Town Plan
Section 16: Goals, Objectives, and Policies
16.3 Economic Opportunity and Development
16.6 Natural and Historic Features
Natural and Fragile Areas - Wetlands
Water Resources - Lakes, Ponds, and Streams
16.7 Site Conditions and Limitations for Development
16.9 Recreational Opportunities
16.10 Agricultural and Forest Industries
16.11 Natural (Earth) Resources
Introduction
Vermont Statutes (24 VSA s. 4302) provides that
“municipalities . . . shall engage in a continuing planning process that will
further . . .” certain land use and development goals prescribed by the
Vermont Legislature. The following
Goals are intended to establish the overall direction and guidance for land uses
and development in the Town of Wallingford in accordance with Section 4302.
They are also intended to guide the protection of the environment and the
preservation of rare and irreplaceable natural areas, scenic and historic
features, and special resources.
Development Planning
The
historic village centers of Wallingford, East Wallingford and South Wallingford
are important economic and cultural assets, while the rural areas of the town
support agricultural, forestry, recreational and low-density residential and
commercial uses. The Town of Wallingford should pursue all reasonably
available means of improving the utility of town centers as areas for future
residential and commercial development while, at the same time, respecting the
freedom of choice that our citizens have historically enjoyed to live and work
in rural areas as well as village centers.
The three village areas were recently given village center
“designation” through a process created by the legislature to recognize and
encourage local efforts to revitalize Vermont’s traditional village centers. This designation is a tool to support commercial activity in
the center of Vermont’s villages. Tax
incentives for historic building rehabilitation and code improvements, as well
as priority project consideration for Municipal Planning Grants are benefits now
available to Wallingford’s designated villages.
Plan
and encourage development and settlement patterns that maintain the historic
character of Wallingford, including compact villages and rural countryside,
provide our citizens with healthy, diverse and desirable housing, recreational
and economic opportunities, and make wise and efficient use of our public and
private resources.
Provide for higher density residential development in village centers, and plan and provide infrastructure to support such development.
Designate
appropriate areas for economic and commercial development, and plan and provide
infrastructure to support such development.
Policies
and Implementation Strategies
To the fullest extent reasonably possible and consistent with other provisions
and policies of this Plan, maintain and encourage the historic settlement of
more densely settled villages and neighborhoods surrounded by working farms and
forest land and lower density rural residential development.
Provide
residents with a variety of living opportunities in different settings,
including villages, rural clusters, rural large lots and farms.
Plan
and develop public infrastructure, such as municipal sewer and water systems,
town highways, and educational facilities to encourage residential and
commercial land uses that reinforce existing land use patterns and that
represent the efficient use and development of public infrastructure; develop
capital plans and programs that will implement efficient public infrastructure
planning, construct public infrastructure in advance of development impacts and
pressures to minimize conflict between reasonable and predictable land use and
development and demands on public infrastructure.
Adopt
and implement mitigation strategies identified in the Regional Pre-Disaster
Mitigation Plan and accompanying Wallingford Annex to lessen damages to town
infrastructure caused by hazardous weather and man-made events.
Protect
and encourage the maintenance of agricultural lands for the production of food
and other agricultural products, develop programs that facilitate the
conservation of working farmlands, particularly in the three primary farmland
sections of town, while at the same time, respecting the property interests and
economic aspirations of the owners of farm and forest land.
Economic Opportunity and Development
Planners and policy makers repeat, almost as a mantra, that
‘quality of life’ is a goal of all municipal, regional and state land use
planning. Although ‘quality of
life’ is subjective and has many dimensions, it is none the less a vitally
important factor for attracting and facilitating economic development, and
developing and retaining a highly skilled, professional labor force. Clean air, clean water, good educational institutions, a safe
living environment and the inherent character of our community are critical
components of what we in
Wallingford believe makes our quality of life special, and makes Wallingford an
attractive, enjoyable and satisfying place to live and work. However, for most of us, ‘quality of life’ begins with a
satisfying job, a decent living wage, and a strong, dependable economy.
Absent this foundation, clean air, clean water, good educational
institutions, a safe living environment and other important attributes of our
‘quality of life’ in Wallingford may be unaffordable and therefore
unattainable for many of our citizens. Viable,
growing businesses and industries in Wallingford and in the Rutland Region
provide satisfying, financially rewarding employment opportunities that are
essential to the quality of life of our citizens, and provide the state and
local financial resources that are necessary to achieve our social goals and
support our public institutions. We
must also recognize and accept, however, that no land uses, whether commercial,
residential, agricultural or conservation, are without impacts and that the
objective of land use planning and regulation is not to achieve ‘zero
impact’ land uses, but to minimize undue impacts by achieving a reasonable
balance between competing land uses.
