9.2 Future Land Use

The intent of the Commission is to annually update Future Land Use section to reflect Town Plans adopted during the prior year (April 13, 1994).

The future land use section includes two maps and a narrative description of land uses.

A. Maps

1. The Future Land Use Map for the Addison Region shall be the composite of all municipally adopted town/city plans as of the effective date of each of these plans. Expired municipal plans will not be included in the Regional Future Land Use Composite.

2. The Regionally Significant Resources Map is intended as an overlay to the Regional Future Land Use Map. It includes resources identified in each element of the plan, as regionally significant resources or facilities on which the full force of applicable Regional Plan Policies should fall. This map is not complete, since it does not identify regionally significant agricultural lands, scenic resources, or some water and natural resources areas that remain to be identified.

3. Map of Regionally Approved Municipal Plans. This map shows those municipalities whose locally adopted plans have also received approval from the Addison County Regional Planning Commission under the directives of 24 VSA 4350. The map also includes the date of the regional approval.

B. Land Uses

The regulation of land use falls primarily to municipalities through the use of zoning by laws.

In areas on the Future Land Use map, land uses, as allowed by municipal zoning bylaws are generally as follows.

Areas Designated as Residential Use (Less Than 10 Acres)

Residential uses are permitted uses subject in some towns to the requirements of on-site sewage ordinances. Most towns also allow planned developments as conditional uses, although this provision is not widely utilized at present. The Regional Plan supports residential use as permitted in town bylaws, but encourages the use of cluster/PUD developments particularly in developments on agricultural and forestlands, and/or to protect regionally significant resources. As the Regional Commission works with towns in updating plans, zoning bylaws, and subdivision regulations, the commission will encourage towns to adopt policies which encourage cluster/PUD development to protect these same resources, as well as other locally significant resources.

Home occupations are also permitted uses in most municipal bylaws. This is consistent with economic base policies that encourage smaller, community-based businesses. However, the commission is aware of problems with administering home occupation/cottage industry bylaws and worked with the Towns of Ferrisburgh and Monkton to secure CDBG funds to gather additional information about these uses so that bylaws can be revised to more realistically review and permit such uses. Agricul­ture and forestry (where appropriate) are generally permitted uses. This is consistent with Regional Plan policies supporting continuation of local resource based business. The Regional Plan specifically encourages the use of AMPs, AAPs and BMPs.

Several towns also have mineral extraction bylaws. The Regional Plan policies reflect the intent of these bylaws and reinforce the importance of wise use of these resources, given their uneven distribution (sand and gravel) in the region, as well as the economic ramifications of a continuing mineral resource in the region.

Land Uses in Areas Designated as Residential Uses (On 10 or More Acres)

Single-family uses are usually permitted on larger lot sizes. In much of Vermont, larger lot designations are used in areas with more severe physical constraints to development in an attempt to discourage development and control density of develop­ment. Often the result is a string of development along a road that now requires more maintenance and a decimation of resource lands.

Towns are gradually learning that the use of PUDs with clusters of housing units works better to meet the above goals than large lot designations. The Regional Commission will continue to work with towns to explain the PUD concept and to encourage its use on appropriate sites.

Agriculture and forestry are usually permitted uses. This is consistent with Regional Plan policies encouraging both uses. Some towns include outdoor recreation as either a permitted or conditional use in these districts. The Regional Plan is working with State Forests and Parks and Recreation Division to prepare a detailed look at recreation in the region. Once this is completed, the Commission will include appropriate recreational policies and data in the Regional Plan and will be better prepared to assist towns in planning for recreation.

Industrial and Commercial

Every town except Goshen and Lincoln has one or more commercial area designations. These are all located in areas of existing commercial development, usually the historic village centers. Middlebury, Vergennes and Bristol have downtown business districts and separately designated industrial areas. The remaining towns do not have the infrastructure necessary for additional commercial development or for industrial areas and, if any, have only designated existing areas.

Because of the availability of infrastructure it is clear that any major commercial or industrial development will occur in Middlebury or Vergennes, with continuing infill in the industrial parks in Bristol. The Regional Plan supports village cluster with major developments in regional and sub-regional clusters.

Conservation

Conservation areas are sprinkled liberally over the region. Much of the higher eleva­tion land on the eastern border of the region is designated in 25-acre conservation districts. Land along many rivers and abutting several major wetlands and marshes is also designated conservation.

The only Class I Wetland in the region is a portion of Scanlon Bog located in Leicester.

Aquifer areas are shown in the water resources section of this plan. Most aquifers are within the town that they serve and so are of local concern. The Regional Commission will provide towns with examples of aquifer protection districts from other regions and encourage their adoption here. Those aquifer areas serving more than one town are of regional significance and are shown on the Regionally Significant Resources Map.

Several towns also have shoreland districts. The Regional Commission will continue to work with towns to encourage updating of existing districts or adoption in towns that do not have them.

Public and Semi-Public

Public and semi-public uses are generally either permitted or more usually conditional uses. All zoning bylaws in the region include directly or by reference the limitations of 24 VSA § 4409.

Agriculture and Forestry

The future land use map identifies those areas designated for agricultural and forestry uses in the Addison Region. In addition, maps in the agricultural and forestry lands sections of this plan show those lands which are of prime and statewide importance under Criterion 9B for Act 250, and those lands rated highest for forest productivity by the Soil Conservation Service.

The region has yet to go through a process to determine which of these lands are regionally significant, but intends to complete that work by the end of FY94. This will not be an easy undertaking due to the very wide divergence of opinion on how this should be accomplished.

Open Space

Because of the abundance of the rural landscape, the public and quasi-public opportunities for outdoor recreation and the proximity of the Green Mountains National Forest, most towns do not have lands designated as open space. Most of them understand the clustering and the village center concept in maintaining open space and have included such provisions in local plans and bylaws.