Town Plan
Section 17: Future Land Use
Historic Wallingford Village
South Wallingford Historic Village Region
East Wallingford Historic Village Region
Gateway Regions (designed to overlay underlying land use designations)
Wallingford Village
Wallingford Village Expansion Areas
Hartsboro Road
Route 140 West
Route 140 and East Street (TH 15)
Church Street
East Wallingford, Beginning in the Village and Traveling North along Parker Road and Hateful Hill Road
Rural Otter Creek Valley Multiple Resource Area
Route 140 East Scenic Corridor
Lands Above 2500 Feet in Elevation
Agriculture, Forest, and Low Density Residential
The
Plan emphasizes existing development patterns, and strongly supports
continuation of those patterns (Map 11). However,
the local perception of what exactly that means differs greatly among
Wallingford’s residents.
The
Future Land Use Element of this Plan attempts to identify and quantify these
perceptions in order to decide if these patterns can and should be continued,
and if so, how this can be accomplished.
The
first task is to identify discrete planning regions.
By definition, a planning region would be an area with similar uses and
characteristics. In Wallingford,
planning regions are as follows:
Village Regions
Historic Wallingford Village
This
is the area of traditional, historic village development.
This region begins at the south end of the current village zoning areas
and extends north to the existing north edge of current village zoning
districts. It extends west to Otter Creek and east to roughly the
210-meter contour line on the USGS map. In
this region, which is served by municipal water and sewer, densities and uses,
which are traditional within the village, will be continued, and new
development will be encouraged to follow those historic patterns. The traditional mix of uses includes single, two-family and
multi-family residential, retail, service/professional, lodging, restaurants,
public uses, schools, libraries, churches, service clubs, gasoline stations
and other similar uses. Because
of the historic nature of the village, and its designation as an historic
district, it is important that care be taken to preserve and enhance the
historic character of the village. Development
should be at a village scale, including building size and lot coverage.
Also working counter to preservation of village scale and character is
the increasing traffic on Route 7. The
Town will continue to insist that any improvements to Route 7 in the village
include speed control, traffic calming, sidewalks and pedestrian walkways,
amenities in scale and aesthetic character with the village, retention of
existing street trees, and addition of new plantings according to an approved
street tree plan.
South Wallingford Historic Village Region
This
region includes the area of historic village settlement in South Wallingford.
This region begins in the south at the corner on Route 7 just north of
the limestone quarry and continues north on Route 7 to the corner just north of
the Grange Hall. It extends west to
roughly the 198-meter contour line and east across Otter Creek and the railroad
to roughly the 198-meter contour line.
This region has a community water system, but does not have a municipal
or community sewage disposal facility. Densities
will be determined by site suitability for on-site sewage disposal.
Uses should continue to be those traditionally occurring within the
village, including single and two-family residential, retail and service
businesses, lodging, restaurant, public uses, service organizations, churches
and other similar uses. All
development should be in scale with existing development both in size of
structure, and in lot coverage. As
in Wallingford Village, Route 7 works counter to preservation of village
character. This is further
intensified by the hazardous intersection with Hartsboro Road that occurs in the
village. The Town will continue to
insist that any improvements to Route 7 in South Wallingford are at residential
scale, and that improvements include sidewalks/pedestrian walkways, traffic
calming measures and speed control.
East Wallingford Historic Village Region
Unlike
the other historic villages, East Wallingford is first viewed entering from the
west from a considerable elevation, giving the traveler a ‘bird’s eye
view’ as it were. This village is
also the site of historic village development, but has neither municipal water
nor sewer. Therefore, densities
will be determined by the capability of a site for onsite sewage treatment and
location of adequate, pure domestic water.
Traditional uses in the village are single and two-family residential,
retail and service/professional businesses, public uses, churches, service
clubs, and in the northwest quadrant, a dairy production business and a trucking
business. The village is traversed
by Route 140. However, the
geometrics of that road within the village provide their own ‘traffic
calming.’ There are also no
current plans by the State to reconstruct Route 140 in the village.
If such improvements were to be planned, the same concerns discussed in
the other villages would apply in East Wallingford as well.
