Регуляторы штата Вермонт посетили Рутленд для рассмотрения исключения из закона о землепользовании

Vermont regulators tour Rutland in bid for Act 250 housing exemption RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) - Members of Vermont’s Land Use Review Board took time Tuesday to ride through Rutland’s residential neighborhoods and take a stroll down the city’s TIF district to see why the Marble City could be a good fit for an exemption from Act 250, the state’s preeminent land use law. City leaders hope it can spur housing development but not leave it unchecked. Having that local control is only helped by prior investments into city resources. “Because it does take a lot of investment, so a lot of this is very basic infrastructure, like our wastewater treatment facility and our water treatment facility and so forth, things that people here invested in historically,” said Rutland Mayor Tom Donahue. He says they have the capacity to support more housing and more people, and that touring zoning districts and showing off the potential economic benefits is easier to understand firsthand. “Actually, coming to the community and doing a site visit, observing things and also to allow the community to participate in the process,” said the board’s Sarah Hadd. At a public meeting after the tour, board members laid out the next steps and guidelines they’ll use to determine if Rutland will be the first city in the state to qualify for the exemption. “Look at some of the areas that were important for the city to convey, areas where there’s growth and opportunity, challenges, and for us to learn how they’re tackling them,” Hadd said. “There’s a lot of boxes to check, but Rutland does check the boxes, so we’re very excited and optimistic about our opportunity,” Donahue said. The Land Use Review Board has 30 days to get its comments back to the city. Then the city can send its final application to the board. Copyright 2026 WCAX. All rights reserved.