In analyzing the benefits and burdens of commercial or industrial activity, attention should be paid to the correlation between a strong, viable economy and satisfying employment opportunities on the one hand, and our ability to achieve important public sector social objectives on the other. If welfare-to-work is to be successful, if we are to narrow the income gap between wealthy and poor Vermonters, and if we are to provide the governmental and social services that our citizens require, then we must care for and protect our economy with the same dedication that we care for and protect our ecology.
Goals
Nurture a strong and diverse
economy that provides satisfying and rewarding job opportunities for residents,
a strong and predictable economic base to support our public policies and
institutions, and that maintains high environmental and community
standards.
To the extent consistent with the capabilities and the public and private
resources of the Town of Wallingford, plan for, facilitate and support
sustainable local economic growth and development.
Facilitate, develop and manage an economy that provides the financial resources
to enable the public sector to meet its obligations.
Increase understanding of the correlation between strong economies and the
availability of safe and affordable childcare.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
·
Create a reasonable balance
between conservation and preservation of existing land uses and a viable economy
that provides economic opportunity for our citizens.
·
Preserve and
strengthen the town’s retail, tourist, manufacturing and agricultural
economies and provide reasonable opportunities, areas and public infrastructure
for new businesses.
·
Encourage
meaningful private sector participation in the planning and implementation of
local economic development strategies and programs.
·
Coordinate
economic development planning and support at the local level with regional
strategies and programs.
·
Identify the
capabilities, strengths and opportunities that exist in Wallingford and
undertake formal regional economic development planning initiatives that reflect
the needs and opportunities identified by the businesses in Wallingford.
·
Develop
strong public/private partnerships, and public sector programs designed to
support and facilitate economic activity in town.
·
Develop a
long term economic development plan and strategy to encourage and facilitate
sustainable, environmentally sound commercial and industrial development in the
town and in the Rutland Region, to provide jobs and income for our citizens.
·
Evaluate,
identify and support, by appropriate designation and regulation, areas of the
town that, by virtue of their historical and existing patterns of land use,
physical characteristics and access to necessary and appropriate infrastructure,
are suitable for sustainable, environmentally sound commercial and industrial
development.
·
Assess
whether there are barriers to increasing capacity of childcare facilities in
town zoning regulations.
Education
When
planning for public facilities, it is important to bear in mind that, in
addition to educating and teaching social skills to the community’s children,
schools also serve as centers of community identity.
Schools are increasingly used by communities for meeting and recreation
spaces. As adult education, technical and job training and ‘life
long learning’ become the rule rather than the exception, non-traditional
educational opportunities--some in schools, some not--will take on greater
importance. Wallingford’s
educational facilities are generally adequate. However, aging facilities, such
as the Wallingford Elementary School, and the fluctuations in school populations
will require planning and implementation strategies that anticipate and answer
the needs generated as a natural consequence of growth and development in the
town. The Town has a responsibility
to plan for and address the predictable impacts of change, growth and
development on its educational facilities.
·
Provide educational
programs and facilities that enable every Wallingford resident, present and
future, to become a competent, self-assured, caring, productive, responsible
individual and citizen, committed to continued learning throughout life and
prepared for a world of rapid change and unforeseen demands.
·
Create a
safe, secure learning environment where quality educational opportunities are
provided to all of our citizens.
· Create and maintain a vibrant, active and appropriate center for educating our citizens and supporting community activities.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
Provide sufficient and
appropriate physical space to meet current and projected educational needs.
Continue to operate
the school facilities so that they may provide a wide variety of community
services including but not limited to: education of children and adults,
preschool and senior citizen programs, recreation, and meeting and library
facilities.
Develop and implement capital plans and programs for educational facilities, so
that existing educational facilities are utilized, and future educational
facilities are developed. Anticipate and address, in advance, the demands upon
those facilities that will result from normal and predictable rates of growth
and development.
Develop
land use management plans and strategies, and
Capital plans and programs, so that housing and population growth does
not over-burden the school’s ability to provide adequate educational programs
and facilities for students or other essential programs and services to the
community.
