Dummerston Vermont TOWN PLAN Planning Commission Public Hearing Draft This Town Plan was developed with funding from the Municipal Planning Grant Program, administered by the Vermont Department of Housing & Community Affairs, Agency of Commerce & Community Development Dummerston Town Plan: Planning Commission Public Hearing Draft TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................1 PURPOSE OF DUMMERSTON TOWN PLAN ...................................................................................... 1 HOW THE TOWN PLAN WAS DEVELOPED ...................................................................................... 1 PROCESS FOR ADOPTION , MODIFICATION , AND UPDATING .......................................................... 1 ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN PLAN ............................................................................................ 2 INTERPRETATION OF THE TOWN PLAN .......................................................................................... 2 GOALS OF DUMMERSTON ........................................................................................3 DUMMERSTON COMMUNITY PROFILE ..................................................................5 SETTLEMENT HISTORY ................................................................................................................. 5 GEOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................... 5 GEOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................. 6 POPULATION GROWTH AND PROJECTIONS .................................................................................... 6 AGE DISTRIBUTION ....................................................................................................................... 7 HOUSING ...................................................................................................................................... 8 ECONOMY ..................................................................................................................................... 9 TOWN GOVERNMENT .................................................................................................................. 10 LOCAL REVENUE AND FISCAL CONDITIONS ............................................................................... 11 LAND USE ................................................................................................................13 EXISTING LAND USE ................................................................................................................... 13 1. Existing Land Use Pattern............................................................................................... 13 FUTURE LAND USE ..................................................................................................................... 14 1. Land Use Districts ........................................................................................................... 14 2. Focus Areas ..................................................................................................................... 16 LAND USE GOALS , POLICIES , AND ACTION STEPS ...................................................................... 18 WORKING LANDSCAPE ..........................................................................................21 AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................................ 21 1. Dummerston’s Farmlands................................................................................................ 21 2. Significance of Farmland................................................................................................. 22 FORESTRY ................................................................................................................................... 23 USE VALUE APPRAISAL .............................................................................................................. 24 WORKING LANDSCAPE GOALS , POLICIES , AND ACTION STEPS ................................................... 24 CONSERVED LANDS ................................................................................................27 CONSERVED LANDS GOALS , POLICIES , AND ACTION STEPS ....................................................... 27 NATURAL RESOURCES ...........................................................................................29 WATER AND WETLAND RESOURCES ........................................................................................... 29 1. Watersheds....................................................................................................................... 29 2. Surface Water Resources................................................................................................. 29 i Dummerston Town Plan: Planning Commission Public Hearing Draft 3. Groundwater Resources................................................................................................... 33 WATER AND WETLAND RESOURCES GOALS , POLICIES , AND ACTION STEPS .............................. 33 MINERAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................ 35 MINERAL RESOURCE GOALS , POLICIES , AND ACTION STEPS ...................................................... 36 ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE ........................................................................................................... 36 1. Forests.............................................................................................................................. 36 2. Connecting Habitat.......................................................................................................... 37 3. Natural Communities....................................................................................................... 37 4. Grassland Habitat and Bird Habitat................................................................................. 38 5. Early Successional Forest and Shrub Habitat.................................................................. 38 6. Deer Wintering Habitat and Deer Browse....................................................................... 39 7. Amphibian and Reptile Habitat ....................................................................................... 40 8. Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................................................... 40 9. Invasive Species .............................................................................................................. 40 ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE GOALS , POLICIES , AND ACTION STEPS .............................................. 41 RECREATION, SCENIC, HISTORIC, AND CULTURAL RESOURCES .....................44 RECREATION AND SCENIC RESOURCES ....................................................................................... 44 HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ...................................................................................... 45 RECREATION , SCENIC , HISTORIC , AND CULTURAL RESOURCES VISION ..................................... 46 RECREATION , SCENIC , HISTORIC , AND CULTURAL RESOURCES GOALS , POLICIES , AND ACTION STEPS .......................................................................................................................................... 46 ENERGY ...................................................................................................................49 IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY PLANNING .......................................................................................... 49 ENERGY USE .............................................................................................................................. 49 ELECTRICITY .............................................................................................................................. 51 CONSERVATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY ................................................................................. 51 POTENTIAL FOR LOCAL ENERGY PRODUCTION ........................................................................... 53 1. Wood ............................................................................................................................... 53 2. Solar ................................................................................................................................ 53 3. Hydropower..................................................................................................................... 53 4. Wind ................................................................................................................................ 54 ENERGY VISION .......................................................................................................................... 54 ENERGY GOALS , POLICIES , AND ACTION STEPS ......................................................................... 54 TRANSPORTATION .................................................................................................56 EXISTING TRANSPORTATION NETWORK ..................................................................................... 56 1. Classification of Roads.................................................................................................... 56 2. Traffic and Circulation Concerns ...................................................................................