Regional planners brief Northfield on Act 181 future land-use tiers and opt-in implications

Regional planning staff briefed the Select Board on Act 181’s future land-use mapping framework — the state’s shift from size-based to location-based land-use jurisdiction — and how Northfield can participate in tier designations that affect local permitting authority.

Nikki Sabino (presenting) and Brian Boyd (Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission senior planner) explained the framework divides areas into tier 1 (subdivided into 1a and 1b), tier 2 and tier 3. Tier 1a is a higher-status designation that can offer broader Act 250 exemptions for planned growth areas but requires a formal application to the state Land Use Review Board and makes the municipality responsible for carrying forward Act 250 permit criteria for existing permits in those areas. Tier 1b is an opt-in local designation that can exempt up to 50 units on up to 10 acres from Act 250 jurisdiction and is certified by a Select Board motion rather than a state application. Tier 2 generally keeps existing thresholds unchanged. Tier 3 (critical natural resource areas) is developed by the Agency of Natural Resources and is not set by the region or town.

Boyd emphasized that the future land use map is not a zoning map and does not automatically supersede local zoning; however, Municipalities must demonstrate administrative capacity to administer local regulations to be eligible for tier 1 designations. Towns may contract technical work, and the regional commission recommended sequencing mapping from core downtown areas outward.

Board members asked about deadlines and application mechanics. Boyd said Northfield’s default status is tier 2 unless it opts in; the town could identify discrete areas for tier 1b and pass a Select Board motion to certify its administrative capacity. The regional deadline to submit areas for incorporation into the region’s map was described as around early December for incorporation into the map that will go to the state early in 2026; separate October 6 and December deadlines were cited for legacy designations and specific neighborhood programs. Boyd also noted that shifting from tier 1b to tier 1a over time is possible and that the select board should identify locations and conduct public engagement as part of the process.

The planners offered to meet with Northfield’s planning commission and to run mapping exercises using the municipal planning grant; they said the regional methodology leaves limited subjective area and that many decisions will hinge on locally chosen boundaries for village centers, hamlets, and rural conservation areas.