Source: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legdoc.cfm?URL=/docs/2006/bills/passed/S-142.HTM
Timestamp: 2018-06-22 17:15:50
Document Index: 366719370

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 6085', '§ 6086', '§ 6086', '§ 6086', '§ 6086', '§ 2793', '§ 2793', '§ 610', '§ 2793', '§ 2793', '§ 6093', '§ 6093', '§ 2791', '§ 5930']

(d) The general assembly finds that Vermont’s communities face challenges as they seek to accommodate growth and development while supporting the economic vitality of the state’s downtowns, village centers, and new town centers and maintaining the rural character and working landscape of the surrounding countryside. While it is the intention of the general assembly to give the highest priority to facilitating development and growth in downtowns and village centers whenever feasible, when that is not feasible, the general assembly further finds that:
(ii) An area of land that is in or adjacent to a designated downtown, village center, or new town center, with clearly defined boundaries that have been approved by one or more municipalities in their municipal plans to accommodate a majority of growth anticipated by the municipality or municipalities over a 20‑year period. Adjacent areas shall include those lands which are contiguous to the designated downtown, village center, or new town center. In situations where contiguity is precluded by natural or physical constraints to growth center development, adjacent areas may include lands lying close to and not widely separated from the majority of the lands within the designated growth center. Noncontiguous land included as part of a growth center must exhibit strong land use, economic, infrastructure, and transportation relationships to the designated downtown, village center, or new town center; be planned to function as a single, integrated growth center; and be essential to accommodate a majority of growth anticipated by the municipality or municipalities over a 20‑year period.
(vii) It is planned in accordance with the planning and development goals under section 4302 of this title, and to conform to smart growth principles.
(I) Reflects a settlement pattern that, at full build-out, is not characterized by:
(i) scattered development located outside of compact urban and village centers that is excessively land consumptive;
(ii) development that limits transportation options, especially for pedestrians;
(iii) the fragmentation of farm and forest land;
(iv) development that is not serviced by municipal infrastructure or that requires the extension of municipal infrastructure across undeveloped lands in a manner that would extend service to lands located outside compact village and urban centers;
(v) linear development along well-traveled roads and highways that lacks depth, as measured from the highway.
(14) “Important natural resources” means headwaters, streams, shorelines, floodways, rare and irreplaceable natural areas, necessary wildlife habitat, wetlands, endangered species, productive forest lands, and primary agricultural soils, all of which are as defined in 10 V.S.A. chapter 151.
(C) build-out analyses for potential growth centers to document whether the geographic area of proposed growth centers will accommodate a majority of the projected growth over a 20-year period in a manner that is consistent with the definition under subdivision 2791(12) of this title.
(A) that the applicant has a regionally confirmed planning process and an approved municipal plan, pursuant to section 4350 of this title;
(7) a build-out analysis and needs study that demonstrates that the growth center:
(A) is of an appropriate size sufficient to accommodate a majority of the projected population and development over a 20-year planning period in a manner that is consistent with the definition under subdivision 2791(12) of this title; and
(B) does not encompass an excessive area of land that would involve the unnecessary extension of infrastructure to service low-density development, or result in a scattered or low-density pattern of development at the conclusion of the 20 year planning period.
(B) that the proposed growth center growth cannot reasonably be achieved within an existing designated downtown, village center, or new town center located within the applicant municipality.
(1) Within 90 days of the receipt of a completed application, after providing notice as required in the case of a proposed municipal plan or amendment under subsection 4384(e) of this title, and after providing an opportunity for the public to be heard, the state board formally shall designate a growth center if the state board finds, in a written decision:
(B) that the applicant has identified important natural resources and historic resources within the proposed growth center and the anticipated impacts on those resources, and has proposed mitigation;
(D)(i) that the applicant has a regionally confirmed planning process and an approved municipal plan, pursuant to section 4350 of this title;
(iv) that the approved plan and the implementing bylaws further the goal of retaining a more rural character in the areas surrounding the growth center, to the extent that a more rural character exists, and provide reasonable protection for important natural resources and historic resources located outside the proposed growth center.
