Bylaw Amendment: Bylaw Modernization Grant (BMG)

Municipal Bylaw Amendments

The Town of Jericho, Vermont (Town) is proposing changes to its Land Use and Development Regulations using Vermont’s Enabling Better Places: A Guide for Vermont Neighborhoods as a guide. This report summarizes the proposed changes in accordance with Title 24 of Chapter 117 of V.S.A. §4441 (c) and is organized following the format required to report bylaw amendments to the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development.

The Town of Jericho Town is considering amending its Land Use and Development Regulations to support development of housing and create vibrant, walkable/wheelable, mixed-use village centers. Proposed changes simplify an existing form-based code in the Riverside Village Center, align with the Town Plan, and establish land use regulations that will support development appropriate for an area serviced by a future municipal wastewater system in Riverside. Enabling Better Places organizes its recommendations by “Topics of Reform” that provide a framework for evaluating proposed amendments:

1. Dimensional Standards – lot sizes, lot coverage, building setbacks and height, number of principal buildings on a lot, non-conforming conditions, required architectural treatments, and character-based frontage requirements that support housing and walkable places;

2. Parking – required number of on-site parking spaces, on street parking, and location of parking that can reduce costs to build and are appropriate for compact walkable neighborhoods.

3. Allowable Uses – reduce restrictions for housing, avoid artificial determinations of acceptable family composition, and reduce unnecessary subdivision of land to support diverse uses and reduce barriers to more housing.

4. Street Standards – Allow on-street parking, public realm standards, reduce lane widths, and implement complete-street principles to create streets that support more intense land use and walking, biking, and driving;

5. Development Review Processes – Reduce requirements for conditional use approval and discretionary site plan review, simplify requirements for small-scale development, allow limited deviations from certain zoning standards, avoid overreliance on complex PUD reviews, and make staff responsible for site plan review – all updates that can reduce costs and time associated with permitting and therefore reduce costs to build housing.


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For more information, contact Chris Shaheen, Town Planner, at (802) 899-2287 x 103 or at  cshaheen@jerichovt.gov.