Algiers Village Living Communities Challenge Vision Plan

Algiers Village
Living Communities Challenge
Vision Plan
May 2018

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2016, four Guilford nonprofit organizations (Friends of Algiers Village, Inc.
(FOAVI), Guilford Preservation, Inc. (GPI), Community Collaborative for Guilford
(CC4G), and Guilford Community Church (GCC)), collectively submitted a Letter
of Intent to the Windham Regional Commission and BuildingGreen to receive
technical assistance to explore the Living Communities Challenge for Algiers
Village. The Living Communities Challenge is a program developed by the
International Living Future Institute, and used by communities globally to set a
high standard for community development and planning that embodied social
equity, environmental health, and is resource independent.
The group first identified a set of common goals for their respective
organizations on behalf of Algiers Village. These goals set the tone for this
Vision Plan, or an aspirational document that proposes only one pathway for
development in Algiers. Those goals were: promote community-controlled and
desirable development in Algiers Village while preserving its rural character;
support community well-being and vitality; work towards social and economic
equity; all while stewarding environmental health and promoting natural
ecosystem functioning. This Vision Plan is considered a remedy to the silos
that commonly exist in community development projects or efforts. It is the
documented dialogue between different groups in Guilford, and through these
common goals, memorializes the commitment to continued collaboration in
Algiers.
What is proposed as part of this Vision Plan is placed within the criteria of the
Living Communities Challenge “Petals” and “Imperatives”, or a set of design
and planning criteria. In the proposed concept drawings, Algiers becomes a
vibrant community center where underutilized spaces are adapted to become
beneficial in-fill development, such as a small business incubator or senior
housing for Guilford residents. Also in the proposed concept drawings, Algiers
Village gains adequate pedestrian safety measures, such as added crosswalks,
lengthened sidewalks, and a pedestrian cut-through parklet. This is in
addition to community spaces: three added parks (including a playground),
a community pavilion, shared walking trails, farmer’s market, community
gardens, and a new community center building. In sum, these provide for
more social equity and access to resources in the Village.
After a series of specific analyses, this Vision Plan proposes that the four
nonprofits may pursue Living Communities Challenge Registration and
potentially Certification. This project identified that the pieces are in place
(both in existing resources and by examining potential community assets), to
meet the Imperatives. From here, the four Guilford nonprofits may choose
to use these proposed concepts for formal Certification, or as an aspirational
guidance document.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This project was funded in part by the Windham Regional Commission’s EPA
Brownfields Assessment Program; and the State of Vermont’s Clean Energy
Development Fund.
This report was created by the Windham Regional Commission and
BuildingGreen on behalf of Friends of Algiers Village, Inc., Guilford
Preservation, Inc., Community Collaborative for Guilford, and Guilford
Community Church.
Vision Plan | Prologue 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
What is the Living Community Challenge?. . 2
Algiers Village Community Organizations . . 3
Community Context. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Algiers Village History. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Guilford Town Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Algiers Village LCC Boundary . . . . . . . . . 8
Community Meetings & Public Participation. 10
Vision Plan Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Vision Plan Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Algiers Analysis - SWOT. . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Existing Conditions Plans. . . . . . . . . . . 16
Functional “Bubble” Analysis. . . . . . . . . 20
Vision Plan Concept Drawings. . . . . . . 22
Concept Proposals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
LCC Petals & Imperatives. . . . . . . . . . 28
Place. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Health & Happiness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Equity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Beauty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Moving Forward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Collaborative Community Development. . . 58
Pathways Forward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Current Initiatives and Future Projects. . . . 59