Transportation
The
private automobile is the dominant and most important means of transportation in
the town, and any transportation planning in Wallingford and the Rutland Region
must take into account the continuing dependence of our citizens, particularly
those in rural areas, on automobiles as their primary means of transportation.
At the same time, we recognize that bicycling and pedestrian travel are
recreational as well as practical transportation modes, and both bicycling and
pedestrian travel can substitute for automobiles in short trip commuting and
shopping.
All
means and modes of transportation must be evaluated based upon their cost,
benefit and practicality. We must
keep in mind that public policy initiatives may be limited by the willingness of
our citizens to accept them, and that our citizens may be willing to accept
circumstances and conditions that, from a planning perspective, may be less than
ideal, but that are tolerable when compared to the cost and inconvenience of
what might, in the abstract, appear to be the more desirable condition. As a planning premise, we should take into account that our
citizens may be tolerant of a certain level of inconvenience, rather than paying
the added cost for a marginally more convenient situation.
Goals
Provide and maintain a
transportation system that is safe, efficient, cost-effective and practical.
Plan for and implement a transportation system that promotes the other goals and
policies of this Plan and makes it easier - not harder - to direct appropriate
and efficient land use patterns and economic and residential development.
Provide and
maintain a transportation system that meets the needs of all segments of
Wallingford’s population - not just those who can afford to own and operate
automobiles.
Evaluate and
implement transportation improvements to mitigate the impacts of Route 7 through
Wallingford village.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
-
Maintain or improve the current level of service on all roads in town.
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Develop, manage and maintain roads to meet community level demand and maintain a rural character.
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Analyze and compare a reasonable range of alternative transportation opportunities as part of the analysis of any new or proposed transportation projects, policies or improvements.
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Develop and implement capital plans and programs for transportation facilities, so that existing transportation facilities are utilized, and future transportation facilities are developed, to anticipate and address, in advance, the demands upon those facilities that will result from normal and predictable rates of growth and development.
-
Develop land use management plans and strategies, and capital plans and programs, so that housing and population growth does not overburden the ability of existing or proposed transportation facilities to provide for normal and predictable rates of growth and development.
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Develop, adopt and implement standards for construction, improvements and maintenance of town and private roads.
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Evaluate and enhance transportation improvements, including traffic calming, that mitigate the impacts of Route 7 on Wallingford and South Wallingford villages, while generally supporting a highway cross-section of 8-12-12-8 outside village areas.
Natural and Historic Features
Wallingford’s
natural and historic features, including its streams, forests, lakes and ponds,
aesthetic qualities and recreational opportunities, historic buildings and
traditional land uses are an important component of the quality of life enjoyed
by our residents and visitors. Not
only are our abundant natural and historic features important to our quality of
life, the beauty and environmental quality of our natural environment is one of
the principal components of our economy, and the preservation and protection of
those resources has economic as well as social benefits. On the other hand, we must respect the fact that many of what
we characterize as ‘our’ natural resources are located on privately owned
property, and that we must take care, in our zeal to protect those resources,
that we do not prevent the reasonable use of the property upon which those
resources are located, or impose upon the individual property owner a burden
that should be borne by the public as a whole.
Natural and Fragile Areas - Wetlands
-
Encourage the preservation of Class I and Class II wetlands and the values and functions that they serve, as defined by the Vermont Wetland Rules.
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Balance the ability of wetlands to provide benefits and functions of significance to the nation and state or of importance to the town against the rights and expectations of the property owner upon whose property the wetlands are located.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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Educate the public about the functions and values of wetlands.
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Prepare and publish wetland maps, and before adoption of zoning regulations with respect to wetlands, make reasonable efforts to notify all affected property owners of any wetlands identified on their property.
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Avoid municipal regulations that duplicate existing state or federal wetlands regulations, so that property owners upon whose properties wetlands are located will not be subjected to duplicative, redundant regulatory programs.
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Provide in municipal regulations that issuance of a conditional use permit under the Vermont Wetland Rules will satisfy the requirements of municipal regulations.
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Encourage the preservation of wetlands and other natural areas through regulatory provisions that create benefits for property owners that protect and preserve wetlands.
Water Resources - Lakes, Ponds and Streams
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Protect and preserve the rights and interests of the public in the use and enjoyment of water resources.
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Achieve appropriate balance between the desire to protect and preserve significant water resources and the right of property owners to make reasonable use of their property.
