The Department of Housing and Community Development is
beginning work on two pilot projects where unused state land will be developed
into housing projects. The department has identified two good locations one in
Berlin and one in Brandon and is working
closely with the towns to meet mutually beneficial goals. This has the
potential to be a good program where many different goals and interests can be
met, towns get projects they would like, in places that make sense, utilizing
surplus state lands, and adding to the tax base.
Permit
Reform
The House Natural Resources Committee took up discussion
on Governor Douglas’s permit reform package. They began what looks to be
lengthy review of the proposal, it is too early to tell what changes the
committee is likely to consider.
H.57
House Natural Resources also took up bill H.57 this
week. This bill would amend Act 250 to provide that rule amendments shall apply
only to permits that have application dates after the effective date of the rule
amendments. This a bipartisan bill with a dozen co sponsors. It is likely this
bill will be folded into the Governor’s permit reform
package.
S.17
Senator Mullen of Rutland introduced a bill to provide a local
option to exempt traditional industrial districts from Act 250 review for
certain projects. This bill proposes to allow municipalities that have a zoning
administrator and have adopted permanent zoning and subdivision bylaws to
determine by ordinance to exempt from Act 250 the construction of improvements
on one or more tracts of land lying entirely within a traditional industrial
district that was in existence on June 1, 1970 and still exists, whether or not
currently subject to an act 250 project.
VAR legislative summary 2/2/09
State Surplus
Lands
The Department of Housing and Community Development is
beginning work on two pilot projects where unused state land will be developed
into housing projects. The department has identified two good locations one in
Berlin and one in Brandon and is working
closely with the towns to meet mutually beneficial goals. This has the
potential to be a good program where many different goals and interests can be
met, towns get projects they would like, in places that make sense, utilizing
surplus state lands, and adding to the tax base.
Permit
Reform
The House Natural Resources Committee took up discussion
on Governor Douglas’s permit reform package. They began what looks to be
lengthy review of the proposal, it is too early to tell what changes the
committee is likely to consider.
H.57
House Natural Resources also took up bill H.57 this
week. This bill would amend Act 250 to provide that rule amendments shall apply
only to permits that have application dates after the effective date of the rule
amendments. This a bipartisan bill with a dozen co sponsors. It is likely this
bill will be folded into the Governor’s permit reform
package.
S.17
Senator Mullen of Rutland introduced a bill to provide a local
option to exempt traditional industrial districts from Act 250 review for
certain projects. This bill proposes to allow municipalities that have a zoning
administrator and have adopted permanent zoning and subdivision bylaws to
determine by ordinance to exempt from Act 250 the construction of improvements
on one or more tracts of land lying entirely within a traditional industrial
district that was in existence on June 1, 1970 and still exists, whether or not
currently subject to an act 250 project.