DRAFT 9 (May 21, 2001)

Agency of Natural Resources Infrastructure Funding Programs and Growth Centers White Paper

Background

The "growth center" planning concept concentrates compact development in certain places while allowing the surrounding non-growth center landscape to retain more of its rural, open characteristics. The growth center concept does not stop growth. It is a form of smart growth. It provides an alternative to growth that is land consumptive, may be fiscally imprudent, and separates and spreads residential, commercial, business, industrial and civic uses, and the infrastructure needed to serve these uses, across the landscape.

Growth centers that consist of moderate to high-density development, a range of housing options with nearby shopping and employment opportunities, and pedestrian, bicycle and transit accessibility are some of Vermont's most attractive and livable places. These growth centers often retain their historic character and have a distinguishing sense of place. The rural landscape surrounding growth centers is not exempt from growth and development. Agriculture and the forest industry are encouraged there; however, there is far less built development relative to the development in growth centers, natural resources are protected, and significant farm and resource lands are conserved.

Growth Centers and the ANR Water Supply and Wastewater Improvement Programs

The Agency of Natural Resources supports growth center planning in Vermont communities by targeting its funding programs for wastewater improvements toward projects that will serve "growth centers". In the past the Agency gave the highest priority ranking to projects that solved public health and environmental problems. The Agency remains committed to first addressing threats to public health and the environment, but also believes that state resources should facilitate development in growth centers and not lead to excessive scattered, unplanned growth in outlying areas.

The Agency recognizes that the term "growth center" does not require growth to occur there. There may be communities that do not wish additional growth to occur in certain traditional growth centers within their boundaries, yet these centers may benefit from wastewater improvements funded by Agency programs.

There may be instances when the most technically correct, economically efficient, and/or environmentally beneficial wastewater alternative requires that wastewater facilities are outside of growth center boundaries. In those cases, land use planning, land conservation (such as conservation easements) and regulatory mechanisms must be in place at the local and/or state levels to assure that the majority of the growth resulting from these facilities will only occur within growth centers and not lead to scattered growth.

The Agency recognizes the great deal of work in Vermont over the past 15 years to define the growth center planning concept. The Agency of Commerce and Community Affairs, in conjunction with numerous planners, community leaders and planning organizations, has
undertaken several definitive studies (see attached bibliography). These studies are the basis for the following growth center characteristics that will be applied when communities are applying for the Agency of Natural Resources' loan and grant programs.

Why Growth Centers?

The Agency of Natural resources supports growth center planning for two reasons:

1. Water supply and wastewater infrastructure is more cost efficient when development is concentrated in growth centers.

2. Concentrating development rather than spreading it across the landscape protects natural resources. These resources include:

Water quality ­ Surface waters benefit from growth center planning. When development is efficiently concentrated, rather than spread across the landscape, vegetated buffers and riparian zones, essential to maintaining water quality and healthy watersheds, are more easily protected. Also, the amount of impervious surfaces such as parking lots, roads and roof surfaces are minimized, thus limiting stormwater and non-point source pollution within the watershed.

Air quality ­ Growth centers make alternative modes of transportation, such as walking, cycling, transit and rail for both passengers and freight, more viable as an alternative to the single occupancy vehicle because growth centers are concentrated development nodes. Rapidly increasing numbers of cars and trucks on the state's roadways are threatening Vermont's air quality.

Wildlife habitat - There are many species of animals that require large areas of undisturbed forestland and open space. These species are threatened by land consumptive patterns of development that either directly consumes or fragments habitat in isolated pockets. As development spreads across the landscape the diversity of species is threatened.

Forest and agricultural resources - Forest and agricultural land is directly consumed by scattered development. It is also more productively managed when land remains in large blocks under single ownership rather than broken into small parcels.

Scenic resources and recreational open space ­ The Vermont landscape is defined by historic towns and villages surrounded by open space consisting of rural agricultural and forest lands. The beauty of this landscape is one of the state's main tourist attractions and is an important part of numerous outdoor recreational opportunities. Growth center planning is aimed at protecting and reinforcing the landscape pattern that characterizes the state.

Growth Centers

There are four types of growth centers for the purposes of the ANR Infrastructure Funding Programs:

1. Downtowns and the residential neighborhood that serve them: Downtowns are located in larger towns and cities. Downtowns have the following definition in state law:

"Downtown" means the traditional central business district of a community that has served as the center for socio-economic interaction in the community, characterized by a cohesive core of commercial and mixed use buildings, often interspersed with civic, religious and residential buildings and public spaces, typically arranged along a main street and intersecting side streets and served by public infrastructure. Title 24 Sec. 2791 (3)

In addition, the surrounding residential neighborhoods that serve the downtown and are connected by pedestrian access are considered part of downtown growth centers. These neighborhoods may have civic and commercial uses within them. Industrial uses may also be within or on the edges of downtown growth centers.

2. Traditional town centers: Traditional "town center" growth centers are similar to downtowns. They are places where housing, shopping, and jobs are located within close proximity, and residents can live near where they work. They are, however, generally smaller in scale than downtowns, and range in activity and size from crossroads hamlets to bustling villages. Some towns may have several traditional town centers within their boundaries The mix of uses that defines this type of growth center is identified below, and may include industrial uses within or on the edges of the traditional "town center" growth center.

3. New or emerging growth centers: New or emerging growth centers are designated area(s) within cities or towns, and are planned and regulated to have the characteristics of downtown or traditional "town center" growth centers. They are places where housing, shopping, and jobs are located within close proximity, and residents can live near where they work. New or emerging growth centers may include commercial strip development and other forms of scattered development, including residential areas that are being retrofitted into a more concentrated mixed-use pattern. Ski area villages are considered new or emerging growth centers if they are designated in the town plan, will benefit the community as a whole, include public spaces and amenities, and contain the growth center characteristics identified below.

4. Existing and proposed industrial parks: The town's or region's overall strategy should be aimed at keeping jobs within the types of growth centers identified above, however; there may be some exceptions to this. Some uses, such as warehouse or trucking-related businesses or certain manufacturing processes, may not be appropriately located in downtowns, traditional centers or new growth centers because they are incompatible with nearby residential and other uses, depend on major rail or highway access, or require substantial land area now or expected in the future. These parks should be designed or retrofitted to be as dense and concentrated as possible, while allowing for business expansion, and without excessive parking lots, lawns and other land consumptive, suburban style site design features. They should also have pedestrian, transit and/or, other alternative transportation links to downtown, residential and traditional village areas. Infrastructure connections that serve industrial parks must not contribute to scattered development outside of growth centers.

Growth Center Characteristics:

All growth center types, except for industrial parks, must include a variety of uses. These uses include, or have the potential to accommodate in the future, residential (including affordable and low-income housing), commercial, business, civic and recreational, and, if appropriate, industrial uses in a compact and mixed, rather than separated fashion, within the growth center. These places may include public spaces, which promote social interaction, as well as a distinct organization around central places or focal points. Some small, traditional town centers and hamlets do not have all of the uses noted above, but are considered growth centers nonetheless.

All growth centers have the following characteristics:

1. Lot size, road width, and setback requirements that replicate traditional growth center patterns already present within historic communities .

2. Development density within the growth center that is far greater than the rest of the community.

Medium to high densities define growth centers. Historic density numbers within traditional town centers and downtowns provide the best guidance for these communities as they grow out and in-fill. New growth centers should consider densities, such as three to six units per acre, which will produce compact development and facilitate alternative transportation uses. There should be an edge between the growth center and the surrounding landscape. Development within the growth center is compact and concentrated. Outside the growth center, development is more scattered and open space predominates.

3. A circulation system that is conducive to pedestrian use and other non-vehicular travel, and supports transit opportunities.

Studies have shown that pedestrians will travel up to a _ mile radius from a given point along a pedestrian-oriented streetscape. Transit stops, parking facilities, and
pedestrian circulation systems should be set up under this principle. Pedestrians will not, however, walk _ mile across large parking lots.

4. When applicable, continued use and care of historic resources and new construction that is compatible with the scale, size, design and materials of the area's historic resources.

In-fill of undeveloped land within a growth center should take priority over demolition of existing structures unless no other options are available. Brownfields redevelopment is strongly encouraged.

5. The growth center is part of a comprehensive vision for the town articulated in the town's duly adopted and approved municipal plan and supported in municipal regulations aimed at concentrating development in the growth center(s) while protecting the rural qualities of the landscape outside of the growth center(s).

6. The growth center(s) is planned to absorb a large percentage of the growth anticipated during the succeeding twenty-year period.

7. When applicable, sewer service areas that are part of an adopted sewer allocation plan should be consistent with growth center boundaries.

8. Important natural resources within growth centers, such as surface and ground water, wetlands, unique natural areas, critical habitats, and endangered species are protected according to state and federal laws.

State and federal laws often dictate that certain natural resources are protected within growth centers. The opportunity to comprehensively protect these resources within a town, region, or watershed by concentrating development rather than spreading it across the landscape, as allowed under law and procedure, is factored into resource protection strategies within the growth center.

9. Growth centers are planned to provide recreational opportunities and green space within the growth center and to allow easy access to recreational open space surrounding the growth center.

Growth Centers are not:

Highway-oriented, commercial and industrial zones located on the edge and outside traditional growth centers and characterized by separated uses, large lots, individual parking facilities and limited pedestrian use.

Isolated and scattered residential development not connected to employment centers, and educational, commercial, and civic uses by transit and alternative modes of transportation.

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