PROLOGUE
How to Use This Document
This document is called a Vision Plan, and was developed as an organizational planning initiative for four Guilford nonprofit
organizations: Friends of Algiers Village, Inc. (FOAVI), Guilford Preservation, Inc. (GPI), Community Collaborative for
Guilford (CC4G) and Guilford Community Church (GCC).
It is framed to be within the lens of the Living Communities Challenge, a program developed by the International Living
Future Institute. The Living Communities Challenge provides criteria for community planning and development that, when
accomplished, leads towards a community that is environmentally sustainable, energy and water independent, provides
equal access to resources and opportunities, and intentionally rooted in the natural ecosystem.
The aforementioned Guilford nonprofits decided to explore future Living Communities Challenge certification because
they embody similar principles around environmental health, social equity, and sound community planning. Their project
goals (described below), provided the context and framework for exploring planning options in Algiers Village.
Project Goals & Planning Process
These nonprofits are united in the following overlapping goals for community development in both Algiers Village and the
Town of Guilford, Vermont (see page 11 for further discussion):
• Promote community-controlled and desirable development in Algiers Village while preserving its rural
character,
• Support community well-being and vitality,
• Work towards social and economic equity, all while
• Stewarding environmental health and promoting natural ecosystem functioning.
With these goals in mind, the groups moved forward, with technical support from the Windham Regional Commission
and BuildingGreen, in creating a cohesive Vision Plan that addresses the Living Communities Challenge criteria in Algiers
Village.
What does it mean for the broader community?
This Vision Plan provides only one pathway through which the non-profits may actualize these goals while working in
collaboration with each other. As you read through this document, think about it as a set of possibilities, a suite of options,
or community aspirations for the future of Algiers Village.
This document does not recommend regulatory or zoning solutions.
There are no associated development commitments or regulations in this Vision Plan. Instead, you may think about
this document as merely being a launch-pad to explore new ideas of the possibilities in Algiers, and to continue
discussions about what this beloved community center could be.
On behalf of the larger community, the four nonprofits offer this Vision Plan as a new framework for
understanding the existing realities within Algiers, the unique needs of the community, and a set of solutions that
lead toward a vibrant and healthy community.
This document does not provide a pathway towards, nor does it recommend implementation or construction.
Much more work would be needed to begin any installation or construction of ideas proposed in this Plan. This
document is the very first step in a long process of community visioning and planning, which may in time lead to
entirely different solutions than are outlined in this document. Again, this Vision Plan serves to inform and inspire
conversations around what Algiers Village could be.
Vision Plan | Prologue 1

INTRODUCTION
As a project of the Ecovation Hub—the local economic development initiative centered around growing jobs in the green
economy—the Windham Regional Commission and BuildingGreen Inc. partnered to explore certifying a Living Community
Challenge project in the Windham Region. The partners sought towns, communities, and nonprofits interested in pursuing
certification to the Living Community Challenge (LCC) standard through a competitive Call for Letters of Interest in the
winter of 2017.
Through this recruitment process, the Friends of Algiers Village and three of its like-minded community partner
organizations submitted an application, and the project was selected to receive technical assistance from BuildingGreen
and Windham Regional Commission to develop a “Vision Plan.” This Vision Plan is the first step in assessing the feasibility
of developing a LCC master plan for Algiers Village in Guilford, Vermont.
What is the Living Community Challenge?
The Living Community Challenge (LCC) is a voluntary certification program that was recently developed by the
International Living Future Institute (ILFI). An extension of the Living Building Challenge certification system, LCC is widely
regarded as the most advanced measure of sustainability at a community scale. The framework aspires for a “symbiotic
relationship between people and all aspects of the built environment” by laying out a set of goals for town planning
commissions, designers, and contractors to fulfill on any building project that falls within the boundaries of a selfdesignated
“community.”
Communities can be defined as a single block, a park, a campus, or an entire neighborhood or village. Essentially, LCC is
a framework for developing a sustainable community master plan and overlaying social and environmental performance
metrics. More information about this certification program can be found at: http://living-future.org/lcc.
One of the main intersections in Algiers Village in Guilford, Vermont.

