CHITTENDEN COUN1Y REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES Community Repre senta ti ve Bolton Gardiner Lane Burlington Margaret Garland· Charlotte Donna Wark Colchester Richard Preble. Essex William Duff f II Essex Junction Harold Meeks _ Hinesburg Leonard Duffy = Huntington Ottar Indrida son - Jericho Gary Marshall Milton - Thoma s Curran Richmond - Heath Riggs St. George Armand Beliveau Shelburne - Stanley Wilbur South Burlington - C. Harry Behney Underhill Wendall Metcalf Westford Harold Dahl - Williston - Stephen Knight Winooski Norman Picard - Engineering - Donald Hamlin Building­ Environmental Industrial­ William Kellner - Business­ Economic Socio- Dorothea Sims Economic The preparation of this report was financially aided through contributions of eighteen communi­ ties in Chittenden County and through a federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Urban Planning Assistance Program authorized by Section 701 of the Housing Act of 1954 I a s amended I and through a grant from , the Agency of Development and Community Affairs. RESOLUTION # 1 CONCERNING PROPOSED REGIONAL PLAN WHEREAS f the CCRPC ha s developed a proposed Regional Plan entitled, WE ARE NOT THE LAST GENERATION; and WHEREAS, the Commission considers said proposed Regional Plan, when adopted, a guideline for the future coordinated, efficient and economic develop­ ment of this Region; and WHEREAS, questions have been raised by local elected and appointed officials and the general public relating to the regulatory a spects of the Plan under criteria 10 of Act 250; and WHEREAS, said criteria reads as follows: II (10) Is in conformance with any duly adopted local or regional plan or capital program under Chapter 117 of Title 24. II; and , WHEREAS, each of the eighteen communities of this Region has a duly adopted local plan; and WHEREAS, this Commission has requested an opinion of the Attorney General of the State of Vermont in this matter, said opinion is yet to be received; and WHEREAS, it is the intention of this Commission to regard its Plan as statements of policy supportive of and supplemental to duly adopted local plans; and WHEREAS, the Commis sion finds that it is in the best interests to formally clarify its position in this matter at this time. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the CCRPC that: 1) When the proposed Regional Plan, WE ARE NOT THE LAST GENERATION f is adopted by this Commission, it shall be considered by local, State and Federal officials and the general public a s a guideline for the future coordinated, efficient and economic development of this Region and shall not be considered a regulatory document. 2) When,the proposed Regional Plan, WE ARE NOT THE LAST GENERATION I is adopted by this Commis sion, it shall not be used by District Envi. ronmental Commission # 4 under criteria (10) unless a proposal for development before that Commission is located within a community that does not have a duly adopted local plan for capital program under Chapter 117 of Title 24. 3) After receipt of the aforementioned opinion from the Attorney General and ba sed thereon, this Commission will submit necessary proposed amendments to the Vermont Legislature through our County delegation to amend Title 10 V. S.A. 6086 (a) (10) to read: "(10) Is in conformance with any duly adopted local plan or capital program under chapter 117 of Title 24. In the absence of the above, is in conformance with any duly adopted regional plan under chapter 117 of Title 24. " Dated this 22nd day of March, 1976. RESOLUTION # 2 CONCERNING PROPOSED REGIONAL PLAN WHEREAS, the CCRPC has developed a proposed Regional Plan entitled, WE ARE NOT THE LAST GENERATION; and WHEREAS, said proposed Plan currently contains nine sections and an Appendix, including Introduction, History, Population, Housing, Recreation and Open Space, Economics, Transportation, Land Use and Implementation; and WHEREAS, questions have been raised and suggestions made by local elected and appointed officials and the general public for more study on two elements of the Implementation Section, to wit, the proposed Chittenden Regional Council and the Tax Ba se Sharing recommendations, and al so further development of the farm, forest, conservation and homestead open land tax proposal; and WHEREAS, this Commission considers inter-local communication and impor­ tant need in Chittenden County; and WHEREAS, this Commission respects the advice rendered to it by local elected and appointed officials and the general public; and WHEREAS, this Commission finds that it is in the best interests to proceed with the proposed Regional Plan adoption process without the Implementation Section at this time. