Vermont Housing & Conservation Board - Vermont Housing and ...
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<strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> & <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Board</strong><br />
Annual Report to the General Assembly<br />
2003
<strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> & <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Board</strong><br />
John T. Ewing, Chair, Burlington<br />
John D. E. Roberts, Vice-Chair, Cornwall<br />
Sarah E. Carpenter, Executive Director,<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> Finance Agency<br />
Kevin Dorn, Secretary,<br />
Agency of Commerce <strong>and</strong> Community Development<br />
James Keeney, St. Johnsbury<br />
Steven Kerr, Secretary,<br />
Agency of Agriculture, Food <strong>and</strong> Markets<br />
Nancy Nye, Taftsville<br />
Thomas Weaver, Essex Junction<br />
Jonathan Wood, Commissioner,<br />
Department of Forests, Parks <strong>and</strong> Recreation<br />
Deb Brighton, Salisbury (retired March 2003)<br />
Agricultural Advisory Committee<br />
Michael Audet, Orwell farmer<br />
Alan Curler, Agricultural Lender, Chittenden Bank<br />
Sally Goodrich, Cabot farmer<br />
Roger Allbee, USDA Farm Service Agency<br />
Kip Potter, USDA Natural Resources Con ser va tion Service<br />
Glenn Rogers, UVM Extension Service<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Farm Viability Program Advisory <strong>Board</strong><br />
Jo Bradley, VEDA<br />
Judy Clark, Hyde Park farmer<br />
Jane Clifford, Starksboro farmer<br />
Doug Lantagne, UVM Extension Service<br />
David Major, Putney farmer<br />
Ross Thurber, Brattleboro farmer<br />
For the past month, a very<br />
special visitor has been<br />
spending time here in a<br />
Norway Spruce tree by<br />
our parking lot. The Varied<br />
Thrush is usually found in<br />
the Pacific Northwest, so we<br />
have had many birdwatchers<br />
coming by to see the bird.<br />
The bird (he or she—there is<br />
some difference of opinion)<br />
is about the size of a robin<br />
with beautiful orange, black<br />
<strong>and</strong> white coloring.<br />
E.J. Elithorpe<br />
VHCB Staff<br />
Executive Director: Gus Seelig<br />
Financial: Anne Kimball, Kym Andrews, Cheryl Viens<br />
Administration: Larry Mires, Pam Boyd, Kathleen Dempsey, Laurie Graves, Ethan Guiles<br />
<strong>Conservation</strong>: Paul Hannan, Billy Coster, Nancy Everhart, Karen Free man<br />
<strong>Housing</strong>: Polly Nichol, Rick DeAngelis, Nita Hanson, Lorraine McBride, Patrick Shattuck<br />
Lead Paint Hazard Reduction Program: Ron Rupp, Marty Bonneau, Rebecca Sheppard, Bob Zatzke<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Community Stewardship Program: Laurie Larson<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Farm Viability Enhancement Program: Ethan Parke<br />
Legal: Jim Libby, Elizabeth Egan<br />
Cover photos (left to right, back to front): Tuttle Block, Rutl<strong>and</strong>; Sherry <strong>and</strong> Steve Ouellette <strong>and</strong> Pineapple, their<br />
2001 World Dairy Expo-winning Brown Swiss, Bridport (Bob Eddy photo); Hollow Drive, Wilder (Ray Brewster photo)<br />
Photography: Bob Eddy, Annie Van Avery, Peter Wrenn, staff, grantees, <strong>and</strong> as credited<br />
Writing: Doug Wilhelm | Design: Pam Boyd | Printing: Hull Printing, Barre
James H. Douglas, Governor<br />
State of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Office of the Governor<br />
Montpelier, <strong>Vermont</strong> 05609<br />
January<br />
31, 2004<br />
Dear Fellow <strong>Vermont</strong>ers,<br />
I am pleased to present the Annual Report of the <strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Board</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> to offer my congratulations to the <strong>Board</strong> <strong>and</strong> its community partners for their exciting efforts<br />
to improve the quality of life in our communities. This summer <strong>and</strong> fall I’ve had the opportunity<br />
to visit new neighborhoods in Wilder, Arlington, Hancock <strong>and</strong> South Burlington as well as<br />
conservation efforts in South Hero.<br />
All these projects share common goals <strong>and</strong> adhere to the principles of smart growth by siting homes<br />
close to services <strong>and</strong> transportation, which in my view makes good sense for <strong>Vermont</strong>. Both housing<br />
<strong>and</strong> conservation efforts promote strong civic involvement through public planning <strong>and</strong> private fundraising<br />
endeavors, <strong>and</strong> leverage <strong>Vermont</strong>’s investment with both private loans <strong>and</strong> federal grants.<br />
This has been a very challenging time for <strong>Vermont</strong>’s farm community. The <strong>Board</strong>’s Farml<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> Program provides a voluntary mechanism for farmers to generate capital from the<br />
sale of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation easements. Many farmers use these funds to reinvest<br />
in their agricultural enterprises. In addition, I am delighted that the <strong>Board</strong> has joined Secretary<br />
Kerr of the <strong>Vermont</strong> Agency of Agriculture, Food <strong>and</strong> Markets in developing a new farm viability<br />
program to provide technical assistance <strong>and</strong> business planning to <strong>Vermont</strong> farmers.<br />
As an individual long involved in historic preservation, I’m glad to see that a number of towns<br />
have used the <strong>Board</strong>’s assistance to invest in l<strong>and</strong>mark community buildings, such as the Brookfield<br />
Town Hall, that are at the heart of rural life.<br />
The <strong>Board</strong>’s mission is fundamental to the future of <strong>Vermont</strong>’s economy. Affordable homes have<br />
been identified as a key issue for economic development. Our working l<strong>and</strong>scape is perhaps our<br />
greatest economic asset <strong>and</strong> the conservation of this resource is critical to our travel <strong>and</strong> tourism<br />
industries <strong>and</strong> to the recruitment <strong>and</strong> retention of high quality employers to <strong>Vermont</strong>.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> continues to be challenged by difficult <strong>and</strong> uncertain economic times. My administration<br />
will work with the <strong>Board</strong> to effectively leverage <strong>Vermont</strong>’s tax dollars to achieve the many<br />
benefits outlined in this report.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
James H. Douglas<br />
Governor
2<br />
Letter from the Chair<br />
Dear Members of the General Assembly,<br />
On behalf of the <strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> & <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>and</strong> our staff, I want<br />
to thank you for your continuing support of the <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Trust<br />
Fund. This report illustrates the positive <strong>and</strong> productive impacts of our partnerships<br />
with <strong>Vermont</strong> communities that are addressing the need for affordable homes, wise<br />
l<strong>and</strong> use, <strong>and</strong> conservation of our working l<strong>and</strong>scape.<br />
This year the <strong>Board</strong> invested in the development <strong>and</strong> rehabilitation of 490 homes.<br />
These housing commitments continue to focus on a mix of new construction <strong>and</strong><br />
redevelopment in downtowns <strong>and</strong> village centers <strong>and</strong> assistance for <strong>Vermont</strong>’s most<br />
vulnerable populations seeking supportive <strong>and</strong> transitional housing. Seven historic<br />
structures funded by the <strong>Board</strong> will serve as community facilities in small towns<br />
across the state, <strong>and</strong> 32 farms with a total of 7,118 acres were conserved. Additionally,<br />
the <strong>Board</strong> allocated funds to precious natural areas <strong>and</strong> recreation l<strong>and</strong>s such<br />
as the Chittenden County Upl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> the West Rutl<strong>and</strong> Marsh, preserving <strong>and</strong><br />
increasing recreational opportunities for <strong>Vermont</strong>ers.<br />
A key element of the <strong>Board</strong>’s statutory m<strong>and</strong>ate is to consider the opportunity to<br />
leverage other funds. The citizens we work with at the community level are skilled<br />
in this regard. Almost $4 is raised for every $1 of investment by the <strong>Board</strong>. In fact,<br />
in 16 years, more than $550 million dollars has been leveraged from private investment<br />
<strong>and</strong> federal grants.<br />
The leverage achieved, however, is more than financial. Citizens are leveraging<br />
the benefits of investment in <strong>Vermont</strong>’s traditional settlement pattern <strong>and</strong> historic<br />
structures. These commitments help <strong>Vermont</strong> towns to maintain their distinct identity<br />
<strong>and</strong> sense of community. Leverage is also found in what are termed “avoided<br />
costs.” The Secretary of the Agency of Human Services, Charles Smith, has asked<br />
that we reduce long-term human service costs while also providing quality homes.<br />
The Cathedral Square Corporation has helped achieve that goal by opening the<br />
first licensed <strong>and</strong> affordable assisted living facility in <strong>Vermont</strong> at Cathedral Square<br />
in Burlington. This facility will save taxpayer dollars by providing an alternative to<br />
more expensive nursing home care.<br />
Perhaps most importantly, the <strong>Board</strong>’s financial assistance leverages community<br />
<strong>and</strong> citizen involvement. <strong>Vermont</strong>ers across the state participate by serving on<br />
Financial Leverage 1987–2003<br />
Leveraged<br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> Funds<br />
$180,000,000<br />
VHCB <strong>Conservation</strong> Funds<br />
$70,000,000<br />
VHCB <strong>Housing</strong> Funds<br />
$97,000,000<br />
Leveraged<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Funds<br />
$370,000,000<br />
Total VHCB Funds: $167,000,000 Total Leveraged Funds: $550,000,000<br />
Workers at Depot Street <strong>Housing</strong> on the<br />
waterfront in downtown Burlington. New<br />
construction projects will result in 1,135<br />
new VHCB-funded units added to the<br />
market in the three-year period 2000-2003.<br />
Farm families like Tom Honigford <strong>and</strong><br />
Sharon O'Connor from South Royalton,<br />
with daughters, Cora <strong>and</strong> Emma, are<br />
utilizing proceeds from the sale of<br />
development rights to exp<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
modernize their operations.<br />
Bob Eddy Annie Van Avery
nonprofit boards, in municipal leadership,<br />
participating in fundraising <strong>and</strong><br />
volunteer efforts such as building homes<br />
with Habitat for Humanity, <strong>and</strong> numerous<br />
other community services.<br />
The <strong>Board</strong>’s newest initiative, in partnership<br />
with the Agency of Agriculture,<br />
Food <strong>and</strong> Markets, is the establishment<br />
of a new Farm Viability Program. This<br />
effort will provide technical assistance<br />
<strong>and</strong> business planning to <strong>Vermont</strong> farmers<br />
working to compete in a difficult<br />
marketplace. We anticipate assisting<br />
more than 30 farmers in the first year of<br />
the program.<br />
A critical function of our <strong>Board</strong> is<br />
to assure accountability <strong>and</strong> wise use<br />
of public funds. The <strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong><br />
& <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Board</strong> scrutinizes each<br />
application for consistency with our<br />
statutory mission as well as with town<br />
<strong>and</strong> regional plans. Most importantly, we<br />
seek to assure the effective implementation<br />
of our programs at the community<br />
level.<br />
As <strong>Vermont</strong> moves into the twentyfirst<br />
century, we are committed to working<br />
with all communities to improve the<br />
quality of life for <strong>Vermont</strong>ers with timely<br />
investments in the revitalization of our<br />
town <strong>and</strong> village centers, producing affordable<br />
homes, supporting <strong>Vermont</strong>’s<br />
working l<strong>and</strong>scape <strong>and</strong> enhancing public<br />
access to <strong>Vermont</strong>’s natural resources<br />
<strong>and</strong> historic properties.<br />
I want to thank retiring board members,<br />
Deb Brighton, Nancy Nye <strong>and</strong> Jim<br />
Keeney for a collective 22 years of service.<br />
They have provided wisdom, dedication<br />
<strong>and</strong> leadership. We welcome new board<br />
appointees Tom Weaver, Chris Hart <strong>and</strong><br />
Ken Perine as we look forward to working<br />
with the General Assembly in implementing<br />
this important work.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
The Preservation Trust of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
2003 Preservation Awards<br />
Two projects supported by VHCB grants this past year were<br />
recipients of awards from The Preservation Trust of <strong>Vermont</strong>.<br />
The Green Mountain Seminary in<br />
Waterbury Center.<br />
Pawlet School<br />
In 1998, when the schools in<br />
the Mettawee district were<br />
consolidated into a single new<br />
facility, the 85-year-old Colonial<br />
Revival schoolhouse in the heart<br />
of the village closed its doors. The<br />
Selectboard established the Pawlet<br />
Projects Committee, a not-for-profit<br />
board of volunteers to undertake<br />
what became a 4-year task of<br />
fundraising <strong>and</strong> rehabilitating the<br />
site into a functioning new library.<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>and</strong> the Central<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
were recognized for their<br />
restoration of the Green Mountain<br />
Seminary. In 1998 the two<br />
nonprofits began to work with the<br />
town on a plan to rehabilitate the<br />
deteriorated building for housing<br />
<strong>and</strong> for continuing use as a branch<br />
library. Today, with twelve foot<br />
high windows <strong>and</strong> hardwood<br />
floors, the Seminary is an elegant<br />
<strong>and</strong> affordable place to live for<br />
young families <strong>and</strong> senior citizens.<br />
The formerly vacant, historic<br />
Pawlet Schoolhouse has been<br />
converted into a town library.<br />
3<br />
John T. Ewing,<br />
<strong>Board</strong> Chair
<strong>Housing</strong> Programs<br />
In the 31 affordable housing developments funded in 2003 the <strong>Board</strong> invested<br />
in a variety of housing options for <strong>Vermont</strong>ers of diverse incomes <strong>and</strong><br />
personal situations. These investments not only provide shelter for low- <strong>and</strong><br />
moderate-income households, but also strengthen communities <strong>and</strong> contribute<br />
to economic vitality.<br />
Among these new developments are projects that provide homeownership<br />
opportunities for lower-income <strong>Vermont</strong>ers, create rental housing in some of<br />
the state’s tightest housing markets, provide transitional housing for homeless<br />
individuals <strong>and</strong> families, acquire, rehabilitate, <strong>and</strong> construct mobile home<br />
parks, develop or preserve affordable housing for elders, revitalize downtowns,<br />
<strong>and</strong> preserve the affordability of developments that previously received federal<br />
funding. These developments house low-wage workers, persons with disabilities,<br />
homeless families <strong>and</strong> individuals, <strong>and</strong> senior citizens, among others. VHCB<br />
funds pay for the construction of new buildings that add apartments, condominiums,<br />
<strong>and</strong> single family homes to the state’s housing stock. The infusion of<br />
VHCB dollars also ensures that the housing will remain affordable over time to<br />
benefit both current <strong>and</strong> future <strong>Vermont</strong> families.<br />
Rental <strong>Housing</strong> Development<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong>, with VHCB’s participation, has made significant strides over the<br />
past few years in adding affordable housing to the market <strong>and</strong> has seen a corresponding<br />
decrease in homelessness. In Chittenden County alone, the number<br />
of homeless families decreased by over 60 percent between Fiscal Year 2000 <strong>and</strong><br />
Fiscal Year 2003, from 330 to 120. During the three year period ending December<br />
Cathedral Square added 28 units of<br />
assisted living to their senior housing<br />
development at 3 Cathedral Square<br />
in Burlington.<br />
4<br />
Governor Jim Douglas <strong>and</strong> State Senator<br />
Jim Condos cut the ribbon at the opening<br />
for O'Dell Apartments in Burlington,<br />
where the Lake Champlain <strong>Housing</strong><br />
Development Corporation <strong>and</strong> <strong>Housing</strong><br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> completed 130 affordable units<br />
of family rental housing in a 160-unit<br />
development on the Shelburne Road near<br />
the I-189 ramp. Representatives from<br />
VHCB, the <strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> Finance<br />
Agency, Fannie Mae <strong>and</strong> Senator Leahy's<br />
office joined the developers to celebrate.<br />
100 units leased up the day of the opening;<br />
within 30 days all 160 units were leased.
2003, VHCB committed funds for 1,135 new apartments to be added to the state’s<br />
housing stock, primarily in the tightest housing markets in Chittenden County<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Upper Connecticut River Valley. Many of these developments are now<br />
completed <strong>and</strong> leased up. Although these gains have been substantial, much<br />
work remains to be done. The National Low Income <strong>Housing</strong> Coalition’s Out of<br />
Reach survey of housing need in all 50 states again names <strong>Vermont</strong> as one of the<br />
ten least affordable non-metropolitan housing markets in the country.<br />
As in past years, VHCB spent a portion of its funds on the revitalization<br />
of distressed multi-family developments built approximately thirty years ago<br />
with federal funds. The transformations of Westgate Apartments in Brattleboro<br />
<strong>and</strong> Moose River Apartments in St. Johnsbury are remarkable not<br />
only because of the physical improvements to those neighborhoods but also<br />
because of the changes in the social environment that came with the acquisition<br />
<strong>and</strong> renovation of the properties. Investments of VHCB funds were also<br />
made in federally-assisted developments for seniors in Essex, West Rutl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Norwich, helping local nonprofits organizations acquire these subsidized<br />
housing developments for the elderly, make modest improvements such as<br />
conversion from electric heat to a more cost-effective source, <strong>and</strong> preserving the<br />
federal contract that provides rental assistance for very low income seniors.<br />
Homeownership Programs<br />
In addition to addressing the shortage of multi-family rental dwellings,<br />
VHCB also responded to the desire of <strong>Vermont</strong>ers of modest means to become<br />
homeowners. The buyer-initiated HOMELAND program experienced unprecedented<br />
dem<strong>and</strong>, as did the fund for homes constructed by Habitat for Humanity<br />
chapters <strong>and</strong> vocational education programs. In 2003 five affordable single<br />
family homes were constructed in the center of the Village of Hancock <strong>and</strong><br />
funds were committed for 60 affordable condominiums in a South Burlington<br />
development <strong>and</strong> for seven single family homes in Dover.<br />
A l<strong>and</strong>mark study of resales of perpetually affordable homes, undertaken<br />
for the Burlington Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust, confirmed that not only are VHCBfunded<br />
affordable homes providing homeownership opportunities to low- <strong>and</strong><br />
moderate-income <strong>Vermont</strong>ers, but that the benefits of this initial investment<br />
continue over time as the homes become more affordable to subsequent generations<br />
of homebuyers. The <strong>Board</strong> also funded several projects involving either the<br />
acquisition <strong>and</strong> rehabilitation or expansion of mobile home parks, recognizing<br />
the importance of mobile home living as a homeownership option for many<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong>ers.<br />
Downtown Revitalization<br />
The <strong>Board</strong> continued its commitment to the revitalization of <strong>Vermont</strong>’s<br />
cities <strong>and</strong> village centers by funding developments in population centers that<br />
frequently combine housing <strong>and</strong> commercial space, usually in historic structures.<br />
In late 2003, the renovation of Bellows Falls’ fire damaged Howard<br />
Block was completed as was the Daniels Block, a new building in downtown<br />
St. Johnsbury that replaced one destroyed by a serious fire in that community.<br />
Renovated properties in historic village centers in both Arlington <strong>and</strong> Richford<br />
also opened, <strong>and</strong> downtown buildings in communities throughout the state,<br />
A complete rehab of Townhouse<br />
Terrace apartments in St. Johnsbury<br />
called for a new name—Moose<br />
River Apartments is now home to 28<br />
families.<br />
Richford residents celebrated<br />
completion of an ambitious<br />
redevelopment encompassing 15<br />
units in 4 historic buildings. Seven<br />
new units of accessible senior<br />
housing were added to the town's<br />
housing stock <strong>and</strong> 8 units of family<br />
rental housing were rehabilitated.<br />
Fiscal Year 2003<br />
HOUSING COMMITMENTS<br />
VHCB <strong>Housing</strong> Commitments:<br />
$7, 277, 260<br />
490 units<br />
31 projects<br />
Federal Funds Commitments:<br />
HOME Program<br />
$3,725,749<br />
Lead-Based Paint Hazard<br />
Reduction Program<br />
$ 638,916<br />
5
including but not limited to Rutl<strong>and</strong>, Bennington, Brattleboro, Groton, <strong>and</strong><br />
West Rutl<strong>and</strong> received funding commitments from the <strong>Board</strong>.<br />
Special Needs <strong>Housing</strong><br />
VHCB awards during the past year included developments for <strong>Vermont</strong>ers<br />
with special housing needs including housing for pregnant <strong>and</strong> parenting young<br />
women, a battered women’s shelter, transitional housing for the homeless in<br />
three <strong>Vermont</strong> communities, <strong>and</strong> housing for the elderly. The <strong>Vermont</strong> Center<br />
for Independent Living’s Home Access Program received continued VHCB<br />
funding to make privately-owned dwellings accessible to <strong>Vermont</strong>ers with<br />
physical disabilities.<br />
An Effective Response to a Critical Need<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong>ers <strong>and</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong> communities face a variety of housing needs.<br />
The <strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Board</strong> recognizes these needs as it<br />
makes awards of funds to house the homeless, to build ramps for people using<br />
wheelchairs, to provide affordable, safe <strong>and</strong> decent apartments to families <strong>and</strong><br />
senior citizens, <strong>and</strong> to create homeownership opportunities for <strong>Vermont</strong>ers<br />
in a variety of settings. VHCB funding often serves as the catalyst for the revitalization<br />
of a downtown or village block, generating economic development<br />
along with the creation of housing. Strategic investments of these resources have<br />
frequently proven to be the spark necessary to kindle private sector investment<br />
as well. The money that the State spends on housing through VHCB not only<br />
provides shelter, but also helps to create stable families <strong>and</strong> healthy communities.<br />
Within the Arlington Village Historic<br />
District the Regional Affordable <strong>Housing</strong><br />
Corporation acquired, preserved <strong>and</strong><br />
rehabilitated 17 apartments in eleven<br />
historic properties in an ambitious,<br />
$4.5 million dollar project. Infill new<br />
construction created 12 apartments for<br />
seniors located in the village center.<br />
6<br />
Karen Smith, owner of a new Habitat<br />
for Humanity home in Fayston, received<br />
painting help <strong>and</strong> a visit from Governor<br />
Jim Douglas <strong>and</strong> Senator James Jeffords.<br />
Karen <strong>and</strong> her two teenagers, Jessica <strong>and</strong><br />
Cody, put more than 500 hours of “sweat<br />
equity” into the home, which was built<br />
by the Camels Hump Chapter of Central<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Habitat for Humanity.
