Town of Rutland
Town Plan
2009
Our
collective vision for the future is a Rutland Town continuing to be a vibrant
community for the benefit of both its own citizens and the regional
population. It will afford opportunity
to live and prosper with very desirable homesteads, excellent education and
recreational foundations for families, protected property rights with respect
for personal freedoms, and an economic vitality under our free enterprise
system, respecting environmental concerns and providing for the public safety.
The
Town will enhance the attractiveness of the region so that commercial and
industrial business will locate and expand operations in the area to provide
additional good job opportunities. The
ripple effect will allow organizations such as the hospital to maintain and
implement latest technology. It will
permit expansion of our professional base in banking, law, education, medicine
and other services.
As ingenuity of our population continues
to develop in the 21st Century, we shall meet the challenges
presented and continue to keep Rutland Town responsive to its people through
the generous contributions of work and time given by Town officials and
volunteers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Background Analysis:
Population, Housing, and Economy
Description of the Local Transportation System
Transportation System Issues and Problems
Objectives and Strategies for Transportation
Education Objectives and Strategies
PUBLIC UTILITIES AND FACILITIES
Sewer, Water and Waste Disposal
Sewer, Water and Waste Disposal Goal
Sewer, Water, and Waste Disposal Facilities
Solid Waste Disposal and Recycling
Sewer, Water, and Waste Disposal Objectives and
Strategies
Administrative Facilities and Services
Administration Objectives and Strategies
Emergency Service Objectives and Strategies
Recreation Objectives and Strategies
Telecommunications Objectives and Strategies
Energy Objectives and Strategies
NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
Natural and Cultural Resources Goal
Natural and Cultural Resources Objectives and Strategies
Housing Objectives and Strategies
Childcare Objectives and Strategies
Economic Development Objectives and Strategies
Relationship of the Plan to
Neighbors
A thorough analysis of a community's
population, housing, and economy is an important feature of any well-written
municipal plan. For example, besides helping to determine how much a community
has grown, such information allows a municipality to: estimate whether or not (and
if so, how much) it is likely to grow in the future; identify what impacts
growth (or lack of growth) could have on its services and land use; and decide
how best it might respond to growth trends.
According to the US Census Bureau, Rutland
Town's population was 4,038 in 2000, the 3rd largest in the Rutland
Region[1].
That figure is estimated to have grown to 4,092 in 2007[2].
The Town's population has increased
substantially in decades prior to 1990.
According to the US Census, the number of residents more than doubled
between 1960 and 2000. Over the last 30
years, the rate of population growth has declined.
Table 1. Population and Population Change, Town of
Rutland |
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|
|
1960 |
1970 |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
2007 est |
Population |
|
1,542 |
2,248 |
3,300 |
3,781 |
4,038 |
4,092 |
Absolute
Change |
|
706 |
1,052 |
481 |
257 |
54 |
|
Percent
Change |
|
|
46% |
47% |
15% |
7% |
1% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
source:
University of Vermont Indicators Online, from the US Census Bureau. |
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http://maps.vcgi.org/indicators/profiles.cfm
visited 1-8-2009 |
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|
As with most communities in the northeast,
the majority of the population growth has taken place as a result of
in-migration (persons moving into town minus persons leaving town). In the
1980s, in-migration accounted for 85% of the population growth in town. In the
1990s, it essentially accounted for all population growth, with natural births
and deaths of local residents actually reducing the population[3].
It is expected that with birth rates in further decline throughout the state,
this trend has continued into the 21st Century.
The more dramatic change in the Town’s
demographics relates to households and housing units. While the population has
risen only modestly in recent decades, the number of housing units (and
households living in them) has grown dramatically because of a sharp drop in
the number of people living in each housing unit.
The average household in the community is
becoming smaller— the average fell from
3.04 persons per household in 1980 to 2.68 in 1990 to 2.35 in 2000. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of
households in the town increased nearly 20 percent, over double the increase
experienced by the Rutland Region as a whole.
Table 2. Households and Household Changes, Town of
Rutland |
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|
|
1960 |
1970 |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
|
Households |
|
431 |
661 |
1,087 |
1,412 |
1,691 |
|
Absolute
Change |
|
230 |
426 |
325 |
279 |
|
|
Percent
Change |
|
|
53% |
64% |
30% |
20% |
|
source:
University of Vermont Indicators Online, from the US Census Bureau. |
|
||||||
http://maps.vcgi.org/indicators/profiles.cfm
visited 4-11-2007 |
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|
Despite a recent dip in the rate of
population increase, the number of people living in Rutland Town should
continue to climb very slowly in the coming decade. According to the Vermont
Department of Aging and Independent Living, which commissioned population
projections based on 2000 Census data, the County’s population is expected to
grow by a very modest amount, 0.6% (1,630 people), between 2000 and 2020. A
limited proportion of that will likely take place in Rutland Town[4]. It is important to recognize that the actual
amount of future population growth in Rutland Town will depend a great deal on
levels of in-migration locally and in the state as a whole, as well as on local
birth and death rates.
Rutland Town contained 1,691 households in
2000, all but 25 of which were year-round. Of those, 30% were renter-occupied
and 70% were owner-occupied, a figure that remained essentially consistent from
1990. The growth in housing has mirrored the growth in households over the past
30 years.
Lacking a major commercial/recreational
feature such as a lake or ski area within its borders, Rutland Town's housing
stock consists overwhelmingly of year-round units. Of 1691 total units in 2000,
25 were occupied only seasonally. Most residences in Rutland Town are single
family homes. In 2000, 341 housing units, or 19.4% percent of the total, were
classified as multi-family units, which include duplexes. That ratio increased
from 16.6% in 1990, when the multi-family unit count was 253.
|
Single Family |
Two Family |
3-4 Unit Structure |
5-9 Units |
10-19 Units |
Mobile Homes |
TOTAL UNITS |
2000 |
1371 |
132 |
85 |
17 |
107 |
49 |
1761 |
1990 |
1220 |
93 |
80 |
25 |
55 |
49 |
1522 |
Change ’90 - 2000 |
12.4% |
41.9% |
6.3% |
-32% |
94.5% |
0% |
15.7% |
Table 3. Number of Housing Units in Different Types
of Structures, Town of Rutland
Source: US Census Bureau Summary File 3, 2000 & 1990
NOTE: There were 85
housing units in structures that hold 3-4 units each. This means there were between 21 and 28
buildings of this size in town.
Some 2.5 percent of Rutland Town's housing
units were vacant in 2000. Vacancy rates are viewed as an indicator of the
"tightness" of a housing market, though the figure may have changed
substantially between 2000 and the updating of this plan in 2009.
Rutland Town has a significant and growing
economic base. The town’s 2008 grand list includes 1,879 taxable properties
valued collectively at $698 million. Of those, 225 valued at $278 million were
commercial and industrial (additionally there is $168 million worth of
machinery, equipment, and inventory) and 11 (valued at $2.7 million) were farm
parcels. The remaining parcels were residential, utilities, and other
miscellaneous properties. An increasing number and proportion of the town’s tax
base comes from residential properties, in part due to a statewide trend over
the past 10 years towards increased residential property values and stagnant
commercial ones.
It is expected that a town-wide re-appraisal
will be completed during 2009.
According to the Vermont Department of
Economic Development, there were 3,768 jobs based in Rutland Town in 2005. Of
this total, 56% were employed in the service sector of the economy, 40% were
employed in the goods producing sector, and 4% were employed in the public
sector.
The town’s employment base has undergone a
dramatic shift in the past 15-20 years. While total employment figures have
remained fairly steady (increasing slowly over the past ten years after a
substantial decline in the early 1990s), the roles of the Goods Producing and
Service Providing sectors have been reversed. The leading components of those
two sectors – manufacturing and retail sales, respectively – have witnessed opposite
trends. While manufacturing jobs accounted for nearly 65% of all jobs in the
Town in 1992, and over 50% as recently as 1996, in 2005, they accounted for
just 38% of all jobs in the Town. By contrast, jobs in retail have grown from
just 12% of all jobs in 1992, to 25% in 1998, to nearly 40% in 2005.
In community planning, the percentage of
retail employment in a community is generally considered significant for two
reasons. First, retail employment wages are below those offered by many other
sectors of the economy. Second, retail employment is associated with land
uses—forms of development—with a tendency to attract significant amounts of
automobile traffic.
December 2008 Unemployment statistics for
the surrounding towns reflect the economic downturn, but Rutland Town’s
unemployment rate is low. As a share of regional employment, jobs in Rutland
Town have represented between 12% and 13% of the positions in Rutland County
over the past 15 years. According to 2006
U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Rutland Town holds 6.5% of Rutland County’s
population.
Table
4. Unemployment Rate, December 2008 (not seasonally adjusted)
Geographic Area |
Total Civilian Labor Force |
Unemployment Rate |
State of Vermont |
356,250 |
6.0% |
Rutland County |
36,950 |
6.6% |
Rutland
Town |
2,450 |
2.4% |
Rutland City |
9,500 |
7.9% |
Proctor |
1,080 |
7.1% |
West Rutland |
1,530 |
9.1% |
Clarendon |
1,890 |
5.0% |
Pittsford |
2,080 |
5.6% |
Mendon |
930 |
5.9% |
Source: Vermont Department of Labor www.vtlmi.info |
Residents of Rutland Town worked primarily
in two employment fields in 2000: management & professional occupations,
and sales and office. The table below illustrates that Rutland Town has a
significantly higher proportion of white-collar residents than the Region as a
whole.
Table 5. Occupations of Employed Residents, Town of
Rutland |
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|
|
|
Town |
County |
|
|
Management,
Professional, and related |
34.4% |
30.6% |
|
|
|||
Service |
13.2% |
15.9% |
|
|
|||
Sales and
Office |
32.0% |
25.9% |
|
|
|||
Farming,
fishing, forestry |
0.7% |
1.1% |
|
|
|||
Construction,
extraction, maintenance |
9.8% |
9.9% |
|
|
|||
Production,
transportation, material moving |
9.9% |
16.6% |
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
source:
US Census Bureau Table DP-3: Profile of selected economic characteristics,
2000 |
Over 70% of employed Town residents worked
in either Rutland City or Rutland Town in 2000, according to the US Census,
making it one of the communities with the smallest proportions of long-distance
commuters in the Region. Killington and Clarendon were the next highest
destinations, at 5.5% and 3.2% respectively. No other destination accounted for
more than one percent of all travel. This concentration of workers may present
opportunities for public transportation, so long as it meets the needs of the
predominantly white-collared workers living in the Town (see Table 5).
Transportation is closely related to land
use. Communities that integrate transportation and land-use policies are better
able to manage growth, improve the efficiency of travel, and contain
infrastructure costs. Transportation improvements provide greater accessibility
to certain parcels of land and this increases the likelihood they will be
developed. As land use becomes more intense, the amount of travel generated
increases, which spurs demand for additional transportation improvements.
Integration of land use impacts is an important part of transportation
planning.
To provide for a safe, convenient,
economic, and energy-efficient transportation network that respects the
integrity of the residential and natural environments, including public transit
options and paths for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The transportation system serving Rutland
Town has many different components. These components include facilities,
such as highways, streets, and bridges, as well as services, such as
public transit.
Highways. Highways in Rutland Town include locally-maintained
facilities such as Post Road, East Pittsford Road, and Creek Road, which are
maintained by the Town (which has an elected Highway Commissioner, a crew of
two, and contracts for various services). They also include state-maintained
facilities such as Vermont Route 3 and US Routes 4 and 7. There are also a
number of privately owned transportation facilities, consisting mostly of roads
serving housing developments.
Highway facilities may be classified—and
thus better understood—using many different systems. One of the most commonly
used classification schemes is the Administrative classification system
established by Vermont transportation statute. Under this system, local roads
and streets are assigned to one of four different classes, which reflect
highway physical characteristics, use, and role in the transportation network
and funding from the State.
Rutland Town has 8.8 miles of US highways on
US 4, 7 and Business Route 4 and 1.7 miles of State highways. According to the Vermont Agency of
Transportation, one-half of Rutland Town’s highways are class 3 highways and
one-quarter are class 2 highways. There are no class 1 highways and a small
percentage of class 4 highways. Class 1, 2 and 3 roads are those for which the
town receives State aid grants, based on the number of miles in the town. See Table 6.
Table 6. Highways
by Administrative Class |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
US Highway |
State Highway |
Class 1 |
Class 2 |
Class 3 |
Class 4 |
Total |
|||||
Miles |
8.84 |
1.73 |
0.00 |
15.05 |
31.48 |
~1.6 |
~58.7 |
|||||
Percent of Total |
15.1% |
3.0% |
0% |
25.6% |
53.6% |
2.7% |
100% |
|||||
Source: Vermont Agency of Transportation
Another commonly used scheme for describing
highways is the so-called functional classification system. Under this
system, routes are assigned to categories that reflect their function and
overall importance.
In functional classification, highways are
classified as arterials, collectors, or local streets:
Arterials. Arterials
located in Rutland Town include US 7, US 4, Business Route 4 and Vermont 3.
