Bradford Town Plan Adopted September 10, 2009 Prepared by the Bradford Planning Commission With assistance from the Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission The King Farm, 3117 Rose Hill Woodstock, Vermont 05091 This work was funded through a Municipal Planning Grant from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development 1 Table of Contents I. POPULATION .......................................................................................................................................... 4 A. POPULATION PATTERNS .................................................................................................................... 4 B. AGE OF POPULATION ........................................................................................................................ 5 C. RELATIVE INCOME OF POPULATION .................................................................................................. 7 II. ECONOMIC BASE ....................................................................................................................... 8 A. EMPLOYMENT AND JOBS ................................................................................................................... 8 B. HISTORIC WAGES OF POPULATION ................................................................................................... 9 C. TAXES ..............................................................................................................................................10 III. HOUSING ......................................................................................................................................11 A. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................11 B. NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS ...........................................................................................................11 C. TYPES OF HOUSING ..........................................................................................................................12 D. AFFORDABLE HOUSING ...................................................................................................................14 E. ELDERLY HOUSING ..........................................................................................................................16 F. CHILDCARE ......................................................................................................................................17 G. GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION ................................................................18 IV. EDUCATION .......................................................................................................................................19 A. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................19 B. STUDENT ENROLLMENT ...................................................................................................................20 C. SCHOOL FACILITIES .........................................................................................................................21 D. HIGHER EDUCATION ........................................................................................................................22 E. GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................22 V. UTILITIES AND FACILITIES ............................................................................................................23 A. TOWN FACILITIES ............................................................................................................................23 B. RECREATIONAL FACILITIES .............................................................................................................27 C. PUBLIC LANDS .................................................................................................................................28 D. LIBRARIES .......................................................................................................................................30 E. COMMUNICATION FACILITIES ..........................................................................................................31 F. GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................32 VI. HEALTH AND EMERGENCY SERVICES ......................................................................................33 A. HEALTH CARE FACILITIES ...............................................................................................................33 B. ELDERLY CARE FACILITIES ..............................................................................................................34 C. BRADFORD VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT ...................................................................................34 D. POLICE PROTECTION SERVICES ........................................................................................................35 E. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ....................................................................................................36 F. GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................37 VII. ENERGY ..............................................................................................................................................37 A. BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................................37 B. ENERGY TRENDS..............................................................................................................................38 C. SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................42 D. PLANNING IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................................................43 E. GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................45 VIII. NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................50 A. CONSERVATION COMMISSION ..........................................................................................................51 B. WATER RESOURCES .........................................................................................................................51 2 C. WETLANDS AND VERNAL POOLS .....................................................................................................53 D. PONDS ..............................................................................................................................................56 E. FLOODPLAINS AND FLOOD HAZARD AREAS.....................................................................................57 F. FLOODING AND LAND USE ...............................................................................................................59 G. RIPARIAN BUFFERS ..........................................................................................................................61 H. PLANT COMMUNITIES ......................................................................................................................62 I. FORESTRY ........................................................................................................................................63 J. AGRICULTURE ..................................................................................................................................64 K. WILDLIFE RESOURCES .....................................................................................................................67 L. MINERAL RESOURCES ......................................................................................................................70 M. SCENIC AND HISTORIC RESOURCES .................................................................................................70 N. SOILS AND TROPGRAPHY .............................................................................................................72 IX. TRANSPORTATION ..........................................................................................................................72 A. PUBLIC HIGHWAYS ..........................................................................................................................73 B. PRIVATE ROADS ...............................................................................................................................74 C. ROAD MAINTENANCE .................................................................................................................................................... 75 D. MAJOR PROJECTS .............................................................................................................................76 E. ACCESS MANAGEMENT....................................................................................................................76 F. TRAFFIC CALMING AND PARKING ....................................................................................................77 G. OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION ...............................................................................................79 H. GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................81