Title 24, Title 24: Municipal and County Government

§ 4304. Planning and land use manual (a) The Commissioner of Housing and Community Development shall prepare, maintain, and distribute from time to time to all municipalities a manual setting forth: (1) a copy of this chapter, together with all amendments thereof; (2) examples of…

§ 4306. Municipal and Regional Planning and Resilience Fund (a)(1) The Municipal and Regional Planning and Resilience Fund for the purpose of assisting municipal and regional planning commissions to carry out the intent of this chapter is hereby created in the State Treasury. (2)…

§ 4307. Municipal Bylaw Modernization Grants (a) There are created Municipal Bylaw Modernization Grants to assist municipalities in updating their land use and development bylaws. Bylaws updated under this section shall increase housing choice, affordability, and opportunity in a…

§ 4321. Creation of planning commissions (a) A planning commission may be created at any time by the act of the legislative body of a municipality. (b) In any urban municipality, the legislative body may create a planning department headed by a planning director as a substitute f…

§ 4322. Planning commission; membership (a) A planning commission shall have not less than three nor more than nine voting members. All members may be compensated and reimbursed by the municipality for necessary and reasonable expenses. At least a majority of the members of a pla…

§ 4323. Appointment, term, and vacancy; rules (a) Members of a planning commission shall be appointed and any vacancy filled by the legislative body of a municipality. The length of the term of planning commission members shall be determined by the legislative body of a municipal…

§ 4324. Existing commissions The members of any existing planning commission or body having similar powers and functions established under former laws shall continue in office until the end of their term as so established. New members shall be appointed and vacancies filled only …

§ 4325. Powers and duties of planning commissions Any planning commission created under this chapter may: (1) Prepare a plan and amendments thereof for consideration by the legislative body and to review any amendments thereof initiated by others as set forth in subchapter 5 of t…

§ 4326. Appropriations, reports, and records Every municipality may appropriate to and expend funds for its planning commission. The planning commission shall keep a record of its business and shall make an annual report to the municipality. A planning commission may accept and u…

§ 4327. Joint planning commissions (a) Any planning commission of a municipality which is a town having one or more municipalities contained within its area or which is one of such contained municipalities shall, upon the act of the legislative body of each municipality, be the p…

§ 4328. Terms of office inconsistent with charter provisions When a charter of a municipality exists having terms respecting the appointment and authority of municipal officials, relating to their activities under this chapter, which terms are inconsistent with this chapter, thos…

§ 4341. Creation of regional planning commissions (a) A regional planning commission may be created at any time by the act of the voters or the legislative body of each of a number of contiguous municipalities, upon the written approval of the Agency of Commerce and Community Dev…

§ 4341a. Performance grants for regional planning service (a) The Secretary of Commerce and Community Development shall negotiate and issue performance grants to regional planning commissions, or to regional planning commissions and regional development corporations in the case o…

§ 4342. Regional planning commissions; membership A regional planning commission shall contain at least one representative appointed from each member municipality. All representatives may be compensated and reimbursed by their respective municipalities for necessary and reasonabl…

§ 4343. Appointment, term, and vacancy; rules (a) Representatives to a regional planning commission representing each participating municipality shall be appointed for a term and any vacancy filled by the legislative body of such municipality in the manner provided and for the te…

§ 4345. Optional powers and duties of regional planning commissions Any regional planning commission created under this chapter may: (1) Develop an inventory of the region’s fire and safety facilities; hospitals, rest homes, or other facilities for aging or disabled persons; corr…

§ 4345a. Duties of regional planning commissions A regional planning commission created under this chapter shall: (1) Promote the mutual cooperation of its municipalities and assist and advise municipalities, compacts, and authorities within the region to facilitate economic deve…

§ 4345b. Intermunicipal service agreements (a)(1) Prior to exercising the authority granted under this section, a regional planning commission shall: (A) draft bylaws specifying the process for entering into, method of withdrawal from, and method of terminating service agreements…

§ 4346. Appropriations Regional planning commissions may apply for, receive, and expend monies from any source, public or private, including grants, loans, and funds made available by the participating municipalities, and by an agency or department of the State of Vermont, out of…

§ 4347. Purposes of regional plan A regional plan shall be made with the general purpose of guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, efficient, equitable, and economic development of the region that will, in accordance with the present and future needs and resources, best promote…

§ 4348. Adoption and amendment of regional plan (a) A regional planning commission shall adopt a regional plan. Any plan for a region, and any amendment, shall be prepared by the regional planning commission. At the outset of the planning process and throughout the process, regio…

§ 4348a. Elements of a regional plan (a) A regional plan shall be consistent with the goals established in section 4302 of this title and shall include the following: (1) A statement of basic policies of the region to guide the future growth and development of land and of public …

§ 4348b. Readoption of regional plans (a) Unless they are readopted, all regional plans, including all prior amendments, shall expire every eight years. (b)(1) A regional plan that has expired or is about to expire may be readopted as provided under section 4348 of this title for…

§ 4349. Regional plan; adoption by municipality (a) If a regional planning commission prepares and adopts a regional plan, the regional plan or a portion thereof may then be adopted by the legislative body of any member municipality as its plan in accordance with subchapter 5 of …