These highways, which are designed to accommodate volumes of more than 500
vehicles per hour, carry the bulk of through-traffic. Protection of the
traffic-carrying function of arterial highways is of great importance to the
Town. In addition to serving as conduits for inter-state and inter-regional
transportation and commerce, they also carry large numbers of commuters,
shoppers, and visitors. If they become congested or otherwise decline in
performance, there can be serious economic and social impacts.
Collectors. Collector
roads in Rutland Town include North Grove Street, East Pittsford Road, Post
Road, West Proctor Road, Town Line Road, and Creek Road. These roads provide
for through traffic on a local level. They connect arterial and residential
streets and link Rutland Town with Rutland City, Pittsford, Chittenden, Mendon,
Proctor, and Clarendon.
Local
Streets. Local streets form the balance of the roadway network
in Rutland Town. They are designed to allow access to adjacent land uses, not
to carry through traffic. Careful attention to this design principle is needed
to ensure that residential streets are not transformed into collectors.
Bridges. Bridges
are critical components of the highway system, allowing travel over significant
physical obstacles such as rivers, wetlands, and ravines. Bridges are also
challenging to maintain and expensive to replace. Thus, they are a major focus
of transportation planning and management.
Like highways, bridges may also be
classified according to their state or local jurisdiction, with ownership
generally determining responsibility for maintenance. Fortunately, repairs to
many local bridges are eligible for at least some state funding under the
state's local bridge assistance program.
Bridges with spans of 20 feet or more are
generally eligible for federal support, while bridges (or culverts) with spans
greater than 6 feet but less than 20 feet are generally eligible for state funding.
Every two years VTrans inspects all bridges over 20 feet. Bridges on town highway are the towns’
responsibility and those on state roads are owned by the State
Transit. Not all residents own automobiles or have access to
those vehicles at all times. For these reasons and others, public and private
transit services are an important component of the transportation system.
Public transit in Rutland Town is provided
by the Marble Valley Regional Transit District (MVRTD), commonly known as
"The Bus". In operation since 1976, MVRTD is the largest non-urban
transit system in Vermont. MVRTD provides public fixed-route services,
deviated fixed route and ADA complementary paratransit to the general public in Rutland Town,
Rutland City, and Proctor. It also provides paratransit services such as
subscription for persons who cannot access fixed route services. The demand
responsive service has a fare of $6 for a one way trip in Rutland city and the
complimentary paratransit service has a fare of $1.
Services to Rutland Town residents are
somewhat limited. MVRTD’s fixed routes that serve the Town are as follows:
MVRTD’s other fixed route, the Hospital
Route does not cross into Rutland Town. Commuter buses serving Killington Ski
resort make stops in Rutland Town, if it is safe to stop, at the Nordic Motel
on Route 4.
In general, buses operate on these routes
six days a week, several times each day, for fee of between $0.50- $2.00.
In addition to fixed route and paratransit
services, MVRTD provides transportation to persons eligible for mobility
services under Medicaid, which benefits a number of Rutland Town residents.
Medicaid transportation is provided using MVRTD vans, taxis, and reimbursed
volunteers. There are also commuter routes which extend service to Fair Haven
and Manchester. Finally, MVRTD also provides
contract services to human service agencies including the Southwest Vermont
Council on Aging, Rutland Mental Health, Vermont Psychiatric Survivors, Bridges
and Beyond, Social and Rehabilitative Services (SRS), and many others.
Rail. Rutland
Town residents are fortunate to be served by both passenger rail service (via
Amtrak’s Rutland City station) and freight rail service (via Vermont Railway
and its subsidiaries the Clarendon and Pittsford Railway and Green Mountain
Railroad). Rail can be an important resource for transporting goods through the
region while avoiding the impact of additional truck traffic.
Bike and Pedestrian
Facilities. Bicycle and pedestrian
travel are important elements in creating a balanced and sustainable
transportation system. Bicycles are the most efficient means of transportation,
while walking provides basic mobility for residents—as well as a host of other
benefits.
As transportation, bicycling can be used for
commuting and recreation purposes, Bicycling and walking for transportation (as
opposed to recreation) in Rutland Town is underutilized. Motorized
transportation is the primary means of transportation for local residents. The
distance between residential and commercial areas discourages walking for
utility purposes.
Existing pedestrian facilities are limited
to sidewalks and a number of dispersed recreational trails. There are no
existing bicycle facilities designated in the town, although many riders make
regular use of residential streets and other automobile dominated routes. For
recreational cycling purposes, Creek Road and Vermont Route 3 are particularly
well used. One informal foot trail near the school is used extensively by
students.
As noted above, there are no existing formal
bicycle facilities designated in the town and pedestrian facilities are limited
to sidewalks. Pedestrian facilities, where they are available, are
discontinuous and therefore do not provide connections between key facilities.
Furthermore, many roads used for cycling lack shoulders and /or have sharp
drop-offs at the road edge. A Town Exercise Path Steering Committee was formed
in 2000 to work toward the development of exercise paths. While the committee
no longer exists, results from their work should be examined for future
consideration.
Parking. Parking,
or the lack thereof, has not been identified as a problem. New commercial development in the Town has
ample parking available. It is
important that new developments consider public transportation and pedestrians
in parking lot layouts so access throughout these is amenable to other
modes.
Areas with Lack of Safety. Another
way to identify deficiencies in the transportation network is to examine
accident records to identify locations where there appear to be more accidents
than would normally be expected. Such locations would be an indication of
"geometric" features that are deficient and need to be addressed.
The State of Vermont Agency of
Transportation examines sections of highways and intersections for accident
rates. Those which exceed a critical rate, determined statistically, are
considered high accident locations. High Accident statistics are often used in
conjunction with severity statistics, which reflect the severity of the
economic loss resulting from the accidents at a location.
Highways. US 7 at its intersection with Pinnacle Ridge Road is
dangerous because of the geometrics/sight distances for those traveling
northbound and left turn movements onto
Pinnacle Ridge. A Road Safety Audit
Review of this intersection resulted in a current project to install a left
turn lane for northbound traffic. New signs and a flashing light have also
been installed to address this.
Bridges. Among bridges over 20 feet, those in poor condition
include the Town highway bridge over East Creek, where reconstruction is
underway. The McKinley Avenue Town
bridge, like all bridges over 20 feet in length, is inspected every two years
by the Agency of Transportation. Two
bridges in Rutland City have
become structurally deficient, with “band-aid” approaches to repairs, thereby
impacting business and emergency and safety efforts in Rutland Town negatively.
The bridge at end of River Street is posted for 3 tons maximum. The Ripley Road Bridge is limited to one-way
traffic. Funding limitations and a “band aid” repair for an extended indefinite
period of time is totally unacceptable to Rutland Town.
Rail
Crossings. Historically, at least two rail crossings in Rutland
Town, one on Vermont Route 3 just north of its intersection with Business Route
4 and the other (Carris Reels Crossing) on Depot Lane, have been in need of
improvement for reasons that include unsafe conditions and inadequate
signaling/signage. The status of other rail crossings, on US Route 4 at the
southern end of the Town, and on Cold River Road, should be closely monitored. A 30ft. X 40ft. area adjacent to the
rail line crossing on US RT. 3 was unpaved for quite sometime while
the rest of the road to Proctor was paved. Many times crossing lights and
signals stay on long after trains have passed, infuriating motorists, impacting
on business and creating a potential impediment for emergency vehicles. Peak
night rail traffic could help to alleviate some congestion. VAOT should improve maintenance these
areas in the infrastructure. The Town and the area lack access to a so-called
fast highway system so an efficient rail system, coordinated with and not
conflicting with high traffic volumes on roads is important to Rutland Town and
the area as a whole. Substandard dilapidated rail crossings are not only an
impediment to everyday activities by area residents, businesses and commerce in
general they present a negative first impression to those who may me
considering locating here for business reasons or otherwise. Again, Rutland
Town deems VAOT’s approach to these issues as grossly inadequate and therefore
unacceptable.
Air
Transportation. The Rutland/ Southern Vermont Regional Airport
serves private air service as well as commuter/passenger service to Boston.
This service is very valuable to businesses such as General Electric, OMYA and
others. Funding to secure necessary upgrades to the facility is difficult at
both the Federal and State levels. A mix of private and public funding may be
necessary to ensure the long-term survivability of this facility. The Town
Select Board supports the continued Federal and State funding for the airport.
Transportation
Advisory Council. The Town of Rutland Select
Board has a “pipeline” for local transportation infrastructure issues through
the Transportation Advisory Council (TAC), an adjunct council of the Rutland
Regional Planning Commission. The Town has representation on the Council. TAC
meetings are generally held on a monthly basis. The TAC serves to promote and support, throughout the Rutland
Region, an integrated transportation system that facilitates commerce and
communication and enhances quality of life, by involving citizens and local
officials in the identification and development of solutions to transportation
problems
Community
Land Use Impacts of Transportation. Land use and
transportation clearly influence each other. As has been summarized in the
Rutland Region Transportation Plan, one of the most significant impacts of
transportation on land use is as a catalyst to land development. In Rutland
Town, the most obvious manifestations of the impact transportation has on land
use are the areas of development along US 7 and US 4 entering Rutland,
particularly from the east and south.
Access Management
Roads function for two purposes- mobility and accessibility
to adjacent land The efficiency and safety of all town roads are directly
affected by the frequency and location of points of access or curb cuts. The
design of curb cuts also is important in terms of drainage and road
maintenance. Consistent and comprehensive access management policies are
necessary to balance the needs of motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other
users of the roadways system to travel in safety and with sufficient mobility ,
and as traffic volumes increase, this becomes increasingly important.
Strategies for improving access management include:
• adequate sight distance at a driveway
or street intersection;
• distance between curb cuts and distance
between driveways and nearest intersection;
• shared driveways;
• appropriate driveway width
• driveway turnaround area (for small
existing lots fronting the corridor);
• appropriate on-site parking, shared
parking, and parking design;
• sizing of area and/or bays for loading
and unloading; and,
• landscaping and buffers to visually
define and enhance access points.
Cut-through
traffic. Cut-through traffic occurs
when drivers take "short-cuts" through residential neighborhoods and
other areas in order to minimize the amount of time it takes to reach their
destinations. Rutland Town has historically had many areas affected by
cut-through traffic. Much of this, however, has been improved with the
re-signalization of traffic lights along Routes 4 & 7 in a joint effort
between Rutland Town, Rutland City, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
Noise
and disruption. Noise and disruption are some of
the most significant negative impacts of cut-through traffic. However, noise
and disruption are not limited to areas affected by cut-through traffic; they
also affect areas through which major transportation arterials traverse.
According to the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, noise "negatively affects
human health and well-being. Problems related to noise include hearing loss,
stress, high blood pressure, sleep loss, distraction and lost productivity, and
a general reduction in the quality of life and opportunities for
tranquility."
Areas where the transportation system has
had significant noise and disruption impacts include areas adjacent to the
railroad tracks in town and near trucking locations in residential areas.
Air
Pollution.
Another impact of transportation is air
pollution. Serious air pollution can have health effects ranging from
discomfort breathing to cancer. Air pollution can also have ecological impacts,
i.e., impacts on the environment such as damage to plants and genetic
diversity.
In Rutland Town and the rest of Vermont,
transportation-related air quality impacts are greatest where traffic volumes
are highest. Thus, the most problematic areas include the US 4 and US 7 corridors,
particularly those areas where vehicle delays are greatest.
Lowered property values. The net effect of numerous negative transportation
impacts is the lowering of property values. While no locally specific analyses
have been prepared to measure the financial ramifications of transportation
impacts, anecdotal evidence suggests that the value of some types of
properties, such as residential, may become depressed. However, commercial
and industrial properties benefit from close proximity to major highways. The lack of proximity to an interstate
system also affects property values for certain businesses.
In addition to being affected by local
transportation problems, Rutland Town is very much affected by regional
transportation problems as well. The following paragraphs describe the most
obvious examples of these regional transportation issues, namely the formerly
proposed Rutland Bypass and the possible future relocation of the Rutland Rail
Yard.
Rutland
Bypass. Construction of a highway bypass around Rutland City
was discussed for many years.
Rutland Town’s Position. Rutland Town’s basic position regarding the
construction of a bypass around Rutland may be stated as follows: The
construction of a bypass is not necessary given current and likely future
traffic volumes; furthermore, even if built, a bypass would not solve
congestion problems on US 7. The Town believes that, instead of a bypass, the
Agency of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration should pursue a
"limited" upgrade of US 7 and US 4. This limited upgrade would
provide much sought-after congestion relief at several key intersections but
with far fewer impacts than would result from the construction of a bypass—and
at much lower cost.
Basis for Town’s Position. Rutland
Town’s position opposing the construction of a bypass around Rutland is based
on a thorough analysis of the available information and a common-sense approach
to issues such as economic and social costs. More specifically, the Town
determined that any Route 4 bypass must respect the natural, cultural, and
social environment. It should not segment the town, nor go through or adjacent
to residential areas, viable farmland, wetlands, floodplains, or other natural
resources. The route through the Wheelerville Valley corridor, generally
located on the southerly side of Bald Mountain and on the easterly side of East
Mountain, would have the least impact on the above areas and would be a logical
progression from the terminus of the already improved portion of Route 4.
