CCRPC updates regional future land‑use map under Act 181; LRPC to finalize maps and environmental analysis

CCRPC staff told the board July 16 that the regional Ecos plan update — including the new regional future land‑use map required by Act 181 — is nearing completion but will remain iterative as staff and the long range planning committee refine maps and targets. Taylor Newton, planning program director at CCRPC, said the regional plan update has been under way for four years and was delayed for additional public outreach and by requirements created under Act 181. Newton told the board the regional future land‑use map uses 11 statutorily required categories and that the map revisions now under LRPC review will feed housing-target calculations required by the HOME Act of 2023. Newton said the LRPC has worked municipality by municipality and described two representative map changes: in Williston, an area along Redmond Road that had been mapped as a planned growth area was recategorized as “enterprise” after members concluded the parcel (including GlobalFoundries property and Chittenden Solid Waste District land) did not meet statutory walkability or center‑adjacency tests; in Huntington, areas locally seen as village growth but lacking utilities were categorized as “transition” to reflect potential future change without implying immediate infrastructure capacity. Staff also described a regional technical change: floodplain and river corridor areas were mapped as a cross‑hatched overlay rather than as base categories, an approach CCRPC staff said RPCs statewide adopted in coordination and for which they have a tacit acknowledgement from the state review body. Newton described the next steps: LRPC will finish map edits and finalize an environmental benefits and burdens analysis in August, LRPC will conduct one more plan review in early September, and staff intends to request a pre‑application review from the state land use review board (LURB). Staff said the pre‑application process gives the LURB 60 days to offer comments before CCRPC begins its public-hearing process. Newton summarized the upcoming schedule: final LRPC checks in August/September, possible small edits following LURB pre‑application comments, and full public hearings scheduled for winter (calendar referenced in discussion). When asked about municipal concerns, Newton noted Burlington’s council was still completing its internal review but that a recent Burlington work session “went really well” and that staff had scheduled follow‑up conversations with St. George. The transcript records no formal vote or policy decision on the map at the July 16 meeting; it was an informational update and a request for board input ahead of LRPC action. Why it matters: The regional future land‑use map determines where municipalities may be eligible for new state designation programs (center/neighborhood) and different tiers of Act 250 exemption. Newton noted areas designated as centers or planning growth areas may qualify for tier 1a (full exemption) or tier 1b (partial exemption for developments of 50 or fewer dwelling units) if municipalities opt into corresponding state processes. Those classifications influence where housing and development incentives or regulatory exemptions may apply in the region. The timeline and next steps recorded in the transcript show the process remains iterative; staff repeatedly emphasized the maps may change during LRPC review, during municipal conversations (for example, Burlington), or in response to comments from the state land use review board.