6: Housing Section 7: Transportation Section 8: Education and Community Facilities Section 9: Energy and Utility Plans Section 10: Economic Development Section 11: Implementation List of Tables List of Maps Appendix A: Index of the Dorset Town Plan in Relation to the Fourteen Planning Goals Identified by the State of Vermont Appendix B: Town Plan Maps-Full Size Additional information and the full text of the proposed amended Town Plan can be obtained by contacting the Zoning Administrator, Tyler W. Yandow AIA. Contact information is shown below. Tyler W. Yandow A.I.A. Zoning Administrator Dorset Town Offices PO Box 715 East Dorset VT 05253 Phone: 802-362-4571 Ext. 5 Email: [email protected] www.dorsetvt.org SEND AS .DOC FILE TO BANNER FOR PUBLICATION. DO NOT SEND .PDF FILES. SEND COPY TO APPLICANT/OWNER/CONSULTANT WITH COPY OF 24 VSA 4464(a) Dorset Town Offices: PO Box 715 112 Mad Tom Road East Dorset, VT 05253 Town of Dorset Town Manager’s Office: Phone: 802-362-4571 x 3 Fax: 802-362-5156 Dorset, Vermont Email: [email protected] Website: www.dorsetvt.org ============================= Chartered 1761 ================= Report for Dorset Town Plan Re-Adoption 24 V.S.A. 4384(c) October 1, 2019 Statement of Purpose The Dorset Town Plan is a comprehensive long-range plan for the Town of Dorset. It states goals, objectives, and policies to guide the growth and development of the town. It is intended as a framework upon which to base specific future actions, regulations, and bylaws. When preparing proposed amendments to the Town Plan. 24 V.S.A. 4384(c) requires the Planning Commission to address the extent to which the Plan, as amended, is consistent with the planning goals established in 24 V.S.A. 4384(c). This is described in Appendix A of the Plan, “Index of the Dorset Town Plan in Relation to the Planning Goals Identified by the State of Vermont,” and is incorporated in this Report by reference. Because proposed amendments to the Town Plan would alter the designation of land use planning areas in the Town, 24 V.S.A. 4384(c) requires this Report to address the following points: (1) The probable impact of the proposal on the surrounding area, including the effect of any increase in traffic, and the overall pattern of land use; The proposal is for amendments to the current Dorset Town Plan last adopted in 2014. The amendments include updated data on population, housing, and energy consumption. Substantive changes include: • A focus on in-fill development in the village centers, with the need for infrastructure to support this type of development; • Land use planning areas designated as: Rural, Rural & Forest, Forest & Recreation, and Mixed Use, Concentrated residential, and commercial industrial. These are planning areas that use the same boundaries as the current zoning districts; • Entirely new Energy Section dedicated to current data and the effort to encourage meeting the Vermont State renewable energy goals. In general these changes will correlate to future study of the Dorset Zoning Bylaw and possible amendments to the bylaw to accomplish the goals laid out in the Town Plan. The Town Plan still holds the previous goal of advancing Dorset as a bucolic rural community with historic village centers that are home to mixed use developments that host a vibrant local economy. (2) The long-term cost and benefit to the municipality, with regard to probable impacts to the municipal tax base and the need for public facilities; The proposal encourages mixed use and infill development focused in the village areas. This will coincide with Dorset’s current fit as a destination for rural residential living. Overall the combination of these efforts will hopefully allow for grand list growth which will drive down the municipal tax rate. In-fill development in Dorset Village could be aided with further improvements to the public water system and the possible creation of the community waste water system or public waste water option. These efforts would allow properties in the village core to have a better chance for diverse mixed use options with limits under the current State water/wastewater guidelines. (3) The amount of vacant land available (e.g., already zoned or designated), needed and proposed for the intended use of purpose; These amendments keep the