On the other hand, a limited
upgrade of the existing highway network would improve traffic congestion at the
critical Allen, West and Woodstock Avenue intersections. A limited upgrade
would also result in the least amount of total hours spent driving in the
Rutland Area. The limited upgrade approach would solve the problem where it
occurs and also not induce additional travel like the construction of a bypass
would.
A limited upgrade also
reduces community impacts by requiring the relocation of far fewer businesses
and other uses and the taking of much less frontage. Very simply, fewer impacts
mean lower costs (allowing limited state and federal funds to be used to
complete other transportation improvements in the State of Vermont); and
a higher ratio of benefits to costs.
Town an Active Participant. Not surprisingly, since virtually all of the
potential bypass routes that have been studied over the years would be at least
partially located in Rutland Town, the Town has been active participant in the
bypass planning and decision-making process. In the mid-1980s, for example, the
Town was a member of the Rutland Regional Bypass Working Group. This Working
Group reached consensus on the need for internal improvements along US 4 and US
7 in Rutland City and also voted to ask the State Agency of Transportation to
proceed with a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Starting in 1994, the Town became an active
participant in the EIS Project Advisory Committee (PAC), a body created by the
Agency of Transportation to provide public input during the development of the
environmental impact study. In early 1997, the Town also became a member of the
Joint EIS Task Force created by the Rutland Regional Planning Commission and
the Rutland Region Transportation Council.
In addition to providing
input during the development of the draft EIS, Rutland Town filed written
comments during the formal public comment period following the draft EIS.
The brief historical summary
shown below outlines Town votes and other actions on the bypass issue. There
are no longer plans to build the bypass, after millions of dollars in study
funding resulted in a withdrawal of all proposals.
·
3/8/84 Town votes not in favor of proposed southeast
corridor bypass to run through town westerly of East and Bald Mountains.
·
11/6/84 Town voted 2.5 to 1 against any bypass in the Town of
Rutland
·
7/9/85 The Group supported concept of industrial and
recreation growth in the Rutland Region and asked the State to plan an
interstate link to support the region in this regard
·
9/10/85 Group voted with respect to southeast bypass to
eliminate “Powerline route” from further consideration. Also to ask State to
further study the Wheelerville Corridor and Alignment F (the 1,000 foot route)
as outlined in the C.E. Maguire, Inc., July 1984 report, to initially build two
lanes, and to build into the side of the mountain rather than cut and fill,
thereby preserving the aesthetics and environment of the corridor.
·
1/13/86 Group voted to request State to proceed with a full
Environmental Impact Statement on the following options: (1) Wheelerville; (2)
1,000 foot level; and (3) the No Build Alternative. Also that further
expenditures on the Powerline Route would be a waste of money.
·
6/4/87 JHK & Associates, the State’s consultant,
announced that the State had accepted the recommendation to reject the
Powerline route through Rutland Town and to remove that route from further
consideration.
·
3/9/88 Town voted 993 to 298 to recommend to the State that
they reject the northern bypass route proposed by JHK & Associates and
instead channel all available funds toward improvements to existing Routes 4
and 7 corridors.
·
1993 Selectboard adopts Town Plan urging completion of
internal improvements and opposing construction of bypass on Powerline Route.
·
1997 Town participates in Regional EIS Task Force,
ultimately voting in the minority in opposition to construction of a bypass
along Powerline route.
·
1997 Town hires consultant Jeffrey Zupan to help evaluate
draft EIS and assist in the preparation of comments
·
3/5/98 Selectboard adopts resolution favoring a modified
version of the “Upgrade Existing” Alternative and forwards copies to state and
federal transportation officials.
·
1/29/00 The State of Vermont AOT announces that it has
scrapped the Bypass for Rutland. Wetlands are cited as the main reason.
Rutland Rail Yard Relocation Project
Studies, proposals and alternative designs
have been developed to relocate the Rutland Railyard. The goal of this is to maximize efficiency for rail service,
which presently has outgrown the capacity of the current railyard in Rutland
City because of an increase in the number of railcar shipments made by OMYA’s
Florence Plant, alleviate some safety issues and reduce blocked grade
crossings. It is the position of this
Plan that, if the Rutland Rail Yard is moved, that its relocation should be
extremely sensitive to the infrastructure needs of the region and Rutland Town:
Transportation Objective
·
Continue to develop
a transportation action plan/capital program that refines and advances the
transportation, land use, and economic development aims of this Plan.
Transportation Strategies
2. Continue to develop and complete the improvements to
existing Routes 4 and 7.
3. Participate in and support the development of the
Corridor Management Plan for Route 7 South as a means of addressing traffic
concerns.
4. Employ best practices of access management by
requiring, when appropriate, joint use of curb cuts, restricting curb cuts
where alternative access is appropriate and requiring that all new roads, all
private roads and driveway intersections with town roads meet the Town’s safety
and design standards.
5.
Reduce transportation
energy consumption and trips.
6.
Promote an
interconnected network of roads, especially with new developments.
7.
Implement park and ride
lots as appropriate, working with the state where desired.
8. Encourage public transportation access to all
developments.
9.
Encourage provisions
for bicycles and pedestrians on any new or improved Class 2 or 3 roads and
bridges.
10. Encourage landscaping and pedestrian walkways in
parking lots and the location of parking lots at the rear of buildings, where
appropriate.
11. Review any proposed Railyard Relocation by the City of Rutland, which
must consider any possible impacts on property located in Rutland Town
including environmental effects on wetlands, agricultural land, and a large
water supply aquifer located near the project area. This is a major project the likes of which
the area has never seen before and will have impact for many generations.
12. With taxpayer
funds being used for railyard relocation and or upgrading of existing rail
lines, it is absolutely essential that these projects come with a maintenance
plan and funding for same. Neglect of maintenance is not an acceptable option
nor is building all this infrastructure that does not include that plan.
13. When the time comes for public comment/hearing
regarding #12 above, it is of upmost importance that these points be addressed
by the boards concerned, for it is lack of maintenance in part, for whatever
reason, that has landed the area in the fix we are in now, as it pertains to
rail.
14. The question then becomes- if we can’t maintain what
we have now, how do we justify the proposed rail plan? This question deserves
detailed serious answers.
As most people are aware, educational
facilities are the most expensive public facilities to operate and maintain.
Some communities spend as much as 80 percent or more of their total property
tax revenues to pay for public education. Therefore, they are an important
component of the local plan.
Although school planning is the domain of
the School Board, the Planning Commission and the Municipal Development Plan
have a very important and necessary role in planning for the future of local
schools. Development in Town can have implications on school populations. The
Planning Commission should work closely with the School Board to identify
school capacity and ensure that any population growth in the Town is
accommodated by school facilities.
Educational facilities are an important
factor in future land use planning for other reasons as well. Historically,
schools have served as a focus of community identity. In many instances, local
schools have served as meeting places for social organizations. Thus, a school
can be a good focus for a locally designated growth area.
To
broaden access to educational and vocational training opportunities sufficient
to ensure the full realization of the abilities of all Vermonters.
The Rutland Town School Board presently
operates one school: Rutland Town Elementary. The school is located off of Post
Road and accommodates students in kindergarten through grade eight.
Rutland Town Elementary School was opened in
1967 and then expanded in 1971. Kindergarten classes were added in 1976. A new
wing was added to the school in the late 1980s, and another was completed in
1995. The school currently consists of 31 classrooms plus additional space for
administration, music, art, science, technology education, computers, family
and consumer sciences, physical education, cafeteria, library, and other
uses. Students in Early Essential
Education (pre-Kindergarten) through grade eight are served at the Rutland Town
School.
Several upgrades were made to the school in
the late 1990s. A new gymnasium for school and community use was added. Heating
and ventilation system improvements were made, as were improvements to address
insufficient sewage disposal capacity when the school was connected to the City
of Rutland Sewage Treatment plan via the new north end sewer lines. A new
emergency backup generator was installed in 2008 to improve school operations
and allow the building to be an effective emergency shelter for the community.
Enrollment and Capacity. The student enrollment at Rutland Town School was
359 in 2008-2009, up from 334 the year before and well above the recent low of
297 in 2004. Figures over the past decade have fluctuated, with a high of 488
students in 1997. The number of teaching staff stood at 37 in 2008, plus 17
instructional assistants.
According to school officials, the practical
capacity of Rutland Elementary is 500 students, a level that could be increased
if space located on the second floor of the most recent addition is finished
off. Given current enrollments and growth rates, facility capacity is not
likely to present problems for the community for the period of time covered by
this plan.
Administration. Rutland Town Elementary School is part of the
Rutland Central Supervisory Union along with Proctor High, Proctor Elementary,
and West Rutland School (K-12). The Union is headed by a Superintendent. Each
town in the district has its own school board and each school has its own
principal. Elections for school board are competitive and there is excellent
parent support and involvement in school programs.
Rutland Town has no high school of its own.
The Town pays students’ tuition at public schools. Typically students attend
schools in the neighboring communities of Rutland City, Proctor, Brandon,
Clarendon, or West Rutland. In addition, some students attend Mount St. Joseph
Academy, a private parochial high school. High School students wishing to
attend other non-parochial high schools may do so, with the town covering costs
up to the amount charged by the most expensive local high school.
In Vermont, funding for education is raised
primarily through local property taxes and state aid to education/special
education block grants. Property taxes statewide are pooled and then
re-distributed to each locality on a per-pupil basis. Each town then votes for
the additional amount to be allocated on top of the baseline state funds.
Rutland High School. The newest public secondary school in the region, Rutland High School is located at the corner of Stratton Road and Woodstock Avenue in Rutland City. The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, offers a diverse curriculum including advanced placement (AP) coursework and honors classes. The median class size is 23.
During the 2006-2007 school year, Rutland
High School had an enrollment of nearly 1157 students, a small increase over
previous years. Data from 1998-2007 illustrates steady school enrollment, with
a slow growth in recent years. While the number of tuition students from
various towns in the Region has grown in recent years no additional capacity is
being planned.
Mill River Union High School. Built in 1975, Mill River Union High School occupies a forty-acre parcel on Middle Road in Clarendon. It offers a range of secondary, vocational-technical, and college preparatory classes for students in grades 7 through 12. During the 2006-2007 school year, Mill River Union High School had an enrollment of 688 students, down from an average of 715 over the previous four years. This total includes a number of tuition students from outlying communities such as Rutland Town, Danby, Tinmouth, and Chittenden. The School District and School are open to tuition students as the school is not near its capacity at this point.
Proctor High School. Proctor Junior-Senior High School is located on Park Street in Proctor. Recognized for its application of educational technologies, the school offers a range of advanced placement and honors classes, some of them with instruction delivered by satellite.
Enrollment during the 2006-2007 school year
stood at 164, down from 189 in 2003 and 2004, and well below figures from the
late 1990s that reached over 200.
West Rutland High School. West
Rutland High School is part of a kindergarten through grade 12 facility located
on Main Street in West Rutland. When school is not in session, the building and
its playground facilities are used extensively as a community center for
activities such as aerobics, karate, and adult basketball. The building in
which the school is located was built in 1928, with an addition constructed in
1974.
Total school enrollment during the 2006-07 school year was 399 (including several tuition students from neighboring communities), a figure that has been steady for the past five years, but which is below a 1997-98 number of 470.
Stafford Technical Center. Sharing
its location with Rutland High School, the Stafford Technical Center serves
full time and part time students. The Stafford Technical Center offers a wide
variety of educational experiences for individuals of all ages. The Center is
open for day programs which serve both secondary students and adult students.
Students from throughout the Rutland Region attend classes at the Center to
complement their high school program.. The facility is used in the evening for
specialized industrial training offered by local companies for their employees.
Adult evening programs are scheduled later in the evening.
Several other institutions offer courses including the Community College of Vermont, the University of Vermont, the Vermont Technical College and apprentice training programs.
Private Schools. The largest private school serving secondary school age students from Rutland Town is Mount St. Joseph Academy (MSJ). MSJ is a parochial high school operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington. MSJ offers a college preparatory curriculum. Other smaller private schools also exist in the Town.
Education
Objectives
·
To support the restructured Stafford Technical Center in providing job
skills to area students, and to support a stronger adult curriculum at the
Center for retraining displaced adults.
·
To encourage the schools to utilize local cultural, historic and
natural resource areas as part of their educational programs.
Education
Strategies
1. Encourage continued citizen participation on the local
school board so as to maintain educational opportunities at optimum costs to
the taxpayers.
2.
Continue to adequately
maintain and upgrade present buildings and grounds.
Public utilities and facilities play an
important role in local planning. In fact, these features--when combined with
the transportation system--serve as the foundation for healthy communities and
desirable land use and development patterns.
When planning future land use, it is crucial
to understand where municipal facilities and infrastructure are currently
provided and how much capacity they have to accommodate new growth. Once this
information is known, it is possible to plan for their expansion to satisfy
long-range growth needs at a reasonable cost to residents of the community.
Moreover, the fact that a community does not
currently have a certain type of public utility (such as a municipal water or
sewer system) does not mean it cannot or should not be addressed. In order to
achieve its land use goals for a particular area, a community may need to
explore the potential for initiating a new service. The analysis may result in
a schedule of municipal service expansion, which establishes when certain new
services will be provided.
