The Rutland Regional Planning Commission on July 15 released a near‑final draft of its regional plan and published a new interactive future land‑use map that, the commission said, incorporates map revisions requested by all 27 member towns. Executive Director Devin Neary told commissioners the staff aim to submit the draft to the state Land Use Review Board in mid‑September and that a 60‑day state review would follow.

The new map and draft plan matter because the Land Use Review Board will assess whether the plan meets statutory goals and will solicit comments from five state agencies, Neary said. "We are actually the first plan under the new framework to go before the Land Use Review Board," Neary said, noting the board will provide written feedback and that the commission will have roughly a month to respond before public hearings are warned.

The commission plans to begin the Land Use Review Board review cycle around Sept. 17, Neary said, with the goal of warning the first public hearing on Dec. 19 and holding the first public hearing on Jan. 20. Staff intend a short ad‑hoc committee review in August and then a final layout pass before the September submission.

Commission staff said the online map (rutlandrpc.org/plan2026) includes building footprints, an orthophoto background and a high‑resolution PDF for towns that want clearer legend colors. Neary said planners Stephanie and Logan led extensive one‑on‑one work with towns to incorporate changes, and that the map reflects the towns' requested designations where those requests complied with the regional planning framework.

Commissioners and staff noted several town‑level revisions. Neary cited Timmins Pond as a feature removed at a town's request because it is surrounded by private property and not publicly accessible, and he highlighted Killington as the town that saw the largest change — with much of the town designated as recreation‑based resource area and a consolidated village center.

Staff emphasized that the draft plan narrative has not changed direction substantially but has additions of data and clarified policy wording. Chapters that received the most new material are economic development, working lands and natural resources; energy policies were revised modestly. Neary said staff are striving to make policy language clearer and more supportive of predictable development without imposing restrictive tones.

Energy and mapping questions prompted discussion. A commissioner asked about industrial and commercial wind, and Neary said the draft retains a prohibition on industrial‑scale wind development in the region, reflecting the commission’s concerns about landscape impacts and ridgeline protection. Staff noted that some smaller, residential‑scale turbines can be allowable under current thresholds, and that one proposed small turbine near Creek Road in Rutland Town appeared to fall below the megawatt threshold referenced in state guidance.

Commissioners also raised longer‑term energy questions, including whether future technologies such as small modular nuclear reactors should be considered; Neary said the regional plan can be amended and staff would research statutory and policy implications but did not propose any immediate change. Commissioners discussed the scale of large solar projects — one commissioner noted that a 20‑megawatt facility in Fair Haven could meet the region’s 2050 renewable target if built — and emphasized the plan should be written so it can be updated or amended as policy and technology evolve.

Neary said the commission will also produce an annual report card to track indicators of progress and determine whether the plan is meeting its goals year‑over‑year, and that discussion continues on whether the future land‑use map will be treated as a living document between scheduled plan updates.

The commission asked members to review the online map and PDF and to send any remaining comments to staff before the ad‑hoc committee review in August. The commission did not take a policy vote on the draft at the July 15 meeting; staff will bring a recommended authorization to submit the draft to the full commission in September.