Glover Village New Application

Complete application. All requirements met. . Cover letter dated 10/30/2020 . Authorization from selectboard on 10/08/2020 . Town planning process confirmed on 04/26/2018 by NVDA . NVDA notified on 10/30/2020 . Color photographs included . Town has no zoning bylaws . Town has no historic districts . Proposed boundary map included, and it was developed in coordination with DHCD staff

Staff Recommendation Approve application and award designation

Downtown Board Meeting 23 November 2020 Glover Village

Downtown Board Meeting 23 November 2020 Glover Village Revitalization Efforts

. Previously a designated village center from July 2009 – 2014 . Town plan updated in 2018 with a focus on village revitalization . No municipal water system, but town collects wastewater from both villages and is treated in Barton . Recently, the town applied for a Municipal Planning Grant with a focus on village revitalization, walkability, and expanding use and programming of the village green . Village host several annual and seasonal events, including Glover Day, the farmers market, and in prior years, an ice-skating rink on the green . Currier’s Market recently sold to a local businessman who is rehabbing the store and adding a state liquor store, with plans to reopen in early 2021 . Residents aim to rehab a historic home adjacent to the green into a co-working space and internet café

Downtown Board Meeting 23 November 2020 Glover Village Photographs

Downtown Board Meeting 23 November 2020 Glover Village Photographs

Downtown Board Meeting 23 November 2020 Glover Village Photographs

Downtown Board Meeting 23 November 2020 Glover Village Prior Designated Boundary 7/2009 – 7/2014

The prior designated boundary is very similar to the proposed boundary application with small changes to clean up parcel lines.

Downtown Board Meeting 23 November 2020 Glover Village Proposed Boundary Map

The proposed boundary runs along Glover Street and Bean Hill Road, and includes the village green, town hall, Currier’s Market, town offices and library, fire department, nursing home, small businesses, multifamily and single-family residences.

The town worked with staff to define the boundary that meets statutory definition and submitted a map that meets the program’s requirements.

Downtown Board Meeting 23 November 2020 Glover Village Discussion/Questions and Motion

Staff Recommendation Approve application and award designation

Downtown Board Meeting 23 November 2020 October 30, 2020

Mr. Richard Amore Planning & Outreach Manager Community Planning + Revitalization Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development 1 National Life Drive, Davis Building, 6th Floor Montpelier, VT 05620-0501

Dear Richard,

The Town of Glover is pleased to submit its application for Village Center Designation. We are seeking Village Center Designation as we believe that the designation will provide critical financial and technical assistance for continued economic vitality and community preservation in the town of Glover. While the town does not have a municipal water system, we collect wastewater from Glover Village and West Glover Village and pipe it to Barton where it is treated.

Enclosed you will find the following documents:

• Letter to Alison Low informing her of our intent to apply for Village Center Designation • Letter from NVDA confirming the Town’s planning process; • Minutes from the October 8, 2020 select board meeting, approving the decision to apply for village center designation; • A brief description of the community and proposed village center area and relevant language from the Glover Town Plan (adopted February 8, 2018) is also included; • Photos of relevant buildings and community setting • Map of proposed areas.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

My email is: [email protected] and my phone number is 802-525-4051. Thank you very much for your consideration of our application.

Randy Williams Chair, Glover Planning Commission 51 Bean Hill Glover, VT 05839 Glover Planning Commission 51 Bean Hill Glover, VT 05839

October 30, 2020 Ms. Alison Low Northeastern Vermont Development Association P.O. Box 630 St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Dear Alison:

We are writing on behalf of the Glover Selectboard and the Glover Planning Commission to inform you of the Town’s intent to apply to the Vermont Village Center Designation Program for Village Center Designation.

Sincerely,

Jack Sumberg Randy Williams Glover Selectboard, Chair Glover Planning Commission, Chair

September 30, 2020

Jessica Sweeney Town Clerk Town of Glover 51 Bean Hill Road Glover, VT 05839

Dear Jessica,

This letter is to inform you that Glover’s planning process was confirmed in a public hearing held on April 26, 2018. Vermont statute requires us to review and confirm the planning efforts of the municipalities in the Northeast Kingdom at least twice every eight years. To be confirmed, the regional planning commission has to consult with the municipality to determine if it meets these requirements, as determined by 24 V.S.A. §4350.

Part of the consultation process involves determining whether the municipality has adopted a plan that can be regionally approved. Your plan, adopted on February 8, 2018, was approved by the full board of NVDA on April 26, 2089, which was NVDA’s quarterly board meeting. In a separately warned hearing for that same evening, the full board then voted to confirm the planning efforts of Glover.

While this letter is not mandatory for Municipal Planning Grants, it will be required for your application to reestablish Village Center Designation for Glover Village and West Glover. Good luck on your MPG application, and I look forward to working with you on the Village Center Designation application!

Sincerely,

Alison Low AICP, CFM Senior Planner cc. David Snedeker PO Box 630 36 Eastern Avenue, Suite 1 St. Johnsbury, Vermont 05819-0630 802 748-5181 Fax: 802 748-1223

THE REGIONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SERVING THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM: CALEDONIA, ESSEX AND ORLEANS COUNTIES NVDA is an Equal Opportunity lender, provider and employer

Glover Village and West Glover Village ‐ Context

Supporting the stated goal of the Village center designation, Glover has steadily been working to augment and help sustain individual and town efforts to revitalize Glover and West Glover’s civic, commercial, and social life. The Glover Planning Commission anticipates that the designation will help the town to access financial incentives, and training and technical assistance. (For example: three members of the Planning Commission have registered for two session AARP Placemaking meeting on Zoom at the end of October.)