To plan
for, finance, and provide an efficient system of public facilities and services
to meet future needs; and to maintain and enhance recreational opportunities.
Municipal utilities can be viewed, in most
instances, as the basic building blocks for locally designated growth areas.
Improvements to municipal utilities will also be influential in guiding
decisions regarding economic development and housing. Businesses and industries
are naturally drawn to these systems when choosing a site location within a
community. Municipal water and sewer systems in particular also make it
possible to permit higher development densities, which can help reduce housing
costs.
There are several separate sewerage systems
in Rutland Town. These systems include Center Rutland Fire District #1;
extensions of Rutland City sewer system; and the Alpine Pipeline sewer along
Route 4.
In addition, the Town of Rutland currently
provides wastewater collection to areas in the southern, western, and northern
quadrants of the Town. In the south and north, these systems serve commercial,
industrial, institutional and educational, and residential uses, while in the
west, it serves primarily residential and manufacturing users.
Treatment of wastes collected through these
systems takes place at the Rutland City Sewage Treatment plant. Residential town users pay a rate that per
contract with the City would sunset for a given user after ten years to a
reduced rate.
Another factor in the cost of wastewater is an Ad Valorem tax that applies to any business in Rutland Town which connects to the public sewer system. The business pays 5 times the city base rate for a period of 10 years. Additionally, the business would have to pay the City 20% of the real estate taxes paid to the Town. As a result, the business pays 120% real estate taxes for a period of 10 years. After 10 years, the sewer rate reverts to the city rate and the additional real estate tax ceases. These additional costs apply to new businesses and to any existing Town Business that increases their wastewater discharge above what had been previously approved.
The rest of the town uses on-site septic
systems for waste disposal. According
to the US Census, in 2000 over 80 percent of all housing units disposed of
septic wastes via a septic tank or cesspool.
The Town of Rutland operates and maintains
its sewer lines through revenues available in the Sewer Operation &
Maintenance Account and the Sewer Escrow Account. The Town of Rutland
established a Capital Reserve Fund in conformance with 24 VSA 4756(4). The
purpose of this fund is to provide for the repair, replacement and future
upgrade of the wastewater collection facilities.
(See SEWER FACILITIES MAP PAGE 24)
Town-provided service
along US 7 South was the result of a 1992 Inter-municipal Agreement with
Rutland City. Town residents or businesses wishing to purchase City water are
required to apply to the City Board of Aldermen. Effective June 20,
2008 Town water users pay $3.405 per 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons of drinking
water.
The Rutland City water filtration system is
located in the easternmost edge of Rutland Town.
As part of a comprehensive water service
report prepared for the Town in 1997, Dufresne-Henry, Inc. investigated whether
an alternative to City water could be used to supply users in the south end of
Rutland Town. The report found that "eliminating the dependency upon the
City appears to be logistically and financially viable although the short term
cost of service would increase."
The Town has generally been developed with
small water systems built by the developer of the land. The majority of these
private systems have been developed in connection with residential
subdivisions.
Special purpose municipalities known as Fire
Districts serve many other residents and businesses, and
"there are limited areas where the Town has provided or acquired water
mains to service some customers using an interconnection to the Rutland City
water system." Historically, Fire Districts were established in mixed-use
areas such as Center Rutland (which is served by Fire District 1) or in larger
residential areas. In recent years, however, a number of new Fire Districts
were created or proposed as smaller private water systems sought ways to comply
with new federal water system regulations. The study also notes that
"given the relative proximity of one system to another it appears that a
regional approach towards resolution of the deficiencies could be
considered."
Those in the Town not served by water
districts or community systems obtain water on-site using wells or springs.
Sewer and Water West Side
Extent of public water (in
red) and sewer (in yellow) lines in the Town.
Sewer and Water East Side
Water North Side Water and Sewer South Side Sewer North Side
The Town of Rutland operates a municipal
Transfer/Recycling facility adjacent to the former landfill in Northwood Park.
The landfill was closed and capped in November 1993 pursuant to state environmental
regulations.
Solid waste collected at the facility is
hauled by a contractor off-site for disposal.
Recycle-able material is collected and
processed by the Rutland County Solid Waste District. Currently, residents may
recycle the following materials: newspaper, cardboard, tin and aluminum, glass,
clear and colored HDPE plastic, PET plastic, and white office paper, magazines,
and catalogs.
Objectives
·
Continue to adequately maintain and upgrade present buildings and
grounds.
·
Provide sewer and water facilities in areas where the Town deems growth
is desirable.
·
Continue developing and protecting underground water supplies in
southeast sector of town.
Strategies
1.
Explore further cooperative agreements with surrounding towns to reduce
negative fiscal impacts on the Town.
2.
Monitor use of sewer allocations.
3.
Study costs/benefits of extending existing sewer lines; continue to
work cooperatively with the City of Rutland.
4.
Continue recycling efforts
Continue to ensure the smooth operation of
Local Government
This section of the Public Utilities and
Facilities element examines local administrative facilities, such as the Town
Office, along with any other important community buildings or services not
identified in earlier sections.
Town-owned land and buildings not mentioned in previous sections include the Town Hall on BR 4 in Center Rutland. They also include a two-acre cemetery alongside BR 4 in Center Rutland, an eight-acre cemetery at Cheney Hill, a nine-acre parcel purchased to provide access to an anticipated water project off Park St., the Community Center on a 1.1 acre site on Cedar Avenue, and 11 acres of land off Route 7 in the northern section of the town.
According to Town Officials, the Town Hall has adequate space to meet anticipated demand. The nine-acre parcel located off Park Street is believed to have some recreational potential, particularly for passive recreational uses such as picnicking.
Objective
·
Allow public access to
public officials and records.
Strategy
1. Maintain and improve existing Town Facilities and Building
Introduction
Typically, the most of vital services that
local governments provide are emergency services. These services consist of the
fire protection, rescue and ambulance services, and law enforcement. Together,
these services form the core of the town’s emergency management team, alongside
town administrators and elected officials.
Emergency
Service Goal
Continue to provide and improve
the current level of Fire, Police and Emergency Services to all Town residents
The analysis of emergency services is important to local land use planning from the standpoint that they are basic municipal services to residences as well as commercial and industrial uses. Substantial development should not be encouraged in remote areas where emergency services cannot obtain easy access during part or all of the year. On the other hand, emergency services should be encouraged to locate in or near areas where existing development is concentrated
Fire Protection. Fire protection in Rutland Town is provided by a fifty-plus member volunteer fire department with assistance from surrounding municipalities under mutual assistance agreements. Many members of the Department have received over two hundred hours of training outside the department. This training has included courses in first aid, CPR, pumps, buildings construction, fire behavior, alarm systems, emergency vehicle operations and operations level Hazardous Materials training.
Facilities maintained by the Department include two fire stations, one on McKinley Avenue and another in Center Rutland. The Department continues to make facility improvements at both stations. For example, the McKinley Avenue station was recently connected to a sewer line.
Law Enforcement. The Town’s Police Department consists of 3 qualified police officers, 2 of whom also serve as Town Constables. Troopers from the Vermont State Police are also available, particularly for daytime calls. The State Police are dispatched from the local state police barracks, which is located in Rutland Town.
Emergency Medical Services and Hospital. The Town uses the services of EMTs and paramedics through the Regional Ambulance Service. The RAS serves 12 communities. Replacement of vehicles and equipment takes place on an ongoing basis.
The Rutland Regional Medical Center is located in Rutland City and is a distance of approximately one to five miles for most Rutland Town residents. The hospital is a major facility.
Rutland Town is fully participating in the Enhanced 911 Emergency Response Program. All calls for emergency services are handled by a central dispatch center that automatically knows the location of the person making the call.
The Town has an appointed emergency
management coordinator who is responsible for maintaining an emergency response
plan and a hazard mitigation plan, among other studies. The Mitigation plan
identifies problems that could be addressed in advance of an emergency to
reduce loss of life and property (such as improving culverts that wash out
during rainstorms). The Response plan sets forth a framework for how the town
will respond to emergencies and share work that needs to be done in planning
for and responding to emergencies. The Hazard Mitigation plan was last adopted
in 2004 and is being revised this year in accordance with FEMA requirements for
updates every 5 years. The response plan is updated on an annual basis and
submitted to Vermont Emergency Management.
A new emergency backup generator was
installed in 2008 to improve school operations and allow the building to be an
effective emergency shelter for the community.
Objectives
·
Continue to financially support the volunteer Fire Department, Town
Constables and Emergency response services.
·
Continue to recruit new members to the volunteer Fire Department
·
Continue to provide specialized training as needed for Town Fire and
Police services.
Strategies
1. Review and re-adopt the Town’s emergency response plan annually
2. Review and re-adopt the hazard mitigation plan every five years.
Introduction
Recreational facilities should be a major factor to
consider when developing a comprehensive community plan. It is important to
ensure that as a community grows its recreational resources are expanded to
keep pace with increased demands.
To
maintain and enhance recreational opportunities.
Facilities and Programs.
Recreational facilities owned or administered by or through the Town include Dewey Field, Northwood Park, the Town Forest, and the Rutland Town Elementary School. In addition, the recently constructed fieldhouse, operated through a multi-organization partnership, is located in Rutland Town at the Diamond Run Mall.
Rutland Town's parks and recreation facilities are supervised by the Rutland Town Recreation Commission, an appointed group of seven people. Their Commission is responsible for administration and coordination of recreational programs, provision and maintenance of recreational facilities and identification of future recreational needs.
In light of a series of deficiencies identified by the Town’s Recreation Commission, a number of improvements have been made to Town parks over the past ten years. Two new soccer fields were built; construction of a multi-use recreation path separated from vehicle traffic is underway, and Northwood park’s hiking paths are being extended. Additional accessible hiking and skiing paths are still needed, however.
Objectives
·
Expand opportunities for adults to recreate together by offering more
adult recreation programs.
Strategies
1.
Develop a comprehensive aquatics program to make maximum use of the
pool, including instruction, competition, water carnivals, water ballet.
2.
Organize sports leagues to serve Rutland Town residents.
3.
Continue development of Northwood in accordance with the master plan as
approved by Act 250 for the site.
4.
Explore camping, trail, and nature study uses of the Town Forest
property.
5.
Explore ways to ensure continued access to private property (e.g. Pine Hill,
Boardman Hill, Otter and East Creeks) for recreational pursuits such as hiking,
snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, biking, canoeing.
6.
Consider doing a survey of the residents of Rutland Town to better
determine their interests and needs.
7.
Develop an ice-skating program to provide better winter outdoor
recreation.
Introduction
Recent advances in wireless communications
technology have resulted in a new generation of telecommunication services.
These new services transmit electromagnetic waves of such a frequency and power
that will likely require numerous antenna locations. These antennas may be
located on buildings, water towers and other similar structures but will also
frequently be located on new or enlarged towers. This requires that the Town of
Rutland plan for these wireless communication system facilities in a different
manner than conventional television and radio transmission towers, which are
able to transmit their signals at much greater distances.
The intent of this section of the Plan is to
provide for the establishment and/or expansion of wireless telecommunication
services within Rutland Town while protecting neighborhoods and minimizing the
adverse visual and operational effects of wireless telecommunications
facilities through careful design, siting and screening.
Background Analysis
A number of providers of wireless communication services have recently been
licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and additional providers are
expected to be licensed in the near future. These firms are expected to pursue
antenna sites within Rutland Town and these efforts are expected to include
requests to construct new communication towers. The Selectboard has adopted a telecommunications ordinance to
address concerns stated in the goal above.
By virtue of its location, Rutland Town may
be described as part of communications and transportation hub of the Rutland
Region. Rutland Town is located at the center of Rutland County between the
Towns of Pittsford, Mendon, Clarendon, West Rutland, and Proctor. Contained
within the center of the Town lies the City of Rutland, the most populous
municipality in the Region. Rutland Town also encompasses the crossroads of two
major highway arterials and three historically separate railroad lines, and
lies just north of the Rutland State Airport.
Lying within a physiographic region known as
the Valley of Vermont, Rutland Town is bounded by two significant topographic
features. The Green Mountains lie to the east of the Town, while the Taconic
Mountains lie to the west. Because of the location of these features relative
to the Region’s center for population, commerce, and transportation, Rutland
Town is a desirable location for telecommunications facilities.
Attesting to this fact, currently there are
three telecommunication facility locations in the community. A "reflector
board" is located west of McKinley Avenue, a "fan marker" for
the Rutland State Airport is located northeast of the Rutland Mall, and two
separate facilities are found in the area southwest of the intersection of
Quarterline Road and Boardman Hill Road. Of these latter facilities, one
provides service for fire, shortwave radio, and other purposes. In the past,
towers have been located south of the Post Road-Post Road Extension
intersection and just west of Rutland Town (in West Rutland).
Outside Rutland Town but nearby, a large
telecommunication tower is located in the town of Clarendon, south of Boardman
Hill. Due its location and exposure, Boardman Hill is considered to be an area
where additional towers might be proposed in the future. The area of Rutland
Town just south of the Pittsford Town line is thought to be similarly
sought-after for telecommunication facilities.
In addition to wireless facilities, the Town
is served by wire-based cable and telephone lines.
