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Regional plan draft aligns with Act 181; sets municipal housing targets and maps growth areas
Summary
Commission staff presented a full draft of the regional plan updated under Act 181, explaining that adopted maps will be reviewed by the new Land Use Review Board and can make mapped growth areas eligible for state incentives and Act 250 housing exemptions; staff outlined a multi‑month adoption schedule.
Catherine Demetrick, executive director, told the Regional Planning Commission that the commission’s first full draft of a revised regional plan reflects requirements of Act 181 and new state review procedures. "Once our regional plan is adopted by this board, we are gonna send it to a new state board called the Land Use Review Board," Demetrick said, describing the state review step and its consequences for mapped growth areas.
Nut graf: The draft maps growth and contribution areas to create consistent statewide land‑use categories, set municipal housing targets derived from a statewide target, and describe a multi‑stage adoption schedule that will include a 60‑day advance review by the Land Use Review Board followed by local hearings and a board vote in early 2026.
Key points: Staff said the updated plan reworks the land‑use chapter to conform to 11 statutorily defined land‑use categories and ties state incentives and Act 250 exemptions to the plan’s mapped growth areas (downtowns, villages, planned‑growth areas). Under the new framework, municipalities that opt into mapped growth areas can qualify for an exemption that raises the Act 250 housing threshold — staff said those areas could allow up to 50 units without a standard Act 250 review in certain circumstances.
Regional housing targets: Demetrick said the state established a statewide housing target and allocated it to regional planning commissions; the commission then produced low and high municipal targets. The low target reflects addressing current unmet needs; the high target is intended to ‘‘fix the housing market’’ by increasing supply and turnover. Staff said most towns’ targets imply roughly a doubling of housing growth rates from 2010–2020 levels in order to meet the high target.
Adoption schedule and outreach: Staff described Phase 3 outreach in August, a plan‑and‑policy committee review in September, a 60‑day advance state review beginning after the September board meeting, and a goal of board adoption in February with final Land Use Review Board action in spring. Staff asked members to submit comments during August for incorporation into the next draft.
What was decided: The presentation and schedule were informational; the board did not adopt the plan at this meeting. Staff requested and received direction to continue outreach and prepare a revised draft for the September meeting.
Ending: Commissioners were asked to review the draft and submit comments during August so that staff can prepare changes for the September committee and board review.