Downtown Development<br />
The renovation of historic downtown buildings <strong>and</strong> new construction<br />
projects within town <strong>and</strong> village centers reinforce <strong>Vermont</strong>’s traditional<br />
settlement pattern <strong>and</strong> create affordable housing opportunities within<br />
walking distance of stores <strong>and</strong> services. The everyday activity of residents <strong>and</strong><br />
businesses in downtown buildings contributes to the economic <strong>and</strong> social health<br />
of communities. These development efforts are complemented by funding from<br />
historic preservation <strong>and</strong> downtown <strong>and</strong> village center development tax credits.<br />
Tuttle Block, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
“We can talk blithely of<br />
revitalizing downtowns—<br />
but the work of doing<br />
that gets excruciatingly<br />
practical. To take a<br />
building that is obsolete<br />
<strong>and</strong> make it competitive<br />
again, <strong>and</strong> to do that at<br />
a reasonable cost, is very<br />
challenging. We felt very<br />
confident that we were<br />
working with a nonprofit<br />
developer that was going<br />
to do what they said they<br />
were going to do, <strong>and</strong><br />
would do it with very good<br />
quality.”<br />
—Matthew Sternberg<br />
Executive Director of the<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> Redevelopment Authority<br />
Tuttle Block, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
The City of Rutl<strong>and</strong> is collaborating<br />
with the Rutl<strong>and</strong> County Community<br />
L<strong>and</strong> Trust to undertake renovation of<br />
the historic Tuttle Building on Center<br />
Street for retail use, RCCLT offices,<br />
<strong>and</strong> affordable apartments. VHCB<br />
funding helped make the $3 million<br />
project possible. Construction will<br />
begin in early 2004.<br />
Howard Block, Bellows Falls<br />
The Howard Block in Bellows<br />
Falls—damaged in a 1996 fire—was<br />
rehabilitated this year by the Rockingham<br />
Area Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong>. A partnership<br />
between the nonprofits, the town, <strong>and</strong><br />
the Bellows Falls Downtown Development<br />
Alliance won $2.9 million<br />
in funding from VHCB <strong>and</strong> other<br />
sources.<br />
A complete rehab produced<br />
13 affordable apartments, now<br />
fully occupied, <strong>and</strong> four first-floor<br />
commercial spaces for Bellows Falls’<br />
downtown revival. According to<br />
Richard Ewalt, Director of Community<br />
Development for the Town of<br />
Rockingham <strong>and</strong> Executive Director of<br />
the Bellows Falls Downtown Development<br />
Alliance,<br />
“This one project has accomplished<br />
so many positive things. It<br />
saved a historic building; it has put<br />
back in use 6,000 square feet of<br />
commercial space on the first floor,<br />
<strong>and</strong> it has created apartments for 19<br />
more people in our downtown. All<br />
that has a positive influence on the<br />
community.”<br />
The Howard Block in Bellows Falls<br />
7
New neighbors <strong>and</strong> homeowners<br />
Samantha Kelly (left) with her son Cullen,<br />
<strong>and</strong> April Wood, with her son, Trevor, at Taylor Meadow.<br />
Bob Eddy<br />
8<br />
Taylor Meadow:<br />
New Homes, New Futures<br />
John Tenny, owner of Mill Bridge Construction in Middlebury, has been<br />
a builder for 30 years — <strong>and</strong> he’s the board chair for Addison County<br />
Community Trust (ACCT), a nonprofit developer of affordable housing.<br />
“I got involved on the ACCT board because as a builder, we were not in a<br />
position to meet the essential housing needs of a whole large segment of the<br />
community,” Tenny says. “In fact, the need is greater now. The disparity<br />
between costs <strong>and</strong> the ability to purchase is greater, <strong>and</strong> that’s to the detriment<br />
of communities.”<br />
This autumn, an ACCT project took shape on a two-acre parcel set aside<br />
for affordable housing by the <strong>Vermont</strong> L<strong>and</strong> Trust in 1987. Along the back rim<br />
of Taylor Meadow, a broad, conserved green space in the center of Hancock,<br />
five new, trim white houses now face the meadow, with their backs to the<br />
White River. Five households from Rochester <strong>and</strong> Hancock, four of whom<br />
have incomes below half of the county median, now reside in the new homes at<br />
Project Profile<br />
5 single family homes<br />
Developer:<br />
Addison County<br />
Community Trust<br />
Architect:<br />
Peter Morris, Vergennes<br />
Contractors:<br />
White River Timber Framing;<br />
Harvey's Plumbing & Electrical<br />
Affordability:<br />
less than 50%<br />
of median income
Taylor Meadow. Four of the five households are purchasing their homes with a<br />
subsidy provided by VHCB’s HOMELAND Program <strong>and</strong> with very low-interest<br />
mortgages from USDA Rural Development.<br />
Three of the five homeowners are single mothers. They include Hancock<br />
natives April Wood, who works for a doctor in R<strong>and</strong>olph, <strong>and</strong> her next-door<br />
neighbor, Samantha Kelly, who provides visiting home care for a local senior.<br />
“In this valley, finding a place to rent is a challenge! There’s really nothing<br />
available,” says Wood, “To know that this is mine—that I’m paying the<br />
mortgage, <strong>and</strong> I’m going to own this place eventually—it’s a really good<br />
feeling.”<br />
“It’s a dream come true,” agrees Kelly.<br />
When the nearby North Hollow Farm was conserved in 1987, the <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
L<strong>and</strong> Trust set aside 20 acres for municipal use, with two acres reserved for<br />
affordable housing. An 8-acre field behind the homes will be developed as a<br />
recreational area with access to the White River. Almost 18 acres are still open<br />
for use by the community—which envisions a town green or common there,<br />
along with possibly a new fire station <strong>and</strong> light commercial use. The village<br />
school is just a few yards away, as is the white-steepled Community Church.<br />
The home design was donated by Vergennes architect Peter Morris. Area<br />
contractors White River Timber Framing constructed the homes, while<br />
Harvey’s Plumbing <strong>and</strong> Electrical of Rochester provided infrastucture for the<br />
development.<br />
“Look at communities’ needs,” says ACCT Chair Tenny, who also chairs the<br />
Middlebury Select <strong>Board</strong>, “You need stability, consistency, <strong>and</strong> a good portion<br />
of the people living there. This project contributes on all those levels. I think<br />
it’s a real boost to the community.”<br />
“In this valley, finding<br />
a place to rent is a<br />
challenge! There’s<br />
really nothing available.<br />
To know that this is<br />
mine—that I’m paying<br />
the mortgage, <strong>and</strong> I’m<br />
going to own this place<br />
eventually—it’s a really<br />
good feeling.”<br />
—April Wood, homeowner<br />
VHCB Supports Affordable Homeownership<br />
Working in cooperation with community housing groups,<br />
the <strong>Board</strong> funds homeownership developments <strong>and</strong><br />
assists low- <strong>and</strong> moderate-income <strong>Vermont</strong>ers to purchase<br />
their own homes. Over the past 16 years, VHCB has<br />
awarded funds to help nearly 650 households to become<br />
homeowners.<br />
HOMELAND Program<br />
The HOMELAND Program is an innovative home purchase<br />
program offered by eight regional housing organizations.<br />
Participation in Homel<strong>and</strong> is contingent upon a household’s<br />
successful completion of a homebuyer education<br />
program available through one of six NeighborWorks®<br />
Homeownership Centers located in St. Albans, Burlington,<br />
Barre, Lyndonville, West Rutl<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> Springfield.<br />
Under the HOMELAND Program, credit-worthy buyers<br />
are eligible for purchase subsidy grants of up to $25,000<br />
to help them purchase a home on the private market.<br />
Buyers typically obtain mortgage loan financing, often<br />
from the <strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> Finance Agency or USDA Rural<br />
Development, <strong>and</strong> contribute their own cash resources<br />
toward the purchase. Additional grants of up to $2000,<br />
repayable upon the sale of the home, are available to assist<br />
with downpayment <strong>and</strong> closing costs. In order to maintain<br />
affordability for subsequent buyers <strong>and</strong> to recycle the initial<br />
public investment, restrictions are placed on the future sales<br />
price of homes purchased under the HOMELAND Program.<br />
Habitat for Humanity Fund<br />
In addition to the Homel<strong>and</strong> Program, VHCB awards grants<br />
for the construction of homes built by one of <strong>Vermont</strong>’s<br />
eight Habitat for Humanity chapters. Projects that involve<br />
the construction of a home by a vocational school program<br />
are also eligible for grants through this fund. Since it was<br />
established in 1991, 43 homes have been built with this grant<br />
assistance.<br />
9
Braintree’s Mobile Acres:<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> <strong>and</strong> Community<br />
10<br />
a small community outside R<strong>and</strong>olph, about one<br />
every five residents lives in Mobile Acres, a mobile home<br />
InBraintree,<br />
park off Route 12A with 95 mobile home lots. Built in 1969 by<br />
a community-minded local farmer, the park was purchased in 1988 by<br />
investors who jacked up lot rents <strong>and</strong> let the place run down.<br />
This year at Mobile Acres, things changed.<br />
Cindy <strong>and</strong> Mark Williams came to live here because of the change. With<br />
two young children at home, one of whom has severe developmental delays,<br />
the Williamses were renting nearby when they heard that the <strong>Housing</strong><br />
Foundation, Inc. (HFI), a nonprofit operated by the <strong>Vermont</strong> State <strong>Housing</strong><br />
Authority (VSHA), was buying Mobile Acres. HFI planned to refurbish <strong>and</strong><br />
improve the park, where deterioration <strong>and</strong> resident discontent had led to<br />
high vacancy rates, <strong>and</strong> local taxes were not being consistently paid.<br />
“They were helping low-income families purchase homes,” Cindy<br />
Williams says of the state housing agency. “Before we knew it was the<br />
VSHA, I said, ‘I don’t want to live there.’ But then when we knew who it was<br />
<strong>and</strong> what they were doing, I wanted to.” The family moved in last August.<br />
Over nine months of negotiations, HFI whittled down the park’s price<br />
from $2.4 million to $1.6 million. A package of VHCB funding played a<br />
major role in the park’s purchase, as did a block grant from the <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Community Development Program sought <strong>and</strong> won by the town of<br />
Braintree.<br />
Since the purchase, HFI has reduced rents on all the lots at Mobile Acres,<br />
paved some of the roads, upgraded the septic systems on 26 mobile home<br />
lots, moved four lots out of the flood plain, <strong>and</strong> put into place a 10-year plan<br />
to redo the park’s water system. “We’re also working with folks, wherever<br />
possible, to help them upgrade their homes,” says Will Giblin of the<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Foundation, Inc.<br />
“The park shows consistent improvement,” says Jocelyn Stohl, chair of<br />
the Braintree Select <strong>Board</strong>. “It’s pretty evident. And I think the spirit is back<br />
with those citizens. They all seem to have a sense of pride, that things are<br />
being cared for now. I don’t think they had that for a long time.” The town<br />
is also able, she adds, to assess <strong>and</strong> collect taxes on the park <strong>and</strong> its homes<br />
much more consistently.<br />
For their part, the Williamses are seeking local approval to improve the<br />
stairway <strong>and</strong> deck outside their home. Inside, their place is immaculate.<br />
The family has a low-interest mortgage through the <strong>Vermont</strong> Development<br />
Credit Union.<br />
“We’re here to stay,” Cindy says, “to us, this isn’t a house, it’s a home.”<br />
“The park shows consis-<br />
tent improvement. It’s<br />
pretty evident. And I<br />
think the spirit is back<br />
with those citizens. They<br />
all seem to have a sense<br />
of pride, that things are<br />
being cared for now. I<br />
don’t think they had that<br />
for a long time.”<br />
— Jocelyn Stohl, Chair,<br />
Braintree Select <strong>Board</strong><br />
Project Profile<br />
Mobile Acres, Braintree<br />
95-lot mobile home park<br />
68 lots restricted to households<br />
at less than 80% of<br />
median income<br />
Developer:<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Foundation, Inc.<br />
Funding:<br />
VHCB, VCDP, VSHA<br />
Infrastructure<br />
Improvements:<br />
water, sewer <strong>and</strong> electrical<br />
upgrades/replacements;<br />
repaving roads; two new<br />
playground areas<br />
Bob Eddy
Cindy <strong>and</strong> Mark Williams <strong>and</strong> their son, Zachary,<br />
with caregiver Holly at home in Braintree.<br />
11
In the Upper Valley, An Imbalance of Need<br />
The population of the Upper Connecticut River Valley area grew by 11<br />
percent from 1990 to 2000, but the region’s stock of rental housing units<br />
grew by only 2 percent, <strong>and</strong> its ownership housing by just 5 percent. On<br />
average, in the same period, home prices rose by 33 percent, rents by 36 percent<br />
— but household incomes by only 13 percent.<br />
These numbers come from the Upper Valley <strong>Housing</strong> Needs Analysis, a 2002<br />
study by Applied Economic Research of Laconia, N.H. The study outlines a<br />
housing crisis that has become severe.<br />
“You can’t grow businesses if you have no housing stock; you can’t create<br />
new jobs if you don’t have the housing,” warns Greg Kennedy, vice president <strong>and</strong><br />
community lender at Mascoma Savings Bank <strong>and</strong> steering committee chair of<br />
the Upper Valley <strong>Housing</strong> Coalition.<br />
A time of strong economic growth in the bistate region has seen large<br />
employers, such as Dartmouth College <strong>and</strong> Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical<br />
Centers, exp<strong>and</strong> their job rosters dramatically, while “we’ve also experienced an<br />
almost under-the-radar growth in small, high-tech companies,” Kennedy says.<br />
“At the same time, we’ve had a tremendous proliferation of retail jobs.”<br />
With many new folks coming to the area to take high-paying, high-tech jobs,<br />
housing prices keep rising. People on retail <strong>and</strong> service salaries are being forced<br />
to outlying towns—when they can find housing at all. The Haven, a nonprofit<br />
that runs one of the region’s very few homeless shelters, is currently turning<br />
away an average of 25 families every month.<br />
About two years ago, to help address the crisis, area business leaders <strong>and</strong><br />
nonprofit groups together formed the Upper Valley <strong>Housing</strong> Coalition. “Step<br />
one is getting everybody to the table,” says Dan French, who staffs the effort.<br />
“We’ve been able to bring together business people, local planners, large developers,<br />
nonprofits, environmental groups, municipalities, volunteer board<br />
members, <strong>and</strong> elected officials.”<br />
“I think the biggest challenge is educating local officials to the need,” adds<br />
Becky Basch, senior planner at Southern Windsor County Regional Planning<br />
Commission.<br />
“You can’t grow businesses<br />
if you have no<br />
housing stock; you<br />
can’t create new jobs<br />
if you don’t have the<br />
housing,”<br />
—Greg Kennedy,<br />
Vice President,<br />
Mascoma Savings Bank<br />
12<br />
Sunrise Settlement in Quechee<br />
22 new rental units constructed by<br />
private developer Homestead Design<br />
using federal HOME program funds,<br />
administered by VHCB, to increase<br />
affordability. The Sunrise units are<br />
large single-family homes, with ample<br />
green space, in an upscale village in an<br />
especially tight rental market.
Ray Brewster, Twin Pines <strong>Housing</strong> Trust<br />
“<br />
Hollow Drive Family <strong>Housing</strong><br />
A low-key complex that “feels more like a community”<br />
We were trying to create a sense of neighborhood, or community,<br />
that you’d find in any small <strong>Vermont</strong> village or town,” says Richard<br />
Williams, Executive Director of the <strong>Vermont</strong> State <strong>Housing</strong><br />
Authority (VSHA). “We tried to show that affordable housing can be nice, <strong>and</strong> it<br />
will fit into a neighborhood.”<br />
Williams’ words describe both the intent <strong>and</strong> the outcome at Hollow Drive<br />
Family <strong>Housing</strong>, a new, 18-unit rental complex in Wilder. Partly replacing<br />
nearby Templeton Court, a 1970s-era housing project where the number of units<br />
is being reduced in an ongoing renovation, the apartments at Hollow Drive are<br />
clustered in six modest buildings adjacent to eight single-family home lots. Six<br />
of those lots are designed for sale to market-rate builders; the other two have<br />
been sold at a discount price to Habitat for Humanity.<br />
“Habitat has the problem of not being able to afford l<strong>and</strong>; we have the<br />
problem of not being able to afford builders,” says Rob Bryant of the Twin Pines<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Trust, which co-developed Hollow Drive with The <strong>Housing</strong> Foundation,<br />
Inc., a nonprofit development company created by VSHA. The project was<br />
funded by VHCB, VHFA, HOME, <strong>and</strong> USDA Rural Development.<br />
Last February, former Templeton resident Renee Francoeur was the first<br />
rental tenant to move into Hollow Drive. She has seen, she says, an enormous<br />
difference.<br />
“The old place was noisy, there was a lot of traffic, there was a lot of teenage<br />
mischief,” says Francoeur, who is disabled <strong>and</strong> lives with two school-age children.<br />
“Here it’s like heaven. There’s grass for the kids to run around <strong>and</strong> play on.<br />
We have our own back yard, <strong>and</strong> a side yard where the kids can pitch tents, sleep<br />
out, <strong>and</strong> feel safe. We can have a barbecue."<br />
“The grounds are clean,<br />
<strong>and</strong> it’s a mixed environment.<br />
We have elderly,<br />
we have disabled people,<br />
single moms, two-parent<br />
families. I know every<br />
neighbor here. It feels<br />
more like a community,<br />
instead of that bad-stigma,<br />
low-income housing,<br />
other-side-of-the-tracks<br />
feeling. This place, as far<br />
as I know, if it has a reputation,<br />
it’s a good one.”<br />
—Renee Francoeur, Resident,<br />
Hollow Drive, Wilder<br />
Project Profile<br />
18 apartments<br />
8 single family homes<br />
Developers:<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Foundation, Inc.,<br />
Twin Pines <strong>Housing</strong> Trust<br />
Affordability:<br />
Apartments: less than<br />
80% of median income<br />
Single Family Homes:<br />
2 will be built by Habitat<br />
for Humanity Chapters<br />
13
Theresa Palis <strong>and</strong> her four sons in a new apartment in Hartford<br />
Bob Eddy<br />
14<br />
Hartford’s Overlook <strong>Housing</strong>:<br />
Stepping Up from Homelessness<br />
When Theresa Palis moved herself <strong>and</strong> her four kids into a shelter for<br />
survivors of domestic violence, she had a high school education <strong>and</strong><br />
virtually no experience in running a household.<br />
“When I was married, I had no control — over finances, decisions, anything,”<br />
she says. “All of a sudden I took on the responsibility of being a single parent.”<br />
After seven months in the Upper Valley shelter, last April Theresa <strong>and</strong> her<br />
four boys moved into Overlook <strong>Housing</strong> in Hartford. This br<strong>and</strong>-new cluster of<br />
10 units of transitional housing blends affordable rents with supportive services<br />
for residents who have been homeless.<br />
Developed by Twin Pine <strong>Housing</strong> Trust <strong>and</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong>, Overlook<br />
— which also includes three downtown apartments for <strong>Vermont</strong>ers with<br />
mental illness — is now home to five single-parent families <strong>and</strong> five other<br />
residents. Each has been referred by one of seven Upper Valley social service<br />
agencies. Each is working with a case manager, developing a plan to learn the life<br />
skills they need to live independently.<br />
Project Profile<br />
10 apartments for homeless<br />
individuals <strong>and</strong> families;<br />
3 units for individuals with<br />
chronic mental illness<br />
Developer:<br />
Twin Pines <strong>Housing</strong> Trust<br />
Social Services provided by<br />
a consortium of Upper Valley<br />
social service providers<br />
HUD McKinney funding provides<br />
an operating subsidy <strong>and</strong> pays<br />
for a service coordinator
“The goal in all these apartments<br />
is that the person will live there for<br />
six months to two years, at which<br />
time they’ll go into more stable living<br />
situations,” says Rob Bryant, executive<br />
director of Twin Pines. “The goal is for<br />
all of them to be employed.”<br />
The month after Theresa Palis<br />
moved here, she enrolled at Community<br />
College of <strong>Vermont</strong>. “I wanted<br />
to do that so bad I could taste it,” she<br />
says. She now has a 3.50 grade point<br />
average, while at Hartford High School<br />
her oldest son, Gary, has made the<br />
honor roll for the first time.<br />
Theresa meets monthly with her<br />
case manager. “I feel very much more<br />
in control, more empowered,” she says.<br />
“I know how to do my financing, to<br />
pay the bills first. And it’s so nice to<br />
come home <strong>and</strong> feel good about my<br />
day.”<br />
At Overlook, where all the residents<br />
qualify for Section 8 rental assistance,<br />
there’s a growing sense of community.<br />
“People always watch each other’s kids,<br />
or give each other rides,” Theresa says.<br />
There’s also a waiting list.<br />
“Area motels are full of low-income<br />
families,” says Bryant.<br />
“Supportive housing helps people<br />
transition to a place where they can be<br />
self-supporting,” notes Rebecca Heller,<br />
a Dartmouth College junior who’s<br />
interning at Twin Pines. “It’s the first<br />
sustainable approach to the problem<br />
of homelessness in the Upper Valley.”<br />
Working to End<br />
Homelessness in <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
“Its not a new strategy we have to come<br />
up with to end homelessness. We know<br />
what works, it's housing . . . In 2000, the<br />
Committee on Temporary Shelter served<br />
330 families with children. In 2003, it<br />
was reduced to 120. VHCB grants in<br />
2000 <strong>and</strong> 2001, utilizing state surplus<br />
funds, essentially doubled the number of<br />
affordable housing units in Chittenden<br />
County. We’re now seeing the benefit<br />
of those allocations three years ago in<br />
a very dramatic way. This means there<br />
are hundreds of children who don’t have<br />
to undergo the upheaval of losing their<br />
home, as their parents have places to live<br />
that they can afford.”<br />
— Rita Markley, Executive Director<br />
Committee on Temporary Shelter<br />
Burlington, <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
15
VHCB <strong>Conservation</strong> Funding<br />
Supporting the Vitality of <strong>Vermont</strong> Communities<br />
16<br />
What does it takes to maintain economic stability <strong>and</strong> encourage<br />
responsible growth in <strong>Vermont</strong>’s small towns <strong>and</strong> cities? Good jobs,<br />
good schools, a healthy work force…the theories abound. Inevitably<br />
the phrase “quality of life” comes up. Theories aside, we know what we value:<br />
vibrant downtowns offering a range of housing options, shops <strong>and</strong> services,<br />
historic architecture, public meeting places, recreational facilities, libraries, <strong>and</strong><br />
parks, surrounded by open farml<strong>and</strong>, woodl<strong>and</strong>s, clean lakes <strong>and</strong> waterways.<br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> projects funded by the <strong>Board</strong> further these goals in many<br />
ways, whether it’s rehabilitation of historic buildings, funding of municipal<br />
parks, protection of trails <strong>and</strong> greenways, additions to state l<strong>and</strong>s, or farml<strong>and</strong><br />
conservation. Many communities have found that VHCB funding is a tool for<br />
enhancing economic vitality <strong>and</strong> attracting investment <strong>and</strong> jobs, bringing in<br />
visitors, <strong>and</strong> encouraging residents to get involved in local affairs.<br />
The conservation projects funded this year consistently reflect these<br />
considerations that are so critical to the development of <strong>Vermont</strong>’s economy<br />
<strong>and</strong> quality of life. While supporting developing economic trends, the <strong>Board</strong><br />
continues to conserve <strong>Vermont</strong>’s traditional agricultural l<strong>and</strong>scape, this year<br />
adding 7,118 acres of high quality, actively farmed l<strong>and</strong> to previous years’ efforts.<br />
More <strong>and</strong> more, communities are recognizing that the restoration of historic<br />
resources can define their unique identities, linking past, present, <strong>and</strong> future<br />
generations through commnunity l<strong>and</strong>marks. Citizens of Brookfield, Poultney,<br />
Northfield <strong>and</strong> Ferrisburgh, among others, have coalesced around efforts to<br />
Aerial view of the town of Enosburg.<br />
Conserved Harness farm in the foreground.<br />
Fiscal Year 2003<br />
CONSERVATION<br />
State Funding Commitments<br />
Agricultural L<strong>and</strong>:<br />
$3,256,430<br />
32 farms<br />
7,118 acres<br />
Natural Areas, Recreational<br />
L<strong>and</strong>s, Historic Properties:<br />
$2,263,463<br />
20 projects<br />
2,026 acres<br />
Federal Funding Programs<br />
Farms for the Future:<br />
$621,800<br />
TEA-21Funds:<br />
$68,000<br />
NRCS Farml<strong>and</strong><br />
Preservation Program:<br />
$2,844,200
Ethan Parke<br />
restore a part of their history—watching in wonder as historic renovation of<br />
important town buildings—a town hall, a library, a community center, or a<br />
grange—evolves into renewed community spirit.<br />
Likewise, initiatives to conserve small parks <strong>and</strong> recreation areas in <strong>and</strong> near<br />
village centers have been priorities in communities statewide. Spurred by a<br />
desire to increase recreational opportunities within walking or biking distance<br />
of their population centers, towns such as Montpelier, Manchester, St. Albans,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Killington have seized opportunities to acquire vital additions to their park<br />
l<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> projects this year range in size from a one-acre state l<strong>and</strong>s<br />
addition providing perpetual public access to the popular “20-Foot Hole” swimming<br />
area in Reading to the conservation of over 1,000 acres of Bolton upl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
The Bolton Upl<strong>and</strong>s project enhances Long Trail <strong>and</strong> Catamount Trail protection,<br />
preserves wildlife corridors <strong>and</strong> protects views from the I-89 corridor.<br />
Extensive public involvement in management planning for this addition to the<br />
Mt. Mansfield State Forest will center on public recreational access to the largest<br />
tract of undeveloped acreage in Chittenden County.<br />
VHCB’s goals are linked, by statute, to the economic vitality <strong>and</strong> quality of<br />
life of <strong>Vermont</strong>. But it is the vision <strong>and</strong> commitment of people in communities<br />
throughout the state that bring these goals to reality.<br />
The town of Killington used VHCB<br />
local conservation funds to purchase<br />
l<strong>and</strong> behind the town library <strong>and</strong><br />
adjacent to the recreation center to<br />
be developed into new soccer <strong>and</strong><br />
baseball fields.<br />
17<br />
Bob Eddy<br />
At the Brookfield Town Hall, a group is entertained by musicians at a weekly jam session organized<br />
last summer. VHCB funds will be used to restore the historic building for community use.
