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CVRPC planner briefs Fayston on Act 181, future land‑use map and tiered Act 250 changes
Summary
A Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission planner explained Act 181’s requirement for regional future land‑use mapping and the new tiered Act 250 framework, noting towns can seek Tier 1B status but must show administrative capacity and infrastructure such as water and wastewater.
Niki Sabado, a planner with the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, told the Fayston Planning Commission and Selectboard on Aug. 11 that “Act 181 requires the Regional Planning Commission to develop a future land use map as part of the regional planning process.” She described the map categories as high‑density growth (village centers), low‑to‑moderate density (enterprise areas, hamlets) and rural/agriculture/forest zones.
Sabado explained that Act 181 also changes how Act 250 jurisdiction is triggered, moving from project size to location and creating Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 designations. “Tier 3…would be your conservation areas,” she said, adding that the state is leading the mapping for Tier 3 while regional and local planning will inform other tiers. She emphasized that Tier 1 designations require towns to show administrative capacity and infrastructure such as municipal water and wastewater or adequate soils.
Commissioners asked about local control and whether state Tier 3 mapping could further restrict Fayston’s existing Forest Reserve district. Langford Davidson asked whether the state could make more land non‑developable; Sabado replied that while the state is mapping Tier 3 based on habitat and corridors, “local regulations are what determine that” for most day‑to‑day permitting.
Sabado said CVRPC expects to submit the draft regional future land‑use map for review by the Land Use Review Board alongside an updated regional plan by the end of the year or early 2026, and asked towns to provide local feedback (ideally by November) if they want changes included in this round.
