2015 Newport City Municipal Plan Table of Contents
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September 15, 2017 DHCD Email to: http://accd.vermont.gov/community-development/town-future/plans-bylaws Please find enclosed the proposed plan for the City of Newport. A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Room of the Municipal Building at 222 Main Street. Written comment may be directed to the Newport City Planning Commission, 222 Main Street, Newport, VT 05855. Emailed comment may be directed to [email protected] . In March of 2015, when this Municipal Plan was adopted, maps meeting the requirements of 24 V.S.A. 4382 were not available in digital format. This amendment clarifies that maps are considered part of the plan, and will be available for viewing online. This proposal is therefore considered a minor amendment. No other changes to the content of the plan are proposed. The plan continues as the 2015 Newport City Municipal Plan and will again be reviewed for a subsequent amendment in 2020. While no additional changes are being made now, in March of 2015, when this Municipal Plan was adopted, Jay Peak Ski Resort was heavily involved in expansion plans financed with funds from participation in the Federal Government’s EB5 Foreign Investor Program. Part of their expansion plans included significant projects in the City of Newport: a waterfront resort hotel, a five-story business block in the City’s downtown, and a biomedical research facility. In the spring of 2016, Jay Peak fell into financial receivership. The City has determined that it is necessary to inform the reader that the proposed EB5 projects are now void. While this notice is regrettably necessary, it is nonetheless a known and significant update affecting the near-term future of the City. Respectfully Submitted, Charles Elliott Newport City Zoning Administrator Enc: Proposed Newport City Plan Reporting Form for Plan Amendment Plan Maps Public Notice NEWPORT CITY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given to the residents of Newport City, VT, that the Newport Planning Commission will host a public hearing on Tuesday, October 17th, in the City Council Room, 222 Main Street, at 7:00 p.m., The hearing will be held for public review of and comment on the proposed amendment to the Newport City Plan pursuant to Title 24 VSA, Chapter 117. The purpose of the proposed Newport City Plan is to establish a coordinated, comprehensive planning process to guide decisions made by the City. The proposed plan amendment, is a minor one, and entails the inclusion of maps developed by the Northeastern Vermont Development Association. No substantive changes are proposed to the plan. NEWPORT CITY PLAN I. Overview N. Solid Waste II. Long-Term Vision O. Facilities III. Introduction P. Housing IV. Objectives, Priorities and Policies Q. Energy Plan V. Development Direction and Analysis R. Newport’s Designated Downtown VI. Short-Term Vision S. Community Gardens VII. Recommendations T. Memphremagog Watershed Association A. Population and Employment U. Arts B. Current Land Use V. Flood Resilience C. Canada W. Acknowledgements D. Lake Memphremagog X. Maps: E. Neighboring Communities B1-Base Map F. Schools B2-Land Cover G. Libraries B3-Zoning Districts H. Recreation B4-Orthophotos I. Health J. Emergency Services B5-Natural Resource Constraints K. Transportation B6-Designated Downtown L. Utilities M. Water and Sewer Copies of the proposed plan amendment may be obtained from the office of the Newport City Clerk. Copies of the plan and appendices may be viewed online at Newport’s page of the Northeastern Vermont Development Association’s web site: http://www.nvda.net/ , (from the menu on the top of the home page, select “NVDA and Communities”, then select “Our Towns”, and click on Newport City.) The plan is also available on the City’s web site: at http://www.newportvermont.org/ Dated in Newport, Vermont, September 15, 2017 NEWPORT CITY PLANNING COMMISSION Planning Commission Reporting Form for Municipal Plan Amendments This report is in accordance with 24 V.S.A.§4384(c) which states: “When considering an amendment to a plan, the planning commission shall prepare a written report on the proposal. The report shall address the extent to which the plan, as amended, is consistent with the goals established in §4302 of this title. The proposed amendment, considered to be a minor one, is to clarify ownership of the maps that were originally produced for the plan, which was adopted by the City on March 2, 2015 and approved by the full board of the Northeastern Vermont Development Association on May 21, 2015, in accordance with 24 VSA §4350(b)(1), after NVDA’s duly noticed public hearing held in Newport City on May 14, 2015. The amendment clarifies that maps meeting the requirements of 24 V.S.A. 4382 are considered part of the plan. Although