<strong>Vermont</strong>’s Farml<strong>and</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Program<br />
Since 1987, VHCB’s Farml<strong>and</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Program—in partnership with<br />
the <strong>Vermont</strong> Agency of Agriculture, Food <strong>and</strong> Markets, <strong>and</strong> nonprofit<br />
l<strong>and</strong> trusts (<strong>Vermont</strong> L<strong>and</strong> Trust, Upper Valley L<strong>and</strong> Trust, <strong>and</strong> Addison<br />
County Community Trust)—has conserved 105,500 acres on more than 352<br />
farms. During this time, private efforts have supplemented VHCB’s program to<br />
provide for the conservation of additional farms.<br />
The Farml<strong>and</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Program focuses on protecting working farms<br />
with good agricultural soils in strong farming communities where agriculture<br />
is likely to remain viable. VHCB funds the purchase of development rights on<br />
farms complete with buildings <strong>and</strong> on high-quality farml<strong>and</strong> parcels without<br />
buildings. The Program operates on a willing buyer/willing seller basis, with<br />
appraisals determining the price that is paid for an agricultural conservation<br />
easement.<br />
Although low milk prices put many dairy farms in peril during 2003, dairy<br />
farms still contributed about 85 percent of <strong>Vermont</strong>’s total cash receipts from<br />
agriculture, <strong>and</strong> dairying remains a vital part of many rural <strong>Vermont</strong> communities.<br />
Milk prices rebounded in the fall after bottoming out in April 2003.<br />
However, long range dairy price forecasts are not optimistic. Meanwhile, the<br />
pressure to sell farml<strong>and</strong> for development has intensified as l<strong>and</strong> values trend<br />
higher compared to the relatively flat real estate markets of the 1990s.<br />
In the face of these economic challenges, some farmers are considering<br />
changes to the size of their dairy herds, diversification away from dairy, on-farm<br />
processing of farm products, direct marketing, or even agri-tourism. Some make<br />
selling development rights part of their plan. Since development rights owned<br />
by a farmer are assets that do not produce income if the l<strong>and</strong> stays in agriculture,<br />
selling these rights can make good business sense. Proceeds from the sale<br />
of development rights are often used to modernize buildings <strong>and</strong> equipment, to<br />
finance new farm enterprises, or to facilitate transfers to the next generation of<br />
farmers.<br />
To help farmers make business decisions during this time of changing farm<br />
economics, VHCB, in partnership with the <strong>Vermont</strong> Agency of Agriculture,<br />
Food <strong>and</strong> Markets, this year launched a Farm Viability Enhancement Program,<br />
offering business planning <strong>and</strong> technical assistance to farmers.<br />
“The dairy industry is undergoing<br />
a major transition as<br />
older farmers with small<br />
operations sell to younger<br />
farmers who recognize that<br />
larger operations are needed<br />
in order to remain competitive.<br />
Given the stagnant price of<br />
milk <strong>and</strong> the slight margins of<br />
profitability for dairymen, the<br />
majority of these transfers<br />
would not take place without<br />
l<strong>and</strong> conservation. The sale of<br />
development rights benefits<br />
everyone: the seller, the buyer,<br />
<strong>and</strong> every citizen who cares<br />
about the heritage <strong>and</strong> beauty<br />
of our state.”<br />
—Reg Chaput,<br />
Chaput Family Farms,<br />
North Troy & Newport<br />
18<br />
Mark <strong>and</strong> Sarah Russell are<br />
using business <strong>and</strong> technical<br />
consultants provided by the Farm<br />
Viability Enhancement Program<br />
to help plan for a move onto a<br />
new farm in Orwell where they<br />
will exp<strong>and</strong> their herd <strong>and</strong> buy<br />
different machinery.
New Farm Viability Program:<br />
Expertise Where It’s Needed<br />
In early 2003, when organic vegetable grower Mimi Arnstein began setting<br />
up a new, community-supported agriculture operation on three planted<br />
acres in Marshfield, the <strong>Vermont</strong> Farm Viability Enhancement Program was<br />
also new. During the past year the program, which VHCB developed in collaboration<br />
with the <strong>Vermont</strong> Agency of Agriculture, Food <strong>and</strong> Markets, has provided<br />
Mimi with four expert consultants: a UVM plant disease expert, a compost<br />
consultant, a business planner, <strong>and</strong> a veteran neighboring produce grower for<br />
general technical help. Their services were paid by the program, at no charge to<br />
the farmer’s operation.<br />
“I would not have been able to afford this kind of technical assistance—nor<br />
would I have seriously considered it, because of the cost,” Mimi says. “But it’s<br />
been helpful in lots of different ways.”<br />
Designed to strengthen the economic position of <strong>Vermont</strong> agriculture,<br />
<strong>and</strong> to work alongside existing l<strong>and</strong>-conservation efforts, the Farm Viability<br />
Program can deploy a variety of consultants to meet a farmer’s needs. In<br />
Addison County, for example, consultants helped dairy farmers Mark <strong>and</strong><br />
Sarah Russell prepare for a major change — a planned move to what Sarah calls<br />
“Mark’s dream farm.”<br />
“We rent a farm, <strong>and</strong> we’ve rented for approximately 17 years,” Sarah says.<br />
The couple lives on Mark’s family property in Sudbury, but that l<strong>and</strong> doesn’t<br />
have the farming facilities they need, so they’ve been renting a place in Sudbury.<br />
Last spring, when an Orwell farm that Mark has always admired came up for<br />
sale, the Russells made an offer.<br />
“We just decided to go for it,” Sarah says.<br />
But making the change calls for a big transition. “We need to exp<strong>and</strong> our<br />
herd numbers, we need to buy different machinery,” she says. “It’s a bigger farm;<br />
it’s going to change our operation.”<br />
Farm Viability Program consultants have helped the Russells with financial<br />
<strong>and</strong> farm planning.<br />
“We’re going over our finances, planning for the future,” Mark Russell<br />
explains. “Some of the people we’re talking to are really challenging us on our<br />
management: ‘Could you lower your production costs here? Could you raise<br />
your level of production?’<br />
Thanks to the program, he adds, “We have several different professional<br />
people working for us, <strong>and</strong> it’s not costing us anything. We’re not getting any<br />
direct cash payment; the grant comes to us in the form of technical assistance.<br />
Which I think is going to be worth a lot.”<br />
David <strong>and</strong> Mary Ellen Franklin <strong>and</strong><br />
their three sons operate a small<br />
diversified dairy farm in Guilford.<br />
The Franklins are working with farm<br />
business consultants from Working<br />
L<strong>and</strong>scapes, Inc. through the <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Farm Viability Program to develop<br />
markets for their products.<br />
Annie Van Avery<br />
Peter Wrenn<br />
Mimi Arnstein is using advice from ag<br />
consultants <strong>and</strong> a business planner to<br />
maximize profits on her market garden<br />
in Marshfield. The consulting services<br />
were provided by the <strong>Vermont</strong> Farm<br />
Viability Program.<br />
“I would not have been<br />
able to afford this kind<br />
of technical assistance—<br />
nor would I have<br />
seriously considered it,<br />
because of the cost, but<br />
it’s been helpful in lots of<br />
different ways.”<br />
— Mimi Arnstein<br />
19
In Bridport, Farm <strong>Conservation</strong><br />
Keeps “These Beautiful Fields”<br />
Well-known nationally, even internationally, for their champion<br />
Brown Swiss cows, the Ouellette family of Bridport milks 730<br />
Holsteins <strong>and</strong> Brown Swiss on a very scenic Champlain Valley farm<br />
that covers three parcels, with 552 acres. The property includes 1,750 feet of<br />
undeveloped frontage on Lake Champlain — hugely valuable l<strong>and</strong> that Steve<br />
knows he could have sold “in a heartbeat.”<br />
Instead, the Ouellettes conserved their whole farm, all but 90 hilltop acres,<br />
through the <strong>Vermont</strong> L<strong>and</strong> Trust, with funding from VHCB.<br />
“I really don’t want it developed, anyways,” Steve says. “This was a way for<br />
us to be able to work the kids in, <strong>and</strong> be able to build us a house to get off the<br />
farm, not to have to sell some l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> some cows — to be able to think about<br />
retiring.”<br />
All three of the Ouellettes’ grown children are working in or headed toward<br />
farming. Nicole, 28, raises the calves here, <strong>and</strong> plans to be involved with her<br />
husb<strong>and</strong>’s family farm in Middlebury; Aaron, 25, plays a key role in running<br />
the Ouellette operation; <strong>and</strong> Stephanie, 21, is studying animal science <strong>and</strong> ag<br />
business at Cornell. She does the showing that recently won a family cow Gr<strong>and</strong><br />
Champion honors at the recent World Dairy Expo’s Junior Show.<br />
Speaking of her children <strong>and</strong><br />
the farml<strong>and</strong>’s conservation, Sherry<br />
Ouellette says: “We talked it over<br />
with them. We said, ‘This will affect<br />
you, too.’”<br />
All the Ouellettes have seen big,<br />
expensive houses sprout on nearby<br />
l<strong>and</strong> sold off by other farms. “We’ve<br />
got mega-big, million-dollar houses<br />
just popping up everywhere,” says<br />
Sherry.<br />
But at the same time, five farms<br />
that adjoin the family’s l<strong>and</strong> are<br />
conserved. The Ouellettes say the <strong>Vermont</strong> dairy industry still needs help to<br />
survive, <strong>and</strong> they can’t guarantee what the future will bring; but they share no<br />
regrets about conserving their l<strong>and</strong> for agriculture, <strong>and</strong> for the beauty it offers.<br />
“It’s nice to be able to go out back <strong>and</strong> see fox <strong>and</strong> goose <strong>and</strong> deer,” Sherry<br />
says. “We’ve been all over the country, <strong>and</strong> seen a lot of nice places — but when<br />
you turn the corner here, <strong>and</strong> you see the Adirondacks, the open fields, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
lake . . . It’s just amazing.<br />
“We didn’t want to start breaking up these beautiful fields.”<br />
“I really don’t want it<br />
developed, anyways.<br />
This was a way for us to<br />
be able to work the kids<br />
in, <strong>and</strong> be able to build<br />
us a house to get off the<br />
farm, not to have to sell<br />
some l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> some<br />
cows — to be able to think<br />
about retiring.”<br />
—Steve Ouellette<br />
21<br />
Bob Eddy<br />
Sherry <strong>and</strong> Steve Ouellette with Pineapple,<br />
Junior Show Supreme Champion at the 2001 World Dairy Expo
22<br />
Conserving a Good Farm’s Future<br />
Bill Ellis has been in farming since he was a boy, when he helped on his<br />
gr<strong>and</strong>father’s place in Georgia. After graduating from <strong>Vermont</strong> Tech in<br />
the early 70s, he <strong>and</strong> his wife, Anne, came to work full-time on Robert<br />
Newton’s 336-acre farm. Bill <strong>and</strong> Anne formed a partnership with Robert<br />
Newton in 1979 <strong>and</strong> over the years they made many improvements to the operation.<br />
In 1994, the Ellises were joined on the farm by their grown son Dan <strong>and</strong> his<br />
wife, Pam.<br />
The family co-owned the animals <strong>and</strong> equipment with Newton, who owned<br />
the l<strong>and</strong>. Last September, the Ellises bought the l<strong>and</strong>. Using VHCB funding, the<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Agency of Agriculture, Food <strong>and</strong> Markets, purchased development<br />
rights on the farm—a step that facilitated the transfer <strong>and</strong> that is helping to<br />
make possible plans to build a new, state-of-the-art freestall barn <strong>and</strong> modestly<br />
exp<strong>and</strong> their 103-cow herd.<br />
“It had to be part of it, in order for us to afford it!” says Bill Ellis. The farm’s<br />
conservation was integral to his farm improvement <strong>and</strong> expansion plans.<br />
“We thought about it,” he says of the decision to sell development rights, “but<br />
if you’re going to be in farming, you’re not going to develop your l<strong>and</strong>, because<br />
you need your l<strong>and</strong> for farming. I think if Robert Newton had known I was<br />
going to develop the farm, he wouldn’t have sold it to me. It was important to<br />
him that the l<strong>and</strong> be preserved. It’s nice farml<strong>and</strong> — wide open, fresh air, nice<br />
location, nice view up here.”<br />
David Juaire photos<br />
“It kept me in farming,”<br />
Bill Ellis says of the<br />
conservation deal.<br />
“As far as the area is<br />
concerned, it keeps<br />
l<strong>and</strong> open! It’s a good<br />
feeling—that’s what this<br />
farm gives us, up here.<br />
My boy got married up<br />
here, <strong>and</strong> he says this is<br />
where he wants to raise<br />
his family. We’re going<br />
to do our best.”<br />
–Bill Ellis, Georgia Farmer
The family’s decision to conserve<br />
the l<strong>and</strong> also involved son <strong>and</strong><br />
daughter-in-law, Dan <strong>and</strong> Pam Ellis,<br />
who want to keep the farm going.<br />
“You’ve got to have something to<br />
work for. He wants to do it, <strong>and</strong> I’m<br />
willing to help any way I can,” Bill says<br />
of his son. “I love farming — there’s<br />
nothing like it in the world. You can<br />
have a bad day, but it’s still satisfying.”<br />
The Ellis Family Farm, as it’s now<br />
called, has excellent soils <strong>and</strong> is welllocated,<br />
one of 28 farms still active in<br />
Georgia. It’s close to St. Albans <strong>and</strong> its<br />
agricultural services.<br />
“It kept me in farming,” Bill Ellis<br />
says of the conservation deal. “As far<br />
as the area is concerned, it keeps l<strong>and</strong><br />
open! It’s a good feeling—that’s what<br />
this farm gives us, up here. My boy got<br />
married up here, <strong>and</strong> he says this is<br />
where he wants to raise his family.<br />
“We’re going to do our best.”<br />
The Ellis Family Farm<br />
Bill <strong>and</strong> Anne Ellis work the family farm in Georgia with their son<br />
Dan, <strong>and</strong> Dan's wife, Pam. Above right, Bill with Dan Jr., Anne,<br />
Dan, <strong>and</strong> his daughters, Aliza, Chelsea, <strong>and</strong> Julia, <strong>and</strong> Sadie, the<br />
dog. Dan takes care of chores on the farm—with some help from<br />
Dan, Jr.<br />
23
Tom Honigford <strong>and</strong> Sharon O'Connor,<br />
co-owners of Hurricane Flats Farm<br />
Bob Eddy<br />
Beside the White River,<br />
A Reborn Farm Is Secured<br />
24<br />
Tom Honigford <strong>and</strong> Sharon O’Connor’s organic produce farm has 37<br />
acres of rock-free, river-bottom soil alongside the White River in South<br />
Royalton. “It’s 20 feet of soil to the ledge. In <strong>Vermont</strong>, that’s huge,” says<br />
Honigford, who conserved his Hurricane Flats Farm in 2003 through the Upper<br />
Valley L<strong>and</strong> Trust, with help from a VHCB grant.<br />
From across the river on a November day comes the droning rumble of a<br />
backhoe. Honigford gestures past his still-green fields to point out four new<br />
houses along the other bank. The backhoe is digging a foundation for the fifth.<br />
“If you’d been here last May, that was all grass,” the farmer says, describing<br />
other new development nearby. “They grow houses fast.”<br />
Even though his l<strong>and</strong> has 100 percent prime agricultural soils, “developers<br />
would love it,” Honigford says. “You can stick in as many houses as you can stick<br />
in. You don’t have to cut down trees.”<br />
Now that won’t happen here. This l<strong>and</strong>’s conservation caps a great deal of<br />
work by this family on their place, which was a badly deteriorated former dairy<br />
farm when they bought it in 1995.<br />
Tom <strong>and</strong> Sharon rehabilitated <strong>and</strong> added<br />
on to the 1780's house <strong>and</strong> barn, adding<br />
a walk-in cooler <strong>and</strong> a greenhouse.<br />
A second greenhouse <strong>and</strong> haying<br />
equipment were financed with<br />
proceeds from the sale of<br />
development rights.
“The house was a wreck, the barn was a wreck, there was junk all over the<br />
place,” recalls Honigford, who lives here with his wife <strong>and</strong> co-owner, Sharon<br />
O’Connor, <strong>and</strong> their daughters Emma, 7, <strong>and</strong> Cora, 5.<br />
Honigford renovated <strong>and</strong> extended the 1780-vintage house <strong>and</strong> put the<br />
falling-down barn back together, converting cow stanchions to horse stalls<br />
<strong>and</strong> adding a walk-in cooler <strong>and</strong> greenhouse. Into the fields he worked tons of<br />
manure, carefully rebuilding the soil’s fertility. Today the farm is self-sustaining,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Tom <strong>and</strong> Sharon are a regular presence at the busy weekly farmers’ market<br />
in Norwich.<br />
“On a market day in the summer, it takes three of us to sell,” he says.<br />
Though Honigford <strong>and</strong> O’Connor sold their development rights at a bargain<br />
price, the proceeds are enabling them to build a second greenhouse, buy some<br />
haying equipment, <strong>and</strong> supplement their kids’ college fund. But, says the<br />
farmer, “this was distinctly less about the money. I’m doing OK; I’ve got a selfsustaining<br />
operation. We just want to keep the l<strong>and</strong> open.”<br />
“The success of the Hurricane Flats Farm demonstrates the strength of<br />
our local agricultural markets,” adds Jeanie McIntyre, executive director of<br />
the Upper Valley L<strong>and</strong> Trust. “In the Upper Valley, diversified farms can thrive<br />
because people desire fresh, quality products, because people value purchasing<br />
from their neighbors, <strong>and</strong> because people appreciate vibrant agriculture in their<br />
midst.”<br />
Mary Sue Henszey<br />
Emma Honigford<br />
Bob Eddy<br />
The Brookfield Town Hall will be renovated<br />
for town offices <strong>and</strong> public meeting space.<br />
Other towns using VHCB funds to acquire <strong>and</strong><br />
restore historic buildings are Ira, Poultney,<br />
Pawlet, Northfield <strong>and</strong> Ferrisburgh.<br />
VHCB’s Local <strong>Conservation</strong> Program<br />
VHCB’s Local Con ser va tion Pro gram provides fund ing<br />
for the ac qui si tion of l<strong>and</strong> or ease ments to pro vide public<br />
access to water, trails or greenways, to pro tect or ex p<strong>and</strong><br />
town parks <strong>and</strong> town forests, <strong>and</strong> to con serve public<br />
his tor ic prop er ties. Local <strong>Conservation</strong> awards are lim it ed<br />
to $100,000 <strong>and</strong> re quire a one-third match of total project<br />
costs, as well as a letter of support from the town.<br />
Local Farml<strong>and</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong><br />
Smaller farms that are unable to com pete for funding under<br />
VHCB’s state wide Farm l<strong>and</strong> Con ser va tion Pro gram are<br />
eligible for grants of up to $125,000 plus associated costs<br />
under this pro gram, which also re quires a one-third match<br />
of total project costs in the form of local fundraising, inkind<br />
ser vic es, <strong>and</strong>/or donations of l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> ease ments that<br />
further the conservation goals of the project.<br />
25
Southern <strong>Vermont</strong> Recreation Center<br />
Historic foundry building reborn as community recreation center<br />
26<br />
In a community-based project that brings together historic preservation <strong>and</strong><br />
public recreation, a new recreation center is being created in an old foundry<br />
building that once supplied castings for the machine tool companies in the<br />
region. The foundry was built in 1917 <strong>and</strong> is listed on the <strong>Vermont</strong> State Register<br />
for its architectural significance as an early 20 th century building associated<br />
with the industrial history of Springfield. After st<strong>and</strong>ing vacant for 33 years, the<br />
building was donated to the the Southern <strong>Vermont</strong> Recreation Center by Helen<br />
<strong>and</strong> Stanley Patch of Charlestown, New Hampshire. Under its local conservation<br />
program, VHCB made a grant of $100,000 to the Recreation Center to be used<br />
for essential historic preservation such as masonry repair <strong>and</strong> repointing <strong>and</strong><br />
reconstruction of damaged windows <strong>and</strong> interior walls.<br />
A major volunteer effort has been the keynote of the restoration work on<br />
the foundry building. Last winter more than two dozen volunteers swept out<br />
the vacant building <strong>and</strong> painted walls <strong>and</strong> it was reopened as a temporary<br />
indoor walking track. Volunteer electricians rewired parts of the building to<br />
restore lighting <strong>and</strong> a volunteer plumber removed long ab<strong>and</strong>oned pipes. An<br />
area contractor contributed a five-man construction crew working ten days to<br />
The Southern <strong>Vermont</strong> Recreation Center<br />
will be created in a vacant foundry in<br />
Springfield. VHCB funds will be used to<br />
stabilize historic features of the building.<br />
Above, volunteers swept out the<br />
21,000-square foot building.
