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What is a Town Plan?

As described by the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), a town plan "provides a framework toward attaining community aspirations through public investments, land use regulations, and other implementation programs such as a state-designated downtown or village center, business improvement districts, or land conservation programs. It can also qualify the community for state grants to fund improvements or receive specialized technical assistance."

Further, ACCD states that municipal plans can be used as:

A long-term guide: The plan can be used to measure and evaluate public and private initiatives that affect the future physical, social, and economic health of the community.

A basis for decision-making, community programs, and taxpayer investments: The plan can help a community identify priorities for funding, establishing a capital improvement program, and directing other public and private local initiatives, such as farmland protection, housing development, or recreational facilities creation or improvement.

An action plan that identifies implementation steps: The plan details the programs and projects over the short term (one to two years), midterm (three to five years), and long term (six years or more) to achieve goals and objectives. Well-articulated implementation strategies can help leverage grant funding and other support for those actions.

A basis for municipal regulations: The plan serves as the foundation for zoning and subdivision regulations and bylaws to protect shorelands and flood-hazard areas from development. It underpins the official town map and guides local regulatory decisions.

Responsibility for the the preparation of the Town Plan resides with the town's Planning & Economic Development Commission. The plan is reviewed by the Windham Regional Planning Commission, and approved, following public hearings, by the Selectboard.

Town Plans

Town Plan Maps (2018) — all from Windham Regional Commission

For a variety of other maps of Vernon, please visit our maps page.