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| Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission | |
|---|---|
| Name | Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission |
| Formed | 1966 |
| Type | Regional council |
| Headquarters | Montpelier, Vermont |
| Region served | Washington County, parts of Orange County, parts of Lamoille County |
| Membership | 22 municipalities |
Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission is a regional council serving central Vermont, coordinating land use, transportation, environmental, and emergency planning among municipalities. It functions as a forum linking Montpelier, Vermont, Barre, Vermont, Berlin, Vermont, Northfield, Vermont, and neighboring towns with state agencies such as the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. The commission integrates federal programs administered by the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and United States Environmental Protection Agency with local priorities.
The commission operates as a regional planning entity similar to other councils like the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission and the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, providing comprehensive planning, mapping, and grant administration. It produces regional plans that intersect with statutes including the Vermont Regional Planning and Development Act and interfaces with the Vermont Legislature and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. Key functions include coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, collaboration on Vermont State Police disaster resilience strategies, and technical assistance for United States Department of Housing and Urban Development-funded programs.
Organized during the 1960s regionalization movement influenced by federal initiatives like the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 and the development of Interstate 89 in Vermont, the commission grew out of municipal efforts in Washington County, Vermont to coordinate infrastructure and natural resource management. Early involvement with the Civil Defense Act and subsequent engagement with FEMA post-Hurricane Irene (2011) shaped its emergency planning capacities. The commission’s evolution reflects broader regional planning trends evident in the histories of the Addison County Regional Planning Commission and the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.
Governance is vested in a board of commissioners drawn from member towns such as Montpelier, Vermont and Barre, Vermont, with technical staff led by an executive director collaborating with planning staff, transportation specialists, and natural resource planners. The commission liaises with state entities including the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and the Vermont Agency of Transportation, and federal partners like EPA Region 1 and the Federal Highway Administration. It attends forums hosted by organizations such as the Vermont Planners Association and coordinates with regional bodies like the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce and academic partners including University of Vermont and Vermont Law and Graduate School.
Programs span transportation planning aligned with Federal Highway Administration requirements, hazard mitigation in cooperation with FEMA, and land use planning consistent with the Vermont Planning and Development Act. The commission prepares regional plans, participates in Metropolitan Planning Organization-style transportation studies, and supports energy planning linked to initiatives by the Vermont Public Utility Commission and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. It provides technical assistance for wastewater and stormwater projects connected to Clean Water Act goals and works with agencies like the United States Department of Agriculture on rural development initiatives.
The commission’s jurisdiction covers municipalities in central Vermont including Montpelier, Vermont, Barre, Vermont, Berlin, Vermont, Plainfield, Vermont, Northfield, Vermont, Woodbury, Vermont, and others in Washington County, Vermont and adjacent portions of Orange County, Vermont and Lamoille County, Vermont. Member towns appoint commissioners and coordinate municipal plans with the commission’s regional plan to align with state plans produced by the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.
Notable initiatives include downtown revitalization projects comparable to efforts in Brattleboro, Vermont and Middlebury, Vermont, Complete Streets planning similar to programs in Burlington, Vermont, and floodplain resilience projects following lessons from Hurricane Irene (2011). The commission has administered grants and technical studies for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, public transit coordination akin to systems served by Green Mountain Transit, and brownfields assessment parallel to programs run by Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. It has worked on regional energy projects resonant with Vermont Energy Investment Corporation goals and supported agricultural landscape protection like conservation efforts by the Vermont Land Trust.
Funding streams include federal grant programs from agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration, FEMA, and EPA, state grants from the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Agency of Natural Resources, and local dues from member municipalities. Partnerships extend to regional non-profits like the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce, academic collaborators such as the University of Vermont, and intergovernmental coordination with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. The commission administers projects in concert with foundations and federal programs modeled on efforts by entities such as HUD and the USDA Rural Development.
Category:Regional planning commissions in Vermont