emove cement barriers in front of the Center’s shuttered windows.<br />
The Southern <strong>Vermont</strong> Recreation Center will serve residents of Springfield<br />
<strong>and</strong> eight surrounding communities. Located on Bridge Street with frontage on<br />
the Black River, there are plans to create a mini-park <strong>and</strong> small picnic area along<br />
the river <strong>and</strong> to extend the existing bicycle <strong>and</strong> walking paths to the site.<br />
The VHCB grant helped bring the project’s Building Fund beyond the halfway<br />
mark toward its $4.9 million construction budget. Since that time, pledges<br />
have approached $3 million. Twenty-four corporations in <strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>and</strong> New<br />
Hampshire have made pledges or donations ranging from $10,000 to $100,000<br />
to the project. A region-wide public fundraising drive to complete the budget<br />
is under way. When Springfield agreed to host a new state prison, the town<br />
received $3 million in state funds. Twice the residents have voted to use those<br />
funds to create an endowment fund for the recreation center that will subsidize<br />
user fees <strong>and</strong> maintenance.<br />
The Center is now serving as a training facility for a variety of programs.<br />
Several youth from the Diversion Program have completed their commuity<br />
service time here <strong>and</strong> three programs — in masonry, painting, <strong>and</strong> carpentry —<br />
are under way with the Worker Retraining Partnership, a program of the<br />
Department of Employment <strong>and</strong> Training <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Vermont</strong> Chamber of<br />
Commerce. Masons have been repairing brick walls as a practical part of the<br />
course. A work/training team from the Department of Corrections’ women’s<br />
facility in Windsor will work on rebuilding the windows.<br />
“This project has such a wide umbrella of diverse impacts that makes it so<br />
much more than a historic preservation project,” said former State Senator<br />
Edgar May, who is chairman of the Recreation Center’s <strong>Board</strong>. “The real story<br />
here is the story of the volunteers <strong>and</strong> a community demonstrating its hopes for<br />
the future. ”<br />
“It's going to take a lot<br />
of effort from a lot of<br />
people to make this<br />
thing work. I'd like to<br />
do my share. We'll<br />
help build the place<br />
<strong>and</strong> help make it go.”<br />
— Donald Gurney<br />
area contractor<br />
The completed complex will include a competition-size<br />
swimming pool, an indoor walking track, exercise rooms,<br />
meeting rooms, a small therapeutic pool <strong>and</strong> child care.<br />
27<br />
Arm<strong>and</strong> Poulin
Bird Haven in West Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Town Conserves a Bird-Watcher’s Delight<br />
On a wet <strong>and</strong> chilly weekday morning in December, six devoted birders<br />
gather at the edge of the West Rutl<strong>and</strong> Marsh, a wildlife-rich, 296-acre<br />
wetl<strong>and</strong> habitat that VHCB funding helped the local municipality to<br />
acquire <strong>and</strong> conserve in 2002.<br />
These six will spend nearly four hours walking in the rain with binoculars,<br />
keeping careful track of every bird they see. They’re carrying out a monthly<br />
monitoring program, begun in 2001 by the Rutl<strong>and</strong> County Audubon Society<br />
after the National Audubon Society declared this marsh a <strong>Vermont</strong> Important<br />
Bird Area. The marsh is also part of the Lake Champlain Birding Trail. Its location<br />
adjacent <strong>and</strong> in close proximity to almost 700 acres of other conserved<br />
l<strong>and</strong>s improves wildlife viewing <strong>and</strong> public recreation opportunities.<br />
“I think it is important—because we’re losing so much of our open area<br />
to development,” says Fred Bates of Rutl<strong>and</strong>, a retired forge operator from the<br />
nearby GE jet-engine plant who is one of the birders. “This is a place you can go,<br />
<strong>and</strong> at any time of year you’re going to see something.”<br />
In fact, the marsh monitors—a total of 298 people over the past two years,<br />
<strong>and</strong> a group that never misses a date, no matter what the weather—have<br />
recorded sightings of a total of 112 bird species, <strong>and</strong> sometimes over 500 individual<br />
birds in a day.<br />
“There’s a fair diversity of habitat,” says Roy Pilcher of Proctor, a retired<br />
teacher who is co-president of the county society. “One hundred twelve species<br />
is about a third of what you’d expect for <strong>Vermont</strong> as a whole.”<br />
With its mix of wetl<strong>and</strong>, willows, alder swamp, meadows, scrub marsh, <strong>and</strong><br />
poplar <strong>and</strong> pine st<strong>and</strong>s, the West Rutl<strong>and</strong> Marsh is home to many rare <strong>and</strong><br />
rarely-seen birds, including the pied-billed grebe, least bittern, American bittern,<br />
Virginia rail, sora, common moorhen, <strong>and</strong> sedge wren. It also attracts human<br />
beings, for hunting, fishing, <strong>and</strong> trapping along with wildlife observation.<br />
“Numbers alone cannot convey the excitement <strong>and</strong> memories that some<br />
of these encounters have generated,” Pilcher wrote recently in the Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Audubon Society’s newsletter, “from a family of Virginia rails crossing the road<br />
to a male northern harrier coursing a meadow, from a Canada warbler in full<br />
song to a swamp sparrow testing the buoyancy of a lily pad.”<br />
Bird enthusiasts have been coming here for half a century. Now that the<br />
marsh is conserved, they can continue to come. It seems very clear that, whatever<br />
the weather, they will.<br />
At West Rutl<strong>and</strong> Marsh the town has<br />
conserved 296 acres of wetl<strong>and</strong>s with<br />
support from VHCB <strong>and</strong> the National<br />
Audubon Society.<br />
Intrepid birdwatchers—left to right:<br />
Bryan Palfey of Chippenhook, Fred<br />
Bates of Rutl<strong>and</strong>, Marv Elliott of<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> Town, Karen Barnouw of<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong>, Sue Elliott of Rutl<strong>and</strong> Town,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Roy Pilcher of Proctor.<br />
Doug Wilhelm<br />
28
Federal Funds Supplement VHCB Awards<br />
In conjunction with state funds,<br />
VHCB administers federal funding<br />
for programs to develop housing,<br />
increase affordability, add support<br />
services, provide technical assistance,<br />
<strong>and</strong> leverage state <strong>and</strong> private dollars<br />
for l<strong>and</strong> conservation in <strong>Vermont</strong>.<br />
Lead-Based Paint<br />
Hazard Re duc tion Pro gram<br />
With funding from the U.S.<br />
Department of <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>and</strong> Urban<br />
Development, this program has been<br />
operating since 1994, administering<br />
$13.5 million to reduce lead hazards in<br />
1,280 homes <strong>and</strong> apartments statewide.<br />
To read more about the program, see<br />
page 30.<br />
AmeriCorps <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Community Stewardship Program<br />
This program has operated for six<br />
years, this past year cosponsoring 26<br />
AmeriCorps members to serve with<br />
nonprofit housing <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
en ti ties statewide. VHCB has administered<br />
$1.6 million in funds for this<br />
program since 1996. Due to cutbacks<br />
in federal funding for the AmeriCorps<br />
program this year, VHCB will sponsor<br />
an AmeriCorpsVISTA program in<br />
2004 that will place 10 members with<br />
housing organizations. To read more<br />
about the program, see page 32.<br />
Agency of Transportation TEA-21<br />
VHCB has been awarded $1.8 mil lion<br />
in TEA-21 funds to conserve l<strong>and</strong><br />
in prox im i ty to state highways. The<br />
“transportation enhancement” funds<br />
le ver age state funds, providing another<br />
source of funds to conserve farml<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> open l<strong>and</strong>.<br />
HOME Program<br />
Federal HOME Program funds are<br />
aimed at serving low- <strong>and</strong> very low-income<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong>ers in housing projects<br />
meeting the priorities of the State’s<br />
Con sol i dat ed Plan. These funds help<br />
to cov er project de vel op ment costs,<br />
to cre ate great er affordability in the<br />
projects, <strong>and</strong> to sup ple ment VHCB<br />
funds. The <strong>Board</strong> ad min is ters the<br />
program on be half of the Department<br />
of Hous ing <strong>and</strong> Com mu ni ty Affairs.<br />
VHCB has ad min is tered $34 mil lion in<br />
HOME funds since the be gin ning of<br />
the pro gram in 1992.<br />
Farml<strong>and</strong> Protection Pro gram<br />
Through the USDA Natural Resources<br />
Con ser va tion Service, VHCB<br />
ad min is ters funds from this federal<br />
program to con serve farml<strong>and</strong>. These<br />
funds sup ple ment Ver mont’s state <strong>and</strong><br />
pri vate ef forts, in creas ing the amount<br />
of farm l<strong>and</strong> con served. The <strong>Board</strong> has<br />
com mit ted $9.4 mil lion in Farm l<strong>and</strong><br />
Pro tec tion Pro gram funds.<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Opportunities<br />
for Per sons with AIDS<br />
HOPWA funds provide rental<br />
sub si dies, emergency assistance <strong>and</strong><br />
sup port ive services to persons liv ing<br />
with HIV/AIDS. This program was<br />
developed in col lab o ra tion with the<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> HIV/AIDS Care Consortium,<br />
the Department of Health, the Persons<br />
with AIDS Coalition, the Ver mont<br />
Center for Independent Liv ing, <strong>and</strong><br />
the AIDS service organizations. VHCB<br />
has ad-ministered more than $2.9<br />
million in HOPWA funds.<br />
HUD Economic Development<br />
In cen tive Special Project Grants<br />
The <strong>Board</strong> administers these onetime<br />
federal grants to designated<br />
housing developments in the state to<br />
assist communities in meeting their<br />
housing needs. This year, Special<br />
Project Grant funds will be awarded to<br />
housing developments in Burlington,<br />
Vergennes, Rutl<strong>and</strong>, Stowe, <strong>and</strong><br />
Newport. Since 1987, the <strong>Board</strong> has<br />
administered nearly $12.4 million in<br />
Special Project Grants.<br />
HUD Technical Assistance Funds<br />
VHCB’s Community <strong>Housing</strong><br />
Development Or ga ni za tion Tech ni cal<br />
As sis tance Program has administered<br />
$275,000 in various HUD funds to<br />
pro vide train ing, operating sup port<br />
<strong>and</strong> tech ni cal as sis tance to non profit<br />
de vel op ers of af ford able hous ing.<br />
VHCB used HUD technical<br />
assistance funds to develop <strong>and</strong><br />
co-sponsor two trainings in 2003:<br />
Financial Management 101 <strong>and</strong> Mold<br />
Prevention <strong>and</strong> Remediation.<br />
29
30<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Lead-Based Paint<br />
Hazard Reduction Program<br />
The VHCB Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program provides<br />
grants, loans, <strong>and</strong> technical assistance to address lead paint hazards in<br />
the homes of low-income <strong>Vermont</strong>ers statewide. Recognized by HUD<br />
as a top performer, the program was recently awarded a $3 million renewal of<br />
federal funds to provide lead paint abatement services to approximately 250<br />
families over the next three years. The program’s success <strong>and</strong> the high dem<strong>and</strong><br />
for services encouraged the City of Burlington to apply for their own HUD lead<br />
hazard control grant, increasing the available resources statewide. Funds used<br />
for lead hazard control generate economic benefits in the form of payments to<br />
contractors, building supply companies, <strong>and</strong> related businesses. Other program<br />
activities require spending on public education <strong>and</strong> training <strong>and</strong> working to<br />
create business opportunities in lead abatement <strong>and</strong> lead paint safety.<br />
Services<br />
Program participants receive evaluation <strong>and</strong> design services to define lead<br />
hazards <strong>and</strong> to prepare a work plan. Grants <strong>and</strong> loans are awarded to pay for<br />
work to be completed by certified lead abatement contractors. A typical project<br />
includes window treatment or replacement, stabilization of painted surfaces,<br />
removal of lead paint from friction or impact surfaces (i.e., door jambs, floors),<br />
<strong>and</strong> specialized cleaning. Families are usually relocated while the work is undertaken<br />
<strong>and</strong> clearance testing for lead dust is completed to assure homes are safe<br />
prior to reoccupancy. Since 1994, the program has helped to reduce lead paint<br />
hazards in nearly 1,300 homes <strong>and</strong> apartments.<br />
New Initiatives for 2004<br />
In 2004 a new pilot program will address the causes of childhood asthma<br />
in the home environment. In partnership with the City of Boston <strong>and</strong> New<br />
Engl<strong>and</strong>’s Asthma Regional Council (ARC), based on referrals from the<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Department of Health, VHCB will provide assistance in the homes<br />
of asthmatic children to reduce asthma triggers such as moisture, dust, animal<br />
d<strong>and</strong>er, carbon monoxide, dust mites, environmental tobacco smoke, pests, <strong>and</strong><br />
radon.<br />
Also new this year is a program undertaken with Central <strong>Vermont</strong> Community<br />
Action Council to promote job opportunities in lead paint abatement <strong>and</strong><br />
related fields for low-income individuals.<br />
While the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program has been successful<br />
on many levels, <strong>Vermont</strong> has a long way to go to eliminate the risks of lead<br />
poisoning for our children. Addressing the nature <strong>and</strong> extent of lead contamination<br />
in our environment requires both diligence <strong>and</strong> innovation. VHCB will<br />
continue to work with the <strong>Vermont</strong> Department of Health <strong>and</strong> our other partners<br />
to significantly reduce the number of children affected by this preventable<br />
condition. For more information contact us at 1-800-290-0527 or visit the web<br />
site: www.leadsafevermont.org<br />
A private l<strong>and</strong>lord used Lead Paint Hazard<br />
Reduction funds in this 3-unit apartment<br />
building in Graniteville.<br />
For more information,<br />
contact us at<br />
1-800-290-0527<br />
or visit the web site:<br />
www.leadsafevermont.org<br />
All children should<br />
be screened for lead<br />
poisoning at ages<br />
one <strong>and</strong> two. To<br />
learn about free lead<br />
screening, contact the<br />
Department of Health<br />
at 1-800-439-8550.
A Safe Home <strong>and</strong> a New Chance<br />
The Lead Paint Abatement Program helps a family afford a home<br />
Nobody knows, Bonnie Chapline says, why her son Ian was born three<br />
months premature. He was just 1.5 pounds—the fragile edge of<br />
viability. She was working as an assistant speech pathologist in the<br />
Whitingham <strong>and</strong> Halifax schools, planning to earn a graduate degree. Suddenly<br />
she had to spend three months with Ian in the hospital, <strong>and</strong> couldn’t renew her<br />
school contract.<br />
“I was on a good track in life,” Chapline recalls, “but through a circumstance<br />
that nobody knows why, I was catapulted into joblessness <strong>and</strong> homelessness.”<br />
The long road that, four years later, led Bonnie <strong>and</strong> Ian into a purchased<br />
home in Hardwick, which was made safer <strong>and</strong> more affordable by VHCB’s Lead<br />
Paint Abatement Program, included a long time of isolation <strong>and</strong> struggle for life.<br />
For two <strong>and</strong> a half years the pair lived in Elmore, in Bonnie’s sister’s basement.<br />
Ian’s immune <strong>and</strong> respiratory systems were so underdeveloped that he<br />
couldn’t be exposed to other children. Through many health crises, Bonnie<br />
cared for her child full-time.<br />
“After that time, he started growing out of some health issues. That’s why I<br />
started saying, ‘What can I do now?’ So I started reaching out.”<br />
Bonnie scraped together what earnings she could, mostly from babysitting.<br />
She learned about Tangible Assets, a program of the Central <strong>Vermont</strong> Community<br />
Action Council (CVCAC) that matches funds earned by low-income<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong>ers who are saving to buy a home, return to school, or start a business.<br />
The matching funds come from federal, state, <strong>and</strong> private sources, <strong>and</strong> they<br />
come with education about managing money. “It’s to give them a chance,”<br />
explains Renee Farnsworth of CVCAC.<br />
Bonnie Chapline found a very rundown house in Hardwick that nobody else<br />
wanted. She spent “basically a year” negotiating the seller down to $28,000.<br />
“This was the only way I could get myself into a home, <strong>and</strong> have a stable<br />
place to raise my son,” she says. “A crucial point of that was knowing that the<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Board</strong> did the Lead Abatement Program. I knew the<br />
program would come in <strong>and</strong> help me make it safe.”<br />
At no cost to the family, a program contractor painted the exterior, replaced<br />
all 17 windows, <strong>and</strong> pointed out interior high-lead spots. Bonnie did the work<br />
inside. She <strong>and</strong> Ian are moved in now. She works at a local day care center, where<br />
Ian is enrolled. “Every summer that comes along, he gets stronger <strong>and</strong> healthier,”<br />
she says.<br />
If, she adds, there is a stereotype of a parent who needs public assistance for a<br />
time, “I don’t fit it. This can happen to an educated, hard-working person. It can<br />
happen to anybody.”<br />
Bonnie Chapline <strong>and</strong> her son Ian<br />
outside their home in Hardwick.<br />
“This was the only way<br />
I could get myself into<br />
a home, <strong>and</strong> have a<br />
stable place to raise<br />
my son. A crucial point<br />
of that was knowing<br />
that the <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Board</strong> did<br />
the Lead Abatement<br />
Program. I knew the<br />
program would come<br />
in <strong>and</strong> help me make<br />
it safe.”<br />
—Bonnie Chapline<br />
31
2003 Nonprofit Sponsors<br />
of AmeriCorps Members<br />
32<br />
Member Cris Nicole developed before <strong>and</strong> after school activities for young residents of<br />
Brattleboro <strong>Housing</strong> Authority <strong>and</strong> Brattleboro Area Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust properties.<br />
The Impacts of AmeriCorps<br />
How Three ‘03 Members Made a Difference<br />
six of the <strong>Vermont</strong> Community Stewardship Program, a<br />
partnership between VHCB, the AmeriCorps National Service<br />
Inyear<br />
Network, the <strong>Vermont</strong> Commission on National <strong>and</strong> Community<br />
Service, <strong>and</strong> 22 affordable housing <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> conservation nonprofits, 32<br />
AmeriCorps members (ACMs) served at 26 different sites around <strong>Vermont</strong>. The<br />
ACMs also mobilized 1,300 community volunteers, who donated about 15,000<br />
hours of their time <strong>and</strong> energies.<br />
Who are the 2003 AmeriCorps members? They are people with distinct<br />
goals <strong>and</strong> interests — like Alix Berry at Rutl<strong>and</strong> West Neighborhood <strong>Housing</strong><br />
Services, Eliza Smith-Vedder at the Burlington Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust’s<br />
NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center, <strong>and</strong> Paul Glowaski at the Day Station<br />
of the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) in Burlington.<br />
A recent college graduate, Glowaski found the <strong>Vermont</strong> Community<br />
Stewardship AmeriCorps Program on the Internet. “The COTS job really<br />
intrigued me,” he says. “I eventually want to work on public policy surrounding<br />
poverty issues.”<br />
With COTS, Glowaski helped connect homeless people with the services<br />
<strong>and</strong> resources that can help them address the reasons — education needs,<br />
health <strong>and</strong> mental health issues, <strong>and</strong> others — that they’ve been homeless, “<strong>and</strong><br />
how they can move on from that.<br />
“<strong>Vermont</strong> has given me a lot of opportunity to learn about poverty, <strong>and</strong><br />
what’s working,” he says. “I’m trying to learn as much as I can, to take that<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>ing with me when I go on to graduate school.”<br />
Peter Wrenn<br />
<strong>Conservation</strong><br />
The Green Mountain Club<br />
The Na ture Con ser van cy of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Trust for Public L<strong>and</strong>/Montpelier Parks<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Institute of Nat u ral Science<br />
Winooski Valley Park District<br />
<strong>Housing</strong><br />
Addison County Community Action Group<br />
Applegate Residents Association<br />
Brattleboro Area Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Brattleboro <strong>Housing</strong> Authority<br />
Burlington Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
HomeOwnership Center<br />
Central <strong>Vermont</strong> Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Committee on Temporary Shelter<br />
HomeShare <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Lamoille <strong>Housing</strong> Partnership<br />
Morningside Shelter<br />
Rockingham Arts <strong>and</strong> Museum Project<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> County Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> West Neighborhood<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Services<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Arts Exchange<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Center for Independent Living<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> State <strong>Housing</strong> Authority<br />
Templeton Court Apartments<br />
Westgate <strong>Housing</strong>, Inc.<br />
Member Catey Ritchie won the Governor ’s<br />
Award for Community Service for battling<br />
invasive non-native species with The<br />
Nature Conservancy of <strong>Vermont</strong>.