The Glover Planning Commission has just submitted a Municipal Planning Grant application to facilitate a coordinated effort of improving the main business corridor of Glover, which is essentially the same site as the Village Center Designation area. In this plan, we would like help in the development of a unified design to define and expand the use of the Village green, facilitate pedestrian needs, and present an attractive overall appearance of the landscape for the residents and visitors of the town. These actions will encourage the patronage and growth of the businesses and recreational activities in Glover.

For several seasons there was a temporary ice skating rink set up on the Village Green. For the last 23 years there has been a celebration of Glover Day in the summer, usually the last Saturday in July and two years ago, a Farmer’s Market was started on the Green and has become quite successful. There are many vendors and quite often there are impromptu performances of live music.

We would like to build on the success of these two events, Glover Day and the Farmer’s Market, to expand a sense of community cohesiveness and involvement in the life of the town by the residents.

The economic and social opportunities in the town will grow: The old Currier’s Market is to be a VT State Liquor store and a revitalized general store, and plans are forming to have an internet café with other small businesses, as well as an apartment, in a house adjacent to the green.

The Village green needs to be defined and made inviting. We would like to have a permanent structure, a canopy or pavilion, to be used for market booths, musicians, small performances and other activities. There is the potential to have walking trails and picnic tables on the preserve owned by the state near the river that is adjacent to the green.

In West Glover, the main features of the little Village are much the same as they were in the original Village Center designation, but the small restaurant, Parker Pie, part of the Lake Parker General Store, has expanded and become a central element in the social and economic health of Glover. The historic church, although badly damaged by a fire, has been restored and continues in its function as a part of the unified three churches of Glover, Barton and West Glover.

Glover and West Glover had been designated a Village Center in 2009 but the Village Center Designation status was not updated in 2017. Municipal Plan Integration

In 2018, Glover updated its Town Plan and some relevant portions are reproduced below: Preservation of Historical Sites (page 9)

Glover is lucky to have an active Historical Society that operates a small museum and works to preserve our town’s cemeteries and the historical Parker Settlement archaeological site.

Present Conditions

 The Parker Settlement, abandoned in the 1840’s, and now privately owned, is an active archeological site. Efforts are in progress to conserve seven acres of the Parker Settlement.

 The Hinman Settler Road, which runs through the Settlement, is being maintained as a hiking and snowmobile and cross country skiing trail.

 The four cemeteries in Town (Westlook, Andersonville, West Glover, and French) are maintained in large part by the Glover Cemetery Commission. Financial support comes from plot purchasers and the Town.

 The annual Pioneer Camp celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016. The camp introduces first through eighth grade children to the history of Glover. The program is supported by town funding, private donations for campers’ scholarships, and grants from the Vermont Community Fund. (www.gloverpioneercamp.org)

Goal  Identify, maintain and interpret the historic buildings and resources. Strategies  Work with the Glover Historical Society, Cemetery Commission, Parker Settlement, Inc., and other Glover property owners in identifying and protecting important historic structures and sites.Objectives: Objectives  Assist historic preservation grant applications.  Investigate Village Center designation for both Glover and West Glover Villages through the Vermont Downtown Board. This program encourages historically accurate rehabilitations and renovations through tax credits and improves grant access for towns so designated. See Appendix E.http://accd.vermont.gov/community‐development/designation‐ programs/village‐centers

Housing (page 17)

The Town would like to encourage development that meets a variety of housing needs that are affordable to low and moderate‐income individuals.

The Town is planning to pursue Village Center Designation consistent with NVDA Regional Plan guidelines. See Appendix E for more information. http://accd.vermont.gov/sites/accd/files/Documents/strongcommunities/cpr/131125

As stated in the Community Planning and Revitalization’s Village Center Application Guidelines, “The Village center designation supports the revitalization efforts of small and medium‐sized historic centers. The designation brings financial incentives, training and technical assistance needed to attract new business and vitality to Vermont’s smaller communities.”

We see our Village Center Designation as crucial to Glover and West Glover’s future growth and vitality.

Glover Village

Figure 1: Currier’s Market and the Busy Bee Figure 3: The southern end of the Village is restaurant compose the center of Glover Village’s highlighted by our Village Green.(#18 on map) business district. (#29 & 7 on map)

Figure 4: The old Glover Fire station and a small Figure 2: Glover Street(Rt. 16) looking South is the utility building are situated along the East bank of main artery that brings visitors and commerce the Barton River at the back of the Town Green. through the Village.

Figure 5: A multi-acre plot along the Barton River Figure 7: The Glover Fire Department is located and just southwest of the Town Green is currently adjacent to the Glover Municipal Building.(#34 on owned by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife department map) for recreational uses.

Figure 6: The Glover Municipal Building houses the Figure 8: The Barton River on the western edge of town offices, Glover Library and the Glover Historical the town green provides a pleasant recreational Society museum.(#34 on map) access for fishermen.

Figure 9: The Union House Nursing home sits Figure 11: Red Sky Trading is the northernmost adjacent to the Glover Community Church just north retail establishment in Glover Village. (#36 on map) of the Town Green.(#23 & 24 on map)

Figure 10: Glover’s Senior Housing, owned by Rural

Edge, sits on the northeast corner of Glover Street and Dexter Mountain Rd.(#1 on map)

Glover, VT µ Designated Village Center 11/04/2020

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