State and Local Framework
Public Service Board. The Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) has the
jurisdiction over telecommunication facilities by virtue of its authority to
issue "certificates of public good." A certificate of public good is
permission required from and granted by the state of Vermont to allow a utility
or regulated industry—such as communication service providers—to do business in
and serve subscribers in Vermont.
Environmental Board. The
Vermont Environmental Board reviews large-scale development proposals through a
system of regional District Environmental Commissions. Projects are reviewed
for conformance with the ten criteria and numerous sub criteria of Act 250, the
state’s land use and development control law. These criteria help insure that
development proposals do not negatively impact water or air quality, water
supplies, soil erosion, transportation, public services, aesthetics and
historic sites, wildlife habitat, agricultural and forestry soils, growth
patterns, etc.
Objectives
·
To minimize the location of facilities in visually sensitive areas;
·
To encourage creative design measures to camouflage facilities;
·
To protect historic and residential areas from potential adverse
impacts of communication towers;
·
To avoid potential damage to adjacent properties from tower failure
through engineering and careful siting of tower structures.
Strategies
1.
Maximize use of existing and approved towers and other structures to
accommodate new antennas and transmitters in order to reduce the number of
communication towers needed to serve the community;
2.
Encourage providers to co-locate their facilities on a single tower;
3.
Encourage facilities to be sited below visually prominent ridge lines;
Introduction
Energy is an important factor in the
economic, environmental, and social well-being of communities. Practically
every decision people make or action they take affects energy use or
production. In turn, energy use and production affect our future decisions and
actions.
To help support stable energy supplies at
affordable costs to consumers.
The primary source of energy use in Vermont
is[5]
transportation (the movement of people and goods), accounting for 33% of all
energy used in the State. That sector is followed by residential uses, at 30%,
commercial businesses at 20%, and industrial use at 17%.
Although data is not available at the town
level, average use figures in Rutland Town likely mirror statewide averages,
with the recognition that the Town is home to more business and industrial
activity than neighboring communities.
Of note among Rutland Town residents is
energy used for commuting. The data reflects mixed results for the town. On the
negative side, the town, according to the 2000 US Census, had the highest
percentage of commuters driving alone to work of any community in Rutland
County, at 84%. On the positive side,
because a large proportion of Town residents work within a short distance of
their homes (primarily in Rutland Town, Rutland City, or Killington), the
town’s average carbon dioxide emissions per commuter is among the lowest in the
State at 2,167 lbs annually. This figure is less than half that of many
outlying communities’ rates.
Electricity is provided by Central Vermont
Public Service (CVPS) and VELCO which owns the transmission lines. CVPS operates a major systems and operation
center in Rutland Town. VELCO has
headquarters in Rutland Town. CVPS is
actively seeking ways of diversifying their energy portfolio to ensure that
their customers’ needs (availability at a reasonable cost) are met.
Aside from generating new sources of
electricity, one of the keys to keeping down energy costs continues to be
efficient use of electricity. Several
public and private enterprises exist to educate individual consumers about
conservation and to provide technical assistance to companies seeking to reduce
their energy consumption.
Wood. Approximately 5% of homes in Rutland Town used wood
as their primary heating source in 2000, according to the US Census. Many
others use wood to supplement heat through a wood stove or fireplace, but this
information is not tracked by the Census. Anecdotal evidence suggests that
increased numbers of households have been supplementing oil heat with wood in
recent years to offset rising fuel costs.
Presently, Vermont's forests are being
underutilized and could supply many more households with wood for heating. The
same is probably somewhat true for Rutland Town. According to statewide
guidelines, each forested acre of land in the Town could probably sustain a
harvest of about 1.3 cords per year if fuelwood production was the primary
objective. About 0.6 cords of fuelwood per acre per year could be expected if
high quality sawtimber was the primary objective.
Other “Biofuels”
Another category of fuels are biofuels. This includes pellets used in pellet stoves
for heating homes, biomass plants used to heat large facilities, and new forms
of liquid petroleum such as ethanol.
Pellet stoves and manufacturing of the pellet fuel supply are two
emerging business opportunities in this immediate area.
Solar.
Less than one percent of Vermont homes use solar power for all of their space,
water heating, and / or electricity needs, but solar has increased in
importance as an energy source. Increasing numbers of homes use active or
passive solar heat to supplement other energy sources to reduce costs and
overall consumption.
Solar water heating, for example, has the
potential to offset 50 percent, or more, of the energy used to heat domestic
hot water and it is the most cost effective form of active solar application in
Vermont.
On a larger scale, CVPS has announced plans
to build a commercial scale solar array to generate energy (approximately 50KW)
directly for the grid. They expect it
will be operational by 2010.
Wind and Hydro. Wind and
hydro production are hot topics once again in Vermont and Rutland County.
Though the entire state is a net importer of all its energy needs (including
electricity), businesses, lawmakers, and citizens have begun to explore
opportunities for local electricity generation. These include small-scale
hydroelectricity facilities (micro-hydro), household scale windmills, and
commercial scale wind towers.
Because of the Town’s physical setting –
primarily in valley areas – there is greater potential for smaller-scale wind
power than for commercial grade. A recent study of wind speeds throughout the
State of Vermont indicated that the eastern border of Rutland Town could have
suitable wind speeds for large wind generation[6].
Household scale windmills have reached a point where the investment can be
recouped by the homeowners under certain circumstances. Several windmill
companies are based in or have offices throughout the State.
Rutland Town is home to two small and one
large hydroelectric facilities. One is the Vermont Marble site in Center
Rutland. The other is the reactivated Mill Village site. The larger facility is
located at Patch Pond and operated by Central Vermont Public Service.
·
Support a reduction in energy consumption by individuals, businesses
and municipal operations.
·
Encourage the development of renewable energy resources.
·
Reduce the amount of travel conducted by single-occupant vehicles
Strategies
1.
Support CVPS’ efforts to diversify their energy portfolio for the
benefit of their customers.
2.
Support new development and continued use of renewable energy sources
such as woodfuel, the existing hydroelectric facilities, initiatives to install
solar energy collectors, and wind energy production.
3.
Develop policy on energy conservation to include:
a. Investigate ways in which the Town could reduce its energy
consumption (vehicle fuel, heat/air, lights) and recommend new policies to
support that reduction;
b. Require energy-conserving
construction on new buildings;
c. Encourage energy-saving retrofits to existing buildings, including
municipally owned facilities;
d. Recommend zoning/subdivision/building regulations that encourage
solar and/or other alternate energy sources.
4.
Promote car and van pooling by supporting the establishment of
park-and-ride areas and through public education about ride-sharing resources.
5.
Support extension of bus service.
6.
Encourage bicycle and pedestrian travel with safe lanes and dedicated
paths and trails, signage, and markings.
Introduction
Before a community can plan for its future, it must
first take stock of the resources it contains and assess their general
condition. This section of Rutland Town's plan presents information on the
status of natural and cultural resources in the town.
Protect irreplaceable
natural and cultural resources from the impacts of development while
maintaining access to and appropriate use of those resources.
Physical Setting
Rutland Town is located along the Valley of
Vermont and has varying topography. It is bounded on the north by the Town of
Pittsford, on the east by Mendon, on the south by Clarendon, and on the west by
West Rutland and Proctor. Contained within the center of the Town lies Rutland
City.
Agricultural Resources
Although agriculture has been a prominent
land use in the town since its original settlement, fewer and fewer acres are
still being actively farmed. Those parcels are located primarily along Otter
Creek in the WSW sector and between North Grove Street and Chittenden
Road/Blueberry Lane in the north sector. Large-scale agricultural use of land
has been steadily decreasing due to proximity to Rutland City, demand for
housing, and the increasing economic pressure on commodity farmers within
Vermont who are supplying a national market. A recent upswing in smaller-scale
agricultural activities, including vegetable production and specialty products,
appears to have initiated a trend towards increased numbers of farms in Rutland
Town, however.
An analysis of settlement patterns in
Rutland Town indicate that only a small number of structures are currently
standing on the highest quality soils in the community. Seventeen structures,
or one percent of the total number of buildings in town, are located on what
are considered to be prime or statewide agricultural soils[7].
In order to retain the potential for future agricultural uses, development
should continue to be discouraged on the Town’s limited amounts of high quality
soils. Land designated as “prime”
agricultural lands comprise 22% of the town’s total land.
Forest Resources
Most of the forestland is located on slopes
bounded by West Rutland and Proctor to the west and by Mendon to the east.
There is a small amount of valuable timber, but most of the land is used as a scenic
and recreational resource--hunting, hiking, bicycling, and cross-country
skiing.
Like high quality agricultural soils, high
quality forest soils are scattered throughout the Town. High quality forest
soils are not limited to any particular landform. It is important to note that
many soils classified as having high potential for agricultural production may
also have high potential for forestry. This is because many of the physical and
chemical characteristics that make land productive for annual crops are also
desirable for tree growth.
Mineral Resources
The extraction and processing of mineral resources is also a significant economic activity in Vermont and Rutland County. Rutland Town lies just east of economically valuable slate and marble belts (although marble has been quarried in the past, there are no current commercial mineral extractions), and sand and gravel resources are present, particularly in the northeast corner of town.
An analysis of settlement patterns in
Rutland Town indicate that a significant number of homes and businesses have
been built upon potential sand and gravel resources. 792 structures, or 43%
percent of the total number of buildings in town, are located on these
potential resources, significantly limiting the actual resources available for
extraction[8].
Steep Slopes
The degree of slope, defined as the number
of feet of vertical rise in 100 feet horizontal distance, has direct
implications for most land uses. Development on steep slopes (over 15%) creates
environmental problems of erosion, sedimentation, and increased runoff. Costs of site improvement, construction,
maintenance, and delivery of public services (school bus, fire, etc.) increase
when development is allowed on steep slopes.
Rare and Endangered Plants and Animals and Wildlife Areas
Natural heritage sites incorporate rare
plants and animals that are native to the state and considered rare for one or
more reasons, as well as natural communities that are either rare habitat types
in Vermont or among the best examples in the state of a common community type.
There are four natural heritage sites in Rutland Town.
Rutland Town is an important wildlife
habitat area and migration corridor. Because of its physical setting along the
Otter Creek and at the confluence of the Region’s two primary valleys, many
larger and smaller animal and bird species make use of land and water within
the Town. There are few undisturbed areas remaining in Rutland Town. Three key
areas for wildlife habitat connectivity remain in the Town:
·
in the northwest,
between the Pine Hill Park area of Rutland City and the Town of Proctor (where
two rare, endangered, or threatened species reside),
·
in the southwest corner
of the town, where limited undeveloped areas serve as the last connection
between two habitat areas of the Taconic Mountains in Clarendon
·
in the southeast corner
of the town, adjacent to another rare, threatened, or endangered species and
linked to the larger undeveloped areas of Mendon and Shrewsbury.
The most critical component of wildlife
survival, according to Conserving Vermont’s Natural Heritage, a book
recently produced by the Agency of Natural Resources, is the maintenance of
blocks of connected habitat and migration land. In other words, it is critical
that large tracts of land be connected versus existing in isolation.
Deer, the largest of the animals typically
found in Rutland Town, have several mapped deer wintering areas in the Town,
which occupy a total of 1,627 acres, 13% of town. Typically, deer wintering
areas are located predominantly in areas of low, south facing slopes and along
watercourses. In Rutland Town, they are located at the extreme northwest comer
of the town, east of Prospect Hill, and in the southeast corner of the town.
Future development should be promoted in
ways that minimize the loss of connected habitat areas.
Open Space and Scenic Resources
In the course of planning for Rutland Town's
future, it is important that the presence of high quality open space and scenic
resources--broad scenic areas as well as scenic landmarks--be recognized and
the integrity of such resources be preserved. Open space and scenery entice
many people to visit the area and add greatly to the quality of life enjoyed by
the people who live here.
Open space and scenic resources are fragile.
Misuse or overuse can destroy the delicate balance of form and pattern that
defines scenic beauty and attractive open space. Ironically, the most delicate
and easily jeopardized scenic resources may be most threatened by the people
who enjoy them.
At least one publication has applied these
basic principles to the landscape that makes up the area in an effort to
classify scenic resources. The report "Scenery Classification and
Analysis", released in 1970, classified scenic resources around the state
according to their farm, forest, town, or city orientation. It identified areas
having high or potentially high resource values; it also identified which areas
are vulnerable or jeopardized. According to "Scenery Classification and
Analysis”, parts of northern and southern Rutland Town have high visual
resource values.
Historic Structures
Areas that have historic value to present
and future residents of the Town enrich the community greatly. As the Regional
Plan states, "Standing buildings and structures may be important because
of their significant architectural design and fine material and craftsmanship
or because they illustrate an important aspect of history. "
Often they too help tell the stories of
everyday life that were never written down. These clues to understanding our
past can be found in such individual structures as elaborate mansions, simple
workers’ houses, bridges, factories, and barns, as well as the groups they form
in village centers, residential neighborhoods, and farm or industrial complexes.
Historic structures, through their locations, architectural features, and
historical associations, testify to patterns of Vermont life in the late 18th,
19th, and early 20th centuries and serve as the visible
reminders of the occupations, activities, philosophies, and priorities of
Vermonters who came before us.