“It Is Needed”<br />
Alix Berry moved from southern <strong>Vermont</strong> to West Rutl<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong><br />
AmeriCorps gave her the chance to get involved. She worked in the local<br />
housing nonprofit’s emergency shelter program, helping provide emergency<br />
funding to people in housing crisis. Today she works in the organization’s<br />
housing rehab section, making loans that enable low- <strong>and</strong> moderate-income<br />
community members to bring their homes up to health <strong>and</strong> safety code.<br />
“The people who are calling in, often they have nowhere else to turn,”<br />
Berry says. “Our interest rates are low; we have a loan committee, <strong>and</strong> our<br />
return rate is good, comparable to banks. We’re also concerned with efficiency<br />
improvements, such as new furnaces, so they’ll lower their fuel costs.”<br />
Two summers ago in Burlington, Eliza Smith-Vedder had put herself<br />
through college, <strong>and</strong> was working in retail sales — but she wanted to work on<br />
l<strong>and</strong> use <strong>and</strong> affordable housing. One lunch hour, she walked into the office of<br />
Burlington Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust. When she walked out, she had applied to<br />
be an AmeriCorps member.<br />
In BCLT’s HomeOwnership Center, Smith-Vedder became an education <strong>and</strong><br />
outreach coordinator. The pay was minimal; but for the first time, she found<br />
herself unconcerned with that.<br />
“The work was so much more purposeful than anything I had done before.<br />
I don’t want to romanticize it — it’s tough, but it feels right. It is needed.”<br />
This summer, AmeriCorps funding was slashed nationwide. Most members<br />
in <strong>Vermont</strong> lost their positions. The three members profiled here all took<br />
full-time jobs with their nonprofits. VHCB has developed a new AmeriCorps*<br />
VISTA initiative to continue the program’s positive impacts at housing<br />
nonprofits, where members have helped to sharply reduce crime rates, provided<br />
positive programming <strong>and</strong> over 5,000 meals to low-income kids, <strong>and</strong> delivered<br />
a wide range of services to homeless <strong>Vermont</strong>ers.<br />
Annie Van Avery Annie Van Avery<br />
Member Paul Glowaski speaks with<br />
David Johns outside the Wilson Hotel,<br />
operated by the Committee on Temporary<br />
Shelter in Burlington.<br />
“There isn’t a day here<br />
when I’m not doing<br />
something that’s making<br />
a positive impact on<br />
someone somewhere.”<br />
— Liza Smith-Vedder<br />
BCLT HOMELAND Facilitator<br />
33
<strong>Housing</strong> Awards July 2002–June 2003<br />
Addison County Community Action Group<br />
Clinton Smith Project, Middlebury. $38,500<br />
federal HOPWA award to subsidize 1 unit for a<br />
household with HIV/AIDS in a 17-unit family<br />
rental housing development. Total project costs:<br />
$2,004,900.<br />
Smallest City <strong>Housing</strong> Project, Vergennes. $65,000<br />
VHCB award for rehabilitation of 19 apartments<br />
in 2 historic buildings on Main Street. $200,000<br />
HOME Program award. Total project costs:<br />
$3,370,427.<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $29,000<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
$15,000 HOME Program award. Total organizational<br />
budget: $600,000.<br />
On the waterfront in downtown<br />
Burlington, the Burlington Community<br />
L<strong>and</strong> Trust is developing 32 affordable<br />
apartments in a 40-unit complex.<br />
Addison County Community Trust<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $20,000<br />
award for organizational development costs<br />
related to housing program costs. $5,000 HOME<br />
Program award. Total organizational budget:<br />
$245,100.<br />
Battered Women’s Services <strong>and</strong> Shelter<br />
Washington County Shelter, Barre. $80,500 award<br />
to construct a 4-room addition to the existing<br />
Washington County Shelter. Total development<br />
cost: $557,693.<br />
Brattleboro Area Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Whetstone <strong>Housing</strong>, Brattleboro. $286,000 award<br />
for rehabilitation of 20 units in 4 buildings.<br />
$376,000 HOME Program award. Total project<br />
costs: $2,440,400.<br />
Annie Van Avery<br />
Cathedral Square Corporation<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $36,000<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
Total organizational budget: $554,296.<br />
Cabot Commons, Inc.<br />
Cabot Senior <strong>Housing</strong>, Cabot. $100,000 award for<br />
construction of 8 units rental housing for elders.<br />
$175,530 HOME Program award. Total project<br />
costs: $1,261,991.<br />
Cathedral Square Corporation<br />
Whitcomb Woods Senior <strong>Housing</strong> Project, Essex.<br />
$640,000 award for acquisition <strong>and</strong> heating<br />
system conversion of a 65-unit elderly housing<br />
development. Total project costs: $4,703,543.<br />
Central <strong>Vermont</strong> Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Bromur Street Apartments, Barre City. $149,900<br />
award for rehabilitation <strong>and</strong> refinancing of 18<br />
units of family housing in 2 buildings. Total project<br />
costs: $858,821.<br />
Flynn Avenue <strong>Housing</strong> Cooperative<br />
Flynn Avenue <strong>Housing</strong> Cooperative, Burlington.<br />
$32,000 award to replace the storm water system<br />
<strong>and</strong> stabilize the adjacent ravine bank. Total project<br />
cost: $59,500.<br />
Green Street, Brattleboro. $32,500 award for rehabilitation<br />
of 10 family rental units in 2 buildings.<br />
Total development cost: $902,230.<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $37,500<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
$20,000 HOME Program award. Total organizational<br />
budget: $551,191.<br />
34<br />
In Vergennes, the Addison County<br />
Community Action Group used VHCB<br />
<strong>and</strong> federal HOME funds to rehabilitate<br />
19 apartments in 2 historic buildings on<br />
Main Street.<br />
Burlington Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $48,000<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
$19,250 HOME Program award. Total organizational<br />
budget: $1,590,537.<br />
The Regional Affordable <strong>Housing</strong><br />
Corporation acquired <strong>and</strong> rehabilitated<br />
eleven historic buildings with 17<br />
apartments within the Arlington Village<br />
Historic District.
<strong>Housing</strong> Awards July 2002–June 2003<br />
Gilman <strong>Housing</strong> Trust<br />
Groton Village <strong>Housing</strong> Project-Related Capacity,<br />
Groton. $40,000 award to determine the feasibility<br />
of a multi-goal community development project<br />
with 18 units rental housing in 4-5 buildings. Total<br />
feasibility cost: $75,000.<br />
Elm Street Transitional <strong>Housing</strong>, St. Johnsbury.<br />
$90,000 award for refinancing to convert a single<br />
family home to 4 units of emergency <strong>and</strong> transitional<br />
housing for homeless teens. Total project<br />
costs: $145,051.<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $37,500<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
$20,000 HOME Program grant. Total organizational<br />
budget: $800,000.<br />
Homestead Design Inc.<br />
203 Pearl Street, Essex. $250,000 HOME Program<br />
award for construction of a 30-unit family rental<br />
housing project. Total project costs: $4,245,432.<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Foundation, Inc.<br />
Shady Pines Mobile Home Park, Westminster.<br />
$205,500 award to acquire <strong>and</strong> rehabilitate 21<br />
affordable lots <strong>and</strong> rehabilitate mobile homes in<br />
a 28-lot mobile home park. $145,000 HOME Program<br />
award. Total development cost: $852,253.<br />
Mobile Acres Mobile Home Park, Braintree.<br />
$408,000 award for acquisition <strong>and</strong> infrastructure<br />
repair for 68 affordable lots in a 95-lot mobile<br />
home park. Total development cost: $2,301,900.<br />
21-23 North Champlain Street in<br />
Burlington, new rental housing<br />
developed by the Lake Champlain<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Development Corporation.<br />
Ruggles House, a historic home with 15<br />
units of new <strong>and</strong> rehabilitated housing for<br />
seniors developed by Cathedral Square<br />
Corporation in Burlington.<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Highgate Apartments, Barre. $900,000 award for<br />
rehabilitation of 120-unit apartment complex.<br />
$645,000 HOME Program award. Total development<br />
cost: $10,613,652.<br />
Lake Champlain <strong>Housing</strong> Development<br />
Corporation <strong>and</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Shelburne Interfaith <strong>Housing</strong>, Shelburne.<br />
$500,000 award to construct a 20-unit multifamily<br />
rental development on 2 sites in the village<br />
with 9 duplex buildings; rehabilitation of 2<br />
apartments in a historic house with 2 commercial<br />
units. $270,000 HOME Program award. Total development<br />
cost: $3,450,766<br />
Isl<strong>and</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> Project, Gr<strong>and</strong> Isle. $400,000<br />
award for construction of 16 units family rental<br />
housing. $219,082 HOME Program award. Total<br />
development cost: $2,211,665.<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $37,500<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
Total organizational budget: $1,586,583.<br />
Lamoille <strong>Housing</strong> Partnership<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $37,500 grant<br />
for organizational development costs. $20,000<br />
HOME Program award. Total organizational<br />
budget: $243,515.<br />
Regional Affordable <strong>Housing</strong> Corporation<br />
Depot Street, Bennington. $44, 624 award to<br />
rehabilitate a 7-unit development in 2 historic<br />
downtown buildings. $210,376 HOME Program<br />
award. Total development cost: $454,376.<br />
Manchester Commons, Manchester. $400,000<br />
award for the development of a 16-unit new<br />
construction family rental housing development.<br />
$300,000 HOME Program award. Total development<br />
cost: $1,851,352.<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $37,500<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
Total organizational budget: $428,354.<br />
Richford Renaissance Corporation<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Richford Village <strong>Housing</strong> Project, Richford.<br />
$30,000 HOME Program award for the development<br />
of a 15-unit senior <strong>and</strong> family housing<br />
project at 4 locations. Total development cost:<br />
$2,678,800.<br />
Rockingham Area Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Brookline Apartments, Springfield. $260,307<br />
award for acquisition <strong>and</strong> rehabilitation to purchase<br />
<strong>and</strong> rehabilitate the historic, 13-unit Brookline<br />
Apartments. $174,693 HOME Program award.<br />
Total development cost: $2,087,000.<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $37,500<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
$20,000 HOME Program grant. Total organizational<br />
budget: $754,403.<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> County Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Tuttle Block, Rutl<strong>and</strong> City. $325,000 award for acquisition,<br />
rehabilitation, <strong>and</strong> development of 13<br />
apartments in a historic downtown building with<br />
commercial space on the ground floor. $390,000<br />
HOME Program award. Total development cost:<br />
$3,610,395.<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> West Neighborhood <strong>Housing</strong> Services<br />
Kazon Building, Marble Street, West Rutl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
$150,000 award for acquisition <strong>and</strong> rehabilitation<br />
of 6 affordable apartments in a historic downtown<br />
building. $165,000 HOME Program award. Total<br />
development cost: $1,200,379.<br />
35
<strong>Housing</strong> Awards July 2002–June 2003<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> County Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $37,500<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
$20,000 HOME Program grant. Total organizational<br />
budget: $380,635.<br />
Sexual Assault Crisis Team<br />
of Washington County<br />
Multi-Functional Facility, Barre. $6,000 award for<br />
creation of 2 additional units in a 3-room emergency<br />
shelter for victims of sexual violence. Total<br />
development cost: $318,050.<br />
Statewide<br />
Feasibility Fund Recapitalization<br />
$150,000 recapitalization of fund used for grants<br />
of up to $15,000 for project predevelopment costs<br />
such as options, surveys, appraisals, engineering,<br />
energy audits <strong>and</strong> marketing studies.<br />
Habitat for Humanity<br />
$173,500 recapitalization of fund for l<strong>and</strong> acquisition<br />
<strong>and</strong> construction costs of 7 homes to be built<br />
by Habitat for Humanity <strong>and</strong> Vocational Education<br />
Programs.<br />
HOMELAND Program<br />
$1,000,000 recapitalization of program to provide<br />
purchase subsidies, downpayment <strong>and</strong> closing<br />
cost assistance <strong>and</strong> rehabilitation loans to 48<br />
home buyers purchasing homes through community-based<br />
housing organizations. $300,000<br />
Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston Affordable<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Program funds. $150,000 IORTA funds<br />
granted by VHFA.<br />
Ground Breaking for Shelburne Family <strong>Housing</strong>. After several years of planning,<br />
spearheaded by the Shelburne Interfaith <strong>Housing</strong> Committee, this year the Lake<br />
Champlain <strong>Housing</strong> Development Corporation <strong>and</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong> will create 20<br />
units of affordable family rental housing in two locations in Shelburne. Eighteen new<br />
apartments will be constructed in 9 duplexes on the corner of the Shelburne Road <strong>and</strong><br />
Cynosure Drive <strong>and</strong> two apartments will be renovated in an existing structure near the<br />
town offices on Route 7.<br />
Twin Pines <strong>Housing</strong> Trust<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $37,500<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
$20,000 HOME Program grant. Total organizational<br />
budget: $302,841.<br />
36<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Center for Independent Living<br />
Home Access Program, Statewide. $300,000 award<br />
for accessibility modifications to 43 homes <strong>and</strong><br />
apartments statewide. $20,000 HOME Program<br />
award. Total program cost: $510,768.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Community Loan Fund<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $29,000<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
Total organizational budget: $759,903.
<strong>Housing</strong> Awards July–December 2003<br />
Peter Wrenn<br />
Young residents of Brattleboro Area<br />
Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust properties enjoy<br />
after school programs provided by the<br />
VCSP AmeriCorps Program.<br />
Brattleboro Area Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Butterfield Common, Dover. $1,125,990 award<br />
for construction <strong>and</strong> related expenses of 40 units<br />
intergenerational housing: 33 units elderly <strong>and</strong><br />
family rental housing <strong>and</strong> 7 homeownership<br />
units. $425,000 HOME Program award. Total<br />
project cost: $6,724,269.<br />
Burlington Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
South Burlington Neighborhood Homes, South<br />
Burlington. $300,000 award for acquisition, construction<br />
<strong>and</strong> related expenses of 30 affordable<br />
units in a 60-unit homeownership condominium<br />
development. Total project cost: $8,100,659.<br />
Cabot Commons Inc.<br />
Cabot <strong>Housing</strong>, Cabot. $75,000 award for construction<br />
of 8 units rental housing for the elderly.<br />
$111,656 HOME Program award. Total project cost:<br />
$1,261,991.<br />
Residents at new assisted living units<br />
at 3 Cathedral Square.<br />
Gilman <strong>Housing</strong> Trust<br />
Groton Community <strong>Housing</strong>, Groton. $300,000<br />
award for acquisition, construction <strong>and</strong> related<br />
expenses of 18 rental units. $204,200 HOME Program<br />
award. Total project cost: $2,998,320.<br />
Good Samaritan Haven, Inc.<br />
Good Neighbors Transitional <strong>Housing</strong>, Barre City.<br />
$45,734 HOME Program award for rehabilitation<br />
<strong>and</strong> construction to add 3 units transitional housing<br />
to existing transitional housing project. Total project<br />
cost: $490,750.<br />
Highgate <strong>Housing</strong>, Inc. & <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Highgate Apartments, Barre. $50,000 additional<br />
HOME Program award for rehabilitation. Total<br />
HOME Program award: $645,000. Total project<br />
cost: $5,490,376.<br />
Homestead Design, Inc.<br />
Stony Creek, Hartford. $250,000 HOME Program<br />
award for construction <strong>and</strong> related expenses of 18<br />
rental units. Total project cost: $2,905,890.<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Foundation, Inc<br />
Grove Street Transitional <strong>Housing</strong>, Rutl<strong>and</strong>. $74,000<br />
award for construction <strong>and</strong> related expenses of 4<br />
units transitional housing. Total development<br />
costs: $601,850.<br />
Lund Family Center<br />
Lund Family Center Expansion, Burlington.<br />
$324,000 award for construction <strong>and</strong> related<br />
expenses in 18 transitional housing units. Total<br />
development costs: $3,163,000.<br />
Norwich <strong>Housing</strong> Corporation<br />
Norwich Senior <strong>Housing</strong>, Norwich. $151,683<br />
award for capital improvements <strong>and</strong> refinancing<br />
of 24 rental units for seniors. Total development<br />
costs: $1,369,800.<br />
R<strong>and</strong>olph Area Community Development Corporation<br />
& <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
R<strong>and</strong>olph Family <strong>Housing</strong>, R<strong>and</strong>olph. $50,000<br />
HOME Program award for development of 12 units<br />
of family housing on 2 sites in downtown neighborhoods.<br />
Total development costs: $1,798,134.<br />
Regional Affordable <strong>Housing</strong> Corporation<br />
Manchester Commons, Manchester. $85,500<br />
award to develop 16 units family rental housing,<br />
15 of which are new construction. $100,000<br />
HOME Program award. Total development costs:<br />
$2,101,081<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> County Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Mussey Street Mobile Home Park, Rutl<strong>and</strong> City.<br />
$105,000 award for acquisition <strong>and</strong> infrastructure<br />
improvements to add 7 affordable lots. Total development<br />
costs: $371,000.<br />
STATEWIDE<br />
HOMELAND Program<br />
$593,000 recapitalization of program to provide<br />
purchase subsidies, downpayment <strong>and</strong> closing<br />
cost assistance <strong>and</strong> rehabilitation loans to 21 home<br />
buyers purchasing homes through communitybased<br />
housing organizations statewide.<br />
Organizational Development Grants<br />
$506,000 in organizational development grants<br />
to 14 organizations. $179,250 in HUD funds for<br />
organizational development grants.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Center for Independent Living<br />
Home Access Program, Statewide. $300,000 award<br />
for program providing accessibility modifications in<br />
homes <strong>and</strong> apartments statewide. $20,000 HOME<br />
Program award. Total project costs: $739,014.<br />
Highgate Apartments, Barre. 120<br />
apartments acquired by a tax credit<br />
partnership in 1991 were rehabilitated<br />
in 2003.<br />
37
<strong>Conservation</strong> Awards July 2002–June 2003<br />
Addison County Community Trust<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $7,000 award<br />
for farml<strong>and</strong> conservation program costs. Total<br />
organizational budget: $245,100.<br />
Aldis Hill Trust<br />
Aldis Hill Acquisition, St. Albans. $92,000 award<br />
to acquire <strong>and</strong> conserve 65 acres as part of a<br />
larger public recreation area. Total project cost:<br />
$138,000.<br />
Brookfield Community Partnership<br />
Brookfield Town Hall, Brookfield. $65,000 award<br />
to assist with the purchase <strong>and</strong> rehabilitation<br />
of the Old Brookfield Town Hall, originally constructed<br />
in 1850. Total project cost: $98,800.<br />
38<br />
Burlington City Arts<br />
Firehouse Center for Visual Arts, Burlington.<br />
$100,000 award toward restoration of historic<br />
detail on the Ethan Allen Fire House on Church<br />
Street, to be rehabilitated into a community arts<br />
center. Total project cost: $3,712,500.<br />
Catamount Trail Association<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $9,500 award<br />
for organizational development costs. Total organizational<br />
budget: $157,000.<br />
Gray Building Coalition<br />
Gray Building, Northfield. $57,500 award toward<br />
the acquisition <strong>and</strong> rehabilitation of vacant, historic<br />
1877 schoolhouse with frontage on the Dog<br />
River to be developed as a community center. Total<br />
project cost: $93,129.<br />
Green Mountain Club<br />
Bolton Mountain Upl<strong>and</strong>s, Bolton. $135,000<br />
award to acquire <strong>and</strong> conserve 1,000 acres of forested<br />
upl<strong>and</strong>s for addition to Mount Mansfield<br />
State Forest. Wildlife habitat protection <strong>and</strong> public<br />
access for recreational activities involving sections<br />
of the Long Trail. Total project cost: $430,500.<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $24,000<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
Total organizational budget: $250,000.<br />
Following a fire at the Green Mountain Club headquarters in Waterbury Center, VHCB<br />
staff <strong>and</strong> AmeriCorps members from VHCB's <strong>Vermont</strong> Community Stewardship Program<br />
spent a day of community service helping with various projects at the site.<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Main Street Mill Park, Richford. $50,000<br />
award for the conservation <strong>and</strong> redevelopment<br />
of the Main Street Mill Park property as<br />
part of a project involving housing in historic<br />
buildings. Total project cost: $90,500.<br />
Lake Champlain L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $31,000<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
Total organizational budget: $164,869.<br />
Lake Champlain L<strong>and</strong> Trust <strong>and</strong> the<br />
Isle La Motte Reef Preservation Trust<br />
Goodsell Ridge Fossil Preserve, Isle La Motte.<br />
$100,000 award to acquire a 71-acre site internationally<br />
known by scientists as the oldest fossil<br />
reef in the world. Public access <strong>and</strong> educational<br />
purposes. Total project cost: $1,235,000.<br />
City of Montpelier<br />
North Branch Greenway III, Montpelier. $19,000<br />
award to assist with the purchase of property for<br />
addition to the North Branch Greenway <strong>and</strong> Trail<br />
system <strong>and</strong> provide access to the North Branch of<br />
the Winooski River. Total project cost: $49,500.<br />
Preservation Trust of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Stonebridge Inn, Poultney. $6,500 Documentation<br />
<strong>and</strong> Stewardship award.<br />
Firehouse Center, Burlington. $6,500 Documentation<br />
<strong>and</strong> Stewardship award.<br />
Old Brookfield Town Hall, Brookfield. $7,500<br />
Documentation <strong>and</strong> Stewardship award.<br />
Southern <strong>Vermont</strong> Community Recreation Center,<br />
Springfield. $6,500 Documentation <strong>and</strong> Stewardship<br />
award.<br />
Gray Building, Northfield. $7,500 Documentation<br />
<strong>and</strong> Stewardship award.<br />
Ferrisburgh Grange Hall, Ferrisburgh. $7,500<br />
Documentation <strong>and</strong> Stewardship award.<br />
Southern <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Community Recreation Center<br />
Southern <strong>Vermont</strong> Community Recreation Center,<br />
Springfield. $100,000 award to assist with restoration<br />
of historic former foundry to be converted<br />
to a regional recreation center. Total project cost:<br />
$4,893,500.
