The intent of the Commission is to annually update this Future Land Use section to
reflect Town Plans adopted during the prior year.
A. Maps
Future Land Use Map
The Future Land Use Map for the Addison Region consists of a composite of all
municipally adopted municipal plans as of the effective date of this plan. The map included
herein attempts to depict the Land Use regions adopted by each municipality in four broad
categories: Village, Commercial and Industrial Regions; High Density Residential Regions
of 2 acres or less; Rural and Agricultural Regions of greater than 2 acre density and Forestry,
Conservation and Floodplain Regions.
As such, the map included herein is a representation only; it should not be used for
regulatory purposes. Instead, the Municipal Plan’s Future Land Use Region for the region in
which any project is located should govern any regulatory participation under this plan.
Expired municipal plans are included in the Future Land Use Map. Although the expired
plans have no standing, they constitute the best indication of the regulations governing the
area, since zoning cannot be changed without an adopted town plan. They are included in the
Future Land Use Map to provide some indication of the uses and patterns of development
that may be allowed in the area.
Regionally Significant Resources Map
The Regionally Significant Resources Map is intended as an overlay to the Regional
Future Land Use Map. It includes resources identified in the plan as regionally significant
resources or facilities to which the Regional Plan policies should apply.
Map of Approved Municipal Plans
This map shows those municipalities who have current locally adopted plans and have
also received approval from the Addison County Regional Planning Commission under the
directives of 24 V.S.A. § 4350. The map also includes the date of the regional approval.
B. Land Uses
As noted above, the Regional Future Land Use Plan constitutes a composite of the
municipal land use maps form every municipality in the region. Because the land use regions
identified in municipal plans are described in many different ways, the discussion below
amalgamates the various planning regions in all municipalities into four generalized land use
regions.
Village, Industrial, Commercial and Mixed Uses
Nearly every town in the region has designated a village or mixed-use planning region in
their future land use plans. This plan consistently encourages supporting and revitalizing the
region’s villages with a mix of uses.
These are generally located in area of existing commercial development, and usually
coincide with the historic village centers. Middlebury, Vergennes and Bristol have downtown
business districts and separately designated industrial areas. Although most of the remaining
towns do not have the infrastructure necessary for additional large industrial development,
this plan supports commercial and industrial growth in the areas designated by each town.
Because of the availability of infrastructure, and/or to support existing settlement patterns
and growth centers, this plan encourages major commercial or industrial development in
appropriately designated areas of Middlebury, Vergennes and Bristol, or the creative reuse or
redevelopment of “brownfields” or other existing commercial or industrial facilities or
infrastructure. This plan supports cluster development within the villages.
High Density Residential Use Regions
This region includes areas designated for residential uses on lots two-acres or less in size.
Residential uses are permitted uses subject in most towns to the requirements of locating onsite
sewage disposal facilities. Most towns have identified some area of higher density
residential use (characterized for the purposes of this plan as two-acres or less). Many areas
planned for higher density development lie in the village regions and are depicted in the
Village, Commercial and Industrial District for the purposes of this map. Many others are
defined by some other variable, ranging from available soils to road frontage. As the
provisions of the recent changes to Chapter 117 are adopted, the provisions in each
municipality’s plan governing these regions and the underlying zoning implementing those
plans will most probably be changed to accommodate affordable housing.
These areas are most likely to allow or encourage Planned Unit Developments, 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 forest lands, 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, home-based businesses and cottage industry are permitted uses in
most municipal planning regions that allow for higher and lower density residential
development. This is consistent with this plan’s economic base policies that encourage
smaller, community-based businesses. However, the Commission is aware of problems with
administering home occupation/home-based businesses/cottage industry bylaws. It will
continue to work with towns to balance the benefits of these uses (bolstering local economies
by providing business opportunities) against the burdens they can place on neighboring
properties (i.e. large or inappropriate activities).
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.
Rural and Agricultural Planning Regions
This region includes areas designated for residential uses on lots greater than two-acres in
size. Agriculture constitutes the primary land use in these regions and is generally
encouraged to continue in the municipal plans. Agriculture and forestry are exempt from
local bylaws (after filing a notice of activity and demonstrating that they constitute a
legitimate agricultural use as defined by the Secretary of the Agency of Agriculture Food and
Markets) and as such, are permitted throughout the region. This is consistent with Regional
Plan policy’s supporting continuation of local resource based business and encouraging both
land uses. The Regional Plan specifically encourages the use of AMPs, AAPs and BMPs.
The region has not identified any type or block of land as regionally significant. However,
the Vermont Land Trust has been working steadily to conserve large usable blocks of prime
farmland in the region and this plan supports their efforts.
Single-family residences are usually permitted uses 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 an inefficient use 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.
Some towns include outdoor recreation as either a permitted or conditional use in these
land use areas and in Forest or Conservation Land Use areas discussed below. During the rewriting
of this portion of this plan, the planning staff and the Utilities, Facilities and Services
Committee worked with the State Forests and Parks and Recreation Division and prepared a
detailed look at recreation in the region. The Utilities, Facilities and Services section of the
plan addresses recreation and includes appropriate recreational policies and data, which
better prepare the Commission to assist towns in planning for recreation.
Several towns also have mineral extraction bylaws. This plan’s policies reflect the intent
of these bylaws and reinforce the importance of wise use of these resources (sand and
gravel), given their uneven distribution in the region and the economic ramifications of a
continuing mineral resource in the region.
Forestry, Conservation and Floodplain Regions
This constitutes the last composite of land uses within most plans in the region. Forestry
is recognized, with agriculture, as one of the most important resources in the region. Many
municipalities have set up districts to preserve and support it. In addition, maps created based
upon work by the Soil Conservation Service located in the agricultural and forestry lands
sections of this plan show those lands which are of prime importance under Criterion 9B and
those lands rated as secondary agricultural and forest soils under Criteria 9C of Act 250.
Conservation areas are distributed throughout 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. 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 generally utilize these regions to promote open space, recreational
opportunities and significant natural features.
The only Class I Wetland in the region is a portion of Scanlon Bog located in Leicester.
However, as noted above, many towns have planning regions that protect floodplains or other
significant wetlands (Class I and II wetlands). The best examples of this are in the vicinity of
the Dead Creek, which is identified, in several municipal plans.
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 examplesof aquifer protection districts from other regions and encourage
their adoption here.