The Town has a large number of historic
structures, which are described in the Rutland Town chapter of "The
Historic Architecture of Rutland County". According to this report, there
are 86 properties listed on the Vermont Historic Places Register. Of these, the
majority are residences. However, they also include farms, mills, a powerhouse,
a bridge, a post office, and a church. The Town also includes one officially
recognized historic district. This district, which is located at the
intersection of BR 4 and East Proctor Road and called the Center Rutland
historic district, consists of 24 of the Town’s 86 historic properties.
Water Resources
Water resources include both surface waters
such as lakes, ponds, reservoirs, streams, wetlands as well as ground water
contained in the pores of soil materials such as aquifers and springs.
In order to discuss a community's water
resources in a meaningful way, it is important to first understand the nature
of the community's watersheds. A watershed is a distinct, topographically
defined land area that drains into a single river, river system, or standing
body of water. Because rivers join to become larger rivers, many watersheds may
be considered "subwatersheds" of larger watersheds. As one would
expect, the activities taking place in a watershed play a critical role in the
quality of the water draining from it. If a watershed is mostly agricultural,
for example, then the quality of the water leaving that watershed will reflect
prevailing agricultural practices. If a watershed is mostly forested, then the
water leaving that watershed will reflect prevailing forestry practices.
A watershed also defines the land that
contributes water towards the watershed’s supply. Public water supply
watersheds, inducing Rutland City’s, lie within Rutland Town and need to be
carefully guarded from contamination and adverse impacts to quantity of supply.
The City of Rutland holds 4,400 acres of
“Class A” Watershed in Mendon and water is transmitted to a filtration system
in Rutland Town. These lands should receive the highest level of protection.
Should septic systems, faulty sewer lines, landfills or other types of
development be located too close to the supply, contamination may result.
Likewise, should significant or intense development requiring on-site water
sources occur within or immediately adjacent to the watershed, the quantity
available to the public system could be adversely affected.
Rutland Town is located in watersheds feeding the Otter Creek. Otter Creek drains into Lake Champlain, making the Town a component of the Champlain Basin. Three major tributaries, Cold River, Clarendon River, and East Creek, join Otter Creek within the town's boundaries. Many small tributary streams drain the western flanks of the Green Mountains to form the headwaters of Cold, Moon, and Tenney Brooks.
Rivers and Streams and their
corridors
Otter Creek is the most prominent
watercourse in the town, providing a strong visual focus as it meanders through
the fertile farmlands along the valley floor. Flowing northward, Otter Creek
drains approximately 307 square miles of land by the time it reaches Center
Rutland. Lands along the creek are highly productive wildlife areas offering
significant habitats and range to wildlife and waterfowl. Otter Creek slopes
very gradually, averaging only 1/2 to I foot per mile, contrasting sharply with
its steep tributaries that may drop tens of feet per mile of river. Otter Creek
is not subject to extreme flooding conditions because of its large valley
storage capacities and tributaries that are well distributed along the river,
helping to desynchronize flood crests.
East Creek, draining approximately 53 square
miles, has several very steep tributaries draining the western slopes of the
Green Mountain. Mendon Brook, a major tributary of East Creek, drains the
majority of Green Mountain uplands in the Town of Mendon.
The vast majority of flood damage suffered
in Vermont is caused by “fluvial erosion”, that is, stream bank erosion. To address this issue, the Vermont Agency of
Natural Resources sponsored a Stream Geomorphic Assessment (SGA) of the Otter
Creek, Moon Brook, Mussey Brook and East Creek within Rutland Town. The data indicates that these streams have
been highly modified in the past to make room for human investments such as
roads and houses. These modifications
have led to unstable stream systems resulting in increased flooding and erosion
hazards, as well as compromised habitat for aquatic species.
There are several
waterbodies that flow through Rutland Town that are considered “impaired”,
meaning that they consistently do not meet Vermont Water Quality Standards.
These waters include the Otter Creek, Mussey Brook, Moon Brook and East Creek.
In addition, the Clarendon River is listed as “stressed” and has been
identified as needing further assessment to address concerns about
sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, high levels of pathogenic bacteria, and stormwater
runoff due to agricultural runoff, industrial and urban runoff.
The Otter Creek mainstem is
considered impaired due to high levels of pathogenic bacteria due to suspected
agricultural runoff, malfunctioning septic systems, wastewater treatment plant
overflows, and wildlife. In addition, the Otter mainstem is listed as
“stressed” and has been identified as needing further assessment due to
concerns about excessive sedimentation, organic enrichment, toxics, and metals.
The Moon Brook has been identified
as consistently not meeting Vermont Water Quality Standards due to stormwater
runoff. Increasing volumes of stormwater runoff from new impervious surfaces in
the Moon Brook watershed are causing erosion, nutrient enrichment, toxicity in
the water column or sediments and stream channel enlargement and /or movement.
Stormwater management will be necessary for older intermitted and untreated
stormwater discharges to Moon Brook. A
hydrologic analysis of the watershed and delineation of stormwater impact areas
will have to be completed.
East Creek is also listed as
impaired due to stormwater runoff, but unlike the Moon Brook watershed, this
impairment is primarily related to combined sewer overflows from Rutland City.
However, the Creek has also been identified as “stressed” due to low dissolved
oxygen levels from hypolimnetic withdrawals of unlicensed hydro-electric
facilities in Chittenden and Rutland Town. Additionally, geomorphic assessment
of East Creek indicates that it continues to adjust from historic, physical
modifications.
Tinmouth Stream becomes
Clarendon River just below a wetland complex in the West Rutland area. This is important in contributing to the
high water quality and natural flow conditions in the Clarendon River. Thanks in
part to this, the Clarendon River has very good spawning and nursery habitat
throughout this reach for trout species which are an important sport fish on
the river and in the State of Vermont. However, as the Clarendon River enters
the more developed areas of West Rutland and Rutland Town, it becomes affected
by thermal modification due to the loss of riparian vegetation as well as
sedimentation from stormwater runoff and eroding streambanks.
The management of storm water runoff is at
once a simple concept and a complex problem. Precipitation runs off impervious
surfaces rather than infiltrating naturally into the soil. The cumulative
impact resulting from the increased frequency, volume, and flow rate of
stormwater runoff events can lead to destabilization of downstream channels and
can also result in increased wash-off pollutant loading to receiving waters.
Recent development activities – most notably
the addition of several new businesses and their parking areas - have presented
the Town with a challenge of minimizing pollution resulting from stormwater
runoff. Several of these new developments, however, have proposed innovative
solutions that propose to address these concerns. The Town, and State
regulatory bodies, should pay close attention to these systems to determine
their ongoing functionality. If they prove to be successful, officials could
use them as models for addressing stormwater.
A floodplain is the flat land adjacent to
rivers and streams that is periodically inundated to varying depths during
periods of high water. Small floods tend to be more frequent than large ones.
The 100-year flood frequency is used as the standard for delineating flood
hazard areas by the Federal Insurance Administration. The 100 year flood will have
a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The large
1927 flood is estimated to be a 100-year frequency and was used as a standard
for mapping Rutland Town's floodplains.
Significant floodplain areas in Rutland Town
include areas along Otter Creek. Of the 1,822 structures in the Town of
Rutland, 53 structures are currently located in the mapped 100-year floodplain
in Rutland Town. Of these 53 structures, 24 are residential and 15 are
commercial, and 7 are State of Vermont
buildings and 7 garage/outbuildings. Building of additional structures in these
areas is discouraged. The potential for flood damage in these areas is high and
is likely to cause expense to land owners, the Town, and State and Federal
Governments. As a participating town in the National Floodplain Insurance
Program, the town has municipal jurisdiction regarding floodplain protection
through floodplain management regulations adopted by the town.
Only a handful of small ponds exist within
Rutland Town, the largest of which is Rocky Pond on the edge of Pine Hill Park.
No water quality data currently exists for the ponds within the Town.
Both Muddy and Rocky Ponds have served the community as recreational resources
for a number of years. In order to help maintain water quality and wildlife
habitats within the town, however, vegetated shoreline buffer areas should be
present.
Wetlands are land areas that are saturated
with water at least part of the year. Although precise definitions vary,
wetlands are normally identifiable by vegetation, soil type, and/or frequency
of ponding. Wetlands include marshes, swamps, sloughs, fens, mud flats, and
bogs. In addition to providing important wildlife habitat, values (or
functions) of wetlands include storing stormwater (they store large quantities
of water during periods of high runoff and gradually release water during low
flow periods), purifying surface and groundwater supplies, recharging aquifers,
controlling erosion, providing areas for recreation, and serving as education
and research areas. Wetlands are of crucial importance to the surface water
regime. It is important to note that loss of this storage capacity will not
only adversely affect stream behavior, but will also increase floods and reduce
stream flow during critical low flow periods.
Wetlands play a vital role in protecting and maintaining the water quality of our rivers and lakes. Wetlands are also important for the preservation of water quality and wildlife. Biological activity of a wetland area enables absorption and assimilation of nutrients, purifying, to some extent, the water that is discharged. Wetlands also play critical roles in the reproductive cycle of many threatened species. Wetlands support plants that can help purify water by taking up nutrients and incorporating them into plant materials while releasing oxygen. Finally, migratory birds use wetlands in the area as stops along the Atlantic Flyway. This habitat is crucial during several periods in a bird's life cycle, supplying quality breeding grounds and resting or staging areas essential for migration.
The National Wetlands Inventory was part of
a federal effort to assess the degree to which wetlands are being lost on a
national basis. It was based on aerial photography (rather than on-the-ground
surveys). Consequently, some areas that would qualify as wetlands under state
or federal law are not included. It has been estimated that as many as 20 to 30
percent of the state's class 3 wetlands are not included in the inventory. As shown on map 1 of 2 Natural Resources
Maps, the area in Rutland Town that is occupied by wetlands, as identified by
the National wetlands Inventory is 562 acres, or 4.5 percent of the Town’s
area.
Farming wetlands or draining wetlands for
agriculture is not a significant problem in Bennington and Rutland counties.
Drainage, filling, and fragmentation are more of an issue associated with
development and road construction. There is still a general lack of
understanding by the public of the important functions and values of wetlands.
The wildlife habitat values of wetlands are better understood and appreciated
than others. Education and outreach conducted by conservation districts and
other partners would educate citizens as to the value of wetlands to reduce
flooding, filter nutrients, and recharge ground water. Several federal programs
are available for landowners use to enhance or protect wetlands including: WRP
(Wetlands Reserve Program), WHIP (Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program), CRP
(Conservation Reserve Program), and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. The
Vermont Land Trust, a nonprofit conservation organization, has also been very
successful at protecting wetlands in Vermont.
(SEE WETLANDS ON NATURAL RESOURCES MAP)
State wetlands rules control development in
wetlands rather than prohibit it outright. Farming and forestry uses, low
impact recreation, utility poles, and incidental residential uses are allowed
as long as the outlet of the wetland or its pattern of flow is not altered and
dredge and fill restrictions are met. Federal law also governs the use of
wetlands. Federal regulations are different from state regulations, although
not necessarily more strict or more lenient. The primary federal law on
wetlands is the Clean Water Act. The Clean Water Act regulates dredging and
filling of all public waters, which include the nation's wetlands.
The Vermont Wetland Rules identify and
protect 10 functions and values of "significant" wetlands and
establish a 3-tier wetland classification system to identify such wetlands. The
first two classes of wetlands (Class One and Class Two) are identified on the Vermont
Significant Wetlands Inventory (VSWI) maps and are protected under
the wetland rules.[9]
Municipalities can further protect wetlands by limiting or prohibiting
development in designated wetland areas in town zoning ordinances.
Groundwater is a critical water resource,
particularly in a rural area such as Rutland Town. It meets needs for a range
of uses, including residences, agriculture, and business.
The main reasons for planning for
groundwater are to protect the health of area residents and insure adequate
supplies of water for the future. Without clean groundwater supplies, the
community could incur significant costs in terms of health and/or in locating
alternative supplies.
Groundwater related planning issues facing
the town appear limited to the potential impact of pollutants (particularly non-point
pollutants) on the quality of local aquifer and groundwater supplies.
Similar to other areas of Vermont, non-point
source pollution is the major source of water use impairment to surface waters
in the Rutland Town. Unlike point source pollution, such as a direct discharge
or outfall pipe, non-point source pollution is more diffuse, harder to quantify
and more difficult to control. Examples of these are runoff from parking lots,
back roads, fertilized lawns, and runoff from agricultural fields. It has been
well documented that urban and suburban non-point sources contribute more
phosphorus and sediment per acre than runoff from the working landscape.
·
Incorporate measures
that provide protection for land resources which are lost once development
occurs on them.
1. The Town's primary agricultural soils should be
conserved for agricultural uses if they are economically viable; development
should be steered away from prime agricultural soils.
2. Forested lands should be conserved to protect against
erosion and to preserve their scenic and recreational qualities.
3. Wildlife habitats in the Town should be conserved;
the impacts of development and land use change on these habitats should be
minimized through the use of conservation easements, purchase, lease, tax
incentives, or other measures.
4. All land development is discouraged on slopes greater
than 15%.
5. Sand and gravel operations should be carefully
reviewed to ensure the public's safety and freedom from noise, dust, traffic
and other intrusions in residential areas.