<strong>Conservation</strong> Awards July 2002–June 2003<br />
In Bridport, conserved Ouellette farm<br />
fields stretch to Lake Champlain.<br />
The Nature Conservancy of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Organizational Development Grant. $26,000<br />
award for organizational development costs.<br />
Total organizational budget: $250,000.<br />
The Nature Conservancy of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> the <strong>Vermont</strong> L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Audet Farm, Orwell. $34,190 award to support<br />
the purchase of a conserved farm <strong>and</strong> resale to<br />
a young farming family <strong>and</strong> to conserve an additional<br />
42 acres of riparian habitat along East<br />
Creek.<br />
Town of Poultney<br />
Stonebridge Inn, Poultney. $100,000 award to<br />
stabilize <strong>and</strong> renovate a municipally-owned, fire<br />
damaged, historic 1808 building on 5 acres for<br />
multiple community uses. Trail link to community<br />
trail system. Total project cost: $700,000.<br />
Town of Killington<br />
Killington Recreation Field, Killington. $23,120<br />
award to acquire 5 acres adjacent to Town l<strong>and</strong><br />
for the expansion of recreational fields. Trail linkages<br />
<strong>and</strong> protection of open space. Total project<br />
cost: $112,000.<br />
Town of Ferrisburgh<br />
Ferrisburgh Grange Hall, Ferrisburgh. $40,000<br />
award to renovate <strong>and</strong> restore municipally-owned<br />
historic grange hall for use as new town offices <strong>and</strong><br />
community center. Total project cost: $438,700.<br />
Town of Manchester<br />
Greenberg Parcel, Manchester. $22,000 award for<br />
the acquisition of 16 acres in the town of Manchester.<br />
Natural resource protection <strong>and</strong> public<br />
access to the Batten Kill River. Total project cost:<br />
$35,000.<br />
Town of West Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
West Rutl<strong>and</strong> Marsh, West Rutl<strong>and</strong>. $26,300 award<br />
to acquire <strong>and</strong> conserve 12 acres for addition to the<br />
conserved 296-acre marsh. Rare <strong>and</strong> endangered<br />
species habitat protection, water quality preservation,<br />
public recreation <strong>and</strong> educational opportunities,<br />
<strong>and</strong> economic importance as a major birding<br />
area. Total project cost: $206,900.<br />
Upper Valley L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Gladstone/Newmont Farml<strong>and</strong>, Bradford.<br />
$155,676 award to acquire conservation easements<br />
on 3 separate parcels totaling 363 acres with<br />
Connecticut River frontage <strong>and</strong> archeological sites.<br />
$24,824 Act 250 Mitigation grant. $144,000 NRCS<br />
grant. Total project cost: $327,500.<br />
Ekolott Farm, Bradford. $195,100 grant to acquire<br />
conservation easements on 250-acre dairy<br />
<strong>and</strong> emu farm with extensive Connecticut River<br />
frontage. $163,000 NRCS grant. Total project cost:<br />
$361,500.<br />
Honigford/O’Connor Farm, Royalton. $31,000<br />
local conservation grant to acquire conservation<br />
easements on highly scenic 37-acre certified<br />
organic vegetable operation with substantial road<br />
<strong>and</strong> White River frontage. $13,000 NRCS grant.<br />
Total project cost: $68,200.<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $31,000 grant<br />
for farml<strong>and</strong> conservation program costs. Total<br />
organizational budget: $581,000.<br />
At Perkins Pier in Burlington, the Lake<br />
Champlain Maritime Museum is building<br />
a replica of an early 19 th century schooner.<br />
Nearby, on King Street, an office <strong>and</strong> branch<br />
museum of the Ferrisburgh museum has<br />
been established in the historic Captain<br />
White House, acquired <strong>and</strong> rehabilitated<br />
with VHCB funds.<br />
Bob Eddy<br />
Irene <strong>and</strong> Leonard Dube (front row) with<br />
Walter <strong>and</strong> Margaret Gladstone <strong>and</strong> their<br />
three sons, Will, John <strong>and</strong> Matt. The<br />
Gladstones milk 600 cows <strong>and</strong> employ 10<br />
full-time workers on farml<strong>and</strong> conserved<br />
by the Upper Valley L<strong>and</strong> Trust.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Agency of Natural Resources<br />
Long Range Management Planning. $30,000 grant<br />
to assist in the development of long- range management<br />
plans for VHCB-funded l<strong>and</strong>s owned<br />
<strong>and</strong> managed by the <strong>Vermont</strong> Agency of Natural<br />
Resources. Total project cost: $50,200.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Agency of<br />
Agriculture, Food & Markets<br />
Flies (Stillmeadow) Sheep Farm, Williamstown.<br />
$80,000 local conservation grant to conserve<br />
338-acre sheep <strong>and</strong> maple farm with deeryard.<br />
Total project cost: $202,500.<br />
Ellis/Newton Farms, Inc., Georgia. $182,500<br />
grant for acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong><br />
conservation restrictions on 297-acre dairy<br />
farm. $158,000 NRCS grant. Total project cost:<br />
$343,000.<br />
William & Kim Bingham, Panton. $94,500 grant for<br />
acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 199-acre dairy farm. $70,000 NRCS<br />
grant. Total project cost: $166,500.<br />
Larry Garvey Farm, Hinesburg. $140,500 grant for<br />
acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 170-acre dairy farm. $115,000<br />
NRCS grant. Total project cost: $257,900.<br />
39
<strong>Conservation</strong> Awards July 2002–June 2003<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Agency of<br />
Agriculture, Food & Markets<br />
Kuehne/Stefanek, Benson. $31,500 local conservation<br />
grant for acquisition of development<br />
rights <strong>and</strong> conservation restrictions on 149-acre<br />
sheep farm. $57,000 NRCS grant. Total project<br />
cost: $135,200.<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $40,000 grant<br />
for farml<strong>and</strong> conservation program costs. Total<br />
organizational budget: $95,000.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Department of<br />
Forests, Parks <strong>and</strong> Recreation<br />
Yankee <strong>and</strong> Bessenyey Parcels, Shrewsbury <strong>and</strong><br />
Mount Holly. $426,425 grant to acquire 980 acres<br />
to protect critical wildlife habitat <strong>and</strong> provide<br />
public access for recreation. Total project cost:<br />
$475,000.<br />
Department of Forests, Parks <strong>and</strong> Recreation<br />
& The Nature Conservancy of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Alburg Dunes State Park, Alburg. $500,000 grant<br />
to purchase 164 acres with extensive Lake Champlain<br />
shoreline for addition to state park. Public<br />
recreational use <strong>and</strong> habitat protection. Total<br />
project cost: $1,526,500.<br />
Department of Forests, Parks <strong>and</strong> Recreation<br />
& <strong>Vermont</strong> River Conservancy<br />
Twenty-Foot Hole, Reading. $9,000 grant towards<br />
acquisition of 37 acres for addition to conserved<br />
l<strong>and</strong> with public recreational access along the<br />
North Branch of the Black River. Total project<br />
cost: $14,000.<br />
On Isle La Motte, the Lake Champlain<br />
L<strong>and</strong> Trust (LCLT) has conserved parts of<br />
the oldest fossil reef in the world. LCLT<br />
celebrated its 25 th anniversary this year.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Auger House, Swanton. $47,000 grant to acquire<br />
<strong>and</strong> conserve l<strong>and</strong> in an ancient Native American<br />
village with significant archeological resources<br />
<strong>and</strong> to provide one unit of rehabilitated affordable<br />
housing. Total project cost: $104,500.<br />
Correia III, Addison. $45,500 grant for conservation<br />
of 162 acres farml<strong>and</strong> with buffer zone along<br />
Dead Creek. $24,000 NRCS grant. Total project<br />
cost: $71,100.<br />
Preston Pond, Bolton. $267,668 grant to acquire<br />
<strong>and</strong> conserve 408 acres of forestl<strong>and</strong> with views,<br />
unique topography, important wildlife habitat,<br />
<strong>and</strong> pristine, 3,500-year-old Preston Pond. Public<br />
recreational access <strong>and</strong> wildlife habitat protection.<br />
Total project cost: $752,511.<br />
Harrness/Ryan Farm, Sheldon. $5,000 additional<br />
grant to acquire conservation easements on 291-<br />
acre dairy farm. $5,000 NRCS grant. Total project<br />
cost: $216,500.<br />
J & C Callan Farm, Fairfield. $121,500 grant to<br />
acquire conservation easements on 304- acre<br />
dairy farm. $100,000 NRCS grant. Total project<br />
cost: $223,700.<br />
Blacklock/Sumner Farm, Addison. $30,185 grant<br />
to acquire conservation easements on 26 acre addon<br />
to Forgues dairy farm. $17,000 NRCS grant.<br />
Total project cost: $47,985.<br />
Dan Rainville Farm, Highgate. $86,500 grant<br />
to acquire conservation easements on 214-acre<br />
dairy farm <strong>and</strong> maple syrup operation. <strong>Conservation</strong><br />
of 20 acres wetl<strong>and</strong>s associated with Cutler<br />
Pond providing waterfowl habitat. $64,000 NRCS<br />
grant. Total project cost: $153,200.<br />
M & V Young Farm, Glover. $163,500 grant to<br />
acquire conservation easements on 392- acre,<br />
third-generation dairy farm. $142,000 NRCS<br />
grant. Total project cost: $305,500.<br />
Morze Farm, Canaan. $80,500 grant to acquire<br />
conservation easements on 259-acre Christmas<br />
Tree farm with views of Wallace Pond <strong>and</strong> north<br />
into Canada. $58,000 NRCS grant. Total project<br />
cost: $138,500.<br />
Pearl Farm, Barnet. $126,500 grant to acquire conservation<br />
easements on 243-acre third- generation<br />
dairy farm with Connecticut River frontage<br />
including deer wintering area <strong>and</strong> VAST trail with<br />
winter access. $100,000 NRCS grant. Total project<br />
cost: $226,500.<br />
40<br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> of natural areas preserves<br />
wildlife corridors neccesary for<br />
movement of larger species, provides<br />
public recreational opportunities <strong>and</strong><br />
allows for forest management planning.<br />
Susan C. Morse<br />
Pion Farm, Troy. $66,044 grant to acquire conservation<br />
easements on 208-acre dairy farm for addition<br />
to 2,300-acre contiguous block of conserved<br />
l<strong>and</strong>. $10,456 Act 250 Mitigation grant. $54,000<br />
NRCS grant. Total project cost: $132,500<br />
Nichols Farm, Enosburg. $169,500 grant to acquire<br />
conservation easements on 660-acre dairy<br />
farm, including Adams Pond, a beaver pond, <strong>and</strong><br />
Meadow Brook, an outst<strong>and</strong>ing ecological <strong>and</strong><br />
wildlife habitat area. $155,000 NRCS grant. Total<br />
project cost: $334,000.<br />
In St. Albans, the Aldis Hill Trust will<br />
acquire 65 acres for addition to a larger<br />
parcel of recreation l<strong>and</strong>.
<strong>Conservation</strong> Awards July 2002–June 2003<br />
Clough Farm, Groton. $38,800 grant for acquisition<br />
of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation restrictions<br />
on 47 acres farml<strong>and</strong> for addition to conserved<br />
Clough dairy farm. Wells River frontage. $17,000<br />
NRCS grant. Total project cost: $69,300.<br />
Hornbeck Farml<strong>and</strong>, Shoreham. $99,500 for<br />
acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 289 acres farml<strong>and</strong>. Public<br />
trail easement. $77,000 NRCS grant. Total project<br />
cost: $178,000.<br />
The Lawrence farm in Shaftsbury, where<br />
253 acres were conserved by the <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
L<strong>and</strong> Trust this year.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Brisson II Farm, Ferrisburgh. $198,500 grant to<br />
acquire conservation easements on 321 acres of<br />
farml<strong>and</strong> for addition to conserved home farm.<br />
Archeological sites <strong>and</strong> wetl<strong>and</strong> habitat. $170,000<br />
NRCS grant. Total project cost: $368,500.<br />
Sprano Farm, Alburg. $142,500 grant to acquire<br />
conservation easements on 259-acre organic<br />
dairy farm adjacent to Mud Creek wetl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
with important natural communities <strong>and</strong> rare<br />
species. $118,000 NRCS grant. Total project cost:<br />
$260,500.<br />
Jewell Farml<strong>and</strong>, Addison. $62,700 grant to acquire<br />
conservation easements on 100 acres of<br />
farml<strong>and</strong>. VAST trail. $44,000 NRCS grant. Total<br />
project cost: $106,700.<br />
Ouellette II Farm, Bridport. $62,935 grant to<br />
acquire conservation easements on 214-acres<br />
of farml<strong>and</strong> linked to the conserved Ouellette<br />
home farm. $44,500 NRCS grant. Total project<br />
cost: $107,435.<br />
Chris & Kathy Connor Farm, Bridport. $88,650<br />
grant to acquire conservation easements on 134-<br />
acre dairy farm. $68,150 NRCS grant. Agency of<br />
Transportation Enhancement grant. Total project<br />
cost: $162,300.<br />
Polymeadows (Lawrence) Farm, Shaftsbury.<br />
$110,500 grant to acquire conservation easements<br />
on scenic 253-acre dairy farm with historic house;<br />
option to purchase at ag value. $210,000 NRCS<br />
grant. Total project cost: $448,000.<br />
Desautel/Berthiaume Bros, Salisbury. $43,800 grant<br />
for acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 116 acres farml<strong>and</strong>. $22,000<br />
NRCS grant. Total project cost: $67,600.<br />
Stockman Farm, Richford <strong>and</strong> East Berkshire.<br />
$64,000 grant for acquisition of development rights<br />
<strong>and</strong> conservation restrictions on 91-acre organic<br />
vegetable farm with river frontage. $37,000 NRCS<br />
grant. Total project cost: $103,200.<br />
Ladd Farm I & II, Alburg. $178,500 grant for<br />
acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 310-acre dairy farm. $220,000<br />
NRCS grant. Total project cost: $477,300.<br />
Spring Meadow Farm, Cambridge. $64,500 grant<br />
for acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 82-acre dairy farm. $43,000<br />
NRCS grant. Total project cost: $109,000.<br />
Jones Farm, Hyde Park. $189,000 grant for acquisition<br />
of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 304-acre dairy farm. Intergenerational<br />
transfer, facilitates addition of more<br />
farml<strong>and</strong>. $168,000 NRCS grant. Total project<br />
cost: $360,300.<br />
Public trails in Montpelier were<br />
linked by this bridge connecting trails<br />
maintained by the <strong>Vermont</strong> Institute for<br />
Natural Science with Montpelier Parks<br />
Department trails.<br />
Knowles Farm, Charlotte. $299,870 for acquisition<br />
of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation restrictions<br />
on 99 acres farml<strong>and</strong>. Public trail easement<br />
for linkage to area trail system. $67,860 NRCS<br />
grant; Agency of Transportation Enhancement<br />
grant. Total project cost: $420,900.<br />
Newton Farm, Shoreham. $88,500 for acquisition<br />
of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation restrictions<br />
on 221 acres farml<strong>and</strong>. $68,000 NRCS grant. Total<br />
project cost: $165,600.<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $80,000 grant<br />
for farml<strong>and</strong> conservation program costs. Total<br />
organizational budget: $3,490,832.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> River Conservancy<br />
Organizational Development Grant. $22,000<br />
grant for organizational development costs. Total<br />
organizational budget: $130,000.<br />
Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association<br />
Windmill Hill Project, Athens. $109,700 grant for<br />
acquisition of 131 acres of wooded ridgeline for<br />
addition to recreational trail corridor <strong>and</strong> nature<br />
preserve. Public recreational use <strong>and</strong> habitat protection.<br />
Total project cost: $140,200.<br />
STATEWIDE<br />
Farm Viability Enhancement Program<br />
$200,000 grant to capitalize program providing<br />
business planning <strong>and</strong> technical assistance to<br />
farmers statewide.<br />
Feasibility Fund Grants<br />
$50,000 to recapitalize fund used for grants of<br />
up to $10,000 for predevelopment project work<br />
including options, surveys, feasibility <strong>and</strong> engineering<br />
studies.<br />
41
<strong>Conservation</strong> Awards July –December 2003<br />
The conserved Knowles Farm in Charlotte<br />
where a public trail easement will link<br />
to a developing trail system in the area.<br />
VHCB funds leveraged federal Natural<br />
Resource <strong>Conservation</strong> Service <strong>and</strong><br />
Agency of Transportation funds.<br />
Capital Area L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Canales Park, Barre City. $22,000 award for acquisition<br />
of approximately 2 acres for public outdoor<br />
recreation. Total project cost: $52,650.<br />
Intervale Foundation<br />
Calkins Community Farmstead, Burlington.<br />
$92,500 award for the historic renovation of the<br />
Calkins Farmhouse, the last dairy farmstead in<br />
the city. Total project cost: $508,153.<br />
Preservation Trust of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Calkins Farmstead, Burlington. $7,500 documentation<br />
<strong>and</strong> stewardship award.<br />
Jacob Davis Farmstead, Montpelier. $7,500 documentation<br />
<strong>and</strong> stewardship award.<br />
Upper Valley L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Devil’s Den, Bradford. $47,000 award for the<br />
acquisition of a 60-acre natural area, including<br />
access to unique geological formation. Habitat<br />
preservation <strong>and</strong> public access for recreation.<br />
Total project cost: $79,455.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Department of Forests, Parks<br />
<strong>and</strong> Recreation & <strong>Vermont</strong> River Conservancy<br />
Lower Clarendon Gorge, Clarendon. $74,750<br />
award for the acquisition of 48 acres for addition<br />
to previously conserved 18-acre parcel. Conserves<br />
the entire length of the gorge, a natural area with<br />
public access for recreation. Total project cost:<br />
$100,500.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Knowles Farm, Charlotte. Additional $8,800 award<br />
for the acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 99 acres farml<strong>and</strong>. Public<br />
trail easement to link with developing multi-town<br />
trail network. Total project cost: $420,900.<br />
Lewis Farm, Tinmouth. $71,000 local conservation<br />
award for acquisition of development rights<br />
<strong>and</strong> conservation restrictions on 129-acre farm<br />
with historic farmhouse. $72,000 NRCS grant.<br />
Total project cost: $243,000.<br />
Reed Farm, Sheldon. $76,500 award for acquisition<br />
of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation restrictions<br />
on 130 acres. $54,000 NRCS grant. Total<br />
project cost: $132,300.<br />
Devos Farml<strong>and</strong>, Ferrisburgh. $140,500 award for<br />
acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 195 acres farml<strong>and</strong>. $255,000 NRCS<br />
grant. Total project cost: $536,500.<br />
Bergmans II Farml<strong>and</strong>, Ferrisburgh. $43,500 award<br />
for acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 65 acres farml<strong>and</strong> linked to<br />
previously conserved home farm acreage. $24,000<br />
NRCS grant. Total project cost: $68,700.<br />
Farr Estate Farml<strong>and</strong>, Shoreham. $139,500 award<br />
for acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 177 acres farml<strong>and</strong>. 5,600<br />
feet frontage on Lake Champlain. Pedestrian public<br />
access to the lakeshore. $206,000 NRCS grant.<br />
Total project cost: $501,500.<br />
Charlestream Farml<strong>and</strong>, Ferrisburgh. $170,500<br />
award for acquisition of development rights <strong>and</strong><br />
conservation restrictions on 237 acres farml<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Ecological protection of wetl<strong>and</strong>s. $150,000 NRCS<br />
grant. Total project cost: $323,100.<br />
Nadeau II, Holl<strong>and</strong>. $54,500 award for acquisition<br />
of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation restrictions<br />
on 100 acres farml<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> sugarbush linked<br />
to previously conserved Nadeau home farm.<br />
$33,000 NRCS grant. Total project cost: $89,300.<br />
Hinsdale Farm II, Charlotte. $82,700 award for acquisition<br />
of development rights <strong>and</strong> conservation<br />
restrictions on 87 acres farml<strong>and</strong>. Trail easement<br />
for public access <strong>and</strong> linkage to area trail system.<br />
$60,300 NRCS grant. Total project cost: 143,000.<br />
42<br />
Chester Academy Building, Chester. $7,500 documentation<br />
<strong>and</strong> stewardship award.<br />
Town of Chester<br />
Academy Building, Chester. $65,000 award for<br />
restoration of historic detail <strong>and</strong> rehabilitation<br />
of National Register building for public use in<br />
Chester Village Historic District. Total project<br />
cost: $183,230.<br />
Two Rivers Center for Sustainability<br />
Jacob Davis Farmstead, Montpelier. $57,500 award<br />
for the renovation of the historic Jacob Davis farmstead,<br />
to become an agricultural demonstration<br />
center <strong>and</strong> museum. Access to trails <strong>and</strong> Winooski<br />
River. Total project cost: $942,500.<br />
Bird hunters near Mallory Brook in East<br />
Montpelier, where the Trust for Public<br />
L<strong>and</strong> conserved 489 acres.<br />
Farml<strong>and</strong> Affordability Option<br />
$120,000 for options to purchase farml<strong>and</strong> at<br />
agricultural value.
