Bradford Town Plan Adopted 1/28/2016 Bradford Planning Commission Robert Benjamin Marcey Carver Ron Huntington Bryan Mitofsky Ted Unkles With special thanks to Larry Drew for his 26 years on the Bradford Planning Commission And with great appreciation and fond memories of Justin Klarich, who chaired the Planning Commission for six years, and who passed away before this plan was completed. With assistance from the Conservation Commission, Public Safety Commission, Fire Department, Danielle Robinson, Town Administrative Assistant, Robert Wing, Town Zoning Administrator and the citizens of Bradford as well as Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission 1 Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 4 II. POPULATION ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 A. Population Patterns ........................................................................................................................... 5 B. Age of Population ............................................................................................................................. 6 III. ECONOMIC BASE ................................................................................................................................................. 9 A. Employment and Jobs ....................................................................................................................... 9 B. HISTORIC WAGES ............................................................................................................................ 11 C. Taxes ............................................................................................................................................... 12 IV. HOUSING .............................................................................................................................................................. 14 A. NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS ........................................................................................................... 14 B. TYPES OF HOUSING.......................................................................................................................... 15 C. AFFORDABLE HOUSING ................................................................................................................... 16 D. ELDERLY HOUSING .......................................................................................................................... 18 E. CHILDCARE...................................................................................................................................... 20 GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION .......................................................................... 20 V. EDUCATION .................................................................................................................................................................. 21 A. Student Enrollment ......................................................................................................................... 22 B. SCHOOL FACILITIES ............................................................................................................................... 23 C. HIGHER EDUCATION .............................................................................................................................. 24 D. GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................... 24 VI. UTILITIES AND FACILITIES ................................................................................................................................... 25 A. TOWN FACILITIES ................................................................................................................................. 25 B. RECREATIONAL FACILITIES .................................................................................................................. 28 C. PUBLIC LANDS ...................................................................................................................................... 30 D. LIBRARIES ............................................................................................................................................. 31 E. COMMUNICATION FACILITIES ................................................................................................................ 32 F. GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................... 33 VI. HEALTH AND EMERGENCY SERVICES .............................................................................................................. 34 A. Health Care Facilities ...................................................................................................................... 34 B. Elderly Care Facilities..................................................................................................................... 34 C. BRADFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT ........................................................................................................ 35 D. Police Protection Services ................................................................................................................... 36 E. Emergency Medical Services ................................................................................................................ 36 F. MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................ 37 G. GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................... 37 VII. ENERGY ................................................................................................................................................................ 38 A. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 38 B. ENERGY DEMANDS .......................................................................................................................... 38 C. CURRENT ENERGY SOURCES ........................................................................................................... 40 D. RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES…………………………………………………………………41 E. PERMITTING CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................................................ 46 F. DEMAND SIDE ENERGY MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS ........................................................................ 48 G. RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY ................................................................................................. 48 H. MUNICIPAL ROLE IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY ...................................................................................... 50 I. ENERGY AND LAND USE POLICY ..................................................................................................... 51 J. ENERGY AND TRANSPORTATION POLICY ......................................................................................... 52 K. GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................... 53 VIII. NATURAL RESOURCES ......................................................................................................................................... 56 2 A. CONSERVATION COMMISSION ......................................................................................................... 56 B. WATER RESOURCES......................................................................................................................... 58 C. WETLANDS, VERNAL POOLS, AND FORESTED BEAR WETLANDS ..................................................... 59 D. PONDS ............................................................................................................................................. 62 E. FLOODPLAINS AND FLOOD HAZARD AREAS .................................................................................... 62 F. FLOODING AND LAND USE .............................................................................................................. 64 G. RIPARIAN BUFFERS .......................................................................................................................... 66 H. PLANT COMMUNITIES ...................................................................................................................... 67 I. FORESTRY ........................................................................................................................................ 68 J. AGRICULTURE ................................................................................................................................. 69 K. WILDLIFE RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................... 71 L. MINERAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................... 72 M. SCENIC AND HISTORIC RESOURCES ................................................................................................. 73 N. SOILS AND TOPOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................. 74 IX. TRANSPORTATION ..................................................................................................................................................