Waltham Town Plan 2015 Approved: September 8, 2015 Cover Art: “Corcorans on Green Street” by Rob Popick The Town of Waltham would like to thank Rob for the use of his works in the printing of this Town Plan. The Town of Waltham would also like to thank everyone who made the creation of this plan possible. Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................1 2. PURPOSE STATEMENT ...................................................................................................2 3. WALTHAM TODAY ...........................................................................................................3 Waltham Today .............................................................................................................................3 Roots and Traditions ..............................................................................................................5 4. POPULATION AND HOUSING ................................................................................10 Population .....................................................................................................................................10 Housing ...........................................................................................................................................12 Number of Housing Units ..........................................................................................12 Types of Housing Units ................................................................................................12 Occupancy of Housing ................................................................................................12 Cost and Affordability of Housing in Waltham ........................................15 5. MAKING A LIVING ........................................................................................................16 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................16 Regional Job Centers ..............................................................................................................17 6. LAND USE ..........................................................................................................................18 Current Land Uses ...................................................................................................................18 Descriptions of Individual Sections of Town ......................................................18 Western Section – Otter Creek Valley ...............................................................18 North-Central Section – Residential Neighborhoods ..........................18 South-Central Section – Buck Mountain ........................................................19 Eastern Section – Open Farmland. ........................................................................19 7. SCHOOLS AND CHILDCARE ....................................................................................20 Schools ...........................................................................................................................................20 Childcare .......................................................................................................................................20 8. TRANSPORTATION .......................................................................................................21 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................21 Town Roads ..................................................................................................................................21 State Roads ....................................................................................................................................22 Public Transportation, Park and rides, bicycles and pedestrians. ...........22 9. PUBLIC FACILITIES .......................................................................................................23 Public Facilities ..........................................................................................................................23 Town Clerk’s Office ........................................................................................................23 Land on Otter Creek .....................................................................................................23 Recreational Trails and Facilities ........................................................................23 Water and Wastewater Infrastructure. ...........................................................23 Telecommunications. ....................................................................................................24 Waste Management and Recycling ......................................................................24 Police Fire and Emergency Services .....................................................................24 Government: ................................................................................................................................25 Tax Base ...................................................................................................................................25 The Tax Bill ...........................................................................................................................25 10. NATURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................26 Rivers and Streams ...................................................................................................................26 Wetlands ........................................................................................................................................27 Groundwater ..............................................................................................................................27 Soils, Agricultural and Earth Resources .................................................................28 Capability of Soils for Agricultural Production ......................................29 Earth Resources ...............................................................................................................29 Forest Resources .......................................................................................................................30 Wildlife ...........................................................................................................................................30 Scenic Resources .......................................................................................................................30 11. FLOOD RESILIENCE .....................................................................................................31 Floodplains, Flood Hazard Areas & Fluvial Erosion .........................................31 Flood Resilience Management .........................................................................................31 Existing Regulation in Waltham. ...................................................................................32 12. ENERGY ..............................................................................................................................34 Residential Energy Demands .............................................................................................34 Transportation Energy Demands ...................................................................................34 Town Energy Policy. ................................................................................................................34 13. COMPATIBILITY WITH SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES ........................35 Vergennes ......................................................................................................................................35 Ferrisburgh: .................................................................................................................................35 New Haven: ....................................................................................................................................35 Addison/Panton: .......................................................................................................................35 14. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ..........................................................................................36 Summary of Town Goals .......................................................................................................36 Section 3. Waltham Today, Roots and Traditions ......................................36 Section 4. Population and Housing .....................................................................36 Section 5. Making a Living .........................................................................................37 Section 6. Land Use..........................................................................................................37 Section 7. Schools and Childcare ........................................................................38 Section 8. Transportation ..........................................................................................38 Section 9. Public Facilities .........................................................................................39 Section 10. Natural Resources ................................................................................40 Section