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House caucus updates H.687: Act 250 governance, regional mapping and interim housing exemptions
Summary
House committee reporters told the caucus that H.687 preserves a regional mapping‑based tier system for Act 250, accepts a Senate change keeping appeals with the Environmental Court, and creates interim exemptions to speed some housing projects (unit thresholds discussed at 50–75 units); regional mapping is expected in about 18 months and the new board is slated to begin Jan. 1, 2025.
The Vermont House Caucus of the Whole met May 7 to receive multi‑committee updates on H.687, a comprehensive land‑use and housing package reshaping Act 250 governance and creating a regionally mapped tier system for development exemptions. Representative Bongards, reporting for the House Environment & Energy committee, said the bill stitches together three studies from S.100 — a Natural Resources Board review of Act 250, regional commission mapping proposals, and a downtown designation program review — and uses that work as the basis for the House amendment.
The most consequential governance choice the committee made, Bongards said, was to accept the Senate’s approach on appeals: decisions that would have been appealed to a reconstituted Natural Resources Board will instead remain with the…
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