At this point, several communities have registered for LCC and a few others have acted as “pilot” projects, but none have
yet achieved full certification. No project in the country has yet achieved full certification. Being the first would position
Algiers as a national leader in sustainability, land stewardship, and responsible resource management.
Community residents will benefit from:
• Reduced utility costs
• Improved infrastructure
• Vibrant community life
Submitting a Vision Plan to ILFI does not guarantee grant funding from any source for design or implementation.
However, the Challenge has spurred funder interest in the past, and demonstrates that a community is committed to a
robust planning process.
Algiers Village Community Organizations
Algiers Village is a village of the Town of Guilford, Vermont
and is a dynamic community with a number of nonprofit
organizations and dedicated individuals working toward similar
goals of controlled development, community well-being, social
and economic equity, and environmental stewardship.
Below: the Guilford Country Store is one of the most
recognizable places in Algiers Village, and stands as a
testament to the community’s revitalization efforts.
The following four civic-minded nonprofit organizations have
complementary and at times overlapping goals (see page
11 for more detail). Having realized this, they collectively
submitted a Letter of Interest for technical assistance for the
LCC Vision Plan.
The depth of nonprofit organizational capacity represented
in the organizations cited below demonstrates a profound
commitment to principles embodied in the LCC, and a large
capacity and readiness to pursue the Challenge. Specifically,
they are at a particular coincidence and intersection of
mutual goals that stand to benefit from the technical support;
they understand that the LCC requires a very committed,
integrated, and collaborative community to meet the very
aggressive requirements of the Living Community Challenge.
The Friends of Algiers Village, Inc. (FOAVI)
The purpose of FOAVI is to support the preservation,
conservation and enjoyment of the natural and human
resources of the Village of Algiers. Its mission is to enable the
residents of the Village to live in harmony with the natural
environment and with their fellow citizens by buying, selling
and holding land and properties, including housing, and by
educational means.
The primary focus of FOAVI since 2009 has been the purchase,
preservation and renovation of the historic Broad Brook
House. Funded through local donations (30-40%) and various
state and federal grants (60-70%), FOAVI has completed the
Guilford Country Store and Café fit-out and renovations of
two residential units, upgraded the electrical, mechanical and
fire safety systems (including a full building sprinkler), and has

fitted out a space for Top Tier Bakery, a wholesale business founded by a Guilford resident.
Most recently (in the fall 2017) the Friends renovated the remaining second floor space office which is currently being
leased to CC4G. The Broad Brook House is now 100% leased,
containing one retail and one wholesale business, 2 apartments The “gateway to Algiers” is a open hay field, conserved in
and an office space for a local non-profit partner. Plans for the perpetuity through the efforts of GPI.
exterior include master site planning for parking and landscaping.
FOAVI has a vision of utilizing their 2-acre field, adjacent to the
Broad Brook House, for a Farmer’s Market and/or community
garden.
Guilford Preservation, Inc. (GPI)
The purpose of Guilford Preservation, Inc. (GPI) is to support the
preservation, conservation, and enjoyment of the natural and
human resources of the town of Guilford, Vermont. In 2002, a
22-acre piece of land at the entrance to Guilford on Route 5 went
up for sale and was in danger of being commercially developed
as a factory site, a used car business, or other commercial/
industrial use. A group of concerned citizens formed GPI and
with the Vermont Land Trust as an active partner, raised funds
from individual community donors and won grants from the
Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Freeman Foundation in
order to purchase the parcel, so that the land would be conserved
and never be commercially developed. It remains to this day
as a buffer from the expanding Canal St/Exit 1 commercial/industrial district of neighboring Brattleboro, and has been
informally dubbed the “gateway to Algiers.”
The acreage is held under an easement with the Vermont Land Trust with a 5.5 acre exception for future development
of senior housing or other public-use facility. The land has been used for cattle grazing over the years and as a winter
recreational site for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.
An additional goal of GPI is to install a community-accessible picnic area and develop a nature trail that would follow
the natural contours and enhance the uses of the property. This trail has the potential to connect to, integrate with, and
provide safe and easy access to the neighboring properties owned by FOAVI, the Guilford Community Church, the future
CC4G facility, and other Village entities.
Community Collaborative for Guilford (CC4G)
CC4G is a recently formed organization whose mission is to support the creation of a community center and to nurture
programs that help meet the needs of families and children in Guilford. Its goal is to create an Early Learning and Family
Resource Center that would house a) high quality early care and education programs for children from birth to 8 years
old, and b) space for collaborators and social services support, connecting folks in need to resources and community
Image courtesy the
Community Collaborative
for Guilford.