Gateway Regions (designed to overlay underlying land use designations)
Wallingford Village
At
each end of the Village District are stretches of Route 7, which serve as
‘gateways’ to the village. A gateway serves to give the message that something of note
is ahead, and that drivers should expect to decrease speeds, and prepare to
enjoy the experience ahead, perhaps even stopping to sight-see, shop, enjoy a
meal or whatever. Gateways should
be developed in a way that gives this subtle or not-so-subtle message, and
enhances the coming attraction. Ways
that are traditionally used to enhance entrances to villages are to extend
street trees through the gateway area, locate attractive signage announcing the
village, extending the village scale and design of street lighting through the
gateway areas, providing vistas of the village if possible (such as strategic
clearing with the permission of the property owner to feature a church spire or
other prominent feature), narrowing the pavement, and perhaps having gravel
pedestrian paths, etc. The
Gateway Overlay Regions are those areas, on the south from the south end of the
Twin Bridges to the Village District, and on the north, from the Village
District north to the beginning of the divided highway.
While
it might be appropriate to have gateways in South Wallingford, it seems to be a
bit of overkill, especially if the Route 7 improvements contain adequate traffic
calming measures. One
approach to East Wallingford from Route 103 is in Mt. Holly, giving Wallingford
little control over development here. (This
is a prime example where the two towns could work together on compatible plans
for this area.) The north entrance
is within Wallingford, and should be developed in a way that slows speeds, and
makes the entrance into East Wallingford a pleasant and inviting experience.
Wallingford Village Expansion Areas
These
areas are located adjacent to the historic village area, and are capable of
being served by future extension of municipal water and sewer.
Extensions that are requested which do not meet the planned schedule of
service extensions will be funded by the developer.
An assessment system can be created to provide a payback to the developer
as other lands along the line(s) develop. Lot sizes will be similar to those in
the village, because of the availability of services, but the historic design
criteria that apply in the village will not be applicable in these areas.
Allowed uses would be single family, two-family and multi-family
dwellings, home occupations, professional office, bed and breakfast
establishments, public uses and community uses such as churches, fraternal
organizations and similar residential scale community uses.
Public Lands
The
Public Lands Region includes all publicly owned lands: federal, state and local.
The federal lands are primarily the Green Mountain National Forest, but
also include an area along the Appalachian Trail, which is not included within
the GMNF. State lands would include
any fishing access areas, picnic areas, trails, highway department sheds, etc.
Local lands would include school, Town office, public park land, water
and sewer district facilities and other municipally owned lands.
Development on municipal lands must meet local regulations.
Development on state lands is required to be consistent with regionally
approved municipal plans. Development
on federal lands does not usually require local permits, since federal authority
supercedes local regulation. However,
the GMNF is becoming much better at working with municipalities on making
proposed development compatible with local planning.
Floodplain Region
The
Floodplain District includes all lands shown on the Federal Flood Insurance Maps
within the 100 year floodplain. Development
is prohibited within the floodway (the channel or area of moving water during
the 100-year flood). Development
may be permitted within the floodway fringe (the area of water ponding or
storage during a 100-year flood) provided that the Town has adopted floodplain
regulations that are consistent with federal guidelines.
Rural
Settlement Areas
There are several areas within
the town that have a pattern of scattered rural development.
These are generally served by Class 2 or 3 Town roads, and are areas that
are generally suitable for onsite sewage disposal.
It is interesting to note on the septic suitability map, that the
development of newer town roads has followed the location of soils more suitable
for disposal. Because these areas
are the most suitable for rural development, densities should be relatively
high, such as 2 acres per dwelling unit, in order to maximize the potential of
these soils in areas where roads already exist.
The different settlement areas are:
Hartsboro Road
Hartsboro
Road has very good soils generally along its whole length, while generally
avoiding areas of steep slopes. Hartsboro
Road is a Class 3 Town road connecting to Route 7 at two points.
Route 140 West
The
area north of Route 140 immediately west of the village, and then further west
on Route 140 nearer the Tinmouth border are areas with generally good soils
with access via Route 140, a State paved collector highway.
These areas generally are not steeply sloped, and are in close
proximity to Wallingford Village.
Route 140 and East Street (TH 15)
This
area is generally an area of sandy and gravelly soils with very good potential
for onsite sewage disposal. East
Street connects north into Clarendon, and accesses Route 7 via Haven Hill
Road. This area also
accesses to Route 140, a paved State collector highway with easy access to
Wallingford Village. This
area has generally better soils than the Route 140 west area described above.
Church Street
This
area has generally good soils for onsite disposal except for a section
directly across Route 140 from the East Street area.
