[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6345756,"mediaKeyId","2248602-e54034280f95a027c6fe676fb458a87f","parentId",2248602,"title","Bill introduced to create housing zoning board of appeals aimed at shortening disputes","audioSeconds",554,"startMs",2329805,"endMs",2884420,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2248602-e54034280f95a027c6fe676fb458a87f&start=2329&end=2884","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2248602-e54034280f95a027c6fe676fb458a87f/thumbnail_2329805.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6345756/Vermont/Bill-introduced-to-create-housing-zoning-board-of-appeals-aimed-at-shortening-disputes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345756-acf6b6887a2230ed2bbf6ed7d21d3ab1/orig.mp4?Expires=1776180869&Signature=XQdgoAT4nRhuGU8VRNcGYnpuPBJzDELjbVpdOyHkQT9DjPR4VJRrGIPfFRB43bAT0w8NSSzTtKyB7YXSYfpRpFXmX8DNCnNOjKa-0y2BBRXz1sk5BFLzFApB5O2EyzYnOzqPda1H1s09wfQAEpLoQy6HdD4iEd7r4GZJ0fdt1mM6VFV7Mk~TqsvMlFUrp6cIsv-7twOkA3D4oep3iSYdFHcbPOhqodH3J-ZgefUbttkE4N5ZkfsHWwT5~dqDwnSxxjsA7cpyAn0aT~AEcwYPbCVIRO3PYynQXk~zklL~qjql759bvEV7F1E~roHrFHaNuL2sIGuSH2kOiGD7xjjthQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-07T18:03:12Z","article","Representative Tom Stevens introduced H.42 to the General & Housing Committee on Feb. 7, proposing the creation of a housing board of appeals to adjudicate zoning disputes and speed resolution of appeals that currently can take years in the courts.

Stevens said the proposal is modeled on a New Hampshire process and would create a quasi‑judicial board to hear zoning appeals for housing projects with a statutory target timeline — he described \"a 6 month no more than 6 month process\" for adjudication under the New Hampshire approach. He cited a low‑income housing project in Putney that \"has been lingering for four or five years\" and said lengthy appeals can delay or increase the cost of housing development.

Why it matters: Proponents say an administrative appeals board could resolve zoning disputes more quickly and predictably, reducing costs and uncertainty for housing projects. Opponents (including some in the judiciary, as Stevens reported from prior testimony) object that the proposal could limit access to the traditional court system and that any change requires careful design to protect due process.

Details and concerns: Stevens acknowledged the bill is complex and that the judiciary testified last year with reservations, noting everyone should have \"their day in court.\" He said the proposed board would not necessarily eliminate access to the courts but would offer a more expeditious path for resolving disputes after local approvals. Stevens also said the board would be costly to create and administer and that the committee will need to negotiate provisions with interested parties.

Next steps: The committee treated H.42 as an introduction; Stevens said further testimony and negotiation will be required and that the bill did not advance out of committee last year due to complexity and differing stakeholder views. No vote was taken on Feb. 7.

Ending: Members asked clarifying questions about the scope of review (whether the board’s review would be de novo or on the record) and whether the environmental court would still have a role; Stevens said the proposal \"shies away from de novo\" review and that it would not necessarily replace the environmental court, but precise provisions will be addressed in hearings and drafting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House General - 2025-02-07 - 1PM","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Tom Stevens introduced H.42 on Feb. 7, a bill to create a quasi‑judicial housing board of appeals modeled on New Hampshire's process that proponents say would speed adjudication of zoning disputes and reduce multi‑year delays for housing projects.","taxTitle","General & Housing, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30954,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6345760,"Lawmakers introduce bill removing FEMA-map requirement from flood-disclosure law",422,1911220,2333650,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2248602-e54034280f95a027c6fe676fb458a87f&start=1911&end=2333","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2248602-e54034280f95a027c6fe676fb458a87f/thumbnail_1911220.jpg","/articles/6345760/Vermont/Lawmakers-introduce-bill-removing-FEMA-map-requirement-from-flood-disclosure-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345760-6aa8b6e49e779df18094cd1581e0a088/orig.mp4?Expires=1776180869&Signature=iI42S08gSRxDMttfOBI6KvHHuVBNCFf1CFLSkogEtu8O5cWk0~ASBltUJd09RHyS4e7Av48D66Dsb0k1MYZ5F0xYrnpagMO8oASJgim~tCABK-uYSleFr4TKVMDu8-PHYqxCxjyJms-XsUvOzela7NtD669ZhDRyueAmDH5M9NNDsv5TKcunNJ-XbIjyQqLxFplZPb6I7rv5wbaxEMBy8rFO-hsOyQ-NZVIiXGbqYVcfr6C4R3pQxBFEk2NagAubLRpjPUuwIpqKL4Z8Lw-63Xo7AG2nGaAx--aLun8lIm5s-rJsetYxeYylM4tMoIM20xUzqMqlB9C9tTpJS5KGbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Tom Stevens introduced H.106 to the General & Housing Committee on Feb. 7, saying the bill would amend last year’s flood-disclosure law to remove a requirement that sellers provide an official FEMA map showing whether a property sits in a flood zone.

Stevens said the change responds to a practical problem: \"not every town has a FEMA map. What do we do about that?\" He told the committee that the previous law had assumed FEMA maps would be available for towns statewide and that sellers could be placed in an unfair position if maps do not exist or are not current.

Why it matters: Supporters framed the bill as balancing buyer information with practical limits on seller obligations. Stevens said the original change aimed to make flood disclosure a legal requirement rather than a purely professional duty of realtors, and that the prior law’s mapping requirement could penalize sellers who lack access to an official map.

