Upcoming Events

Parcelization and Land Use Trends Webinar

July 11, 2023 – 12-1pm

Join Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) for a one-hour webinar to learn about parcelization and land use trends in Vermont, based on new research examining Grand List (property tax) and Use Value Appraisal Program data. The webinar will include a presentation of new findings from a recent study on parcelization trends, and teach you how to access and utilize land use data at the town, county, regional planning commission, and state level through VNRC's parcelization website. There will also be an opportunity for Q&A and shared conversation.

Parcelization, or the breaking up of land into smaller and smaller parcels, typically occurs through subdivision. Parcelization is gaining momentum, and development that often occurs as a result is causing forest cover and large intact woodland parcels to decline in Vermont.  In order to minimize the effects of parcelization and fragmentation, and promote smart growth housing opportunities, it is necessary to understand where parcelization and subdivision are occurring, and the rate at which they are occurring. Please register here!

What's New in the State's Hazard Mitigation Plan

July 12, 2023 - 9 am

Vermont Emergency Management is hosting a public webinar to share the priority actions included in VEM's 2023 State Hazard Mitigation Plan. More details and registration here!

Workplace Charging Opportunities and Resources

July 25, 2023 - 10:30 am 

Join Clean Cities Team Northern Tier, charging installers, and utilities who will (1) introduce the EMPOWER workplace electric vehicle charging project, (2) provide tools and resources for workplaces to install EV charging, and (3) identify how and why to engage the electric utility & charging providers. Learn more and register today: Webinar Registration Link

Launch of Energy Assessments Application, Municipal Energy Resilience Program

We've gotten a lot of inquiries about next steps in the Municipal Energy Resilience Program. The Energy Assessment Application is now available! CVRPC staff is available to walk you through the application process. Full details can be found here!

Launch of Vermont Community EV Charging Incentives Program

The Vermont Community EV Chargers funding program for multifamily, workplace and public attraction charging launched on July 6th. Green Mountain Power, in partnership with the Department of Housing and Community Development, will administer the program statewide (not limited to GMP territory). The funding is for full installation (hardware, design, and utility make ready included); anticipate funding will cover approximately 150 sites and 1,300 ports installed. Full details here of the program here as well as other EVSE opportunities.

Updates from the Vt. Dept. of Housing & Community Development

2023 Legislative Update

The Department has issued an additional summary on legislative revisions affecting community planning and revitalization, including overviews of the budget, transportation, and 30x30 bills. It offers a preview of funding opportunities coming soon.

2023 Planning Survey Results

The results of the 2023 Vermont Planning Survey are now available. Thank you for your ideas and feedback. Your responses elevate local and regional priorities, inform Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) initiatives and programs, and evaluate and improve the planning grant programs for fiscal year ’24. This is the first year that DHCD collected demographic information from respondents, and the results show that housing issues are clearly top of mind.

Municipal Planning & Bylaw Modernization Grants

Please stay tuned for the next round of Municipal Planning & Bylaw Modernization grants. We look forward to announcing these popular programs, mid-July, and learning about your prospective projects.

HOME Act Resource Page & FAQs

Questions about Act 47 are beginning to arrive at DHCD through this form, and we will begin posting responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs) starting in July, here. DHCD will periodically update this resource page. Please take note that although Act 47 lists effective dates, some of these dates were amended by subsequent legislation approved during the recent veto session (H.171).  The date changes are explained in the memo on H.171, found on the resource page. Please use and share this page with interested stakeholders.

Municipal Planning Commission Bylaw Adoption Report

Last, the HOME Act required that DHCD establish a new reporting form for bylaws and a digital collection form for GIS shapefiles by July 1, 2023. This is now available. Instructions, the provisional report template and an online upload/submission form can be found here -- for use when proposing bylaws for hearing and submitting adopting bylaws enabled by the Municipal and Regional Planning and Development Act.