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Encourage and provide incentives for residential, industrial and commercial development in such a manner as will minimize undue adverse impact on significant water resources to the greatest extent reasonably possible.
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Provide safe, healthy conditions for boating and water based recreation.
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Protect and enhance the amount and quality of public recreational opportunities available on and around public waters.
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Protect and enhance significant fish and wildlife habitats, feeding areas, travel corridors and the ecology of rivers and streams.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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Encourage property owners to protect streambanks and shorelines.
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Encourage new development near streams to be designed and sited to blend with the natural surrounding as much as reasonably possible, and to avoid unreasonable interference with recreational uses, scenery or ecological functions of the stream corridor.
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Ensure that adequate erosion control measures are taken in areas of high erosion potential (e.g. steep slopes and thin soils) and high susceptibility to surface water pollution (e.g. along wetlands, streams and ponds).
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Establish and implement voluntary programs for stream conservation and water quality protection.
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Establish reasonable, site-specific stream buffers that conserve water quality, natural habitats, wildlife movement, and other ecological processes along aesthetically and recreationally important sections of streams.
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Incorporate into zoning regulations measures to address sediment and storm water runoff during and after construction.
Scenic and Aesthetic Qualities
Goals
-
Encourage and create incentives for the protection and enhancement of the natural beauty and scenic characteristics of significance to local landscapes, including landscape diversity, order and harmony of landscape elements, unique combinations of natural and cultural features, distinctive distant views, foregrounds in harmony with distinctive distant views, skylines, shorelines, steep slopes, agricultural and forest lands, traditional villages and streetscapes, historic buildings and cultural features, and significant scenic roads and pathways.
-
Encourage and provide incentives for residential, industrial and commercial development to avoid undue adverse impact on significant natural areas to the greatest extent possible.
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Achieve appropriate balance between the desire to protect and preserve natural areas and features and the rights of property owners to make reasonable use of their property.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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Establish a process for conceptual review of proposed large scale developments in order to influence project design to protect scenic resources and natural areas.
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Encourage the preservation of significant scenic and aesthetic values and qualities through regulatory provisions that create benefits for property owners who protect and preserve such values and qualities.
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Incorporate into local land use laws and regulations incentives to encourage landowners to avoid undue adverse impact on natural areas and historic and scenic resources that are designated as significant.
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Investigate and evaluate the availability of a natural area Transfer of Development rights program to protect important natural areas and historic and scenic resources while, at the same time, respecting the economic interests of property owners.
Goals
-
Recognize the role played by the historic quality and character of Wallingford in creating the town’s identity, character and sense of community.
-
Respect the fact that, by and large, our historic resources are privately owned properties, and that the cost of preservation of those resources is borne not by the public that seeks to benefit from it, but by the property owner.
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Recognize and respect the role of individual initiative, judgement and self-determination, and sense of community (as opposed to formal planning and regulation) in developing the history and character of Wallingford.
-
Insure that economically viable uses can be made of privately owned historic properties, and that historic designations do not result in the imposition of unreasonable economic burdens or excess regulation on affected property owners.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
-
Study, inventory and catalog Wallingford’s historic resources, particularly historic homes and buildings.
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Promote greater awareness of the role and importance of historic resources.
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Promote and develop the commercial potential of the town’s historic resources.
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Plan and develop public infrastructure (e.g. parking areas, pedestrian walkways, landscaping enhancements) that support and promote the public and private historic resources of the town.
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With the advice and consent of the affected property owners, designate appropriate Historic Districts within the town.
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Develop public policies and programs that encourage, facilitate, create incentives for, and support historic preservation and adaptive reuse of historic properties.
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Develop land use regulations that encourage the preservation of historic resources, particularly in the Village Historic District, while at the same time respecting the rights of the owners of properties designated as historic resources to make reasonable use of their properties.
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Participate in Act 250 hearings to assist in balancing the public interest in historic preservation against the rights of property owners to make reasonable use of their properties.
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Study, inventory and catalog Wallingford’s historic resources, particularly historic homes and buildings.
Water and Air Quality, Wildlife and Land Resources
Water Quality
Goals
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Maintain high quality groundwater and sufficient yields to adequately serve current and future residents of Wallingford.
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Protect groundwater recharge areas.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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Require proper installation and maintenance of septic systems.
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Provide information and incentives to encourage local farmers to use the best management practices (BMPs) reasonably available.