Details and stakeholders: Stevens said he worked with the Realtors Association in drafting the correction and that the bankers association and others have an interest in the issue. He noted there are multiple ways of mapping flood risk, FEMA’s map-updating process can be slow, and alternative mapping services exist that are not readily available to individual consumers.

Next steps: The committee treated H.106 as an introductory item; Stevens said the committee will take testimony at a later date and he will seek input from realtors, banks and other stakeholders. No vote was taken during the Feb. 7 meeting.

Ending: Committee members asked follow-up questions about statewide mapping efforts and whether enforcement or bank policies affect disclosure. Stevens said the proposed bill would remove the specific FEMA-map requirement but would preserve seller disclosure obligations under the statute.","Representative Tom Stevens introduced H.106 to the General & Housing Committee on Feb. 7. The bill would remove a requirement that sellers provide an official FEMA map showing whether a property sits in a flood zone, a change proponents say is needed because not every Vermont town has an up‑to‑date FEMA map.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6345764,"Vermont Futures Project urges 2% annual growth, sets workforce and housing targets",1785,63821,1849205,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2248602-e54034280f95a027c6fe676fb458a87f&start=63&end=1849","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2248602-e54034280f95a027c6fe676fb458a87f/thumbnail_63821.jpg","/articles/6345764/Vermont/Vermont-Futures-Project-urges-2-annual-growth-sets-workforce-and-housing-targets","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345764-860d9517ce2a0e8b60e72ca8009c21e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1776180869&Signature=hYmeNjSCT4RhAflJO4xH8kbB~UtHXfp2xUkzDhoObPaEFAJDg-9Z9qZ5rl5E4bGxE75Qz-DOhCEuy-tvT1rka7dWt7eG3g2kFoYVWMbA9eKUwdTOj~ZdPBakF9AY5psiZLPyIry-mcMznZZMPjjcQ0F9Z9PPcZpH7tuYFmWjOrc27clHl0Frt0vKF1dpapN~nzVk1cLvUblVo9HOLiqTcG~GGvEr1zg3BEYM396tbTojPwWqPOTKlC93HR3tviXngnrEAOPmyl8uB6Aoz0Ppz6QZnZOGtCjTKsSkokGzYTy2d1MEKorEKVX4L045rgWp~8zV54RlBQEchMY6cwCBMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kevin Chiu, executive director of the Vermont Futures Project, presented the nonprofit’s recently released economic action plan to the General & Housing Committee on Feb. 7, asking lawmakers to consider both population growth and housing production as tools to address Vermont’s labor shortages and cost pressures.

Chiu told the committee the plan sets long-term targets \"focused in these two frameworks, people and places,\" and recommends an expansion strategy to grow the working-age population to a target of \"802,000 by 2035\" and a places target to reach \"350,000 non seasonal units by 2035,\" an increase of about 70,000 housing units. He said the plan balances expansion (attracting and retaining people) with efficiency strategies (boosting participation and better aligning education and training to employer needs).

Why it matters: Chiu framed Vermont’s current shortages as demographically driven. He said the state now has \"fewer than 200,000 Vermonters between the ages of 25 to 49,\" while the population over 65 has nearly doubled, and cited a Vermont Department of Labor estimate of about \"17,150 retirements per year.\" On the labor-market side he said the state faces a gap of roughly 13,500 workers annually and that a decade ago there were about two job seekers per opening but today \"for every one job seeker, there's about two open jobs.\" Chiu argued that addressing both people and places together is necessary so increased population does not worsen scarcity without added housing capacity.

Supporting details and proposals: The presentation cited several quantitative benchmarks discussed in the plan: about 71,000 Vermonters ages 16–64 who are not participating in the labor market and roughly 5,300 twelfth-grade students statewide. Chiu said Vermont currently issues about 2,500 housing permits per year while a statewide assessment shows the state needs to permit \"7 to 8,000 homes per year.\" He also noted Vermont’s housing stock is old — \"about a quarter of the homes were built before 1940\" — and that under 20% of the current stock was built in the past 20 years.

Chiu described \"latent capacity\" in towns that once had larger peak populations, saying a town-by-town look at historical peak population versus today showed that restoring towns to their historical peaks could yield \"over 70,000 Vermonters\" without new greenfield development. He recommended local-level follow-up to determine whether latent capacity is vacant units, large households with empty bedrooms, or units needing renovation.

Committee discussion: Committee members pressed Chiu on family migration and schools. One member asked whether \"massive school closure\" would help migration; Chiu said families are less likely to move to places without schools and noted that trends from 2020–2023 showed movement to some rural areas, especially among adults without children. On second-home purchases and conversions to retirement use, Chiu said he did not have an immediate conversion-rate figure but offered to follow up with Census Bureau data, emphasizing that the core problem is housing scarcity and that targeted new housing types — including smaller units attractive to young workers — can help free up larger homes for families.

Next steps and availability: Chiu said the Futures Project launched the plan the prior Tuesday and offered hard copies to committee members. He said the plan contains further data on immigration impacts, latent capacity, and recommended actions for both state and local policymakers.

Ending: The committee thanked Chiu and signaled follow-up questions and requests for additional data, including conversion rates of second homes and the plan’s underlying calculations. The presentation closes the Futures Project’s launch-phase outreach and the organization offered to provide additional data to committee members.","At a Feb. 7 General & Housing Committee meeting, Kevin Chiu of the Vermont Futures Project presented an economic action plan that sets numeric targets to grow Vermont’s working-age population and housing stock and outlines expansion and efficiency strategies to address workforce and affordability challenges.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill introduced to create housing zoning board of appeals aimed at shortening disputes

Lawmakers introduce bill removing FEMA-map requirement from flood-disclosure law

Vermont Futures Project urges 2% annual growth, sets workforce and housing targets