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VLCT urges zoning changes, 3‑acre reform and liability fixes to expand manufactured housing access
Summary
The Vermont League of Cities and Towns told the House committee that allowing manufactured and prefabricated housing where year‑round residential development is allowed, streamlining local adoption, reconsidering the 3‑acre stormwater rule, and addressing municipal liability are key to enabling more manufactured housing.
Officials from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns told the House General & Housing Committee on Jan. 28 that statutory and administrative changes are needed so municipalities can integrate more manufactured and prefabricated housing into local housing stocks.
Samantha Sheehan, municipal policy and advocacy specialist, said the bill’s section to require local zoning to allow these housing types in areas zoned for year‑round residential use is consistent with trends in many towns and would ‘‘enable more housing development and improve access to affordable housing.’’ She asked for an expedited local adoption path so towns would not face months‑long zoning amendment processes that can delay projects.
Josh Hanford, director of intergovernmental relations at the Vermont League, and other municipal representatives urged reform of the three‑acre impervious‑surface rule and described how current calculations — which aggregate separate driveways and roofs across many privately owned lots — can trigger engineered stormwater requirements that are costly and may not target the highest pollution sources. Hanford described options including regional stormwater utilities or targeted clean‑up priorities and said municipalities have significant implementation challenges.
Committee members and witnesses also discussed Act 250 and a new road rule tied to development (an 800‑foot from‑road trigger or a cumulative 2,000 feet of new road/driveway). Witnesses warned the rule could apply to multi‑unit manufactured developments and suggested the need for coordination between state and municipal processes.
Municipal witnesses urged that liability caps or clearer tools for towns to acquire or adopt privately built infrastructure (sewer, water) would help municipalities accept and maintain systems that serve manufactured‑home communities. The committee heard many technical questions and did not vote.
"Many communities in Vermont…already have a substantial amount of their local housing inventory [made up of these types of homes]," Sheehan said, noting the role manufactured housing plays in statewide housing supply and urging legislative solutions to reduce local administrative barriers.