·
The preservation of
historic structures and scenic, cultural, recreational, and unique natural
resources is encouraged.
·
Water resources in the
Town should be protected so that water quality is maintained, access is
preserved, erosion and encroachment are minimized, and public interests are
advanced.
1.
Gravel aquifer and wellhead
areas should be protected from development that would pollute or restrict the
flow of water through porous soils.
2.
Any use or development
proposed to be located within or adjacent to the watershed of a public water
supply or community well system shall be carefully reviewed for potential
detrimental effect to both the quality and quantity of the supply.
3.
Normally, no
development or earth disturbance of any kind should occur within fifty (50)
feet of any shoreline and no on-site septic disposal facilities should occur
within one hundred and fifty (150) feet of any shoreline.
4.
Development in flood
plains shall be in conformance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's
National Flood Insurance Program as administered by the Town of Rutland.
5.
Land development
resulting in the loss of wetland storage capacity, or impacting
negatively on water quality is discouraged.
Introduction
Housing, especially housing that the average
Vermonter can afford, is an increasingly important issue for communities in
Rutland County and the State of Vermont. This section supplements the
information on Rutland Town's housing included in the community profile section
of this plan, and includes an analysis of housing affordability in Rutland
Town.
Promote safe and affordable
housing, of a variety of types, for all segments of the population.
Existing Housing
As noted in Table 3 of the Community Profile
section of this Plan, Rutland Town's housing stock was made up of 1761 housing
units in 2000, up 16% from 1,522 units in 1990, the majority being single
family units.
In the year 2000, 64% of
owner-occupied housing units in the Town had been owned by the same owner for
more than 10 years. This compares to
only 53% statewide. The Town also has a
higher percentage of owner-occupied housing units (77%) as compared to 71%
statewide.[10]
Location of Housing
Homes are spread throughout most of Rutland
Town, due to its location surrounding the City and relatively gentle
topography. Homes to the north and west of the City are in mostly rural
settings, while more widespread development to the east of the City has led to
larger, more suburban-style neighborhoods. Multi-family housing is found
primarily immediately adjacent to Rutland City to the east. Two senior housing
complexes – the Gables and the Meadows - are also located in Rutland Town east
of the City. The Maples Senior Living
Community recently expanded its facility in the City as it is located very
close to Rutland Town.
Housing and Rental Cost
The availability and affordability of
housing can play a significant role in the health and development of a regional
community, especially where increased industrial and commercial business
development is desired. The cost of housing and land has risen substantially
throughout the Rutland Region over the past decade, and the price of homes in
Rutland Town is consistently higher than the County as a whole. The higher median home price in Rutland Town
is the reason that Rutland Town was considered to be “significantly less
affordable” for the median renter seeking to buy their first home in the
Housing Needs Assessment. [11] However,
the median home selling price increase between 2000-2007 was 64% for Rutland
County and 57% in Rutland Town.
In 2008, the average price of a primary
residence in Rutland Town was $253,435.
This is 9.1% ($21,068) higher than the average price for primary
residences in Vermont as a whole.
“Fair Market Rents” are estimates by the US
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
They are the dollar amount below which 40% of standard quality rental
housing units rent, including the cost of utilities. In other words, it’s like driving a Ford rather than a Cadillac.
Income needed to afford “Fair Market Rent”
in 2009:[12]
In
Town In
Vermont
1
bedroom unit $27,120 $29,834
2
bedroom unit $31,520 $36,550
3
bedroom unit $41,680 $47,542
Median
household income for a family of 4 in 2008 $56,300 $61,100
The household income shown appears adequate
to meet basic rental costs. In
addition, rental housing costs in Rutland Town were deemed to be comparable to
neighboring communities by the Housing Needs Assessment. Rent affordability is
commonly measured using the ratio of median rent to median renter income. Lower
ratios indicate greater affordability. Rutland Town ranks 16th among
the 27 towns in the Rutland Region for rent affordability.
Rutland Town has
65 privately-owned units of subsidized family housing units, which is a
favorable number when compared with neighboring towns.
In the past two years there has been a
nationwide downturn in the real estate market.
Prices on homes are dropping in response to a widespread financial
“crisis”, including layoffs of workers, that is resulting in foreclosures on
homes mortgaged beyond the means of their owners. As the country grapples with this significant shift in the
housing market, the federal government passed the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 which provides certain first-time home buyers a grant
of up to $8,000.
Objectives
·
Support the development of affordable housing, in areas most suitable
in terms of housing need, environmental impact, employment opportunities,
public services, and transportation.
·
Encourage the retention of existing affordable housing, and encourage
the maintenance of aging housing units.
·
Assist public and private agencies involved in planning, financing, and
developing affordable housing.
·
Encourage investors to provide subsidized housing units.
· Promote a diversity of housing types and choice between rental and ownership in a variety of locations suitable for residential development and convenient to employment centers and shopping centers.
·
Encourage state action and relevant agencies to provide education about
housing concerns and the dissemination of information regarding housing
programs and funding sources.
Strategies
1. Rutland Town should preserve its existing housing stock. Given the high cost of replacing housing units, which are lost to demolition or conversion to some other use, it is important that the community encourage preservation of existing housing.
2. The town should allow the conversion of larger homes to multi-family housing if municipal sewer and water are available and as allowed by limits that control density.
3. The Planning Commission should explore the need for a set of housing and rental building codes that can be recommended to the Selectboard in order to protect the health and safety of Rutland Town residents.
4. The Town Administrator should be encouraged to provide easy access to information about affordable housing on the Town website. Include both educational material for the general public and information about housing resources available to those in need of affordable housing, or help purchasing a first home.
Introduction
Accessible, affordable, quality child care is integral to sound economic development planning and closely linked to the affordability of communities. Many families lead lives that require some type of child care outside the home. Recognizing this reality, child care is an important community need. Availability of child care can have direct positive effects on the growth and vitality of the community.
Rutland Town families should
have access to quality child care providers, to the extent practicable.
In 2009, there were 70 licensed child care
providers and registered child care homes in Rutland City and Rutland Town.
Rutland Town itself is home to 3 registered child care homes; as of January
2009, only one of those showed a vacancy. It is important to recognize that
while the Town’s resident population is relatively small, its role as a primary
employment center in the Region creates a much greater need for services such
as child care providers than other outlying communities. Information on each of
these providers can be found at www.brightfuturesinfo.org.
Objectives
Strategies
1. Town’s policies and ordinances should encourage
provision of child care services
2. Support programming by the Town’s school and
Recreation Department for kids during after school and summer time hours.
Introduction
Rutland
Town is a substantial force in the region’s economic health and vitality. Rutland Town is home to a major industrial
park, bustling commercial/retail activity, and numerous professional service
jobs, government operations and home-based businesses.
To
increase the economic vitality of the Town including new business development
that is balanced with environmental concerns and the provision of public
safety.
There are five businesses in the region employing
over 500 workers.[13]
These establishments represent the manufacturing, healthcare, utilities and
recreation industries. General Electric
and CVPS, which have facilities in Rutland Town, are among these top regional
employers.
Rutland
Town has a good mix of industrial and commercial development representing a
diversity of business types. The town
also has land and buildings available that could provide additional room to
grow. These companies provide jobs to
local town residents and people from the surrounding region. According to the 2000 Census, the majority
of Rutland Town’s workforce have jobs very close to home with 33% working in
Rutland Town and 39% working in Rutland City.
Of the total number of Rutland Town residents in the workforce, 96% work
within Rutland County. This is higher
than countywide proportions where 87% of the workers living in the County also
work within the County.
In
2000, 95% of all jobs in Rutland Town were filled by people who lived within
Rutland County. 43% of the jobs in town
were filled by Town residents. 16% of
jobs in town were filled by Rutland City residents (5% by West Rutland
residents, 5% by Clarendon residents, 4% by Pittsford residents, lesser amounts
by all others).
Strengths
·
This part of Vermont is known for its hard work ethic. Rutland Town is no exception and the town’s
unemployment rate, perhaps for this reason, is very low. The average unemployment rate in 2007 was
2.1% in Rutland Town as compared to 4.2% in Rutland County.
·
Rutland Town public officials have demonstrated their commitment to
proactive economic development. They
maintain an informative website, express a pro-growth attitude, and provide
support to prospective developers during the Act 250 permitting process.
Weaknesses
·
Rutland Town has limited capacity to directly provide wastewater treatment
and water supply to its commercial and industrial areas. These services are provided through
contractual agreements with Rutland City.
This can cause some uncertainty for potential developers seeking
extension of lines or new levels of service.
It is also difficult for Rutland Town officials to control the fees.
·
Rutland Town is a “one acre” town due to its lack of zoning
regulations. This means that
commercial/industrial development on more than one acre is subject to the Act
250 permit process. This situation
removes most permitting decisions from local review and increases the
permitting burden on developers. In
2008, the Rutland Town Planning Commission proposed a Town Zoning Ordinance for
consideration by the Town Selectboard.
With Zoning, any substantial new commercial and industrial development
on parcels under 10 acres would be removed from the Act 250 permitting process,
and permitting decisions would be made locally. However, existing developments with an Act 250 permit on record
would remain under the jurisdiction of Act 250.
·
Transportation in this region, and within Rutland Town, is generally
adequate. As the primary method of
transport for goods and people, as well as emergency response, the road system
is weakened by its limited redundancy (alternative routes). Needed freight rail line improvements, lack
of an interstate highway, and limited and vulnerable road and bridges can
present challenges to the Rutland Region’s economic growth. However, Rutland Town’s commercial and
manufacturing sectors occupy some of the best available locations with respect
to transportation.
·
The population of Rutland County grew by only two percent between 1990 and
2000, a much slower rate than the State. This has an impact on available
workforce. The ability to find
qualified employees is constraining business growth across industry sectors.
Extensive interviews with the Region’s employers[14]
have revealed that the availability of a trained workforce is limiting job
growth. Skilled people, especially highly specialized professionals, set to
retire are not easily replaced by the existing, younger workforce. This has
resulted in some companies foregoing opportunities for expansion. In some
sectors, there has been a need to import workers from outside the Region,
including internationally.
·
There are a number of highly visible properties in Rutland Town which were
once in active commercial or industrial use that have fallen into disrepair, at
times leaving a less than favorable impression of the area to people, including
prospective developers.
Opportunities
·
Seventy-four percent of all private businesses in the county are small,
unincorporated businesses with owner operators and no employees. This region has a high rate of home based
businesses. From maple syrup producers to
magazine editors, Rutland Town is home to many entrepreneurs using the Internet
to conduct business and this sector has a vast potential for expansion.
·
The Rutland Region is located within less than one hour’s
drive from several small cities with strong economies that influence our area,
notably Ludlow, Middlebury, Manchester, and Woodstock. Burlington, VT and Albany, NY – both sizable
metropolitan areas – are within a couple of hours drive of this Region. Several
major metropolitan centers including New York City, Montreal, and Boston are
all within half-a-day driving distance.
·
An inter-municipal committee exists that provides an
opportunity for public officials from Rutland Town to communicate with public
officials in Rutland City about key agreements and other matters.
·
Stafford Technical Center has a flexible program design
that seeks to meet the needs of local businesses by tailoring the training
programs offered to students. It also
offers evening programs to adults seeking to increase their skills.
·
The area is home to four colleges: College of St Joseph,
Community College of Vermont, Castleton State College and Green Mountain
College. Vermont Technical College is
within commuting distance. These
schools are excellent assets offering programs that are responsive to community
needs.
·
Agriculture in the region is diversifying and changing,
bringing new enterprises and direct marketing opportunities through expanded
Farmers Markets and Community Supported Agriculture programs, as well as
increased sales of local foods through more traditional retail outlets. This focus on “local foods” is increasing
the economic viability of farms.
Threats
·
As telecommunications technology continues to develop and use becomes more
widespread, expectations are rising to the point that those without access to
the latest technologies, or with limited access such as dial-up Internet
services, are at-risk of being left behind.
·
A recent termination of a tax stabilization program in Rutland Town has
resulted in significant tax increases to large properties. This is threatening the loss of some
agricultural lands.
·
Numerous State regulations and legislative decisions have a direct impact
on the town’s economic future.
Objectives
Strategies
1. Identify community
growth areas suitable for locating new firms that reflect the Region’s value
and quality of life.
2. Seek resources to
upgrade infrastructure, including roads, bridges, rail network, water supply,
sewer, and telecommunications.
3. Identify and assist in
the redevelopment of vacant lots appropriate for infill development.
4. Encourage design of
commercial architecture in keeping with region’s unique character.
5. Identify opportunities
for inter-municipal collaboration.
6. Build agricultural viability
by assisting efforts to improve distribution networks and necessary
infrastructure.
7. Help to create a region
that attracts and retains young people and professional families.
8. Continue to insist on
governmental sensitivity to restrain and reduce increases in property taxation.
9. Continue to fight for a
drug-free community so as to protect the Town’s children.
10. Town officials should
maintain support for operations of the prime identified employers.
11. Establish a long-term
water and sewer contract with City with favorable fee structures.
12. Explore the development
of more localized water and sewer systems.
