Change happens. It happens in spite of us. Change can be random and with unexpected consequences, or it can be carefully planned for and achieve more predictable results.

More housing is the change which is happening in Vermont. The question is, will it be planned so that a balance is achieved between maintaining a desirable quality of life and creating more affordable housing for new workers?

Both Middlebury College, the largest employer in the county, and the town of Middlebury have severely bloated lists of jobs to be filled. A younger, and family-oriented workforce is urgently required in this county in order for the economic health to improve and strengthen. We need more folks to fill the number of service, professional, and trade-craft jobs. To recruit new workers, especially younger ones with families, requires new, and affordable housing.

Quality of life is necessary for the College to maintain the “historic village” environment which makes them a desirable and unique institution. Quality of life is necessary for the town in order to continue to attract the out of town and out of state visitors who support the shops, eateries, and lodging facilities we have here. Quality of life is essential for the wellbeing of the people who live here now. Ideally, the college with their reservoir of skilled planning talent, and the town’s selectboard representing the people of Middlebury, could reach out to one another and collaborate on building a well-conceived “master plan” for the town’s future.

There are two issues which are critical for maintaining Middlebury’s quality of life, and in building affordable housing: traffic and infrastructure.

The growing traffic congestion in downtown and along Route 7, and the lack of public parking which plagues anyone trying to attend a public event in Middlebury are two very obvious examples of the chipping away of quality of life.

The destructive flooding from last year demonstrated the fragility and cost of infrastructure repair, replacement, and maintenance. It reminded us how dependent we are on the Federal Government to implement infrastructure projects. The town alone does not have the resources to pay for major work.

A good example of the problem involves the long-awaited and necessary installation of a new water storage tank on Chipman Hill which is now on hold, due to uncertainty of the government providing the necessary funding.

Approximately 80 new units of housing are planned for Seminary St. Extension (which could mean an added 160 automobiles within the city limits). Before plowing under new acres, and building more housing in other locations, it would be wise to first have plans in place to deal with the challenges of the Seminary project’s influx of cars and people in the town. Middlebury College touted the inclusion of affordable housing when they announced this development, however, as of yet, it is still problematic as to how many of this category of units would actually be built. Also, once 80 new housing units are built, all the utilities installed, streets paved, etc, it is unknown if they will be sold and occupied. “If you build it, they will come”?

Planning and caution could lay the groundwork for future affordable housing and strengthening of quality of life in Middlebury. Or, without them could lay the groundwork for the beginnings of urban blight.

Donald Witscher

Middlebury