Town Plan
Section 9: Existing Land Use Patterns
9.0 Existing Land Use Patterns.
Land
use in Wallingford reflects the historical evolution of the town from a
self-sufficient farming community and commercial center to one of an
increasingly inter-dependent group of communities.
A land use pattern of tightly clustered villages surrounded by open land
and scattered farms and residences has given way to a pattern of more diffuse
residential and commercial development. Existing
land use patterns generally follow the zoning districts reflected in the
Wallingford Zoning Regulations adopted in 1972.
According to the Town Lister’s data, residential land uses represented the predominant use of non-federal land in Wallingford in 1997. Privately owned woodland was the next most extensive land use recorded in the town, followed by farms and miscellaneous buildings and lots. Despite their significant economic impact, commercial and industrial activities occupied a relatively minor portion of the Town’s taxable land area.
9.1 Agriculture
Wallingford
is typical of Vermont towns in regard to agriculture.
The number of farms in the town has declined steadily since the 1800’s.
At that time, farms were basically self-supporting units, producing many
different crops and commodities. Today,
farms are specialized.
Wallingford
currently has 4 commercial dairy farms. Two are located along the Otter Creek,
one is on East Street and the fourth is in East Wallingford.
These four dairy operations have a combined total of about 250 milking
cows, plus replacement stock.
Operators
of these farms own or rent about 250 acres of tillable cropland in Wallingford.
Dairy farms, which have their milking operation in other towns, own or
rent about 100 additional acres of tillable cropland in Wallingford.
Wallingford
also has a dairy cow replacement operation and some small-scale beef operations. Sheep, goats, veal and horses are also raised and maple syrup
and honey are produced.
Also under the category of agriculture are some vegetable sales, Christmas tree plantations and landscaping/greenhouse operations. Agricultural limestone is also mined in the town.
9.2
Forestry
No concrete data
exists as to the actual size or composition of forested areas in Wallingford
that exist outside the Green Mountain National Forest.
However, ‘guesstimates’ were provided by the office of the County
Forester that represent the type of forest cover generally found on the sites
mentioned. On the western edge of
town along Route 7, the predominant forest type is a mixture of northern
hardwoods. However, a strip of
white pine extends along both sides of Route 7 from the Danby border in the
south to the Clarendon border to the north.
Mixed northern hardwoods cover the majority of Wallingford.
In addition to these forest types, a small pocket of oak hardwoods can be
found in the northeastern corner of town. Finally,
patches of spruce and fir can be found at higher elevations on the Mt. Tabor
border within the Green Mountain National Forest.
Again, these are only broad-brush estimates of the major forest types
that exist in Wallingford, and professional estimates as to their particular
location. The forestlands in
Wallingford are broken up and interspersed by active and abandoned farmlands.
The
Green Mountain National Forest comprises 9027 acres of the total of 27,552 acres
of land in Wallingford, or about 32% of Wallingford’s land area.
Wallingford receives Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) from the Forest, but
the amount is less than that which would likely be received in taxes if that
land were privately owned and managed.
The
Town should balance the need for taxes with the advantages of open National
Forest Lands when lands come up for sale to the Green Mountain National Forest.