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Smart Growth is Smart Business: Business Leaders Work to Preserve Vermont’s Rural Character
NALGEP Newsflash
10/08/03
In a state famous for its rolling green mountains, acres of farmland, and rural heritage, it may come as a surprise that a recent survey found that three-quarters of the population would consider moving to a city or village center. With increased traffic congestion and haphazard development eating up farmland and open space, sprawl has become a hot topic for Vermonters in recent years.
The Vermont Business Roundtable, a non-profit coalition of 108 CEOs from the state’s most active private industries, is leading an effort to prevent erosion of the state’s rural character.
Since its formation in 1987, this dedicated group of bankers, entrepreneurs, developers, and architects, has crafted thoughtful solutions to vexing policy issues that affect the business climate of the state. Recognizing the impact low-density, fragmented development is having on Vermont’s environment, economy, and character, the Business Roundtable has launched an effort to help address the issue.
A Unique Partnership
The Business Roundtable formed a partnership with the Vermont Forum on Sprawl (VFOS), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Vermont’s working landscape, quality of life, and existing community centers. The partnership has brought together Vermont’s business and environmental communities to work toward a common goal of reducing sprawling development.
As part of this partnership, known as the New Models Collaborative, project leaders drafted a set of “smart growth” principles they hoped could foster new approaches to commercial and industrial development in the state. Based on these principles, the partnership then evaluated the feasibility of three hypothetical smart growth projects in Waterbury, South Burlington, and Bennington under existing land-use policies.
According to Jay Kenlan, land use attorney and Business Roundtable board member, “We looked at development from an outcome standpoint. What are the objectives we hope to achieve for transportation, reuse of existing structures, and open space or historic preservation? How can we craft our regulatory policies to meet these goals?”
The partnership concluded that none of the hypothetical development projects would work within the existing regulatory framework. The costly delay and uncertainty associated with fragmented municipal zoning and permitting guidelines are one of several hurdles discouraging development within town centers and encouraging greenfield development.
New Models for Development
As a result of the study, the partnership recommended pre-qualifying areas within urban centers for certain types of development in accordance with an overall master plan. This provides more certainty and less process and encourages public/private partnerships to facilitate smart development choices. In late October 2003, the New Models Collaborative will release additional findings from the three case studies in a report entitled “New Models for Commercial and Industrial Development.”
The Business Roundtable hopes to use the results of this effort to educate local and state planning boards and to identify specific ways land-use provisions can be improved to encourage rather than discourage sustainable growth. Working with the VFOS, the Business Roundtable will also help community leaders draft new zoning policies and utilize innovative public/private financing strategies to attract the types of growth to town centers that meet local development goals.
Toward a Sustainable Future
This unique partnership provides a valuable example of the environmental and business communities coming together to achieve a common vision for sustainable growth. “Vermont has great natural beauty, but commercial expansion will go where it is easiest to develop. If you want to influence these types of business decisions, you must make smart development choices more attractive to the private sector,” says Lisa Ventriss, President, Vermont Business Rountable.
For more information, please contact Lisa Ventriss at (802) 865-0410 or lisa@vtroundtable.com, or visit www.vtroundtable.org.
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