(F) that the growth center is of an appropriate size sufficient to accommodate a majority of the projected population and development over a 20-year planning period in a manner that is consistent with the definition under subdivision 2791(12) of this title, and that the growth center does not encompass an excessive area of land that would involve the unnecessary extension of infrastructure to service low-density development or result in a scattered or low-density pattern of development at the conclusion of the 20‑year planning period;
(2) The board, as a condition of growth center designation, may require certain regulatory changes prior to the effective date of designation. In addition, the growth center designation may be modified, suspended, or revoked if the applicant fails to achieve the required regulatory changes within a specified period of time. As an option, municipalities applying for growth center designation may make certain regulatory changes effective and contingent upon formal designation.
(3) Except as otherwise provided in this section, growth center designation shall extend for a period of 20 years. The state board shall review a growth center designation no less frequently than every five years, after providing notice as required in the case of a proposed municipal plan or amendment under subsection 4384(e) of this title, and after providing an opportunity for the public to be heard. For each applicant, the state board may adjust the schedule of review under this subsection so as to coincide with the review of the related and underlying designation of a downtown, village center, or new town center. If, at the time of the review, the state board determines that the growth center no longer meets the standards for designation established in this section, it may take any of the following actions:
(4) At any time a municipality shall be able to apply to the state board for amendment of a designated growth center or any related conditions or other matters, according to the procedures that apply in the case of an original application.
(2) The panel shall notify all landowners of land located within the proposed growth center, entities that would be accorded party status before a district commission under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(C) and (D), and all owners of land adjoining the proposed growth center of a hearing on the issue. The panel may fashion alternate and more efficient means of providing adequate notice to persons potentially affected under this subdivision. Persons notified may appear at the hearing and be heard, as may any other person who has a particularized interest protected by 10 V.S.A. chapter 151 that may be affected by the decision.
(3) The panel shall review the request in accordance with and shall issue findings of fact and conclusions of law under the applicable criteria of 10 V.S.A. § 6086(a) which are deemed to have been satisfied by the applicant’s submissions during the formal designation process, any additional submissions, as well as associated municipal plan policies, programs, and bylaws. Findings and conclusions of law shall be effective for a period of five years, unless otherwise provided. The panel, before issuing its findings and conclusions, may require specific changes in the proposal, or regulatory changes by the municipality, as a condition for certain findings and conclusions. These findings and conclusions shall be subject to appeal to the environmental court pursuant to 10 V.S.A. chapter 220 within 30 days of issuance.
(g) Review by district commission. In addition to its other powers, in making its determinations under 10 V.S.A. § 6086, a district commission may consider important resources within a proposed growth center that have been identified in the designation process and the anticipated impacts on those resources, and may require that reasonable mitigation be provided as an alternative to permit denial.
(A) A municipality may use tax increment financing for infrastructure and improvements in its designated growth center pursuant to the provisions of Title 24 and Title 32. A designated growth center under this section shall be presumed to have met any locational criteria established in Vermont statutes for tax increment financing. The state board may consider project criteria established under those statutes and, as appropriate, may make recommendations as to whether any of those project criteria have been met.
(B) Vermont economic development authority (VEDA) incentives shall be provided to designated growth centers.
(A) It is the intention of the general assembly to give the highest priority to facilitating development and growth in designated downtowns and village centers whenever feasible. The provisions in this section and elsewhere in law that provide and establish priorities for state assistance and funding for designated growth centers are not intended to take precedence over any other provisions of law that provide state assistance and funding for designated downtowns and village centers.
(A) With respect to state grants and other state funding, priority should be given to support infrastructure and other investments in public facilities located inside a designated growth center to consist of the following:
(i) Agency of natural resources funding of new, expanded, upgraded, or refurbished wastewater management facilities serving a growth center in accordance with the agency’s rules regarding priority for pollution abatement, pollution prevention, and the protection of public health and water quality.
(ii) Technical and financial assistance for brownfields remediation under the Vermont brownfields initiative.
(iv) Technical, financial, and other benefits made available by statute or rule.
(A) Master plan permit application. At any time while designation of a growth center is in effect, any person or persons who exercise ownership or control over an area encompassing all or part of the designated growth center or any municipality within which a growth center has been formally designated may apply for a master plan permit for that area or any portion of that area to the district commission pursuant to the rules of the land use panel. Municipalities making an application under this subdivision are not required to exercise ownership of or control over the affected property. The district commission shall be bound by any conclusions or findings of the land use panel, or any final adjudication of those findings and conclusions, pursuant to subsection (f) of this section but shall consider de novo any of the criteria of 10 V.S.A. § 6086(a) that were not subject to the final issuance of findings and conclusions by the land use panel pursuant to that subsection. In approving a master permit, the district commission may set forth specific conditions that an applicant for an individual project permit will be required to meet.
