MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury selectboard is reviewing potential updates to the community’s town plan as part of a five-year review of the document, which provides an inventory of the town’s many resources and a blueprint for future growth.
The board on Oct. 24 held the first of two public hearings on the proposed updates, which largely involve tightening current language and bringing it up to date with current development trends as well as growth, energy and affordable housing priorities charted by Middlebury officials during the past five years. The proposed revisions are being proposed by the Middlebury Planning Commission and town Planner Jennifer Murray, who have spent many months refining the document (with citizen input).
The planning commission has not proposed any changes to the land-use map portion of the plan.
Murray noted this year’s update is a precursor to what will be a re-write of the document within the next eight years.
The town plan serves multiple purposes, including:
•  A foundation for zoning and subdivision regulations and bylaws. It underpins the official town map and guides local regulatory decisions.
•  A document conveying a community’s vision for broader initiatives such as the development of inter-municipal, regional, and state agency plans and programs.
•  A resource containing facts and figures on things like population changes, economic trends, and future housing and infrastructure needs. It also locates and describes important historic and natural resources.
Middlebury’s town plan was last updated in 2012.
The selectboard’s final hearing on the town plan is set for Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. This puts the revised document on course for re-adoption by Dec. 11, according to a schedule offered by Murray.
An overview of the Middlebury town plan can be found at tinyurl.com/y9v2byaf.
Reporter John Flowers is at [email protected].