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Provide forest landowners with information and incentives to protect water quality. (Acceptable Management Practices).
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Ensure that new development and land use activities do not create undue adverse impacts on groundwater quality, or exceed the capacity to supply reasonably adequate groundwater yields to existing residences and businesses.
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Collect, update and disseminate information on Wallingford’s current and future groundwater supplies.
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Identify and protect Wallingford’s groundwater recharge areas.
Air Quality
Goals
-
Maintain high air quality standards for current and future residential, commercial and industrial development in Wallingford and the Rutland Region.
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Ensure that air quality standards are fairly and equitably applied to existing residential, commercial and industrial development, and not just to new residential, commercial and industrial development.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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Require proper installation and maintenance of heating, processing, manufacturing systems, and other potential generators of air contaminants.
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Ensure that new development and land use activities do not create undue adverse impacts on air quality, as measured by applicable air quality regulations.
Wildlife
Goals
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Encourage the preservation of significant wildlife habitats.
-
Balance the protection and enhancement of wildlife habitats and rare, endangered and threatened species against the rights and expectations of the property owner upon whose property the wildlife habitats or rare, endangered or threatened species are located.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
-
Educate the public about the functions and values of wildlife habitats and the protection of rare, endangered and threatened species.
-
Prepare and publish wildlife habitat maps and, before adoption of regulations with respect to wildlife habitats, notify all affected property owners of any wildlife habitats identified on their property.
-
Encourage the preservation of wildlife habitats and other natural areas through regulatory provisions that create benefits for property owners that protect and preserve wildlife habitats and other natural areas.
-
Ensure long term protection of significant wildlife habitats and other natural areas through conservation easements, purchase, lease, tax incentives or other measures.
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Develop and maintain a community based wildlife conservation program.
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Encourage owners of existing developments, farms and forests to consider and take reasonable steps to mitigate the effects of their activities on biologically significant areas.
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Purchase land or development rights to particularly important areas of biological significance or that posses important habitat characteristics.
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Provide local tax incentives in return for habitat management agreements secured through conservation easements.
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Create a program to encourage cooperation among adjacent landowners to protect and improve important habitats and corridors.
Site Conditions and Limitations for Development
All
land uses have impacts, and the ‘social’ changes occasioned by land uses are
often perceived as impacts in and of themselves.
The objective in planning to conserve our natural resources is not to
prevent growth, development or change, but to help guide growth and development
in ways that will allow reasonable land uses, while, at the same time, allowing
the public to continue to enjoy our valuable natural resources. To the extent that impacts of development are demonstrated to
have a direct and adverse effect on the health and safety of the public, they
can and should be subject to reasonable regulation. Where, however, the perceived impacts are more subjective,
(e.g. aesthetic impacts), care must be taken to avoid imposing our personal
biases and subjective values in the guise of land use regulations.
There
is also no doubt that the conditions and characteristics of individual
properties (e.g. slopes and soil conditions) present opportunities and
limitations for land use and development. It
must be recognized however, that this Plan and the Plan Maps generalize about
the physical characteristics and limitations of properties throughout the town,
and property owners who seek to develop their properties should be afforded the
opportunity to demonstrate, through site-specific information and development
planning, the extent to which such limitations affect their property, and
measures that they propose to take to overcome such limitations.
Improper
development in areas with excessive slopes can cause damage to the natural
environment in the form of soil erosion, stream siltation and contamination of
groundwater. Excessive slopes
present difficult conditions for construction of roadways and homes.
Removal of vegetation and grading of these slopes for foundations and
driveways can cause severe problems if site grading and erosion controls are not
properly designed and constructed. As
root systems and subsurface soil are exposed, the erosive force of rainfall and
surface runoff increases. With this
may come siltation of streams and rivers, that may result in high acidity or
nutrient levels and adverse impact on fish habitats.
Additionally, soil erosion may cause increased flood stage levels, clog
drainage ways and diminish the physical life of reservoirs.
Soils on many of the most severe slopes are shallow to bedrock and
restoration of vegetative cover is difficult, especially at high elevations.
The
regulations affecting onsite wastewater systems adopted in 2002 have taken into
account changes in sewage treatment technology.
While steep slopes still limit development, many 20% slopes are now
considered suitable for various types of septic systems, depending on the level
of permeability. With the new
changes, even some slopes over 20% are considered moderately well suited, when
the permeability of the soil is moderate to slow.