volunteers. CC4G has been awarded $180,000 to date through a VCDP planning grant and the Promise Community
Initiative and is focusing on community collaboration, planning and implementation of agreed-upon strategies to
strengthen families and support young children, and to increase kindergarten readiness.
Their current programs include: Parent & Baby Groups (focusing on development and attachment); a Parent Support
Group; Open Gym program for infants through preschoolers at Guilford Center School (GCS) in collaboration with the
Recreation Commission; monthly parent/community workshops at GCS which include child care and a light dinner; home
visits and support to new parents; support of the new GCS Pre-K classroom via purchased outdoor playground equipment
(also used by community).
CC4G is in the process of completing a feasibility study for this project. CC4G was chosen to participate in Cohort 2 of the
Promise Community Initiative that focuses on community collaboration, planning and implementation of agreed-upon
strategies to strengthen families and support young children to increase kindergarten readiness. This Initiative awards up
to $150,000 to carry out the community plan.
Guilford Community Church (GCC)
The idea for the CC4G was born within the Guilford Community Church and affirmed by residents during the Vermont
Council for Rural Development exercises in 2014. GCC recently celebrated its 250th anniversary. The Church supports the
Guilford community in a multitude of dimensions and is a hub of activity. The Church provides space for Senior Lunch
twice each month, six exercise classes per week, three different AA meetings, space for the community meetings and
events, and serves as an emergency shelter for the Town of Guilford. The Church also hosts the Brattleboro Area Interfaith
Youth Group, which brings teens of varying faiths and backgrounds together. The Youth Group has attended local Peace
Camps, walked in the Climate March in NYC, debated important issues such as racism and inequality, made meals for the
local Overflow shelter, and worked together on service trips in Kenya, South Dakota, and Katrina Relief work in Mississippi.
Amidst the busyness of everyday activity, the Guilford Church also provides a sacred place of worship and spiritual
renewal, a gathering place for all families in times of deep sorrow and great joy, and has a strong belief in serving the
community. “No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”
The Guilford Community Church.

COMMUNITY CONTEXT
Algiers Village History
Algiers Village is an unincorporated Village in the Town of
Guilford. The Town of Guilford was chartered on April 2, 1754;
first settled in 1761, and then re-chartered in 1764. Algiers
Village was first known as East Guilford.
The original buildings built were the Tracy House in 1789,
the Broad Brook Grange in 1791, the Broad Brook House in
1816, and the Christ Church in 1817. The village was named
by Brattleboro residents who played a group of people from
East Guilford in cribbage every Wednesday. They named them
Algerian Pirates and the name stayed.
At one time, Algiers Village was a hub of bustling activity. However, like many village centers throughout Vermont and
beyond, the growth of the automobile industry and cheap oil undermined the vitality of Algiers Village. For several
decades, local residents watched as the village fell into decline.
This downward trend was reversed when community members
collaborated to form a grassroots movement that renewed the
life of the village. The movement began in 2004 when a group
of concerned residents, named Friends of Algiers Village,
Inc. (FOAVI), formed to preserve the Village and steer future
development. In 2005, they purchased three properties in the
village, including the Tontine Building, the grist mill building,
and the former Cocoplum Warehouse.
Below: The Algiers Triangle Master Plan, funded through the
Vermont Community Development Program.
FOAVI’s first step, in collaboration with the Windham and
Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT), was to develop the Algiers
Triangle Village Master Plan through funding from the Vermont
Community Development Program. The vision for the village
center, developed with participation from the community,
integrated commercial and residential uses with emphasis
on pedestrian-friendly amenities, including walkways and
green space. The plan called for the renovation of two
historic buildings, and the renovation or reconstruction of a
third structure. The remaining abandoned warehouses were
slated to be removed and replaced with three new residential
buildings. In total, the vision for the village center included 25
housing units, 8,800 square feet of commercial space, fortyeight
parking spaces, and a bus stop.
The historic Tontine Building, housing one business unit and
four apartments, was sold to WWHT in 2008 and renovated
soon thereafter. Ensuring the preservation of an important
hub of commerce and community interaction, FOAVI in 2010
purchased the Guilford Country Store and rehabilitated the
Above: The Tontine Building, a registered historic building.

