land use
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Act 47 and A Story of Vermont’s Compact Future
Vermont’s shrinking pool of buildable land and new statewide zoning mandates are steering the state toward a dense, walkable future. Act 47 accelerates this shift…
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The Vermont Land Crunch: Conservation, Costs, and a Finite Landscape
Vermont’s land base is far more limited than commonly understood. With roughly three-quarters of the state already conserved, publicly owned, or in long-term Current Use,…
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Vermont’s Quiet Tax Break That Everyone Pays For
Vermont’s Current Use Program reduces property taxes on agricultural and forest land by assessing enrolled parcels at use value rather than market value. As enrollment…
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When State Guidance Becomes Pressure: Vermont Towns Push Back
Vermont towns are increasingly unsure where statutory planning requirements end and agency-driven preferences begin. Pittsford’s recent Selectboard discussion highlights this statewide tension, especially around Enhanced…
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VT’s Housing Debate: Trade-Offs No One Wants to Name
Vermont’s housing debate is stuck on three incompatible goals: building far more homes, keeping them affordable, and maintaining strict environmental protections. Policymakers and advocates avoid…
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Vermont’s “It’ll Fix Everything Act”
Vermont’s land-use planning statute attempts to solve almost every development challenge at once, from housing and transportation to agriculture, energy, and even cultural enrichment. Its…
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The Prophet of Act 250: How One Yes-Vote Became VT’s Loudest Critic
One of Act 250’s original yes-votes spent the next five decades warning where Vermont’s land-use regime would lead: tighter permits, fewer homes, higher costs, weaker…
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A Reality Check on Wildlife Corridors
Vermont’s 2016 Act 171 requires towns to map and protect “forest blocks” and “habitat connectors,” but the policy has sparked growing frustration among landowners. Many…
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Did You Vote for Collective Aesthetic Regulations?
Vermont’s Act 250 doesn’t just regulate pollution—it polices beauty. Under Criterion 8, projects can be denied for being “out of harmony” with the landscape. These…
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Strike-Alls: How a Bill Metastasized Into Your Backyard
In 2016, a short bill labeled “An act relating to timber harvesting” quietly rewrote Vermont’s land-use laws. A single sentence requiring towns to map “forest…
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