Much of the work of the Regional Commission focuses on involves land use planning. We do this mostly at the local and regional level, and sometimes at the state level. Our work is divided between that which we do directly as the Commission's staff and Board in formulating or implementing policy, and that which we do as regional staff assisting municipal planning staff and volunteers.
We are also involved in various land use issues that are closely related to planning. This involvement is guided by regional and local plans that have already put forth various policies. We partake in studies that may look at proposals that would affect land use (e.g. revising planning statutes). We participate on various groups and boards that work to achieve land use that is compatible with our regional policies. We also conduct workshops to educate citizen planners and target audiences about certain aspects of planning or land use regulation. We are parties to all Act 250 permits, and this involvement can affect land use, but is not planning.
For those interested in the basics of Land Use Planning and how it may relate to your community, we have created a land use primer. Please feel free to download the document and visual presentation materials. If you would like to invite us to your town to present the material to the public or one of your town commitees, please contact Kevin Geiger at our office.
Below are several links related to permitting and land development.
The State maintains a set of PDFs about all of the statewide permit programs.
This is a concise, 3 page reference of state permits concerning local land use and includes agency contacts and statute references.