Community Development

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts are a tool for municipalities to finance public infrastructure spending and spur downtown property redevelopment. Though the Vermont TIF program has undergone many statutory changes, it has been available and successful for many years.

The following list provides links to data and information useful in creating community assessments for municipal plans. 

General 

Bethel Better Block: Creating a Livable and Vibrant Downtown
Find out how a two-day long experimental transformation in Bethel’s downtown brought the community together to develop creative solutions to address vacant store fronts, pedestrian safety and noise.

Vermont Recreation and Parks Association Annual Conference – October 10-11, 2018

Preservation Trust of Vermont Retreat on Arts and Cultural Heritage – October 15-16, 2018

VLCT Fall Planning and Zoning Forum – October 17, 2018

Strong communities are built and maintained through partnerships. Partners share responsibilities, bring resources to the table and contribute to better outcomes.  The partners listed below represent key interests likely to be involved in any community development effort and can help you or your community in your land use planning and community development efforts.

All State statutes can be found online. Direct links to key planning-related statutes are provided below.

Planning Statutes and Rules
State statutes outline how municipalities can govern land use.  In addition to Chapter 117, the Planning and Development Act, a number of other, sometimes hard-to-find statutes, are listed.

Planning Publications
Department publications, data and historical planning documents to support land use planning in Vermont.

Municipalities and the developer of the qualified project may jointly apply to the Downtown Board for a reallocation of sales taxes on construction materials. Qualified projects must be located within a designated downtown district and may be eligible for a reallocation of sales taxes on construction materials.