(B) Individual project permits within a designated growth center. The district commission shall review individual Act 250 permit applications in accordance with the specific findings of fact and conclusions of law issued by the land use panel under this section, if any, and in accordance with the conditions, findings, and conclusions of any applicable master plan permit. Any person proposing a development or subdivision within a designated growth center where no master plan permit is in effect shall be required to file an application with the district environmental commission for review under the criteria of 10 V.S.A. § 6086(a).
(A) Downtown, village center, and new town center, and growth center districts. The definition or purpose stated for local downtown, village center, or new town center, or growth center zoning districts should conform with the applicable definitions in section 2791 of this title. Municipalities may adopt downtown, village center, or new town center, or growth center districts without seeking state designation under section 2793 chapter 76A of this title. A municipality may adopt a manual of graphic or written design guidelines to assist applicants in the preparation of development applications. The following objectives should guide the establishment of boundaries, requirements, and review standards for these districts:
(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (3)(A) of this section, if a project consists exclusively of any combination of mixed income housing or mixed use and is located entirely within a growth center designated pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 2793c or within a downtown development district designated pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 2793, “development” means:
(15) “Primary agricultural soils” means soils which have a potential for growing food and forage crops, are sufficiently well drained to allow sowing and harvesting with mechanized equipment, are well supplied with plant nutrients or highly responsive to the use of fertilizer, and have soil map units with the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics that have a potential for growing food, feed, and forage crops, have sufficient moisture and drainage, plant nutrients or responsiveness to fertilizers, few limitations for cultivation or limitations which may be easily overcome. In order to qualify as primary agricultural soils, the, and an average slope of the land containing such soils that does not exceed 15 percent, and such land is. Present uses may be cropland, pasture, regenerating forests, forestland, or other agricultural or silvicultural uses. However, the soils must be of a size and location, relative to adjoining land uses, so that those soils will be capable, following removal of any identified limitations, of supporting or contributing to an economic or commercial agricultural operation. If a tract of land includes other than primary agricultural soils, only the primary agricultural soils shall be impacted by criteria relating specifically to such soils. Unless contradicted by the qualifications stated in this subdivision, primary agricultural soils shall include important farmland soils map units with a rating of prime, statewide, or local importance as defined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (N.R.C.S.) of the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.).
(29) “Affordable housing” means either of the following:
(A) Owner-occupied housing in which the owner’s Housing that is owned by its occupants whose gross annual household income does not exceed 80 percent of the county median household income, for which the annual housing costs, which include payment of or 80 percent of the standard metropolitan statistical area income if the municipality is located in such an area, as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the total annual cost of the housing, including principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, are and condominium association fees, is not more than 30 percent of the gross annual household income.
(B) Rental housing in which the renter’s Housing that is rented by the occupants whose gross annual household income does not exceed 80 percent of the county median household income, and for which the annual housing costs, which include or 80 percent of the standard metropolitan statistical area income if the municipality is located in such an area, as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the total annual cost of the housing, including rent and, utilities expenses, are and condominium association fees, is not more than 30 percent of the gross annual household income.
(9) Is in conformance with a duly adopted capability and development plan, and land use plan when adopted. However, the legislative findings of sections subdivisions 7(a)(1) through 7(a)(19) of this act shall not be used as criteria in the consideration of applications by a district commission.
(iii) except in the case of an application for a project located in a designated growth center, the subdivision or development has been planned to minimize the reduction of agricultural potential by providing for reasonable population densities, reasonable rates of growth, and the use of cluster planning and new community planning designed to economize on the cost of roads, utilities and land usage of the primary agricultural soils through innovative land use design resulting in compact development patterns, so that the remaining primary agricultural soils on the project tract are capable of supporting or contributing to an economic or commercial agricultural operation; and
(iii) except in the case of an application for a project located in a designated growth center, the subdivision or development has been planned to minimize the reduction of forestry and agricultural potential by providing for reasonable population densities, reasonable rates of growth, and the use of cluster planning and new community planning designed to economize on the cost of roads, utilities and land usage the potential of those productive forest soils through innovative land use design resulting in compact development patterns, so that the remaining forest soils on the project tract may contribute to a commercial forestry operation.