Access is either via Church Street, a Class 3 Town road or Route 140, a
paved State collector highway. The
area is in close proximity to Wallingford village.
East Wallingford, Beginning in the Village and Traveling North along Parker Road and Hateful Hill Road
The
east side of Parker Road, and the area at the end of Hateful Hill Road both
have areas of generally suitable soils for onsite sewage disposal.
While both are shown as Class 3 town highways, the Selectboard should
make the final decision prior to hearings on whether development should be
encouraged on these roads, especially Hateful Hill.
Special Regions
Rural Otter Creek Valley Multiple Resource Area
This
area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is the first
Rural Resource Area designation in the state.
However, there is no identification of any kind along the corridor, and
no special provisions for development have been enacted locally along this
corridor. The language
establishing the district may offer some guidance here.
For example, should an effort be made to preserve old barns by pursuing
historic preservation grants? Should
the Town apply for Community Development Block Grant funds to put together a
Corridor Plan including signage, brochures, markers, viewpoints, etc?
What appropriate things should be pursued?
Route 140 East Scenic Corridor
Route
140 is a scenic drive through varied and generally undeveloped lands.
The route follows Roaring Brook, is crossed by the Appalachian Trail,
provides access to recreational lands in the Green Mountain National Forest,
including White Rocks National Recreation Area and to Wallingford Pond, and
terminates at either end in a typical Vermont village.
Designating the corridor as a scenic corridor in the Town Plan does not
designate it as a scenic road under the state or federal scenic road program.
It merely recognizes the road as a unique resource within the town, and
may assist the Town in future negotiations with the state and with such entities
as utility companies on the scale of highway improvements such as the width and
style of bridges, the width of the ‘clear zone’, location of power lines,
signage, eligibility for bike/pedestrian path funds, etc.
Lands Above 2500 Feet in Elevation
All
lands above 2500 feet in elevation appear to be within the GMNF.
Lands that are above 2500 feet in elevation are generally steep,
inaccessible and have poor soils for onsite sewage disposal due to depth to
bedrock. An appropriate district for any such lands outside federal
ownership would be a Conservation District with a very low density.
In such a district, farm, forest and outdoor recreation uses are
generally permitted uses, while any permanent structure usually requires a
conditional use permit. Some towns
allow single family dwellings as a permitted use.
This latter depends on the road network, and the Town’s position on
maintenance of remote roadways.
Industrial Regions
The
existing Industrial Zoning District does not distinguish between heavy and light
industrial uses. The character of most of the existing industrial use, which
is mineral or sand and gravel extraction, is clearly a heavy industrial use.
However, manufacturing facilities such as those in the Clarendon
Industrial Park at the airport are light industrial uses.
The areas zoned industrial on the existing zoning map represent ownership
by mineral extraction companies, except for the area between the railroad and
Otter Creek in Wallingford Village and the small industrial area in East
Wallingford. Separating the types
of uses through the use of two districts, and thinking through how review of
developments in each should be done, will provide excellent guidance for
revisions to the Bylaws. Districts might be as follows:
Industrial District
This
district is appropriate for manufacturing facilities which are enclosed, and
which store the majority of raw materials and finished product under cover.
These should be uses that do not generally emit noxious fumes, or
generate high levels of noise. The
industrial area in East Wallingford might appropriately be designated Light
Industrial, as might the manufacturing area near the intersection of Maple
Street and River Street. This
designation is appropriate for most of the areas that are now zoned
industrial. Clearly, the Pike operation, and the quarry in South
Wallingford are heavy industrial uses. The
Plan reflects Heavy Industrial designation only on the areas that are active,
or expected to be active, within the five year period of the Town Plan.
When another sector is opened, the applicant would be required to have
a hearing on a site plan to determine if the prior sector was reclaimed, and
what the impacts of the new sector would be on adjacent landowners and on
transportation facilities.
Agriculture, Forest, and Low Density Residential
The
remaining areas of the town all of which generally have soils with low septic
suitability, steep slopes or poor access to roads will be designated AF/LDR.
Single family and two family housing would be permitted uses together
with accessory uses and home occupations. Agriculture
and forestry would, of course, be permitted uses.
All other uses, (which would be low intensity uses suitable for a
low-density residential district) would be conditional uses.
Planned Residential Development would be encouraged where soils are
suitable, to encourage preservation of farm fields, viable forestry operations,
or natural areas, and to avoid areas with steep slopes, wetlands or poor roads.