June 1, 2009
SAVE THE DATE for the Vermont Planners Association Fall Conference! This year it will be held on October 16, 2009 at the ALL SOULS INTERFAITH GATHERING CENTER right on the shore of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, VT. The focus will be on Density and Design for Small Communities with speakers and panelists to be announced. […]
Late-breaking news! The Washington County DFIRM maps should become effective in September 2010. HOWEVER, it is Vermont’s Flood Plain Management-River Management Program’s goal for all towns to have adopted flood hazard area regulations (FHAR) by the end of MARCH 2010 thereby preventing a “flood” of regs for approval by FEMA in September. The FHAR’s will […]
May 19, 2009
At the April Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission’s monthly Commission meeting, Buzz Ferver of the Composting Association of Vermont (CAV) discussed all the benefits of compost, the need for community scale composting operations and the latest development in legislation related to composting. According to CAV’s website “the Composting Association of Vermont supports and promotes organics […]
The latest “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Housing and Wages in Vermont” in now available.According to the April 28 press release distributed by John Fairbanks, VHFA, this year’s report found: The median purchase price of a home in Vermont has remained stable in the last year, at $200,000. A Vermont household would need […]
May 8, 2009
Beginning this month, U.S. Census employees will visit every community in preparation for the 2010 census. By visiting addresses in every community, the Census Bureau will know where to send questionnaires and enumerators in 2010. Using hand-held computers, Census employees will walk through communities to identify the location of every housing unit. This helps the […]
April 29, 2009
REGISTRATION IS STILL OPEN, until May 8th close of business to sign-up for the sixth annual Way to Go! Commuter Challenge, May 4-8. This event encourages the use of cheaper, healthier, and more earth-friendly transportation alternatives to driving alone. Everyone who commits to walk, bike, telecommute, carpool, take the bus or use an alternative to […]
To: Town Staff & RepresentativesFrom: Steve Gladczuk, Senior Transportation PlannerDate: 4/29/09Re: Access Management VTrans has developed a Access Management Outreach Program to educate town officials, developers, businesses, and the general public on the benefits of Access Management. These benefits include improving safety, preserving highway capacity, and integrating land use adjacent to State and Class 1 […]
April 24, 2009
It appears that we are now back on track for a Revised Preliminary Washington County Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM). FEMA is now anticipating a release of the maps on 6/15/09, followed by Community Coordination Meetings on Tuesday 6/30/09. The Revised Preliminary DFIRM will incorporate three key changes: Stevens Branch in Barre Town, Barre […]
April 23, 2009
Today, April 23, on “Relocalizing Vermont” on WGDR 91.1 FM, Carl Eitner of “Relocalizing Vermont Productions” will be exploring a potential new way for municipalities to help their residents and businesses obtain more favorable financing (lower interest rates, longer-term loans) for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. I’ll play an interview with bill sponsor Ginny […]
April 21, 2009
The lastest news from the VT Department of Environmental Conservation is that the Washington County DFIRM maps for floodplain delineation and NFIP regulations are due to be released June 15, 2009. These will be the preliminary maps on which final community coordination meetings will be held, as it looks now, on June 30. More information […]