Planning Commission Reporting Form for Municipal Plan Amendments Newbury Planning Commission 6/18/15 Public Hearing Draft
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Planning Commission Reporting Form for Municipal Plan Amendments Newbury Planning Commission 6/18/15 Public Hearing Draft 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 section 4302 of this title. The primary focus of this town plan update is to address all twelve state planning goals. The proposed Newbury Town Plan is consistent with the goals in section 4302. If the proposal would alter the designation of any land area, the report should cover the following points: 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. Land use objectives are to reduce strip zoning and refocus primary retail to village and hamlet centers. Portions of US-302 designed as Highway Commercial and Wells River Commercial will be converted to Conservation or Mixed Use. US-5 north and south of Newbury Village will be converted to Mixed Use. Hamlet zones will be established for Newbury Village, West Newbury, South Newbury and Wells River. 2. The long-term cost or benefit to the municipality, based consideration of the probable impact on: (A) the municipal tax base; and There will be a negligible impact. (B) the need for public facilities; There is no 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. An increase in land designated as Conservation, Mixed Use and Hamlet will be offset by a decrease in land designated as Highway Commercial, Wells River Commercial, and Rural Residential-1. 4. The suitability of the area in question for the proposed purpose, after consideration of: 1 (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. The areas in the proposed future land use were all based on suitability, and were modified in the drafting to meet desired goals and cover the appropriate areas. 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.” As stated above, the future land use areas were based upon current land use, potential for development, and desired land use goals of protecting natural resources and large conservation areas while allowing a diversity of uses, and more concentrated uses in villages or hamlets. 2 1 2 3 4 5 Newbury 6 Town Plan 7 8 DRAFT FOR PUBLIC HEARING 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Written with assistance from the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, funded by a 20 Municipal Planning Grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development 1 | Page 1 Contents 2 II. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 6 3 A. About Newbury ................................................................................................................................. 6 4 B. General Plan Goals ........................................................................................................................... 7 5 III. Demographics ................................................................................................................................... 8 6 A. Population ......................................................................................................................................... 8 7 B. Growth Policy ................................................................................................................................... 9 8 IV. Economic Development .................................................................................................................. 10 9 A. Encouraging Economic Development ............................................................................................ 10 10 V. Natural, Cultural, Scenic and Historic Resources ............................................................................... 12 11 A. Natural Resources ........................................................................................................................... 12 12 Water ................................................................................................................................................... 12 13 Wetlands ............................................................................................................................................. 12 14 Riparian and Wetland Buffers ............................................................................................................. 13 15 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................................... 13 16 Other Land Resources ......................................................................................................................... 13 17 Policies and Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 13 18 B. Flood plains and Flood Resiliency .................................................................................................. 15 19 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) ......................................................................................... 15 20 River Corridor Areas ........................................................................................................................... 16 21 Flood Resiliency ................................................................................................................................. 16 22 Flood Hazard Regulation .................................................................................................................... 17 23 C. Historic Districts and Resources ..................................................................................................... 18 24 Policies and Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 19 25 D. Outdoor Lighting and Scenic Impacts ............................................................................................ 19 26 E. Scenic Evaluation Criteria .............................................................................................................. 20 27 F. Agricultural Land and Farming ....................................................................................................... 21 28 Land Protection Strategies .................................................................................................................. 22 29 VI. LAND USE ..................................................................................................................................... 23 30 A. Future Land Use Areas ................................................................................................................... 25 31 Newbury Village / Historic District (NVHD) ..................................................................................... 26 32 South Newbury and West Newbury Hamlet Areas ............................................................................. 27 2 | Page 1 Rural Areas ......................................................................................................................................... 28 2 Agricultural Land and Farming ........................................................................................................... 30 3 Mixed Use Commercial Area ............................................................................................................. 31 4 B. Other Land Use Areas ..................................................................................................................... 32 5 VII. Transportation ................................................................................................................................. 33 6 A. Roads............................................................................................................................................... 34 7 Road Maintenance .............................................................................................................................. 35 8 Access Management ........................................................................................................................... 35 9 Scenic Roads ....................................................................................................................................... 36 10 B. Other Transportation ....................................................................................................................... 36 11 Rail ...................................................................................................................................................... 36 12 Public Transit ...................................................................................................................................... 36 13 Bicycles and Pedestrians ....................................................................................................................