Slopes greater than 20% that also have a limited depth to bedrock or are
excessively wet are still considered unsuitable for traditional and mound sewage
systems.
Financial Implications of Development in Steep Slope Areas
Development
in areas with excessively steep slopes may also have hidden financial burdens
for the Town. New roads on slopes exceeding 10 percent may be costly to
construct and maintain. Narrow,
winding mountain roads may be hazardous and may be difficult to plow in winter.
In addition, access by fire, emergency medical, law enforcement and
service vehicles is more difficult in areas of steep slopes, especially in
winter or on poorly graded roads. Where
the burdens of development on the financial resources of the Town are
demonstrated to be excessive, development of such areas may be restricted unless
the developer proposes and implements a plan to adequately mitigate such
impacts.
Beneficial Functions of Slopes
Upland
slopes also perform a beneficial function in the replenishment of valley water
tables. Rainwater and moisture
occurring at higher elevations is filtered down through forest soils and
accumulates in the basins of the watershed.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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Settlement should be restricted in areas where slopes are in excess of 20 percent, unless and until the developer has implemented adequate site designs and/or structural elements which address the adverse effects of development on steep slopes.
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Settlement in areas with slopes between 15 and 20 percent may be permitted if it can be demonstrated that the requirements of the Wallingford Sewage Disposal Ordinance can be met and other adverse impacts associated with such development can be adequately mitigated.
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New unpaved roads should not generally exceed a finished grade of 7 percent, although reasonable sections with grades in excess of 7 percent may be permitted if appropriate safety and maintenance provisions are implemented.
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New paved roads should not exceed a finished grade of 10 percent, although reasonable sections with grades in excess of 10 percent may be permitted if appropriate safety and maintenance provisions are implemented.
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Erosion should be controlled wherever possible by following the Vermont Handbook for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control on Construction Sites.
Energy Use
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Identify, develop and conserve renewable and non-renewable energy resources.
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To the extent economically and technologically feasible, reduce reliance on non-renewable energy sources such as oil and gas, and increase reliance on renewable energy sources such as wood, methane, solar and wind.
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Reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses and acid rain precursors.
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Reduce direct and indirect transportation energy demands.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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Encourage and create incentives for development and settlement patterns that reduce travel requirements for work, services, shopping and recreation.
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Encourage clustered and multi-family housing in new residential developments.
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Allow neighborhood service and retail stores and other businesses serving local needs in village areas.
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Allow in-filling in locations where higher density development is desirable and appropriate.
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Provide opportunities for appropriate home occupations, and establishment of businesses and employment opportunities in proximity to existing village centers.
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Establish economic development growth centers and designate commercial and light industrial areas in reasonably close proximity to existing village centers to minimize, as much as possible, transportation needs and associated energy costs.
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Establish a strong and viable commitment to energy efficiency in all public buildings.
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Promote energy efficiency and increased use of renewable fuels in all buildings, especially new ones.
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Create incentives for energy efficiency in proposed developments, including the energy efficiency of the building envelope, site design and their scale, location and configuration.
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Encourage use of efficient lighting techniques that reduce both energy consumption and pollution of the nighttime sky.
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Create opportunities for walking, cycling and other energy efficient, non-motorized alternatives to the automobile.
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Evaluate and support state and regional public transportation programs serving Wallingford.
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Enact regulations that provide positive incentives for energy conservation and concentrate development in appropriate locations (e.g. grant density bonuses to developments employing advanced solar design and energy efficiency).
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Educate citizens about the need for sustainable energy practices.
Recreational Opportunities
Outdoor
recreation has a significant role in Wallingford.
Most residents place a high value on the availability and quality of
outdoor recreation in the town and take part in various activities throughout
the year. Seasonal activities
include fishing in Otter Creek, swimming in Elfin Lake, ball games at playing
fields in Wallingford village, hiking on the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail,
hunting for deer, bear and small game, picnics and hiking at White Rocks
National Recreation Area, horseback riding, snowmobiling in the Green Mountain
National Forest and on Vermont Association of Snowtravelers (VAST) trails and
cross-country skiing in the Green Mountain National Forest and on the Catamount
Trail.
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Maintain and enhance outdoor recreational opportunities and public access to them.
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Establish and maintain a community based system of trails and greenways linking village centers, concentrated residential settlements, centers of employment and commerce, public places (e.g. schools, parks, churches), and important recreation sites (e.g. lakes, ponds, streams, vistas, woods).
