Introduction
This element
is a new section of the plan required by 24 VSA § 4348a(8). This
section of the law says that regional plans must contain a statement
indicating how the regional plan relates to development trends,
needs and plans, and regional plans for adjacent municipalities
and regions.
The Consistency
Element provides an initial look at how the Addison Region fits
into a wider network. In the future, it should be expanded to include
a more complete discussion of common issues, needs and opportunities
between abutting regions. Activities such as the regional transportation
planning work and our involvement in the Lake Use/Land Use Subcommittee/Lake
Champlain Management Conference will encourage coordination and
problem identification to occur in a continuing manner rather than
in a crisis mode.
Chittenden
County Regional Planning Commission
Chittenden
County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) abuts ACRPC to the north.
In many ways, the northernmost ACRPC Towns of Ferrisburgh and Monkton,
and to a lesser extent Starksboro, already function partially as
bedroom communities for the greater Burlington area. Because of
this, all three towns are quite concerned about patterns of growth,
and the costs associated with development, especially residential
development.
Future land
uses in Starksboro and in Hinesburg, as shown on the respective
RPC future land use plan maps indicate forest/mountain (CCRPC) abutting
forest/agricultural (conservation) (ACRPC) lands. These are steeper,
generally forested lands, with intermittent agricultural and scattered
residential development. Both plans propose these uses to continue.
From this boundary
west to the lake, land use in CCRPC is agriculture, while in ACRPC
the proposed use is residential on less than ten-acre lots. The
CCRPC plan states that these lands should be designated primarily
for agricultural uses as much as possible, with residential development
being relatively low in density and clustered to preserve farmland.
The ACRPC plan
recognizes that agriculture is still an important industry and way
of life in the Addison Region and promotes the use of clustered
development in these areas to preserve farmland. Development will
also be limited by clay soils in areas west of Route 7, which will
keep densities lower.
The Lewis Creek
watershed forms much of the boundary of the two planning areas.
While neither plan recognizes the entire watershed as a significant
regional resource, the ACRPC plan supports riparian buffers along
streams for use as wildlife corridors and to prevent erosion. ACRPC
urges a cooperative effort between the towns, the Lewis Creek Conservation
Commission and both RPCs in planning for the watershed.
A more serious
issue with a potential for serious conflict is the future alignment
of the Route 7 corridor. Preliminary studies (Wilber Smith and Associates
1992-1993) show realignment, potentially beginning south of Middlebury
and bypassing through traffic onto Route 116, and its extension
north from Daniel's Corners in Bristol through Monkton and Hinesburg
connecting to Interstate 89.
This proposal
would presumably relieve traffic pressures on Shelburne Road. Opposition
to this proposal appears to be forming on the proposed route. These
towns realize that the problems of moving through traffic through
villages has caused many of the existing problems on Route 7 and
can see little reason to repeat an earlier mistake.
The RPCs, the
affected municipalities and the Agency of Transportation should
work together to find a reasonable solution to existing Route 7
corridor problems.
Rutland Regional
Commission
Rutland Regional
Commission (RRC), located to the south of the Addison Region, does
not currently have a future land use map or land use guidelines.
Abutting towns (Chittenden, Brandon, and Sudbury), however, have
land uses that reflect forest conservation in the more easterly
areas similar to uses in Goshen and Whiting in the ACRPC plan. They
also have lower density agricultural/residential uses in most of
the other abutting lands in both RPCs.
Both regions
share Otter Creek, which is proposed as a regionally significant
water resource in the ACRPC plan. Both regions and the riparian
towns should coordinate activities along Otter Creek.
Two-Rivers
Ottaquechee Regional Planning Commission
To the east,
ACRPC abuts Two-Rivers Ottaquechee RPC along the ridge of the Green
Mountains. Land use policies in both plans support forest and conservation
uses with limited residential use in these areas due to their steep
terrain, existing forest resources (both public and private), and
to the limited and difficult vehicular access to much of the area.
Summary
This is a very
limited review, really more of a quick check as plans are evolving
to meet the Act 200 goal deadline, and to determine whether there
are any obvious conflicts or opportunities for increased coordination
on areas of common interest.
A more thorough
review of neighboring plans and increased efforts to provide opportunities
for regular communication – particularly between CCRPC, RRC and
ACRPC – need to be scheduled in future ACRPC work plans.
