Chittenden County’s draft ECOS plan aims to concentrate housing in compact centers, staff say

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission on Monday presented its draft ECOS regional plan and future land‑use map to the Land Use Review Board, saying the plan aims to place most new housing where infrastructure already exists. Charlie Baker, CCRPC executive director, told the board the draft seeks to direct residential growth toward planned growth areas and infill sites rather than to expand development across the county.

The presentation framed ECOS — which staff said stands for "environment, community, opportunity and sustainability" — as four plans in one: a regional plan, a comprehensive economic development strategy, a metropolitan transportation plan and an enhanced energy plan. Taylor Newton and Kate McCarthy described seven supplements to the base plan, including a new environmental benefits and burdens analysis and a supplement documenting how the plan’s municipal housing targets were calculated.