land use areas very similar to the current zoning districts. Generally Dorset has large tracts of forested lands that are either conserved or falling under the Rural & Forest/ Forest & Recreation areas, meaning very little development will occur in these areas. The amendments call for the creation of a Commercial Industrial Zone Master Plan to help better understand the current capacity of developed commercial space and the potential locations for additional commercial space within the Commercial Industrial Zone. (4) The suitability of the area in question for the intended use or purpose, with consideration to appropriate alternative locations, alternative uses for the area under consideration, and the probable impact of the proposed change on other similarly designated areas; The amendments largely build upon the current zoning land use designations with a focus of infill development in the village centers and rural areas outside of the villages. The amendments do not propose any specific actions/ alternatives for projects, the simply set the stage for future zoning bylaw review and possible project or concept specific changes. (5) Whether the size and boundaries of the proposed area are appropriate, with respect to the area required for the proposed use, the capability of the land to support it, and existing development in the area; The amendments are meant to enhance the current land use plan that exists in the Dorset by allowing for infill development and rural residential uses beyond the village centers. There is no specific project that would change boundaries and be considered a different/ new use. DORSET TOWN PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION 6 1.1 What is the Dorset Town Plan? 1.2 The Municipal Plan Process in Dorset 1.3 How this Plan is Used 1.4 Interpretation of this Plan SECTION 2: GENERAL PLANNING BACKGROUND 8 2.1 Physiography 2.2 Population 2.3 Housing 2.4 Economic Development 2.5 Dorset's Relationship with the Region and with Adjacent Municipalities SECTION 3: STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES 13 3.1 Land Use and Economy 3.2 Education 3.3 Transportation 3.4 Natural, Scenic, Historic Resources 3.5 Energy Conservation 3.6 Recreation 3.7 Agriculture and Forestry 3.8 Natural Resources and Extractive Resources 3.9 Housing 3.10 Public Facilities and Services 3.11 Child Care Services SECTION 4: LAND USE 17 4.1 Existing Land Use Patterns 4.1.1 Mountainous Areas 4.1.2 Valley Lands and Rural Areas 4.1.3 Villages 4.1.4 Development Along Transportation Corridors 4.2 Land Use Plan and Policies 4.2.1 Urban Designations 4.2.1.1 Mixed Use 4.2.1.2 Concentrated Residential 4.2.1.3 Commercial-Industrial 4.2.2 Rural Designations 4.2.2.1 Rural 4.2.2.2 Rural Forest 4.2.2.3 Forestry and Recreation SECTION 5: NATURAL, SCENIC, AND HISTORIC RESOURCES 29 5.1 Natural Resource Areas and Policies 5.1.1 Agricultural Soils 5.1.2 Forest Lands 5.1.3 Water Resources 5.1.4 Wildlife Habitat Areas 5.1.5 Extractive Resources 5.1.6 Policies for Natural Resource Areas 5.2 Scenic Areas 5.2.1 Policies for Scenic Areas 5.3 Historic Resources 5.3.1 Policies for Historic Preservation 5.4 Natural Hazard Areas and Hazard Area Policies 5.4.1 Steeply Sloped Lands 5.4.2 Flood and Fluvial Erosion Hazard Areas 5.4.3 Policies for Natural Hazard Areas SECTION 6: HOUSING 43 6.1 Housing Supply 6.2 Housing Affordability and Policies 6.2.1 Policies Regarding Housing Affordability 6.3 Growth Management and Policies 6.3.1 Growth Management Policies 6.3.2 Growth and Energy SECTION 7: TRANSPORTATION 50 7.1 Roads 7.1.1 State Highways 7.1.2 Local Arterials 7.1.3 Local Collector and Access Roads 7.2 Parking 7.3 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation 7.3.1 Bicycle Travel on the Town's Roadways 7.3.2 Bicycle & Pedestrian Transportation, Off Roadways 7.4 Railways 7.5 Transportation Policies SECTION 8: EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES 57 8.1 Educational Facilities and Services 8.1.1 Educational Facility Policies 8.2 Water Supply Service 8.2.1 Water Supply Policies 8.3 Sanitary Sewage Disposal 8.3.1 Sanitary Sewage Disposal Policies 8.4 Solid Waste Disposal 8.4.1 Solid Waste Disposal Policies 8.5 Emergency Services 8.5.1 Policies Related to Emergency Services 8.6 Local Government 8.6.1 Policies Related