Latest news with #Act250
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Public meeting to discuss VT's environmental protection rules this Thursday
ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Vermont's Act 250 has been credited for the state's flourishing green spaces and forests. But it's also been criticized as exacerbating the housing crisis by making it harder to build in Vermont's urban areas. On Thursday community members will have the chance to comment on what level of development should be able to proceed before requiring an environmental review. The state's Land Use Review Board (LURB) is asking for public input on what parts of the state should qualify as critical natural resource areas, and what projects can go ahead in these areas before requiring a special permit under Act 250. Vermont's Act 250 was passed all the way back in 1970, at a time when the state's population was growing more quickly than the national average. It directed towns in the state to consider environmental impacts before approving new developments. At times, environmental groups have criticized Act 250 for not going far enough to protect habitats from fragmentation due to development and climate change, and it has been amended several times. In one such amendment, the Vermont state legislature passed Act 181 last year, which reforms some of Act 250's requirements, allowing more exemptions in downtowns and village centers to expedite development, while allowing fewer in critical natural resource areas. Governor Phil Scott vetoed Act 181, saying it did not go far enough to resolve the state's housing shortage, but the legislature overrode his veto. VT Governor calls for action on housing legislation Governor Scott appointed the current five members of the Land Use Review Board earlier this year. Unlike its forerunner the Natural Resources Board, all of the LURB board members are professionals in the fields of land use, zoning law, and civil engineering. This meeting is a step in a longer process that will lead to further public engagement through January 2026 with an eye to the new land use and permit rules coming into effect at the end of next year. In addition to public input, the LURB is also working with a group of stakeholders, which include members of environmental organizations and business groups. The meeting will take place on Thursday, May 22, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at 111 West Street, Building 2, Essex Junction. Attendees can join either in person or remotely using Microsoft Teams, with information available on the meeting agenda. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
VT Governor calls for action on housing legislation
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Vermont Governor Phil Scott issued a statement Friday that criticized the state legislature for its slow progress on passing housing bills. He wrote, 'As the legislative session comes to a close, I'm concerned we have not done nearly enough on housing. With 41,000 more homes needed by 2030 (just to catch up) we cannot afford to kick the can down the road again.' The state legislature is currently considering Senate Bill 127 and House Bill 479. Both bills include measures meant to incentivize new construction, such as a $15,000 grant to build a house foundation in an existing empty lot. The two bills differ on some details and would need to be reconciled in order to be sent to the governor's desk; for example, H. 479 allows municipalities to impose a one percent tax on short-term rentals. Shopping for a home in Vermont? How to gain an edge in a sellers' market The governor released the statement shortly after the Vermont House held an all-house caucus on S. 127 Friday morning. According to the RE/MAX national housing report released last month, Burlington, which is Vermont's largest housing market, saw a 22% increase in median house prices year-over-year, the biggest increase out of any of the metro areas surveyed. Governor Scott has promoted options such as extending exemptions to Act 250, which allow for a quicker path to building new housing in areas already deemed to have sufficient infrastructure, and modifying the tax increment financing, or TIF program, so that smaller towns can make use of it to make improvements to an area and then pay back debt later. A proposal to expand it 'would help finance essential infrastructure, like water, sewer, and roads, to enable new housing,' according to Brett Long of the Vermont Department of Economic Development. To address housing crunch, UVM will build apartments for upperclassmen 'Vermonters across the state are impacted by a lack of housing options – from renters, to first time homebuyers, and retirees looking to downsize,' wrote Governor Scott. 'Last session, the Legislature passed 70 bills in three days, so I'm confident there is still time to pass a housing bill that actually helps Vermont, because without action, we will fall further behind.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opponents of Amazon distribution facility in Essex to rally ahead of development board meeting
