November 2018



Vital Discussions



Enosburg Vital Village Public Design Workshop Considers Physical Improvements, Recreation and Tourism Opportunities and Branding

The Vital Village Project held its third community outreach event on Thursday, November 15th. About 30 residents turned up for focused discussions on transportation and mobility, streetscape enhancements and beautification, recreation and tourism and identity and branding. The consultant team will present and look for feedback on their initial findings and recommendations at a final public outreach event in January before starting earnest work on developing the plan over the winter. Presentations on the completed revitalization plan will happen in the spring.

The Vital Village project is funded by a Vermont Better Connections Program grant. SE Group, Stantec and Doug Kennedy Advisors were hired to complete the project. NRPC staff is serving as the local project manager.

For more information and for continuous project updates, visit  www.enosburgvitalvillage.org.


Upcoming Water Quality Workshops 
 



 Transportation Advisory Committee Members Tour Railroad Roundhouse 

TAC members on their tour of the Saint Albans Roundhouse.

The Northwest Regional Planning Commission's Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) members got the opportunity to tour the historic railroad roundhouse in St. Albans City.  This roundhouse was built around 1923 and is the largest roundhouse in Vermont and one of the largest in the Northeast (originally having 23 stalls). The building is used for safety inspections and repairs to freight locomotives, cars and track maintenance equipment.  A big thanks to Charles Hunter and Jeff Stowe from New England Central Railroad for this opportunity. 

A roundhouse is a circular or semicircular building built starting in the 1840's to service steam locomotives. Roundhouse construction phased out in the 1940's and 1950's as diesel locomotives-requiring less frequent service and smaller repair facilities-took over the fleet.The majority of roundhouses have now been demolished or converted to museums or retail space. The St. Albans roundhouse is unique because it is still being used to service locomotives. 

Draft Georgia Plan to be released in December 2018

In mid-December 2018, a draft Georgia South Village Transportation Master Plan will be released for public comment.  This draft plan provides a framework to meet future land use and transportation challenges in the South Village district, an area located between Exit 18 and the Milton border. The draft plan addresses issues as diverse as future pedestrian and bicycle locations, park-and-ride location and a grid network of streets.  The project is a joint collaboration between NRPC, the Town of Georgia, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
 
The draft plan will be available on both the NRPC and Town of Georgia website. Hard copies will also be available at the Georgia Town Office. Comments or questions regarding this project may be sent to T aylor Newton at NRPC. Public comments received will be considered by project partners during the completion a final plan in the spring of 2019. 



NRPC Welcomes New Staff Member

Linda Blasch joined the Northwest Regional Planning Commission in November 2018 as the Grants Management Assistant. She has a B.S. degree in Environmental Studies from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and she brings extensive experience with grant management, transportation, and water quality projects to the NRPC. 

Linda previously worked for the Agency of Transportation as the Better Roads Program Coordinator, where she provided technical assistance and trainings to municipalities and managed millions of dollars in municipal road grant projects. She has also worked for the Agency Natural Resources, Smugglers' Notch Resort, and at the NRPC briefly during the summer of 2016.   She enjoys collaborating with municipalities, state, and regional partners to identify, develop, and implement projects.

In her free time she enjoys reading, writing, being outside, skiing, hiking, and making all kinds of crafts. She lives in Jericho with her husband and 7 year old daughter.


11th Annual Vermont Community Energy and Climate Action Conference

Do you want to help Vermonters lower their energy bills?  Help mobilize Vermont to make bold progress on climate? Come join the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network and UVM Extension at the 11th annual Vermont Community Energy and Climate Action Conference!

Date: Saturday, December 1st
Time: 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Location: Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, VT

Panels, networking, and discussions will focus on empowering Vermonters to take the lead on climate and energy issues. Workshops will explore a wide range of topics, from The Path to a Green Transportation System, Making Solar Accessible to Vermonters with Low Incomes, Using Digital Tools to Reach the Public, Beneficial Electrification, and many more. We will have two keynote speakers, Bill McKibben and Michael Shank. Bill McKibben is a world-renowned author, environmental activist, and founder of 350.org, the first planet-wide, grassroots climate change movement. Michael Shank, Ph.D., is the Communications Director for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network.