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the CCRPC that: 1) When the proposed Regional Plan, WE ARE NOT THE LAST GENERATION, is initially adopted by this Commission, it shall contain eight sections including Introduction, History, Population, Hou sing, Recreation and Open Space, Economics, Tran sportation and Land Use. 2) Because the Commission feels strongly the need to improve inter-local communications, it shall work with local elected officials on the development of a forum for inter-local communications. 3) The Commission shall study its tax recommendations and develop more information thereon. 4) Subsequent to 2) and 3) above, the Commission will develop Section 9 "Implementation 11 I hold public meetings and at lea st one public hearing thereon prior to the adoption of an Implementation Section for the Regional Plan. Dated this 22nd day of March, 1976. RESOLUTION # 3 CONCERNING PROPOSED REGIDNAL PIAN WHEREAS, the Chittenden County Regiona 1 Planning Commiss ion 'ha s developed a proposed Regional Plan entitled, WE ARE NOT THE lAST GENERATION; and WHEREAS, the Commission has held a duly warned public hearing; and WHEREAS, the Commission has adopted Resolution # 1 and Resolution #2 concerning the proposed Regional Plan dated March 22, 1976; and WHEREAS, the appropriate subcommittees of this Commission have made rec­ ommendations and modifications, changes, and/or additions of the proposed Regional Plan at the March 22, 1976 meeting; and WHEREAS, the Executive Committee reviewed the proposed modifications, changes, and/or additions and approved same for inclusion within the proposed regional plan; and WHEREAS, the Executive Committee recommends to the full Commission the adoption of WE ARE NOT THE LAST GENERATION as modified, changed or added to at the April 26, 1976 meeting. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the CCRPC that: 1) It adopts WE ARE NOT THE LAST GENERATION as the Regional Plan for Chittenden County. Sa id plan includes the following sections: Introduction, History, Population, Housing, Recreation and Open Spa,ce, Economics, Transportation, land Use, and reserves by title only an Implementation Section. Also included is an Appendix and the following maps: 1) Transportation 11/25/75 2) Proposed land Use 4/26/76 3) Recreation 12/3/75 4) General Soils Association 1/26/76 5) Generalized Existing land Use 4/22/76 6) Genera 1 Topography 12/3/75 7) Unique Physica 1 Features 12/18/75 8) Ma jor Electrica 1 and Natura 1 Ga s Systems 1./16/76 9) Existing Sewage Systems 1/27/76 10) Existing Water Sy stems 11/17/75 1 J) Community Facilities 12/3/75 12) School Districts 2) It incorporates as part of this Plan, Resolution # 1. and # 2 concerning proposed Regional Plan dated March 22, 1976 and this Resolution .. Dated this 26th day of April, 1976. TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Pages INTRODUCTION HISTORY 1 POPULATION 14i HOUSING 23 RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE 36 ECONOMICS 46 , TRANSP ORTA TION 65 . LAND USE 82 IMPLEMENTATION 112 APPENDIX 129 SUBJECT INDEX 241 TABLE OF MAPS sectioll TRANSPORTATION 81 PROPOSED LAND USE 111 RECREATION A132 GENERAL SOIL ASSOCIATIONS A195 GENERALIZED EXISTING LAND USE A196 GENERAL TOPOGRAPHY A197 UNIQUE PHYSICAL FEATURES A198 MAJOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS A230 NATURAL GAS SYSTEMS A230 EXISTING SEWERAGE SYSTEMS A234 EXISTING WATER SYSTEMS A237 COMMUNITY FACILITIES A239 SCHOOL DISTRICTS A240 r \ * Page numbers with a prefix "A" identify pages in the "Appendix." IN TRODUCTION This document is the Comprehensive Plan for Chittenden Region written and issued by the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, which was formed on March 1, 1966 by fourteen municipalities within Chittenden County D The general purpose of this Comprehensive Plan is to provide guide­ lines for our eighteen communities and developers for the future coordinated, efficient and economic development of this Region < This Plan, like local plans, will be continually reviewed and updated as appropriate to reflect the changing needs of the citizens of this Region. There is an unceasing need within this Region for well developed local plans and it is hoped that the guid~lines herein presented will as sist local communities in their planning process. Presented in the following pages is the di stillation of years of research and study by members and staff of the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission and numerous citizens for the planned and orderly future growth of our Region" The study presented here is comprised of nine sections (Intro­ duction, History, Population, Housing, Recreation and Open Space, Economics, Transportation, Land Use and Implementation) which, taken together, form the \ blueprint for a comprehensive planning document for the Region. Each chapter or section refers to statistical and other background materials contained in the Appendix, Local government has been inundated by the torrent