the NVDA staff and board approved the plan because they found the plan to contain all of the elements required of a duly adopted plan in accordance with statute, the original maps were available in paper copy only, creating some confusion. The proposed revision references wall-sized maps, as well as 11x17 versions of the same maps that can be viewed online. Maps are clearly labelled to correspond with their respective descriptions in the text of the plan. The amendment contains no proposed changes to the goals of the original plan, which was found in the regional approval process to be consistent with the statewide planning goals of 24 VSA 4302. If the proposal would alter the designation of any land area, the report should cover the following points: The proposed amendment does not alter any designation of land area, so questions 1 through 5 are not relevant. 1. The probable impact on the surrounding area, including the effect of any resulting increase in traffic, and the probable impact on the overall pattern of land use. 2. The long-term cost or benefit to the municipality, based upon consideration of the probable impact on: (A) the municipal tax base; and (B) the need for public facilities; 3. The amount of vacant land which is: (A) already subject to the proposed new designation; and (B) actually available for that purpose, and the need for additional land for that purpose. 4. The suitability of the area in question for the proposed purpose, after consideration of: (A) appropriate alternative locations; (B) alternative uses for the area under consideration; and (C) the probable impact of the proposed change on other areas similarly designated 5. The appropriateness of the size and boundaries of the area proposed for change, with respect to the area required for the proposed use, land capability and existing development in the area.” Please Note: The planning commission must hold at least one public hearing within the municipality after public notice on any proposed plan or amendment. At least 30 days prior to the first hearing, a copy of the proposed plan or amendment and the written report must be delivered with proof of the receipt, or mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, to each of the following: 1. the chairperson of the planning commission of each abutting municipality, or in the absence of any planning commission in an abutting municipality, to the clerk of that municipality; 2. the executive director of the regional planning commission of the area in which the municipality is located; 3. the Department of Economics, Housing and Community Development within the Agency of Commerce and Community Development; and 4. business, conservation, low income advocacy and other community or interest groups or organizations that have requested notice in writing prior to the date the hearing is warned. The planning commission may make revisions to the proposed plan or amendment and to any written report, and must thereafter submit the proposed plan or amendment and any written report to the legislative body of the municipality. If the legislative body changes any part of the proposed plan, the planning commission must submit to the legislative body, at or prior to the public hearing, a report that analyzes the extent to which the changed proposal, when taken together with the rest of the plan, is consistent with the legislative goals established in 24 V.S.A. §4302. Simultaneously with the submission, the planning commission must file with the clerk of the municipality a copy of the proposed plan or amendment, and any written report, for public review. 2015 Newport City Municipal Plan 2015 Newport City Municipal Plan Adopted by the City Council on March 2, 2015 ~ 1 ~ 2015 Newport City Municipal Plan 2015 Newport City Municipal Plan Table of Contents I. Overview 03 II. Long-Term Vision 04 III. Introduction 05 IV. Objectives, Priorities and Policies 11 V. Development Direction and Analysis 13 VI. Short-Term Vision 15 VII. Recommendations 16 Appendices A. Population and Employment 19 B. Current Land Use 26 C. Canada 29 D. Lake Memphremagog 30 E. Neighboring Communities 32 F. Schools 36 G. Libraries 41 H. Recreation 42 I. Health 44 J. Emergency Services 48 K. Transportation 52 L. Utilities 57 M. Water and Sewer 60 N. Solid Waste 62 O. Facilities 63 P. Housing 65 Q. Energy Plan 68 R. Newport’s Designated Downtown 70 S. Community Gardens 73 T. Memphremagog Watershed Association 75 U. Arts 76 V. Flood Resilience 82 W. Acknowledgements 88 X. Maps 89 ~ 2 ~ 2015 Newport City Municipal Plan I: OVERVIEW Small by “city” standards, Newport, Vermont is big on personality with a generous, kind touch. While you will be blown away by the natural beauty that surrounds Newport from rich mountain views to stunning sunsets on the lake, you’ll be even more taken with the folks that call Newport home.