(ii) for residential construction that has a density of at least eight units of housing per acre, of which at least eight units per acre or at least 40 percent of the units, on average, in the entire development or subdivision, whichever is greater, meets the definition of affordable housing established in this chapter, no mitigation shall be required. However, all affordable housing units shall be subject to housing subsidy covenants, as defined in 27 V.S.A. § 610, that preserve their affordability for a period of 99 years or longer. For purposes of this section, housing that is rented shall be considered affordable housing when its inhabitants have a gross annual household income that does not exceed 60 percent of the county median income or 60 percent of the standard metropolitan statistical area income if the municipality is located in such an area.
(2) Project located outside designated growth center. If the project tract is not located in a designated growth center, mitigation shall be provided on site in order to preserve primary agricultural soils for present and future agricultural use, with special emphasis on preserving prime agricultural soils. Preservation of primary agricultural soils shall be accomplished through innovative land use design resulting in compact development patterns which will maintain a sufficient acreage of primary agricultural soils on the project tract capable of supporting or contributing to an economic or commercial agricultural operation and shall be enforceable by permit conditions issued by the district commission. The number of acres of primary agricultural soils to be preserved shall be derived by:
(B) multiplying the number of affected acres of primary agricultural soils by a factor based on the quality of those primary agricultural soils, and other factors as the secretary of agriculture, food and markets may deem relevant, including the soil’s location; accessibility; tract size; existing agricultural operations; water sources; drainage; slope; the presence of ledge or protected wetlands; the infrastructure of the existing farm or municipality in which the soils are located; and the N.R.C.S. rating system for Vermont soils. This factor shall result in a ratio of no less than 2:1, but no more than 3:1, protected acres to acres of impacted primary agricultural soils.
(A) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection pertaining to a development or subdivision on primary agricultural soils within a designated growth center, the district commission may, in appropriate circumstances, require onsite mitigation with special emphasis on preserving prime agricultural soils if that action is deemed consistent with the agricultural elements of local and regional plans and the goals of section 4302 of Title 24. In this situation, the approved plans must designate specific soils that shall be preserved inside growth centers. For projects located within a designated growth center, all factors used to calculate suitable mitigation acreage or fees, or some combination of these measures, shall be as specified in this subsection, subject to a ratio of 1:1.
(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection pertaining to a development or subdivision on primary agricultural soils outside a designated growth center, the district commission may, in appropriate circumstances, approve off‑site mitigation or some combination of onsite and off‑site mitigation if that action is deemed consistent with the agricultural elements of local and regional plans and the goals of section 4302 of Title 24. For projects located outside a designated growth center, all factors used to calculate suitable mitigation acreage or fees, or some combination of these measures, shall be as specified in this subsection, subject to a ratio of no less than 2:1, but no more than 3:1.
(A) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, a conversion of primary agricultural soils located in an industrial park as defined in subdivision 212(7) of this title and permitted under this chapter and in existence as of January 1, 2006, shall be allowed to pay a mitigation fee computed according to the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, except that it shall be entitled to a ratio of 1:1, protected acres to acres of affected primary agricultural soil. If an industrial park is developed to the fullest extent before any expansion, this ratio shall apply to any contiguous expansion of such an industrial park that totals no more than 25 percent of the area of the park or no more than 10 acres, whichever is larger; provided any expansion based on percentage does not exceed 50 acres. Any expansion larger than that described in this subdivision shall be subject to the mitigation provisions of this subsection at ratios that depend upon the location of the expansion.
(B) In any application to a district commission for expansion of an existing industrial park, compact development patterns shall be encouraged that assure the most efficient use of land and the realization of maximum economic development potential through appropriate densities.
Industrial park expansions and industrial park infill shall not be subject to requirements established in subdivision 6086(a)(9)(B)(iii) of this title, nor to requirements established in subdivision (9)(C)(iii).
Sec. 8a. Sec. 7 of No. 44 of the Acts of 1995, as amended by Sec. 1 of No. 14 of the Acts of 2001, is amended to read:
(3) Appeals from findings of fact and conclusions of law issued by the land use panel in its review of a designated growth center for conformance with the criteria of subsection 6086(a) of this title, pursuant to authority granted at 24 V.S.A. § 2793c(f).