13. Recommend a review of
local business taxes to determine if a revision is appropriate in order to be
more supportive to new and existing businesses.
14. Form a Legislative
action group.
15. Begin discussion with
the City regarding creation of telecommunications infrastructure that will
improve connectivity at a level of service needed by businesses.
16. Support marketing
efforts by the Rutland Economic Development Corporation and the Rutland Region
Chamber of Commerce that represent the assets of Rutland City and Rutland Town
as a package.
17.
Adopt Zoning for the Town so that more permitting decisions are made
locally.
The purpose of the following land use districts is to provide for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and resource conservation areas to serve the Town of Rutland and the Rutland Region. In various districts, a choice of housing, employment, shopping, educational, recreational, and cultural opportunities should be provided, with support from economical and high quality governmental and public utility facilities and services.
The districts were derived from the combination of the following:
(1) Existing land use patterns.
(2) The goals and objectives for accommodating future growth, and;
(3) The suitability of the Town for various prospective land uses:
The Land Use Districts are shown on the Land Use Map entitled Town of Rutland, Vermont Future Land Use Map which is incorporated by reference as a part of this Plan.
(SEE FUTURE LAND USE MAP)
NOTE: Uses and minimum lots sizes listed in the following
districts are recommendations and are strongly encouraged to be followed. At
the local level, implementation of use and lot size requirements would take
place through a zoning regulation.
R40A - Neighborhood Residential - Minimum lot size: 40,000 square feet.
Description: Areas of existing settlement within the town, selected adjacent areas, and areas suitable for modest density residential development.
Some areas within the R40A district have poor suitability for development based on physical factors such as soils or slope. However, the lack of physical suitability in these areas can be offset by their suitability based on location as well as social, or economic factors.
Purpose: To maintain the traditional social and physical character of these areas.
Permitted uses: May include but are not limited to single and two-family dwellings, accessory facilities, home occupations, churches, and agriculture.
R40B - Planned Residential - Minimum lot size: 40,000 square feet where water and sewer service not provided; 20,000 square feet where water and sewer service provided.
Description: Lands which are suitable for intensive development because of their suitability for on-site sewage disposal and/or the presence of municipal sewer systems.
Purpose: To provide for higher density residential development in areas that are suitable for such development due to the capability of the land or the presence of public sewer facilities. Residential development occurring in this district should provide for a variety of dwelling types and, through the use of clustering techniques and their associated higher density, allow for reduced construction costs, conservation of open space and prime agricultural soils, and buffering between lower and higher density development.
Permitted uses: Same permitted uses as allowed in R40A District, plus multi-family dwellings containing up to four (4) units, open space, and residential clustering.
Clustering: Residential development may be clustered according to the following provisions:
Open Space Requirement. Residential development may be clustered provided that at least one half of a parcel is designated as open space; the remaining portion is considered the parcel's developable area.
Development
Density. Up to three single-family
residential structures per acre of developable area may be constructed.
Maximum Number of Units per Structure. The maximum number of residential units per structure is four.
Minimum Development Size. The minimum size of a clustered residential development is 80,000 square feet.
R40C - Residential/Commercial - Minimum lot size: 40,000 square feet
Description: Areas with commercial activity compatible with residential uses and having capability for future sewer services;
Purpose: To allow for a mixture of light commercial, single-family and duplex residential, and agricultural uses.
Permitted uses: Agriculture, single and two-family residential, recreation, light commercial.
AH - Affordable Housing - Minimum lot size: 20,000 square feet where sewer services provided; 40,000 square feet where sewer services not provided; higher densities allowed where units are clustered.
Description: Developed and undeveloped land located in relatively close proximity to sewer service and transportation with potential for affordable housing development.
Purpose: To accommodate residential development at densities high enough to allow affordable per unit costs.
Permitted Uses: Single family and two family dwelling, multi-family dwellings, home occupations, residence-related recreation and accessory facilities.
Clustering: Up to6 single family residential units per acre may be constructed, provided half of the entire parcel of land is not developed. A residential unit is defined as the dwelling space occupied by one family.
AGR40 - Agricultural - Minimum lot size: 40,000 square feet per I 0 acres (example: one 40 acre parcel could support four 40,000 sq. ft. dwelling lots)
Description: Areas that are presently being farmed or are prime farmlands with potential to be farmed.
Purpose: To protect existing farms from development and to maintain prime farmland for future farming purposes.
Permitted uses: May include but are not limited to agriculture, residential (limited as shown in minimum lot size), recreation, open space.
RR10 - Rural Residential - Minimum lot size: 10 acres.
Description: Areas which are presently wooded or open and have rural character that should be conserved through large lot development.
Purpose: To provide for residential and other compatible uses at densities of one unit per ten (1 0) acres. Open space preservation and other techniques for preserving the rural character of these areas are encouraged.
Permitted Uses: Single family and two family residences at a density of one unit per ten (10) acres. Neighborhood, noncommercial public and private recreation should be allowed on a conditional basis contingent upon favorable size conditions.
CNS - Conservation - Minimum lot size: 25 acres for single-family residential.
Description: Special forest and/or open lands which are of particular ecological or aesthetic importance. Includes public watersheds as well as certain lands that are not well suited for residential or commercial development because of topography, soil composition, or wetlands.
Purpose: To preserve certain forest and open lands in a relatively undeveloped state and/or to protect public watersheds, wetlands, and water supplies.
Permitted uses: Forestry, including accessory buildings, and single-family residential with a minimum 25 acres per dwelling unit and residentially related outbuildings.
C - Commercial - minimum lot size: 40,000 square feet where sewer service provided; 80,000 square feet where sewer services not provided.
Description: Land located on arterials that are suitable for commercial clusters that could serve as part of the regional retail center.
Purpose: To cluster and consolidate a variety of retail and other commercial services in suitable locations to meet the needs of local and regional residents. The character of the area should be protected and enhanced with the provision of landscaping and screening. The scale of development in this district should be compatible with adjacent commercial and residential structures. Residential development may be permitted but is strongly discouraged.
Permitted uses: Retail/service shops, restaurants, banks, offices, wholesalers, craft production, commercial centers, residential, recreational.
IC - Industrial/Commercial- Minimum lot size: 40,000 square feet with sewer service, 80,000-sq. ft. without sewer service.
Description: Existing industrial and commercial developments that have favorable site conditions, are serviced by public sewer and have access to arterial highways and/or rail facilities.
Purpose: To accommodate the expanding retail and industrial sectors of the town. Provides for employment opportunities in manufacturing, warehousing, research and development, and commercial uses which specifically serve the industries or their employees in areas serviced by good transportation facilities and public utilities.
Permitted uses: Industrial and commercial uses including light manufacturing and distribution of goods and materials.
Utility - Minimum lot size: 40,000 square feet.
Description: Developed and undeveloped land owned by electric utilities.
Purpose: To accommodate the town's utility based uses and facilities.
Permitted Uses - Utility related garages, workshops, offices, warehouses, and meeting areas.
Municipal/Government - Minimum lot size: 40,000 square feet.
Description: Lands currently used or planned to be used, for municipal and governmental purposes, including schools, town offices, fire stations, police headquarters, recreation facilities, landfills, salt storage facilities, highway maintenance garages, and cemeteries.
Purpose: To accommodate essential public facilities and services.
Permitted Uses: Municipal and governmental uses.
EXISTING BARNS AND FARM SHEDS
Due to their potential for beneficial commercial and residential uses, barns and farm sheds existing as of December 23, 1993 may earn exemption from district permitted use requirements. Specifically, such barns and sheds may be converted to light commercial or high density residential uses when it can be demonstrated that the proposed use will be compatible with, and not have a significant negative impact on, surrounding uses.
This Plan is broadly compatible with the
plans and development trends of its bordering communities and of the Rutland
Region. Each of these plans is (or recently has been) regionally approved,
indicating that they all have been consistent with the State Planning Goals
outlined in 24 VSA Chapter 117.
Rutland town is a focal point for the
Region. It is located at the economic, transportation, and population center of
Rutland Region and has its largest watercourse running throughout. Policies set
by the Town of Rutland influence the entire Region.
The Town borders seven municipalities,
including Rutland City, which it surrounds, and touches one other. Land
development trends and plan policies relating to the borders of each of these
communities has impacts on all towns involved.
An analysis of the plans of neighboring
towns reveals several key trends and compatibilities:
·
Rutland Town encircles
the City of Rutland. Together, the two municipalities are home to the
largest concentration of homes, businesses, and services in the Rutland Region.
The Plan for Rutland City calls for “gateway” commercial districts at its
borders with Rutland Town on Routes 7, 4, and Business 4, along with a primary
business area in its downtown core. Uses encouraged in these gateway districts
are compatible with those proposed in Rutland Town. The two communities are not
in full agreement regarding where economic development should be focused. Both,
however, promote prosperity, ease of transportation mobility, and sensitivity
to natural resources. The two communities have worked well together to resolve
key issues such as Route 4 & 7 upgrades, and should use this a model for
future joint efforts.
·
Clarendon shares Rutland Town’s southern border and road
connections along US Route 7 and Creek Road. The two plans promote differing
land use policies in the immediate area of Route 7; while Rutland Town proposes
industrial and commercial uses, Clarendon proposes Residential and commercial
activities. East and west of the Route 7 corridor, proposed uses are closely
related. As development pressure along the Route 7 corridor continues, a joint
meeting of the two communities’ planning commission could help identify
different perspectives and potential common goals.
·
West Rutland borders Rutland Town at its southwestern edge. The two
communities share the Business Route 4 corridor and agricultural and
residential lands. Both communities’ plans encourage commercial development in
the vicinity of Business Route 4. The two towns should coordinate efforts to
encourage business development and traffic safety, and to explore opportunities
for improved bicycle and pedestrian amenities.
·
Proctor borders Rutland Town at its northwestern edge and
shares VT Route 3. The border area also includes the greatest concentration of
undeveloped land in Rutland Town, stretching from Pine Hill Park in Rutland
City to near the edge of Proctor’s village. Proctor’s plan calls for forested
areas in the highlands and agriculture along Route 3.
·
Pittsford shares Rutland town’s northern border and the US
Route 7 corridor. The area is primarily agricultural and rural residential in
both communities, but is slowly converting towards greater concentrations of
commercial and residential uses. Both towns will need to pay special attention
to balancing their goals of promoting affordable housing, businesses, and
agricultural activities. Evidence of multiple wildlife roadkills in the
vicinity of Route 7 also suggests a need to be cautious about future
development in this area.
·
Chittenden and Rutland Town share a small border in the Town’s
northeast corner. The area has been popular for residential development in
recent years. The Town of Chittenden does not have a plan in place, though it
is actively working on one.
·
Mendon forms Rutland Town’s eastern border; the two share
the US 4 corridor and a large stretch of watershed leading from the Green
Mountains into the Otter Creek. The two also share Town Line road, whose
eastern side is in Mendon and western side is in Rutland Town. The two will
need to coordinate efforts in this area to ensure compatibility. The Route 4
area is designated for commercial activity in both communities, with Mendon
slowly developing a village area near the Rutland Town border. Two impaired
waterways, the Moon and Mussey Brooks, cross through Mendon and in to Rutland
Town.
·
The Town of Rutland
shares a point with Shrewsbury, but no land area.
·
Rutland Town is located
in the center of the Rutland Region. The Rutland Regional
Plan, last adopted in April of 2008,
calls for “High Density Development” through much of the southern half of
Rutland Town, and for “Medium Density Development” in the northern half of the
Town.
Policies associated with
these districts state:
o
“Development in medium
density areas should serve to reinforce neighborhood-scale town centers and
villages and make efficient use of limited infrastructure and space. Where
medium density activities already exist outside these centers, future growth
and development should seek to create more efficient use of land and
infrastructure”
o
“Development in high density areas, including
downtowns, sub-regional centers, and industrial / business parks should be
concentrated to make efficient use of the Region’s most concentrated
infrastructure”.
[1] US Census Bureau, SF 1, 2000
[2] US Census Bureau Estimates, 2007
[3] US Census Bureau, SF 3 2000
[5] Source: Energy Information Administration. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=VT visited 5-3-2007
[6] US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Vermont 50 m Wind Power, http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/maps_template.asp?stateab=vt visited 5-3-2007
[7] Source: Rutland Regional Planning Commission, using GIS analysis of prime and statewide agricultural soils overlain by Vermont E-911 data points.
[8] Source: Rutland Regional Planning Commission, using GIS analysis of prime and statewide agricultural soils overlain by Vermont E-911 data points.
[9] VT DEC/Water Quality Division, Wetland Regulation
[10] “Vermont Housing Data Profiles” at www.housingdata.org, accessed March 4, 2009.
[11] Rutland County Housing Needs Assessment, January 2005. Completed by John Ryan, Development Cycles. For the purposes of this study, Rutland town was considered alongside communities of similar population: Brandon, Pittsford, West Rutland, Castleton, Fair Haven, Poultney, Clarendon, and Wallingford.
[12] “Vermont Housing Data Profiles” at www.housingdata.org, accessed March 4, 2009.
[13] Rutland Economic Development Corporation, www.rutlandeconomy.com, accessed February 27, 2009.
[14] Conducted by the Rutland Region Workforce Investment Board in 2005.