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Encourage the facilitation of recreational opportunities in connection with land uses and development, provided that such recreational uses and facilities are consistent with the reasonable use and development of the land and the rights of the property owner.
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Maintain and expand the trail systems, including the Appalachian and Long Trail systems, while at the same time, respecting the rights of the property owners whose property is traversed by the trail systems.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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Create incentives for the preservation, donation or dedication of public and private recreational facilities in connection with major land uses, subdivisions and developments.
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Incorporate into Town highway standards provisions for creating and maintaining shoulders suitable for use by bicycles and pedestrians on all paved roads that are part of the community trail system.
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Preserve Class 4 roads for recreational use or downgrade their status to ‘trails’ (19 VSA Section 535).
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Develop programs to establish and maintain community forests, parks and recreation areas.
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Evaluate and prioritize lands for public investment, and implement capital planning and programming to enable the purchase of land or rights to land for public recreation.
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Adopt and add lands desired for public parks or recreation areas to an Official Town Map, as provided in 24 VSA Sections 4422-4425, 4469.
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Map existing and desired trails, greenways and public access points and set management objectives for each trail or greenway section, and develop a program to establish and maintain a community trails and greenway system.
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Identify, provide and protect public access to community parks, rivers, trails, forest lands and other areas providing outdoor recreation opportunities.
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The Town should play an active role in Act 250 hearings in balancing the desire to protect land which has significant recreational potential against the rights and interests of the landowner.
Agricultural and Forest Industries
While
land use regulations speak of agricultural lands as a ‘resource’, it must be
remembered that the lands upon which the resource exists do not belong to the
public, but are owned by private individuals whose rights and interests must be
considered in any land use regulations and decision making which affects their
land. Most of us see agricultural
lands and uses as a ‘backdrop’ to our lives and our quality of life. However, few of us have to bear the burden of owning,
maintaining and supporting those agricultural lands and uses. As we consider public goals and policies for preserving
‘our’ agricultural resources, we must be careful not to disadvantage and
disenfranchise those who own and have owned (and paid) for those agricultural
resources.
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Respect and protect the rights and economic interest of the owners of agricultural lands in any planning or regulatory program that seeks to protect and preserve agricultural lands.
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Where possible, and consistent with the rights and interests of property owners, agricultural lands should be protected and preserved.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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In the event that a seller seeks Town approval of a sale of land to the federal government, the Town should seek to achieve the greatest possible level of mitigation of the property tax consequences that can be reasonably achieved. This policy shall not apply to non-profits such as land trusts.
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A Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) or Forest Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (FLESA) study should be considered as part of local zoning to identify and prioritize agricultural lands.
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Agricultural and forestry soils should be identified and evaluated, where possible, based on site-specific soil evaluations and actual agricultural or forestry function, and important agricultural and forest soils should be identified and conserved consistent with the rights of the owner of those lands and the interests of the citizens of Wallingford.
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Local zoning requirements should be revised to create incentives for landowners to conserve valuable agricultural and forest lands, while at the same time respecting the rights of landowners to make reasonable uses of their land.
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Where it is evident from the physical characteristics (e.g. size, location, accessibility, proximity to incompatible or competing land development) of the property identified as containing agricultural or forestry soils that it would be unlikely or impractical to continue the use of the property for agricultural or forestry uses, the property owner should not be required to keep the property in agricultural or forestry use, but may use, develop, or sell the property for such other uses as may be permitted in the district in which the property is located.
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The viability of an agricultural and forestry land Transfer of Development Rights program should be studied.
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The Town should play an active role in Act 250 hearings to balance the desire to protect agricultural and forestry lands against the rights and interests of the landowner.
Natural (Earth) Resources
Earth
resources, such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, aggregate, calcium carbonate,
dimensional, structural or architectural stone products are not only of value to
the owner of the property on or under which such resources are located, but
provide a direct and indirect source of employment and, in the case of sand,
gravel, crushed stone and aggregate, provide materials that are essential to
construction of homes and businesses and maintenance of roads.
Although the extraction, processing and transportation of the earth and
mineral resources that are located in Wallingford may create adverse and
undesirable impacts on neighboring and surrounding land uses, such impacts, in
and of themselves, may not be sufficiently adverse to warrant the prevention or
prohibition of such extraction and processing.