(1) a state soils inventory to be developed by the agency of agriculture, food and markets working with the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Vermont center for geographic information. The soils inventory shall be produced in map form and shall include, in digitized form to the extent available, the location of prime and statewide agricultural soils in the state that remain undeveloped. The agency shall present the inventory to the committees on agriculture and on natural resources and energy of the general assembly;
(2) an analysis of options and recommendations with respect to how to treat the state’s remaining primary agricultural soils that are not developed, including recommendations as to how these soils can be put into productive use and how to give a higher priority to their conservation. These recommendations shall be developed by a six member working group consisting of the secretary of agriculture, food and markets, or the secretary’s designee, a representative of the Vermont housing and conservation board, and a member appointed by each of the following entities: the Vermont farm bureau, the Vermont land trust, the Vermont natural resources council, and the Vermont association of planning and development agencies. The secretary of agriculture, food and markets shall call the first meeting of the group, and the group shall elect a chair and vice chair. The working group shall consider such factors as soil type, availability of necessary infrastructure, proximity to local and regional markets, and how best to encourage the agricultural use of smaller parcels. The recommendations shall be made available to regional and municipal planning commissions;
(c) The working group specified in subdivision (b)(2) of this section shall, with a long term perspective for a range of growth and development scenarios, identify and evaluate options by which the state might best establish long range agricultural lands conservation goals and maximize public and private resources to achieve these goals. The group also shall develop recommendations on how to balance long term agricultural land conservation with local land use preferences and local development needs.
(d)(1) By January 15, 2007, the secretary of commerce and community affairs, the chair of the land use panel, and one or more representatives of the downtown board established in 24 V.S.A. chapter 76A shall report to the general assembly with a budget estimate of resources needed to implement this act.
(2) The secretary of agriculture, food and markets, the commissioner of education, the commissioner of taxes, and a representative of the Vermont housing and conservation board shall report to the general assembly by
January 15, 2007 on the effect of school construction on the loss of primary agricultural lands and on the financial effect of agricultural lands mitigation on school spending.
Following or concurrent with the filing of a “notice of intent” to file an application for growth center designation with the state board, a municipality with a proposed growth center identified in a regionally approved town plan may apply by June 1, 2008 to the planning and coordination group established under 24 V.S.A. § 2793c and seek approval for the designated growth center agricultural mitigation benefits as described in 10 V.S.A. § 6093. The planning and coordination group shall recommend to the expanded downtown development board (state board) that the benefits of 10 V.S.A. § 6093 be granted to the municipality if it determines that the growth center in question meets the definition set forth in 24 V.S.A. § 2791(12), and that the municipality certifies that it is actively engaged in a planning process leading to the filing of a complete application for growth center designation. The state board will review the information provided by the municipality and the recommendations of the planning and coordination group and shall award the benefit, if warranted. The temporary grant of the primary agricultural soils mitigation benefit shall not exceed 18 months. In its discretion, the downtown board may approve a reasonable extension of the grant of the primary agricultural soils mitigation benefit, provided that the municipality continues to make progress toward filing a complete application in accordance with the requirements of this section. This section shall be repealed on September 1, 2008.
(2) “Qualified project” means expansion or rehabilitation of contiguous real property that is or will be used at the completion of the expansion or rehabilitation as a structure in a downtown development district designated under chapter 76A of Title 24, but only to the extent that the expansion or rehabilitation becomes an integral component of the real property and the project does not seek qualification for either tax credit authorized under section 5930n or 5930p subsection 5930cc(a) or (b) of this title. “Qualified project” also means new construction of contiguous real property that will be used at the completion of the construction as a structure in a downtown development district designated under chapter 76A of Title 24 but only to the extent that the new construction is compatible with the buildings that contribute to the integrity of the district in terms of materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing of buildings.
(A) A state historic rehabilitation tax credit of ten percent under 32 V.S.A. § 5930cc(a) that meets the requirements for the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
(b) The tax credits created in Sec. 12 of this act are enacted to replace the tax credits in sections 5930n, 5930p, 5930q, and 5930r of Title 32. After June 30, 2006, the Vermont downtown development board established under chapter 76A of Title 24 may no longer allocate tax credits under the following sections of Title 32: