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Rural testifier urges zoning, wastewater and finance changes to revive small‑town housing
Summary
An extended witness identified in the transcript as Speaker 2 told the committee that tiered zoning, conservative wastewater rules, permitting delays, lack of predevelopment financing and workforce shortages are blocking rural housing projects and offered concrete fixes including a rural housing pathway, revolving loan funds, tax abatements and use of underutilized municipal land.
A witness identified in the hearing transcript only as Speaker 2 told the General & Housing committee that rural Vermont needs a tailored housing pathway to reach the "missing middle" and keep small‑town economies viable.
Speaker 2 said many rural towns are functionally blocked from development because tier 1 zoning and permitting advantages primarily benefit urban centers. "Tier 1 designation is functionally inaccessible to most rural towns and villages," the testifier said, and argued that the principal…
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