The owners of an independent bookstore in Essex are asking residents opposed to an Amazon distribution center to rally Thursday ahead of a meeting of the town's development review board. The Board's review of the proposed 107,00-square-foot distribution center in the Saxon Hill Industrial Park began last month. But after a four-hour public hearing marked by near-unanimous opposition, board members opted not to put Amazon's plans to a vote. Tonight's Board meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. In a Facebook post Thursday morning, Michael DeSanto and Renee Reiner, owners of Phoenix Books Essex, said the rally will begin at 4:30 p.m. outside Essex Town Offices. At March's meeting of the Board, a spokesperson for the development appeared via Zoom to defend the proposal, saying Amazon is already a part of the community. 'We're already here, we already have customers, we already have businesses selling on amazon. com,' the spokesperson said. 'This is kind of the final piece of that plywood to make sure that we can deliver the best service.' Amazon is eyeing a roughly 23 acres of woodland and meadow, bordered by undeveloped land on three sides and a solar array to the south. The review board approved a 5-lot subdivision of the land, which was once mined for sand and used as a tree farm, on March 6. The developer's site plan for the facility calls for parking for 211 cars and 271 delivery vans, as well as spaces for five trailers and five box trucks. The warehouse will have 11 loading docks. Amazon delivery drivers are expected to make a total of 90 trips in and out in the morning and another 82 in the afternoon. The social media post noted that the site plan has not yet undergone an Act 250 review. But, DeSanto and Reiner said, the Board 'is unable to reject any proposal which passes all the regulations, regardless of who the end user happens to be.' 'We believe that Amazon will not give up without a fight,' they said. 'We intend to resist and disrupt that fight. DeSanto and Reiner say they will be handing out free copies of 'How to Resist Amazon and Why,' an e-zine by an independent bookstore owner who argues that Amazon's 'business model relies on preying on local businesses.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Scott pitches $9 billion budget to Vermont lawmakers
MONTPELIER, Vt (ABC22/FOX44) – Gov. Phil Scott laid out his fiscal plan to increase Vermont's housing stock, transform education and address growing concerns about crime in his annual budget address Tuesday. His $9 billion proposal to lawmakers in Montpelier highlighted housing, public safety, education and affordability, with a promise to forward bills to the General Assembly soon that will provide a blueprint for the governor's plans. Saying that taxpayers want long-term solutions to the state's problems, Scott said, 'Focusing on these issues is critical to improving our demographics, which – alongside making Vermont more affordable – has to be at the center of everything we do. 'This session won't be easy because we're expected to solve big problems. But if we stay focused and you put your community and the wellbeing of the entire state first, we will deliver the brighter future Vermonters asked for and deserve.' Here are some brief highlights of a few of the issues the governor addressed: HOUSING: 'The data tells us we need over 7,000 units just to keep our head above water. With the lack of supply, it's no surprise that a quarter of renters spend half their income on housing. Or that the median home price increased by 43% in just four years.' Scott has proposed: $37 million for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board for affordable housing; $4 million for the Vermont Housing Improvement Program's technical assistance programs; $3.3 million for the Housing Opportunity Program; $2 million to Agency of Human Services for emergency shelters; $2 million in base funding for Mobile Home Improvement and Repair; $30 million for the state's 'Hotel/Motel' program. 'But I want to be clear,' Scott said. 'This is funding, not fixing the problem. Scott is also proposing an expansion of the Act 250 carveouts, which granted exemptions to towns in order to encourage more housing starts. 'If this is truly a goal we all share, we must take more steps to legalize housing, so communities and families can thrive in all parts of our state.' CRIME 'We have all seen the headlines. There are far too many people with hundreds of law enforcement encounters, dozens of arrests and many active criminal court cases. Yet, they're still walking free.' The governor cited data that shows that 2024 was the third straight year that Vermont saw more than 20 homicides. He said that between 2018 and 2023, aggravated assaults increased by 40%; car, retail and identity thefts have each more than doubled; and reports of shoplifting increased by 40%. The governor said, 'I believe one solution is more accountability.' He is proposing to raise the age of criminal suspects prosecuted as adults, as well as making changes in how youthful offenders are handled in the system. He also proposed making it easier to revoke bail; limit the ability to reduce or suspend sentences; and provide more tools to hold repeat offenders accountable, including funding to expand a pilot for pre-trial supervision. 'These crimes impact our communities. They hurt our retailers and downtowns. And customers, residents and visitors are staying away.' EDUCATION Scott said he would commit $4 million to help the Agency of Education make the transition to a new education-funding system introduced last week. 'As you know, we are proposing a new approach to education funding,' he said. 'This starts with setting a base amount that will be distributed equally for all students, so that kids in Sudbury get the same quality as kids in Stowe.' The governor also said he would use $7.7 million from the General Fund to head off projected property tax increases next year. And he introduced a $13.5 million tax reduction package that would: Increase eligibility for our social security income tax exemption. Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for workers without dependents; Increase the eligibilty for the Child Tax Credit to age 6. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
