The Brattleboro Planning Commission has been actively working to understand the housing needs of our community and promote housing infill in the centers of Brattleboro and West Brattleboro. The Town received a Bylaw Modernization Grant from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development to support that ongoing work.
The Planning Commission will be hosting two community walks to explore the form and density of housing in several neighborhoods. We will be discussing the size and shapes of lots, the distance between buildings, where buildings are placed on lots, the types of residential buildings and number of units in a building. The goal is to learn about the form, character and density of neighborhoods to improve our understanding of the opportunities for and constraints on providing more places for people to live in our community. Please join us on:
• Monday, August 29 at 5 pm for a walk that will depart the Municipal Building and pass through the Grove St – Oak St – Chapin St area and continue to the North St – Tyler St – Harris Ave area before returning to the Municipal Building. Parking will be available in the Municipal Building lot.
• Thursday, September 1 at 5 pm for a walk that will depart from the sidewalk in front of the Thompson House on Maple St next to the hospital and travel from Southern Ave to Birge St and then back along Estey St to the Pleasant St – Vine St area and then returning on Maple St. On-street parking is available on Maple St.
Each walk is expected to take about 75 minutes. We welcome people who want to walk with us for the entire loop or for just a portion.
The September 7 Planning Commission meeting will open at 6 pm with a “Making Middle Housing Happen” presentation by consultant Brandy Saxton from the firm PlaceSense. The presentation will illustrate the forms of housing historically built in our community and contemporary versions of those forms that could create ‘missing middle’ housing. The meeting will include an open Q&A session for public comments and questions about housing in Brattleboro. The meeting will be held in-person at the Community Room at Brooks Memorial Library and remote participation will also be available via zoom. We anticipate the program lasting approximately 60 minutes.