Partners in Project Development January 2002–December 2003<br />
Funding Partners<br />
Bank North<br />
Charter One Bank<br />
Chittenden Bank<br />
Citizens Bank, Nashua, NH<br />
Citizens <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>and</strong> Planning<br />
Association, Boston, MA<br />
Community National Bank<br />
CVCAC Weatherization, Barre<br />
Development Training Institute, Baltimore<br />
Efficiency <strong>Vermont</strong>, Burlington<br />
Enterprise Foundation, Co lum bia, MD<br />
Factory Point National Bank, Manches ter<br />
Federal Home Loan Bank of Bos ton<br />
First Colbrook Bank, Colbrook, NH<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Assistance Council,<br />
Wash ing ton, DC<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong>, Burlington<br />
Institute for Community Eco nom ics,<br />
Springfield, MA<br />
Key Bank<br />
Mascoma Savings Bank<br />
Merchants Bank<br />
Morristown Revolving Loan Fund<br />
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation<br />
Northfield Savings Bank<br />
Office of Ecomonic Opportunity<br />
Preservation Trust of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
USDA Rural Development<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Community Development<br />
Program<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Community Loan Program<br />
Building Community Fund, Montpelier<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Department of Developmental<br />
<strong>and</strong> Mental Health Services<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Development Credit Union<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> Finance Agency<br />
Foundations<br />
Enterprise Foundation<br />
Freeman Foundation<br />
John Merck Fund<br />
Open Space Institute<br />
Still Point Fund, Stowe<br />
Tommy Thompson Trust<br />
Waterwheel Foundation<br />
Windham Foundation<br />
Accountants<br />
Paul Birnholz, St. Albans<br />
Hickok & <strong>Board</strong>man, Burlington<br />
Judlow & Weitin, Essex Junction<br />
Kittell, Branagan & Sargent, Inc, St. Albans<br />
KPMG-Peat Marwick, Burlington<br />
McSoley McCoy, So. Burlington<br />
Angela Norder, Morrisville<br />
Otis, Atwell & Timberlake, Portl<strong>and</strong>, ME<br />
Stevens, Wilcox, Baker, Potvin, Cassidy &<br />
Jakubowski, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Sullivan, Powers & Co., Montpelier<br />
Appraisers<br />
Allen & Cable, South Burlington<br />
Brian Audy, Arlington<br />
Eric Benson, Montpelier<br />
Fred Blais, South Burlington<br />
Central <strong>Vermont</strong> Appraisers, Inc., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Gregory Doyle, West Brattleboro<br />
Everett Real Estate Services, Brattleboro<br />
Green Mountain Appraisals, Manchester<br />
Rodney Haggett, Addison<br />
Larson Appraisal Company, Wells<br />
Luce Hill Appraisal Services, Burlington<br />
Kurt Kaffenberger, Burlington<br />
Robert Lamprey, Newbury<br />
Martin Appraisals, Waterbury<br />
R. Russell Rice, Brattleboro<br />
Chris Rutken Appraisers, Manchester<br />
Sargeant Appraisal Service, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
James Thetford, Montpelier<br />
Thomas Armstrong, Holderness, N.H.<br />
W. Todd Brown, Brattleboro<br />
Hans Weltz, Bellows Falls<br />
Architects<br />
Arnold & Scangas Architects, Colchester<br />
Bannister & Greenberg, Putney<br />
Black River Design, Montpelier<br />
Centerline Architects & Planners,<br />
Bennington<br />
Davis Associates, Jericho<br />
Duncan-Wisniewski Architecture,<br />
Burlington<br />
E.H. Danson Associates, St. Johnsbury<br />
Frank Guillot, Architects Ltd, Burlington<br />
Michael Lawrence & Associates, Burlington<br />
MWLA-Monroe Whitaker, Brattleboro<br />
NBF Architects<br />
Scott & Partners, Essex Junction<br />
Truex Cullins & Partners, Burlington<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Architects Collaborative,<br />
Montpelier<br />
Bob White, Norwich<br />
J. William Maclay Architects, Waitsfield<br />
Williams & Frehsee, Inc., Brattleboro<br />
Ylian Alfaro Snyder & Assoc., Montpelier<br />
Attorneys<br />
Anderson & Eaton, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Bauer, Anderson & Gravel, Burlington<br />
Bradford T. Atwood, Sharon<br />
Bergeron, Paradis, Fitzpatrick & Smith,<br />
Essex Jct.<br />
Patricia Beu, Brattleboro<br />
Craig Bingham, East Middlebury<br />
Richard Cawley, Bradford<br />
Cohen & Rice, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, Burlington<br />
Geoffrey Fitzgerald, Montpelier<br />
Susan Ford, Woodstock<br />
Stephen R. Fowler, Hanover<br />
Gensburg, Atwell & Broderick,<br />
St. Johnsbury<br />
Gravel & Shea, Burlington<br />
Dot Helling, Montpelier<br />
Hershenson, Carter, Scott & McGee,<br />
Norwich<br />
Michael Hertz, Brattleboro<br />
C. Robert Manby, Jr., White River Jct.<br />
Mickenberg, Dunn, Kochman, Lachs &<br />
Smith, Burlington<br />
Molde, Black <strong>and</strong> Govoni, Johnson<br />
Myers & Smith, Essex Jct.<br />
Michael Nawrath, Manchester<br />
Paul, Frank & Collins, Burlington<br />
Ryan, Smith & Carbine, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Nadine L. Scibek, Burlington<br />
Swanson <strong>and</strong> Lange, Burlington<br />
Webber, Chapman & Kupferer, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
John Whalen, Arlington<br />
John Williams, II, Bennington<br />
Consultants<br />
AAHSA, Baltimore, MD<br />
Alzheimers Association, Vt. Chapter,<br />
Montpelier<br />
Behilo Consulting, Greenfield, MA<br />
Burbank-Hammarlund Assoc., Brattleboro<br />
Burlington Associates in Community Dev.,<br />
Burlington<br />
Capital Ideas, Burlington<br />
Clay Point Associates, Williston<br />
Cope & Associates, Shelburne<br />
CPG Enterprises, Shaftsbury<br />
Development Cycles, Amherst, MA<br />
Elizabeth Morel<strong>and</strong> Consulting,<br />
Orange City, Fla<br />
Flocksholm Design, Putney<br />
J.D. Kantor, Montpelier<br />
The Johnson Company, Montpelier<br />
43<br />
Partial list as provided by grant recipients
Partners in Project Development January 2002–December 2003<br />
44<br />
Consultants<br />
Mcain Consulting, Waterbury<br />
Net Consulting, Hindsdale, NH<br />
Optima Design Associates, Brattleboro<br />
Lyssa Papazian, Putney<br />
Joan Peters, Guilford<br />
Liz Pritchett Assoc., Montpelier<br />
Charles Putney, Bennington<br />
Renaissance Development Corp., Waltham<br />
Right Track Design, Weare, NH<br />
S.J. Associates, R<strong>and</strong>olph, MA<br />
Todd Sternback Computer Consulting,<br />
Montpelier<br />
Virtual Design <strong>and</strong> Café, Killington<br />
Virtual Solutions, Killington<br />
Wheeler Environmental Services, Barre<br />
Contractors<br />
A. Marcelino & Company, Williston<br />
A-1 Construction, New Haven<br />
A-1 Sewer & Drain Services, Inc.,<br />
West Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
A.R. Germaine Excavating, Williston<br />
Able Paint Glass & Rental Co., Colchester<br />
Access Technologies, GA<br />
Ace Hardware, North Springfield<br />
Acme Glass Company, Burlington<br />
Advance Sprinkler, Essex Jct.<br />
Alpha Electric, South Burlington<br />
Alpine Sprinkler, Essex Jct<br />
All Cycle Waste, Burlington<br />
Al’s Electric Service, Colchester<br />
American Construction, NH<br />
American Electrical Contracting Co.,<br />
Bethel<br />
ATC Associates, SD<br />
Bard Home Decorating, Burlington<br />
Bates Mechanical, Wilder<br />
Bay State Elevator Co., MA<br />
Bazin Brothers, Westminster<br />
Beldon Company, Inc.,Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Bendig, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Benoure Plumbing & Heating, So.<br />
Burlington<br />
Bernie’s Plumbing & Heating, Williston<br />
Black Ox St<strong>and</strong>ing Seam Roofing Co.,<br />
Tunbridge<br />
Ben Blanchard, Burlington<br />
Blue Ridge Construction, E. Montpelier<br />
Booska Movers, Burlington<br />
Burgess Electrical Supply, Burlington<br />
Burlett Plumbing & Heating, Salisbury<br />
Burlington Commercial Interiors,<br />
Isle La Motte<br />
Burlington Electric Dept., Burlington<br />
Burlington Public Works, Burlington<br />
C&L Plumbing, South Burlington<br />
Carpet Warehouse, Inc., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Cheshire Builders, NH<br />
Ciampi Construction, Montpelier<br />
Clark Construction, Fair Haven<br />
Climate Systems, Williston<br />
Cocoplum Appliances, Brattleboro<br />
Cooper Fence Company, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Countertop & Tub Re-Nu, Inc., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Crowley Construction Company,<br />
Colchester<br />
Cummings & Son, Br<strong>and</strong>on<br />
Cummings Electric, Colchester<br />
Delta Electric, Williston<br />
DiBernardo Electric, Bellows Falls<br />
Dion Security, Burlington<br />
Dompier Electric, Bellows Falls<br />
Don-Vac, Inc., Williston<br />
Door Control, Inc., NH<br />
Doran Roofing, Bomoseen<br />
Elevator Sales & Service, Inc., MA<br />
Engineers Construction, South Burlington<br />
Environmental Hazards Management,<br />
Inc.,Williston<br />
Fay Brook Painting, Sharon<br />
Fireprotec, Inc., Colchester<br />
Firetech Sprinkler Corp., Colchester<br />
Four Seasons Enterprise, LLC,<br />
White River Junction<br />
FSE, White River Junction<br />
Gallery of Cabinets, E. Montpelier<br />
Gazo Construction, Winooski<br />
Giancola Construction Corp.,Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Giroux Sign Smith, Burlington<br />
Green Mountain Drywall, Wallingford<br />
Green Mountain Insulation,<br />
White River Junction<br />
Green Mountain Systems & Service, Inc.,<br />
Essex Jct.<br />
Gregory Building Supply, Burlington<br />
Harrison Concrete, St. Albans<br />
Harry Ambrose, Inc., So. Burlington<br />
Hathaway Electric, Bennington<br />
Hawk <strong>and</strong> Brush, Brattleboro<br />
HCI/Craftsmen, Winooski<br />
Hendee Excavating, Starksboro<br />
Hennessey Electric, Bellows Falls<br />
Heritage Environmental, Burlington<br />
Hi Tech Coatings, Inc., West Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Hills True Value, Burlington<br />
Home Depot, Williston<br />
Howard’s Fire Control, Inc., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Hulbert Supply, Burlington<br />
J.A. Bradley & Sons, NY<br />
J.A. Morrissey Construction, Burlington<br />
Kingsbury Construction, Waitsfield<br />
Knox Company, CA<br />
Lakewind Construction, Essex Jct.<br />
Lamoille Construction, Morrisville<br />
Bernie LaRock & Son, Guilford<br />
Lighthouse Environmental, E. Middlebury<br />
Little Roger’s Cleaning Service, Burlington<br />
M&H Construction, Brattleboro<br />
M&M Carpeting, Barre<br />
Mansfield Environmental Abatement<br />
Group, Essex Junction<br />
March Construction, Guilford<br />
Marshall’s Alarm Service, Middlebury<br />
Mechanical Building Services, Colchester<br />
Millbrook Building & Remodeling,<br />
Essex Junction<br />
Moe Dubois Excavating, Shelburne<br />
Moriah Roofing, Essex Junction<br />
Mountain Valley Sprinkler Systems,<br />
Williston<br />
Myers Service Corp., Winooski<br />
Naylor & Breen, Br<strong>and</strong>on<br />
Neagley & Chase, South Burlington<br />
New Engl<strong>and</strong> Air Systems, Williston<br />
Northeastern Security Alarm, Williston<br />
Northwoods Excavating, Thetford Ctr.<br />
Omega Electric Construction, Williston<br />
O’Raine & Sun Co., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Otter Creek Electrical<br />
Ouellette Plumbing, Williston<br />
Patriot Insulation, Winooski<br />
Pest Control Service Co., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
PestPro, Inc., South Hero<br />
Phoenix Roofing, Townshend<br />
Pinette Mechanical Contractors, Cabot<br />
Jeff Pitts, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Plaza Appliance Center, Rutl<strong>and</strong> Town<br />
Fern<strong>and</strong>o Portugal, Shelburne<br />
Pratt & Smith, Milton<br />
Pro Markings, Woodstock<br />
Professional Touch Painting, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Property Management <strong>and</strong> Maintenance<br />
of Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
R.J. Desabrais & Sons, Salisbury<br />
R.K. Masonry, Cambridge<br />
R<strong>and</strong>all Contracting, Barre<br />
Partial list as provided by grant recipients
Partners in Project Development January 2002–December 2003<br />
Contractors<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> Chimney Service, Inc., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> Contract Cleaners, Inc., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> Roofing Co., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
S&S Painting, NH<br />
S.E. Benson, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Sears,Chicago, IL<br />
Seven Days, Burlington<br />
ServiceMaster of Central VT, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Slab Hollow Chimney, Crown Point, NY<br />
Eric Slade Roofing, Brattleboro<br />
Slate Valley Electric, Inc., Fair Haven<br />
Smalley Contractors, sRutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Solar Applications, Brattleboro<br />
Stairs Unlimited, Richford<br />
Steven Farrell Construction, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Stewart Construction, Essex Jct.<br />
Stewart Property Management, NH<br />
T.J. Rasmus & Company, NY<br />
Tamarack Services, Shelburne<br />
Tri-State Sprinkler, St. Albans<br />
Twin State Environmental, Colchester<br />
Twin State St<strong>and</strong>ing Seam Roofing Co.,<br />
South Royalton<br />
U 1 st Plumbing-Heating Co., N. Clarendon<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Custom Concrete, Milton<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Gas Systems, Burlington<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Paint Co., Burlington<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Shade & Blind, Br<strong>and</strong>on<br />
Walbridge Electric, Montpelier<br />
Ward’s Home Repair <strong>and</strong> Remodeling,<br />
East Arlington<br />
Wayne’s Remodeling, West Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Weber Accessibility Systems, Inc.,<br />
Richmond<br />
Westfield Construction, NH<br />
Wilk Paving, Inc., Center Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Windows & Doors by Brownell, Williston<br />
Engineers<br />
Bannon Engineering, Warren<br />
Chenette Associates, Barre<br />
Conant Brothers, New Haven<br />
Criterium-Lalancetter Engineers, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Richard Drew, NH<br />
Dufresne-Henry, North Springfield<br />
John Endrus, Bennington<br />
GWR Engineering, PC, Shelburne<br />
Ina Hladkey, Essex Jct.<br />
Hamlin Consulting Engineers, Inc.,<br />
Colchester<br />
Paul Hobbes, Burlington<br />
Innovative Consulting, North Montpelier<br />
Krebs & Lansing Consulting Engineers,<br />
Colchester<br />
Northern Environmental Services, NH<br />
John Novelli, Shaftsbury<br />
Otter Creek Engineering, East Middlebury<br />
Pike Construction, Panton<br />
Pike Industries, New Haven<br />
Ploof Excavating, Salisbury<br />
Provan & Lorber, Montpelier<br />
Roberts <strong>and</strong> Franzoni, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Short Surveying, Middlebury<br />
Ellis Speath, Manchester<br />
Stevens & Associates, Brattleboro<br />
Summit Engineering, South Burlington<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Contours, Bristol<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Solar Engineering, Burlington<br />
WV Engineering, NH<br />
Wright Engineering, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
L<strong>and</strong>scapers<br />
All Seasons Excavating & L<strong>and</strong>scaping,<br />
Colchester<br />
Abortech, Inc., Colchester<br />
Barrett’s Tree Service, So. Burlington<br />
Jeff Brown, Br<strong>and</strong>on<br />
Camels Hump L<strong>and</strong>scaping & Lawn Care,<br />
Huntington Center<br />
Cedar Glen Property Maintenance,<br />
Burlington<br />
D&F Excavating & Paving, Middlebury<br />
Dan Dwyer, Bennington<br />
Earthscapes, Inc., Essex Jct.<br />
Kirk Fiske, Middlebury<br />
Grass Cuts For Less, So. Burlington<br />
Greenleaf Forestry, Williston<br />
Gordon Hayward, Putney<br />
Heart <strong>and</strong> Soil L<strong>and</strong>scaping, Burlington<br />
Homestead Fence Co., Orwell<br />
Ed Hough’s Snowplowing & Excavation<br />
J&J Greenscape, Williamsville<br />
KRG L<strong>and</strong> & Tree Services, Woodbury<br />
Michael King, Arlington<br />
Michael Kittredge, Addison<br />
Ed Lanphear, Shoreham<br />
Levinsky L<strong>and</strong>scaping <strong>and</strong> Property<br />
Management, Burlington<br />
Palmers Service Center, East Middlebury<br />
Tim Patrick, Arlington<br />
QT L<strong>and</strong>scaping, Richmond<br />
Jim Ryan, Manchester<br />
Steve’s L<strong>and</strong>scaping, East Middlebury<br />
Teachers Tree Service, Bristol<br />
Treemasters of <strong>Vermont</strong>, Franklin<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Indoor Gardens, Burlington<br />
Jean Vissering L<strong>and</strong>scape, Montpelier<br />
Zeoli Tree Service, Middlebury<br />
Services & Suppliers<br />
A. Emilo Building Supply, Middlebury<br />
Above All Painting, East Fairfield<br />
Abraham’s Photo Studio, Burlington<br />
Absolute Air Care, Williston<br />
4 Systems, Winooski<br />
A & M Software, Inc., Burlington<br />
A Brush Of Color, Richmond<br />
A. C. Hathorne Company, Inc., Williston<br />
Accuprint, Essex Jct<br />
Acme Paint & Glass Co, Burlington<br />
Acousta Therm, Shelburne<br />
Adams Lock & Key, Bennington<br />
Adelphia Cable Communications,Williston<br />
Advanced Answering Service, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Agway, Bennington<br />
Airborne Express, Seattle, WA<br />
All Cycle, Inc., Williston<br />
All Links Communication, Williston<br />
All Paint <strong>and</strong> Stain, Montpelier<br />
All Seasons Cleaning Services Llc,<br />
Winooski<br />
All Secure, Lebanon NH<br />
Applecheek Farm, Hyde Park<br />
Arcomm Communications Corp., NH<br />
Assisted <strong>Housing</strong> Management Insider,<br />
New York, NY<br />
Atomic Professional Audio, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Aubuchon Hardware, Bennington<br />
B&B Rubbish Removal, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Bailey’s Maytag, Brattleboro<br />
Bard Home Decorating, Burlington<br />
BCF, Montpelier<br />
Bell Atlantic, Albany, NY<br />
Ben Franklin, South Burlington<br />
BFI, Bennington<br />
Bisbee’s, Waitsfield<br />
Black River, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Black River Produce, Proctorsville<br />
Blodgett Supply Co, Inc., Williston<br />
Blodgett Supply Co., Inc., Williston<br />
Blue Cross Blue Shield, Montpelier<br />
Blueprints Etc., S. Burlington<br />
Bob Thibault & Sons Appliances, St. Albans<br />
Bolster Movers, Brattleboro<br />
Booska Movers, Inc., Burlington<br />
Bouchard Bros. Appliance Ctr., Essex Jct.<br />
Bouchard-Pierce, Essex Junction<br />
Bourne’s, Inc., Morrisville<br />
45<br />
Partial list as provided by grant recipients
Partners in Project Development January 2002–December 2003<br />
46<br />
Services & Suppliers<br />
Bourne’s Propane Co., Morrisville<br />
Boves Restaurant, Burlington<br />
Br<strong>and</strong>on Lumber, Br<strong>and</strong>on<br />
Brattleboro Chimney Sweep, Brattleboro<br />
Brite-World Professional Services,<br />
Essex Junction<br />
Brooks Mitchell, South Newfane<br />
Brown & Robets, Brattleboro<br />
Burgess Brothers, Bennington<br />
Burlington Communications Service<br />
Center, Burlington<br />
Burlington Electric Dept., Burlington<br />
Burlington Food Service Co, Colchester<br />
Burlington Free Press, Burlington<br />
Burlington Meals On Wheels, Burlington<br />
Burlington Public Works-Recycle,<br />
Burlington<br />
Burlington Rent All, So. Burlington<br />
Burlington Tool Repair, So. Burlintgon<br />
Bushee Plumbing & Heating, Arlington<br />
Calendar Sales, Milwaukee WI<br />
Calendars, Sidney, NY<br />
Carpet Center, Essex Junction<br />
Casella Waste Management<br />
CCTV, Burlington<br />
Cd Publications, Silver Spring, MD<br />
Ced Credit Office, Newport, ME<br />
CED/Twin State Electric Supply,<br />
South Burlington<br />
Cellular One, Colchester<br />
Central Business Equipment, Bennington<br />
CGU, Boston MA<br />
Champlain Valley Printing, So. Burlington<br />
Champlain Valley Property Services,<br />
Williston<br />
Chase Electric, Williamstown<br />
Cheese Outlet/Fresh Market, Burlington<br />
Chittenden County Suburban Newspaper,<br />
Williston<br />
C.L. White Glass, Bennington<br />
Claussen’s, Colchester<br />
Cocoplum Appliance, Brattleboro<br />
Code 3 Products, Brattleboro<br />
Coffee Time/Spring Water Co. Of Vt,<br />
Williston<br />
Colchester Agway, Colchester<br />
Colchester Chronicle, Colchester<br />
Commercial Services, Inc,. Montpelier<br />
Commercial Union Insurance Co., Boston<br />
Computer-EZ, Mendon<br />
Computer Exchange, Williston<br />
Computer Technology Consultants,<br />
Colchester<br />
Contact Communications, So. Burlington<br />
Conti’s Appliance & Furniture, Waterbury<br />
Copierworks Of <strong>Vermont</strong>, Colchester<br />
Copytek, Williston<br />
Costco Wholesale, Colchester<br />
Council Of <strong>Vermont</strong> Elders, Montpelier<br />
County Home Center, Morrisville<br />
Countryside Carpet & Paint, Middlebury<br />
Countywide Appliance, Burlington<br />
Creative Design At Bayside, Inc.,<br />
Colchester<br />
Creative Office Interiors, Needham, MA<br />
Creative Thymes, Burlington<br />
Credit Bureau Services of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Credit Card Services, Burlington<br />
CSWD, Williston<br />
CTC Communications, Hartford, CT<br />
Current, Inc., Phoenix, AZ<br />
Custom-Fit Software, Inc., Colchester<br />
Custon PC Works, Bennington<br />
D&E Tree Company, Brattleboro<br />
D & M Fire And Safety Equipment,<br />
Richmond<br />
D & M Fire Equipment, Burlington<br />
DT Supply, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Daceasy, Dallas, TX<br />
Dave Hayden Plumbing & Heating,<br />
Bennington<br />
Decorative Energy Concepts, South Hero<br />
Demars Hardware & Rental, Morrisville<br />
Demars Properties, Morrisville<br />
Damian Flooring, Vernon<br />
Densmore Electrical Supply, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Densmore Stone & <strong>Vermont</strong> Marble<br />
Center, South Burlington<br />
Design Graphics, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Design Signs, Burlington<br />
Deter Security, Inc., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Dick’s Lock Repair, Brattleboro<br />
Dion Security, Inc., Burlington<br />
Dough Boy’s Bakery, Burlington<br />
Dutton, Brenda, Leicester<br />
Easton Electronics, Canton, MA<br />
ECS Biological Services, Brattleboro<br />
E-Z Way Rental, Bennington<br />
Eastman’s, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Ed’s Painting Service, Colchester<br />
Edson Painting, South Barre<br />
Elder Art Program, Burlington<br />
Electrolux, Burlington<br />
Elevator Sales & Service Inc., MA<br />
Eli Research, Research Triangle Park, NC<br />
Empire Janitorial Supply Co., Burlington<br />
Essex Agway, Williston<br />
Essex Appliance And Fitness,<br />
Essex Junction<br />
Essex Paint & Carpet, Essex Jct.<br />
Evans News, Bennington<br />
F.E. Hart Fence Company, Inc., Williston<br />
F.W. Webb Co., Williston<br />
Falcon Plumbing Services, Inc., Williston<br />
Fidelity And Casualty Company,<br />
Glens Falls,NY<br />
Filters Inc., Essex Jct.<br />
Fireprotec, Colchester<br />
Fireside True Value, Brattleboro<br />
First Choice Rentals Sales & Service,<br />
Williston<br />
Flag Shop Of Vt, Essex Jct.<br />
Fleming Oil, Brattleboro<br />
Foley Distributing Corp, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
For All Occasions, Williston<br />
Fortin’s Trucking, Williston<br />
Fox Printing, Burlington<br />
Fred Blakely Plumbing, Adamant<br />
Furniture Discounters, Shelburne<br />
Fyles Bros., Orwell<br />
GSS Fire Extinguishers, No. Bennington<br />
Gadues Dry Cleaning, Inc., Colchester<br />
Gallipo Logo Imprints, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Gauthier Trucking, Essex Jct<br />
George Tudhopes Carpet Square, Williston<br />
Giddings Manufacturing Company, Inc,<br />
Pittsford<br />
Gilmore Home Center, Bomoseen<br />
Good Neighbor H<strong>and</strong>yman, So. Burlington<br />
Goodrow Lumber, East Middlebury<br />
Gordon Stamp And Engraving, Burlington<br />
Grainger, Palantine, IL<br />
Grappone Industrial Inc., Williston<br />
Graybar Electric Co., Boston, MA<br />
Green Mountain Clock, Williston<br />
Green Mountain Communications, Stowe<br />
Green Mountain Power, Brattleboro<br />
Greenscreen, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Grenier’s Pest Control, Essex Jct<br />
H. Greenbergs & Sons, Bennington<br />
Ha Maintenance, Brattleboro<br />
Hallsmith-Sysco Food Services,<br />
Woburn, MA<br />
Hanson’s Hardware, Shelburne<br />
Hard Copy, Burlington<br />
Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection <strong>and</strong><br />
Insurance Co.<br />
Partial list as provided by grant recipients
Partners in Project Development January 2002–December 2003<br />
Services & Suppliers<br />
Hardwick Electrick Dept., Hardwick<br />
Hartigan Co., Stowe<br />
Haskins Gas, Dorset<br />
Hawley’s Florist, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Hendy Bros., Inc, Williston<br />
Heritage Copy Centers, Burlington<br />
Hickok And <strong>Board</strong>man, Burlington<br />
High Tech, Manchester<br />
Hollisters Appliances, Bennington<br />
Hills True Value Hardware, Burlington<br />
Holyoke Equipment Co, Williston<br />
Home & Farm Center, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Howard Printing, Brattleboro<br />