Register Today and find out more info by visiting:  www.regonline.com/VTEnergy2018

Better Connections Grant Program Accepting Applications

As part of an ongoing partnership to revitalize community centers and increase transportation options, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), in collaboration with the Agency of Natural Resources and the Vermont Department of Health, are pleased to announce that the Better Connections (BC) Grant Program is now accepting applications. 

Annually, the program grants approximately $200,000 in planning funds to help municipalities (outside of Chittenden County) build more livable, walkable and strong communities. 

Grant applications are due January 31, 2019 with all applicants required to participate in a pre-application meeting with BC Program Managers prior to December 31, 2018.

Grant Timeline:
  • Pre-application meeting deadline: December 31, 2019
  • RPC confirmation of municipal planning process: January 31, 2019
  • Application deadline: January 31, 2019 @ 4:00 p.m.
  • Award decisions: March 15, 2019
Please review the Program Application Guidelines and Application Form to apply.

For more information, contact Better Connections Program Managers Richard Amore at 802-828-5229 or Jackie Cassino at 802-272-2368 and visit the grant website. For grant assistance, contact the Northwest Regional Planning Commission at 802-524-5958. 


Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Offering Grants Focusing on Emerald Ash Borer Municipal Planning 

Vermont Urban and Community Forestry is pleased to announce $40,000 in cost-share grants available for 2019.

What will these grants support? These grants will support efforts to prepare for and manage the impacts of emerald ash borer (EAB). EAB is a destructive and invasive forest pest that feeds on all species of ash trees, killing over 99% within four years of infestation. Vermont is home to an estimated 160 million ash trees. These grants support planning and management but do not include tree removal or chemical treatment.Projects must relate to municipal EAB planning and take place in Vermont. 

Who should apply? Communities statewide- Emerald Ash borer has been confirmed in Orange, Washington, Caledonia, Grand Isle, and Bennington Counties. However, all communities statewide are encouraged to prepare for the decline of ash trees and the future of urban tree canopy without ash.  

When are the applications due? Grant applications are due January 31, 2019.  

What is the amount of available funds? $40,000 in cost-share grants are available for 2019. The maximum funding for individual proposals is $2,000. The funds will be distribued through a competitive grant review and selection process. 

For more information and assistance, contact the VT UCF staff listed below.


Vermont Housing Finance Agency Launches New Web Tools

Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) has launched a robust, free resource connecting Vermonters to information about housing vacancies and community needs.

Low and moderate income Vermonters who lack adequate, stable housing that they can afford suffer from elevated health and safety risks. This recently reinvented resource, known as the Vermont Housing Data website , represents years of collaboration among stakeholders seeking to increase the number of stably housed Vermonters through state of the art information sharing tools. 

The website's dynamic, comprehensive housing locator covers every apartment made affordable through public project-based subsides, generating a list for apartment seekers of vacant, subsidized units and a direct link to the common tenant application accepted statewide. Specialized filters now enable apartment seekers to more easily find new vacancy listings meeting their needs--critical for the many low-income renters with few housing options, especially those with physical and location limitations. 

In addition to the apartment locater, the site's "community profiles" for every Vermont town and county help planners and decision makers more clearly assess population-level indicators and identify outcomes to address the most pressing housing needs. The profiles display data and vetted community housing needs indicators based on a variety of national and Vermont-based sources. The interactive and intuitive visualizations provide expanded filtering options and offer a wider range of information than ever before. This data is used by many different stakeholders, including municipal and regional planners, nonprofits, government agencies, and legislators. The standardized data and indicators included in the profiles are intended to improve the accuracy of local housing needs analyses to maximize the impact of public resources.

The project's largest funding source was a Vermont Community Development planning grant from the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), in cooperation with the Village of Essex Junction, which acted as a municipal sponsor.  The fully revamped Vermont Housing Data website is the result of years of planning and support from area stakeholders, including the Vermont Community Development Program, the Vermont Association of Development and Planning Associations, AARP-Vermont, the TD Foundation and Champlain Valley's Office of Economic Opportunity Thriving Communities initiative.

Northwest Regional Planning Commission
Address: 75 Fairfield Street, St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: 802.524.5958      Fax: 802.527.2948     Website: www.nrpcvt.com