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Richmond housing committee urges zoning, funding and infrastructure steps to boost homebuilding
Summary
The Housing Committee presented a multi‑year strategic plan recommending zoning changes (allowing housing in commercial village areas and town‑wide density bonuses), creation of a housing trust fund, stronger town support letters for developers, and attention to water/wastewater capacity as a gating constraint.
Mark Hall, chair of the Richmond Housing Committee, told the Select Board the committee’s strategic recommendations combine zoning changes, funding mechanisms and infrastructure planning to increase housing production toward regional targets.
“Our recommendations are meant to be a starting point for how we as a community would like to see and support our dire need for housing,” Hall said, summarizing outreach to developers, planners and regional partners and citing a 2023 housing study that informed the work.
Why it matters: Committee members framed housing as foundational to the local economy and public services — for example, they said a 2024 starting salary for some Mount Mansfield Union School District positions is about $46,000 while estimated income needed to afford median 2024 sale prices in town was roughly $186,000, creating a substantial affordability gap for local workers.
Key recommendations: The committee urged continued zoning modernization (allowing housing in commercial village districts, revising density‑bonus rules, and modestly increasing maximum building height by one story in targeted locations), creation of a town housing trust fund or similar seed mechanism for acquisition/land‑buydown, clear procedures for town letters of support for developer funding applications, enhanced community outreach and education, and targeted attention to water and wastewater capacity problems that frequently determine project feasibility.
Board reaction and next steps: Select Board members thanked the committee and identified water/wastewater capacity as a central obstacle. Members suggested pursuing CHIP (Community and Housing Infrastructure Program) and said staff should explore preparing applications and a clear town plan to increase competitiveness for infrastructure funding. The committee requested the board consider integrating recommended items into planning and permitting workflows and to track progress over time.
Details and caveats: Committee members emphasized these recommendations are long‑range and do not presume immediate funding; several board members noted that bylaw or bywater/sewer financing arrangements may need local policy changes and public engagement before implementation.