HPI, Williston<br />
Hubbard Brothers, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Hulbert Supply Co, Burlington<br />
Ink Spot Press, Bennington<br />
Isabel’s On The Waterfront, Burlington<br />
J & P Electric Motor Service,<br />
South Burlington<br />
J Care, So. Burlington<br />
J Clark Communications, St. Albans<br />
J*Care Janitorial Supplies & Paper Prod,<br />
South Burlington<br />
JR’s Rubbish & Recycling, Bridport<br />
Jeri Hill Hardware, Jericho<br />
Jim Deery Carpet & Flooring, Bennington<br />
Judy Gauthier Cleaning, Bennington<br />
Just Delicious Catering, Morrisville<br />
Kaleidoscope Graphics, Burlington<br />
Kd Associates, Inc., So. Burlington<br />
Kelly Fuels, Bennington<br />
Kelly Temporary Services, PA<br />
Kelson Plumbing & Heating, Bennington<br />
Kenco, Inc., Barre<br />
Kens Radio & TV, Burlington<br />
Kinko’s, Atlanta, GA<br />
Koffee Kup Bakery, Inc., Burlington<br />
Kone, Inc., Moline Il<br />
L/R Pest Elimination Services,<br />
South Burlington<br />
Lab Safety Supply Inc, Janesville, WI<br />
Labarge Floral Design, Burlington<br />
Lacillade Lumber Company, Williamstown<br />
Lake Champlain Cable TV, Milton<br />
Lakeshore Hardware And Marine,<br />
Colchester<br />
Lamoille Lock & Key, Waterbury Ctr.<br />
L<strong>and</strong>ry Insurance, Colchester<br />
Larry’s Office Machines, Burlington<br />
Latham Trailer Sales, Waterbury<br />
LaValleys Building Supply, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
LCU Inc., Williston<br />
Leader Home Ctr., Brattleboro<br />
Leary’s Insurance Agency Inc,<br />
South Burlington<br />
Lee Sturtevant Extinguisher Sales<br />
& Service, Morrisville<br />
Life Safety Systems, Essex Jct.<br />
Lifeline Foundation Of <strong>Vermont</strong>,<br />
Morrisville<br />
Light-Works, Burlington<br />
Limb Corporation, Williston<br />
Liquid Studio, Burlington<br />
Little Engine Heaven, Jericho<br />
Little Roger’s Trucking & Cleaning,<br />
Colchester<br />
Lock & Glass Crafters, Middlebury<br />
Long Distance North, Burlington<br />
Lori’s Cleaning Service, Stowe<br />
M & M Carpet Service, Barre<br />
Mace Engravers, Burlington<br />
Mad Hatter, Burlington<br />
Mail Boxes Etc, Essex Jct<br />
Mail Boxes Etc., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Main Street L<strong>and</strong>ing, Burlington<br />
Maintenance By Murphy, Inc., Waterbury<br />
Maintenance Warehouse, Boston, MA<br />
Manpower, Milwaukee, WI<br />
Mark Woodward, Johnson<br />
Mastercard, Burlington<br />
Mcgregor’s Pharmacy, Winooski<br />
Mckesson Medical-Surgical,<br />
Golden Valley MN<br />
Medline Industries, Inc., Chicago IL<br />
Merrill Gas, Brattleboro<br />
Metevier Electric Motor Service,<br />
Burlington<br />
Mid State Appliances, N. Clarendon<br />
Miles Lumber, Arlington<br />
Modern Floors, East Barre<br />
Moore’s Lumber, Williston<br />
Moore’s Lumber And Building Supplies,<br />
Williston<br />
Morf Transportation Inc., Burlington<br />
Morrisville Lumber, Morrisville<br />
Morse Hardwoods & Millwork Co.,<br />
Essex Jct<br />
Morrisville Water & Light Dept.,<br />
Morrisville<br />
Mount Vernon Lodge, Morrisville<br />
Mountain Appliance Service, Colchester<br />
Mountain Transit, Milton<br />
Myers Container Service Corp, Winooski<br />
Myron Manufacturing Co., Newark, NJ<br />
National Business Furniture, Milwaukee<br />
National Center for <strong>Housing</strong> Management,<br />
Arlington, VA<br />
Nebs, Inc., Boston, MA<br />
Nelson & Small, Inc, Portl<strong>and</strong>, ME<br />
Network Services Corporation, Burlington<br />
New Engl<strong>and</strong> Air Quality Testing,<br />
Burlington<br />
New Engl<strong>and</strong> Business Services, Inc,<br />
Groton, MA<br />
New Engl<strong>and</strong> Flooring, Burlington<br />
New Engl<strong>and</strong> Guaranty Insurance Co, Inc.,<br />
Montpelier<br />
New Engl<strong>and</strong> Telephone, WRJ<br />
New Hampshire Fisheries Inc., Essex , MA<br />
New York Cleaners, Colchester<br />
Newline Communications, Williston<br />
News & Citizen, Morrisville<br />
NFPA, Boston, MA<br />
Niquette Bros., Inc., Winooski<br />
NNEAHSA, Hampton, NH<br />
Noble True Value Hardware, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
North Avenue News, Burlington<br />
North Star Leasing, Burlington<br />
North Star <strong>Vermont</strong>, Cumberl<strong>and</strong>, ME<br />
Northeast Paging, St. Johnsbury<br />
Northern Cartographic, Williston<br />
Northern Security Insurance Company,<br />
Inc., Brattleboro<br />
Nortrax Equipment Co., Concord, NH<br />
Notifier Northeast Corp., Williston<br />
Noyle Johnson Insurance, Montpelier<br />
Nynex, White River Junction<br />
Office Furniture Exchange, Burlington<br />
Office Quarters, Brattleboro<br />
Offset House, Essex Junction<br />
One Ninety Seven Inc., Essex Junction<br />
Onebeacon, Boston, MA<br />
O’Neil Appliance Service, Essex Junction<br />
Only Once Graphics, Burlington<br />
Orkin Exterminating Company, Inc.,<br />
Shelburne<br />
Ormsby’s Computer Store, Barre<br />
Overhead Door Co. of Burlington, Inc.,<br />
Williston<br />
P&F Appliances, Manchester<br />
P&K Storage, Brattleboro<br />
P & P Septic Service, Inc., Williston<br />
P & T Inc., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Padgett-Thompson, Saranac Lake, NY<br />
Parker & Stearns, Johnson<br />
Patterson Fuels, Shelburne<br />
Paul’s Pest Control, Bellows Falls<br />
47<br />
Partial list as provided by grant recipients
Partners in Project Development January 2002–December 2003<br />
48<br />
Services & Suppliers<br />
Paw Print, South Burlington<br />
PDI, South Burlington<br />
Peck Electric, South Burlington<br />
Pella Products, Inc., Greenfield, MA<br />
Peps Market, Winooski<br />
Perkins Home Center, Brattleboro<br />
Perma Glaze, Shelburne<br />
Pest Pro, Inc., South Hero<br />
Pettersen Family Cleaners, Hinesburg<br />
Philbrick Consulting Home<br />
Inspection Services, NH<br />
Philip W. Noyes Co., Essex Jct<br />
Phinney’s Paint & Decorating, Middlebury<br />
Pinette Mechanical Contractors, Inc.,<br />
Cabot<br />
Portl<strong>and</strong> Glass, Brattleboro<br />
Postal & Business Service, Inc., Colchester<br />
Power Shift Online, Stowe<br />
Precision Air, Inc., Jericho<br />
Precision Balancing Llc, Essex Jct.<br />
Prime Offset, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Print Quik, Bennington<br />
The Prompt Image, Brattleboro<br />
Prospect Park Press, NH<br />
Putnam Investments, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Quality Plumbing & Heating, Bennington<br />
Quality Works, Colchester<br />
Queen City Printers, Burlington<br />
RGF Painting, Barre<br />
R.K. Miles, Manchester Ctr.<br />
R&M Maintenance, East Barre<br />
Radio North Group, Inc., South Burlington<br />
Ray’s Novelties of Vt. Inc., Newport<br />
Red Hot Supply, Colchester<br />
Reprographics of New Engl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
South Burlington<br />
Richmond Hardware, Richmond<br />
Richmond Home Supply, Inc., Richmond<br />
Ricketts & Sons, Warren<br />
Rooter-Man of <strong>Vermont</strong>, South Burlington<br />
Rotella, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Royal Glass & Security Co., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Roys Appliance Service, Bristol<br />
The Rutl<strong>and</strong> Herald, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> Printing Co., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
S.T. Paving, Inc., Waterbury<br />
Sanborn’s Paint Spot, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
SAW Carpentry, South Ryegate<br />
Scantic Designs, Richmond<br />
Scrumptious, Burlington<br />
Security & Surveillance Assoc., Williston<br />
Selectronics, Waitsfield<br />
Service Master The Stephens Group, Inc.,<br />
Williston<br />
Seven Days, Burlington<br />
Shadow Cross Farm, Inc., Colchester<br />
Shaws Supermarkets, Colchester<br />
Sherwin Williams, Bennington<br />
Sherwin Williams, Brattleboro<br />
Sherwin Williams, South Burlington<br />
Sherry Senior Designs, Shelburne<br />
Sign*A*Rama USA, South Burlington<br />
Signs By Steck, Burlington<br />
Small Engine Parts Dist, Essex Junction<br />
Smith Bell & Thompson Inc., Burlington<br />
Sondik Supply Company, Burlington<br />
Sovernet, Bellows Falls<br />
Spaceworks, Inc., Rockville, MD<br />
Special Services Transportation Agency,<br />
Colchester<br />
Spectrum Design, Bennington<br />
Staples, Bennington<br />
Sterling Equipment Of Vt, Williston<br />
Sterling Hardwoods, Burlington<br />
Suburban Propane, Bennington<br />
Sunshine Art Studios, Inc., Agawam, MA<br />
Swish Maintenance, Burlington<br />
Symquest Group, Inc., So. Burlington<br />
Synergy Gas, Bennington<br />
T.A. Haigh Lumber Co., Inc., Burlington<br />
Taylor’s Color World, Morrisville<br />
Technical Planning & Management,<br />
Waitsfield<br />
Tempo Home Furnishings, Shelburne<br />
The Carpet Center, Essex Jct.<br />
The Granite Group, Concord, NH<br />
The Green Machine, Williston<br />
The Locksmith Co., Colchester<br />
The Medical Store Ltd, So. Burlington<br />
The Pettersen Family Cleaners, Hinesburg<br />
Therriens Boiler & Mechanical Serv. Inc,<br />
Burlington<br />
Tina’s Home Design, Burlington<br />
Together Networks, Burlington<br />
Toolcraft Rental & Sales Ctr., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Triad Temporary Services Inc., Williston<br />
Trono Fuels, Burlington<br />
Turner & Renaud, Dummerston<br />
Ultimate Choice Home Care, Brattleboro<br />
Ultramar, Manchester<br />
Ultramar Energy Inc., St. Albans<br />
Unifirst Corp, Williamstown<br />
Union Mutual Fire Insurance Co., Williston<br />
United States Postal Service, Burlington<br />
University Of <strong>Vermont</strong>, Burlington<br />
Upholster-All, Colchester<br />
Upper Room Design Center, New Haven<br />
Vacuum City, So. Burlington<br />
Valcom Ii, Inc., So. Burlington<br />
Vantage Press Inc, Burlington<br />
Verdon Seamless Gutters, Inc, Williston<br />
Vergennes Building Supply, Vergennes<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Correctional Industries, Windsor<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Courier, Inc., Williston<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Ethics Network, Inc., Montpelier<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Gas Systems, Brattleboro<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Hardware Company, Inc.,<br />
Burlington<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> Managers Association,<br />
Burlington<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Karpet Kleaning, Burlington<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Maturity Magazine, Williston<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Paint Company, Williston<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Pavement Maintenance, Inc., So.<br />
Burlington<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Pure Springs, Inc., Williston<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Specialty Products, Burlington<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Telephone, Essex Jct.<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Times, Shelburne<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Toner Recharge, Burlington<br />
VGS Propane, Burlington<br />
Visiting Nurse Community Services,<br />
Colchester<br />
Vt Custom Sheet Metal Co., So. Burlington<br />
Vt Mutual Insurance Co., Brattleboro<br />
Vt Plastic Specialties, Inc., Williston<br />
Walsh Electric Supply Co, Inc., Colchester<br />
Walsh Electric Supply, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Waterfront Catering Group, Burlington<br />
Ward’s Systems, Morrisville<br />
Water Works, Manchester Ctr.<br />
Wearguard, Chicago, IL<br />
Weber Accessibility Systems, Inc.,<br />
Richmond<br />
Wehse & Kinney Insurance, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
West River Paint, Brattleboro<br />
Westside Press, West Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
White Mountain Insurance Co.,<br />
Manchester<br />
White River Paper Company, White<br />
River Junction<br />
White’s Heating, Northfield<br />
White’s Sewer & Drain Service, Hinesburg<br />
Whitman’s Feed Store, No. Bennington<br />
Wholesale Express, Burlington<br />
William St. Cyr, Montpelier<br />
Wilson County Camera, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Winooski Press, Winooski<br />
Partial list as provided by grant recipients
Partners in Project Development January 2002–December 2003<br />
Wood Lake Title Co., Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Woody’s Sales & Service, Johnson<br />
Y<strong>and</strong>ow Sales & Service, No. Ferrisburg<br />
Yankee Electric Supply, Inc., Winooski<br />
Yankee Paint, Rutl<strong>and</strong><br />
Yankee Medical, Inc, Burlington<br />
Yarnell Inc. Kwik Dry, Colchester<br />
Zinn Graphics, Brattlleboro<br />
Surveyors<br />
Little River Survey Co., Stowe<br />
Parks Associates, Arlington<br />
Charles Rockwell, Dorset<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Nonprofit <strong>Housing</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Organizations<br />
Addison County Community Action Group<br />
Addison County Community Trust<br />
Aldis Hill Trust<br />
Archaeological Conservancy<br />
Association of <strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong><br />
Commissions<br />
Brattleboro Area Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Brookfield Community Partnership<br />
Building a Better Brattleboro<br />
Burlington Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Cabot Commons, Inc.<br />
Capital Area L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Capital City <strong>Housing</strong> Foundation<br />
Catamount Trail Association<br />
Cathedral Square Corporation<br />
Central <strong>Vermont</strong> Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
CVOEO Mobile Home Project<br />
CVOEO Voices Against Violence Project<br />
Committee on Temporary Shelter<br />
Gill Terrace Retirement Apartments, Inc.<br />
Gilman <strong>Housing</strong> Trust<br />
Good Samaritan Haven, Inc.<br />
Green Mountain Audubon Society<br />
Green Mountain Club<br />
Hinesburg L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
HomeShare <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
<strong>Housing</strong> Foundation, Inc.<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Intervale Foundation<br />
Lake Champlain <strong>Housing</strong> Development Corp.<br />
Lake Champlain L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Lamoille <strong>Housing</strong> Partnership<br />
Lund Family Center<br />
Norwich <strong>Housing</strong> Corporation<br />
Putney Cares<br />
Putney Mountain Association, Inc.<br />
R<strong>and</strong>olph Area Community Development<br />
Corporation<br />
Regional Affordable <strong>Housing</strong> Corporation<br />
Richford Renaissance Corporation<br />
Rockingham Area Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> County Community L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Rutl<strong>and</strong> West Neighborhood <strong>Housing</strong> Services<br />
Sexual Assault Crisis Team, Inc.<br />
Shelter Committee, Inc.<br />
South Hero L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
Southern <strong>Vermont</strong> Community Recreation<br />
Center Foundation<br />
Stowe L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
The <strong>Conservation</strong> Fund<br />
The Friends of Robert Frost<br />
The Gray Building Coalition<br />
The Nature Conservancy of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
The Preservation Trust of <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
Trust for Public L<strong>and</strong><br />
Twin Pines <strong>Housing</strong> Trust<br />
Two Rivers Center for Sustainability<br />
Upper Valley L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Arts Exchange<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Center for Independent Living<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Community Loan Fund<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> Historical Society<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> L<strong>and</strong> Trust<br />
<strong>Vermont</strong> River Conservancy<br />
Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association<br />
“Because VHCB enables<br />
local partnerships to take<br />
on higher risk projects,<br />
these investments have<br />
broad community impacts<br />
<strong>and</strong> frequently preserve the<br />
older, more historic buildings<br />
in village centers <strong>and</strong> downtowns.<br />
With what VHCB is<br />
doing in this area, <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
sets the st<strong>and</strong>ard.”<br />
—Richard White, President<br />
Community National Bank<br />
The Gilman <strong>Housing</strong> Trust completed construction of Passumpsic View <strong>Housing</strong><br />
in St. Johnsbury, with 25 apartments for seniors on the upper floors <strong>and</strong><br />
commercial space at street level. The block replaces the<br />
Daniels Block, which was lost in a tragic fire in January 2000.<br />
49
<strong>Vermont</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> &<br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Board</strong><br />
Balance Sheet<br />
June 30, 2003<br />
General Funds Restricted Funds<br />
ASSETS<br />
Cash Accounts $ 10,644,778 $ 1,914,632<br />
Due from Other Funds 342,390 8,225<br />
Receivables 2,407 34,315<br />
Loans Receivable 45,904,962 16,766,282<br />
Administrative Reimbursements Receivable 3,085,183<br />
Anticipated Grant Revenues 3,288,170 6,866,408<br />
Repurchase Agreements 6,673,465<br />
TOTAL ASSETS $ 60,182,707 $ 35,348,510<br />
LIABILITIES <strong>and</strong> FUND EQUITY<br />
LIABILITIES<br />
Accounts Payable & Accruals $ 137,249 $ 211,995<br />
Due to Other Funds 9,725 340,890<br />
Due to the State of <strong>Vermont</strong> 2,806,037<br />
Deferred Revenue – Loans 45,901,962 16,432,685<br />
Anticipated Grants Committed 3,288,170 6,866,408<br />
Long-term Debt 7,018,038<br />
TOTAL LIABILITIES 49,337,106 33,676,053<br />
FUND EQUITY<br />
Fund Balance – Committed to Projects 10,729,265 907,243<br />
Fund Balance – Unreserved 116,336 765,214<br />
TOTAL FUND EQUITY 10,845,601 1,672,457<br />
TOTAL LIABILITIES <strong>and</strong> FUND EQUITY $ 60,182,707 $ 35,348,510<br />
50<br />
To receive a copy of the audited financial statement, please contact VHCB.
Revenues<br />
$25,246,113<br />
Farms for<br />
the Future<br />
8%<br />
Interest<br />
Income<br />
1%<br />
Loan<br />
Repayments<br />
1%<br />
Other<br />
Income<br />
2%<br />
Federal Grant<br />
Revenue<br />
44%<br />
State Property<br />
Transfer Tax<br />
44%<br />
Expenditures<br />
$25,068,739<br />
Other Project<br />
Related Expense<br />
7%<br />
Farms for the Future<br />
Interest Expense<br />
5%<br />
Administration<br />
7%<br />
Grants <strong>and</strong> Loans<br />
81%<br />
51<br />
To receive a copy of the audited financial statement, please contact VHCB.
<strong>Housing</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Applications<br />
52<br />
VHCB makes grants <strong>and</strong> loans to nonprof<br />
it organizations, housing co-ops,<br />
municipalities, <strong>and</strong> qualifying state<br />
agen cies. The <strong>Board</strong> is able to respond<br />
quickly to assist municipalities <strong>and</strong> nonprofits<br />
to cope with the adverse im pact<br />
of development on <strong>Vermont</strong>’s af ford able<br />
housing stock, its ag ri cul tur al l<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong><br />
its en vi ron men tal quality. The decision<br />
making process is set up to pro vide significant<br />
financial assistance rap id ly when<br />
a need is identified.<br />
The <strong>Board</strong> meets <strong>and</strong> makes decisions<br />
on applications approximately seven<br />
times a year. Applications are usually<br />
reviewed <strong>and</strong> decisions made within<br />
five to ten weeks of submission. The<br />
bulk of the <strong>Board</strong>’s awards are made for<br />
projects associated with the protection<br />
of agricultural l<strong>and</strong>s, natural areas,<br />
public recreational l<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> historic<br />
properties, <strong>and</strong> for the preservation,<br />
rehabilitation, <strong>and</strong> development of<br />
perpetually affordable housing. Special<br />
encouragement is given to projects that<br />
meet both the affordable housing <strong>and</strong><br />
the conservation goals of the Fund.<br />
All applicants are required to show<br />
long-term benefit to <strong>Vermont</strong>ers through<br />
deed restrictions or other mech a nisms<br />
that ensure the funds pro vid ed will<br />
have a lasting effect. <strong>Housing</strong> projects<br />
must target Ver mont ers with incomes<br />
at or below median. Program ben e fi -<br />
cia ries range from tenants, po ten tial<br />
home own ers, <strong>and</strong> farmers, to all who<br />
enjoy Ver mont’s natural, rec re ation al,<br />
<strong>and</strong> his tor ic prop er ties.<br />
Application deadline <strong>and</strong> <strong>Board</strong><br />
meeting dates are available from<br />
the VHCB office <strong>and</strong> are posted on<br />
the <strong>Board</strong>'s web site, www.vhcb.org.<br />
Applications are rated according to<br />
the Adopted Rule of the <strong>Board</strong>. Applicants<br />
are invited to attend the meeting<br />
at which the project is reviewed, <strong>and</strong><br />
are informed of the <strong>Board</strong>’s decision<br />
that same day.<br />
Purchase of <strong>Conservation</strong><br />
Easements on Farml<strong>and</strong><br />
The <strong>Board</strong> evaluates farml<strong>and</strong><br />
applications in a two-step process.<br />
Pre-applications are reviewed by an<br />
Agricultural Advisory Committee<br />
that includes farmers, representatives<br />
from the UVM Extension Service, the<br />
USDA Farm Service Agency, Natural<br />
Resources <strong>Conservation</strong> Service, the<br />
Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets,<br />
<strong>and</strong> members of the VHCB <strong>Board</strong>. This<br />
group recommends projects to be<br />
considered by the full VHCB <strong>Board</strong>, <strong>and</strong><br />
complete applications are developed for<br />
those projects. Evaluation is based upon<br />
soil quality, location, farm infrastructure,<br />
management, <strong>and</strong> other resources<br />
brought to the project.<br />
Applications for Federal HOME<br />
Funds <strong>and</strong> Lead-Based Paint<br />
Hazard Reduction Funds<br />
Applications for HOME Program<br />
funds are due on the same dates as<br />
VHCB housing project applications.<br />
Applications for Lead-Based Paint<br />
Hazard Reduction funds are reviewed<br />
as they are received.<br />
The Lake Champlain <strong>Housing</strong><br />
Development Corporation<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> <strong>Vermont</strong><br />
rehabilitated 6 affordable<br />
apartments <strong>and</strong> commercial space<br />
in the Butler Block in St. Albans.<br />
Feasibility Funds<br />
The <strong>Board</strong> provides awards of up<br />
to $10,000 to assist with feasibility<br />
analysis for individual projects <strong>and</strong> up<br />
to $15,000 for housing projects involving<br />
more than one building. This program<br />
pays for appraisals, engineering <strong>and</strong><br />
environmental studies, options, energy<br />
assessments, <strong>and</strong> marketing analysis.<br />
These awards are instrumental in<br />
helping grantees bring projects to the<br />
development stage. For a number of<br />
years, The Public Service Department<br />
has provided the <strong>Board</strong> with funds for<br />
energy efficiency analyses in proposed<br />
housing developments.<br />
Organizational Grants<br />
The <strong>Board</strong> provides grants to nonprofits<br />
for some of the costs associated with<br />
developing affordable housing <strong>and</strong><br />
conservation projects. This critical<br />
support ranges from up to $15,000 for<br />
new organizations to up to $40,000 for<br />
regional groups actively involved in<br />
developing VHCB projects. Twenty-two<br />
such awards were made to housing <strong>and</strong><br />
conservation organizations in FY2003.
PROJECT AWARDS BY COUNTY<br />
1987–2003<br />
GRAND<br />
ISLE<br />
16 units<br />
2,980 acres<br />
FRANKLIN<br />
210 units<br />
28,005 acres<br />
ORLEANS<br />
224 units<br />
18,478 acres<br />
ESSEX<br />
13 units<br />
179,366 acres<br />
CHITTENDEN<br />
2,449 units<br />
11,057 acres<br />
LAMOILLE<br />
162 units<br />
14,253<br />
acres<br />
WASHINGTON<br />
636 units<br />
8,627 acres<br />
CALEDONIA<br />
294 units<br />
5,138 acres<br />
ADDISON<br />
395 units<br />
38,500 acres<br />
ORANGE<br />
284 units<br />
9,037 acres<br />
RUTLAND<br />
276 units<br />
14,269<br />
acres<br />
WINDSOR<br />
864 units<br />
9,901 acres<br />
BENNINGTON<br />
296 units<br />
4,006 acres<br />
WINDHAM<br />
509 units<br />
8,075 acres
<strong>Vermont</strong><br />
<strong>Housing</strong> &<br />
<strong>Conservation</strong><br />
<strong>Board</strong><br />
149 State Street<br />
Montpelier, <strong>Vermont</strong> 05602<br />
telephone: 802 828 3250<br />
fax: 802 828 3203<br />
www.vhcb.org<br />
Since 1987,<br />
creating affordable hous ing,<br />
conserving ag ri cul tur al<br />
<strong>and</strong> recreational l<strong>and</strong>s,<br />
historic prop er ties,<br />
<strong>and</strong> natural areas