§ 4350. Review and consultation regarding municipal planning effort (a) A regional planning commission shall consult with its municipalities with respect to the municipalities’ planning efforts, ascertaining the municipalities’ needs as individual municipalities and as neighbors …

§ 4351. Review by Commissioner of Housing and Community Development (a) The Commissioner of Housing and Community Development shall establish guidelines for the provision of affordable housing by municipalities with plans that have not been approved under this chapter. These guid…

§ 4352. Optional determination of energy compliance; enhanced energy planning (a) Regional plan. A regional planning commission may submit its adopted regional plan to the Commissioner of Public Service appointed under 30 V.S.A. § 1 for a determination of energy compliance. The C…

§ 4362. Appropriations (a) For the purposes outlined in subdivisions 4345(6) and (12) of this title, regional planning commissions may receive and expend monies from any source, including the participating municipalities and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, out o…

§ 4381. Authorization Any municipality may undertake a comprehensive planning program, including related preliminary planning and engineering studies, and prepare, maintain, and implement a plan within its jurisdiction in accordance with this chapter. (Added 1967, No. 334 (Adj. S…

§ 4382. The plan for a municipality (a) A plan for a municipality shall be consistent with the goals established in section 4302 of this title and compatible with approved plans of other municipalities in the region and with the regional plan and shall include the following: (1) …

§ 4384. Preparation of plan; hearings by planning commission (a) A municipality may have a plan. Any plan for a municipality shall be prepared by the planning commission of that municipality. At the outset of the planning process and throughout the process, planning commissions s…

§ 4385. Adoption and amendment of plans; hearing by legislative body (a) Not less than 30 nor more than 120 days after a proposed plan or amendment is submitted to the legislative body of a municipality under section 4384 of this title, the legislative body of a municipality with…

§ 4387. Readoption of plans (a) All plans, including all prior amendments, shall expire every eight years unless they are readopted according to the procedures in section 4385 of this title. (b)(1) A municipality may readopt any plan that has expired or is about to expire. Prior …

§ 4401. Purpose and authority Any municipality that has adopted and has in effect a plan and has created a planning commission under this chapter may implement the plan by adopting, amending, and enforcing any or all of the regulatory and nonregulatory tools provided for in this …

§ 4402. Bylaws and regulatory implementation tools authorized A municipality may adopt regulatory tools, including the following specific regulatory tools which are more fully described in subchapter 7 of this chapter: (1) Zoning bylaws. (2) Site plan bylaws. (3) Subdivision byla…

§ 4403. Nonregulatory implementation tools A municipality may utilize the following tools, and other tools not specifically listed, in conformance with the municipal plan and for the purposes established in section 4302 of this title, alone or in conjunction with regulatory tools…

§ 4404. State designation; implementation of municipal plan A municipality, to implement its municipal plan, may apply for State designation of an existing or planned municipal growth center, downtown, village center, new town center, or neighborhood development area as necessary…

§ 4410. Regulatory implementation of the municipal plan A municipality that has adopted a plan through its bylaws may define and regulate land development in any manner that the municipality establishes in its bylaws, provided those bylaws are in conformance with the plan and are…

§ 4411. Zoning bylaws (a) A municipality may regulate land development in conformance with its adopted municipal plan and for the purposes set forth in section 4302 of this title to govern the use of land and the placement, spacing, and size of structures and other factors specif…

§ 4412. Required provisions and prohibited effects Notwithstanding any existing bylaw, the following land development provisions shall apply in every municipality: (1) Equal treatment of housing and required provisions for affordable housing. (A) No bylaw nor its application by a…

§ 4413. Limitations on municipal bylaws (a)(1) The following uses may be regulated only with respect to location, size, height, building bulk, yards, courts, setbacks, density of buildings, off-street parking, loading facilities, traffic, noise, lighting, landscaping, and screeni…

§ 4414. Zoning; permissible types of regulations Any of the following types of regulations may be adopted by a municipality in its bylaws in conformance with the plan and for the purposes established in section 4302 of this title. (1) Zoning districts. A municipality may define d…

§ 4414a. Cannabis cultivation district A municipality, after consultation with the municipal cannabis control commission, if one exists, may adopt a bylaw identifying cannabis cultivation districts where the outdoor cultivation of cannabis is preferred within the municipality. Cu…

§ 4415. Interim bylaws (a) If a municipality is conducting or has taken action to conduct studies, or has held or is holding a hearing for the purpose of considering a bylaw, a comprehensive plan, or an amendment, extension, or addition to a bylaw or plan, the legislative body ma…

§ 4416. Site plan review (a) As prerequisite to the approval of any use other than one- and two-family dwellings, the approval of site plans by the appropriate municipal panel may be required, under procedures set forth in subchapter 10 of this chapter. In reviewing site plans, t…

§ 4417. Planned unit development (a) Any municipality adopting a bylaw should provide for planned unit developments to permit flexibility in the application of land development regulations for the purposes of section 4302 of this title and in conformance with the municipal plan. …