With appropriate consideration for surrounding land uses and proper
mitigation measures, extraction of earth resources may be permitted on
appropriately located sites in the town.
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Identify important sand, gravel and mineral resources.
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Identify and balance the benefits and uses of sand, gravel and other mineral and earth resources against the impacts associated with the extraction, processing and transportation of such resources.
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Develop municipal land use regulations and other ordinances that address and mitigate the impacts of extraction, processing and transportation of sand, gravel and other mineral and earth resources.
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Ensure that all discontinued or abandoned sand or gravel pits are reclaimed in accordance with applicable State standards for revegetating sand and gravel pits.
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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Provide reasonable opportunities for development and processing of sand, gravel and other mineral and earth resources.
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Discourage the location of development that is potentially incompatible with sand, gravel and mineral extraction in areas with significant sand, gravel or mineral resource potential or, if that is not reasonably achievable, plan and design such development in a manner that will not preclude the extraction of such sand, gravel or mineral extraction.
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Encourage new sand, gravel and mineral extraction and processing operations with consideration for surrounding land uses and the environment, and available infrastructure and transportation systems.
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Incorporate operating and site restoration performance standards that mitigate adverse impacts of sand, gravel and mineral operations into local zoning regulations.
Housing
Wallingford’s
mix of rural and village housing opportunities, available public services and
facilities, and quality of life have made and will continue to make Wallingford
one of the most attractive residential communities in the Rutland Region.
Housing needs in Wallingford will be driven by a combination of factors,
including the aging of the existing housing stock, in-migration of people who
find employment and economic opportunity in the Rutland Region, and
out-migration from the areas around the City of Rutland as those areas become
more urbanized. Just as Wallingford
provided housing opportunities for those of us who currently have the good
fortune to live here, it is fair and reasonable that others who seek to live in
Wallingford have similar opportunities. While
it is prudent, from a planning perspective, to concern ourselves with the
impacts of housing and residential use, such as transportation, accessibility to
public facilities, impacts on public infrastructure and soil and site
limitations, we should keep in mind that many of us enjoy housing opportunities
that, if scrutinized under current planning and zoning standards, might not be
permitted, but that, none the less, we find to be acceptable, desirable and
reasonably convenient. Whether a
house was built in 1797 or 1997, it changes and has an impact on its surrounding
area, and it is inappropriate, from a planning and land use perspective, to
restrict or prohibit new housing simply because the owners of existing housing
resist a change in their neighborhood.
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Facilitate the development of housing that meets the current and future needs of diverse social and economic groups.
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Residents have an adequate supply of safe, healthy, attractive and affordable housing.
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Housing is available in a variety of types that meet the needs of diverse social and income groups and is located conveniently to employment, services, retail centers, and educational and recreational facilities.
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Evaluate, understand and incorporate into planning and regulation of housing the relationships between costs and benefits of both public and private infrastructure as a function of the cost and availability of housing, particularly affordable housing
Policies and Implementation Strategies
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Encourage housing developments that are affordable and efficient, and serve a mix of upper, moderate and low-income households.
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Encourage the provision of affordable housing for special needs populations such as the physically handicapped, mentally disabled, single parent households, elderly and the homeless, and seek to fully integrate such housing into the community.
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Provide for multi-family, single family, conventional and manufactured housing.
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Adopt zoning regulations that recognize that wise utilization of public and private resources, and affordable housing, may require regulatory provisions that permit smaller lots, allow development in rural areas that are not dependent on public infrastructure such as municipal water and sewer facilities, provide for multi-family dwellings, accessory apartments, clustered developments served by common facilities, innovations in design and flexibility in local regulations, creation of new lots to ‘infill’ existing village areas, mobile home parks and other ways to encourage (or prevent exclusion of) affordable housing.
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Participate in studies to assess the Region’s total housing needs and determinations of each town’s fair share of the total regional need for all types of housing, including affordable housing.
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Develop and implement capital plans and programs for public infrastructure, so that existing housing resources are utilized, and future housing resources can be developed, to anticipate and address, in advance the demands upon those facilities that will result from normal and predictable rates of growth and development.
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Develop land use management plans and strategies, and capital plans and programs, so that the timing and rate of new housing construction does not unduly burden the Town’s ability to provide adequate public infrastructure, facilities and services that will be necessary to serve future housing needs.
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Seek support and cooperation of area businesses and organizations, in the analysis of the affordable housing problem and implementation of solutions.