Below: A section of Algiers Village before the revitalization
work begun in 2004.
building with the help of funds secured by Senator Patrick Leahy.
Beginning in 2006 and completed in 2011, the Windham Regional
Commission’s US EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant provided
funding for Phase I, II and an Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup
Alternatives/Corrective Action Plan for the “Warehouse Site.”
In 2012, cleanup funding came from a $200,000 pass-through
US EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Cleanup Grant, subgranted
by the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community
Development to the Friends of Algiers Village.
The lack of municipal water also served as a critical barrier to
future development. This hurdle was overcome in 2013 with a 0.6
mile extension of the main municipal waterline from Brattleboro.
2013 marked the completion of two of the buildings (Warehouse
Site) proposed in the Master Plan, consisting of seventeen
residential units of affordable housing.
Guilford Town Plan
Guilford has an active Planning Commission and adopted the
most recent Town Plan on June 22, 2015. The Town Plan provides
guidance to the various town boards, officers, and citizens that
reflects the community’s interest in and wishes for Guilford’s
character, development, environment, quality of life, economy,
resources, and more. Guilford strives to be a welcoming town –
one where people can say “my life is better in Guilford!”
The five-year plan goals and policies for 2015 – 2020 are
guidelines to make this vision a reality. The Town Plan
represents research on Guilford’s present condition and is a
guide for accomplishing community aspirations and intentions
through public investments, land use regulations and other
implementation programs. The Plan serves, but is not limited to,
the following uses:
• A long-term guide: The Town Plan is a long-term guide by
which to measure and evaluate public and private proposals that
affect the future physical, social, and economic environment of
the community.
Above: The renovated housing buildings developed by the • A basis for community programs and decision-making:
WWHT.
The Plan is a guide to help achieve community goals. Information
in the plan is used for developing the recommendations contained
in a capital budget, for establishing community development programs, and for providing direction and content of
other public and private local initiatives such as farmland protection, recreation development, and housing.
• A basis for municipal regulatory actions: Absent zoning regulations, the Plan serves as Guilford’s guidelines for
issues important to its residents including, but not limited to, land use, conservation, natural resources, housing,
flood resiliency, hazard mitigation, etc. The Town does not issue development or building permits and there is no
zoning. There is only a floodplain ordinance to regulate development in Special Flood Hazard Areas. This lack of

estriction has some benefits to existing residents, but could pose an issue if non-desirable development were
inclined to locate in Guilford.
• A source of information: The Plan is a valuable source of information for local boards, commissions, citizens,
businesses, and other governmental organizations, such as neighboring towns, state agencies and regional
planning commissions.
• A source for planning studies: This plan does not address every issue in complete detail. Therefore, further studies
to develop policies or strategies to meet a specific need are recommended, e.g., Conservation Commission
inventories.
• A standard for review at the state and regional levels: Act 250 and other state regulatory processes identify the
Town Plan as a standard for review of application.
The Town encourages modest development around the Village of Algiers and along Route 5 in the eastern portion of
the town, near I-91 while seeking to preserve its rural nature. Most of the rest of the Town is deemed conservation,
agricultural, or residential. Future development in the Town of Guilford is to be guided by the proposed land use area
designations. Algiers Village is considered a Historic Village Area, the purpose of which is to preserve and protect the
historic character of (relatively) densely settled, primarily residential, areas while making provision for cultural and
municipal uses and accommodating some relatively small-scale commercial activity. The Living Community Challenge is
supported by numerous policies and goals of the Guilford Town Plan.
Algiers Village LCC Boundary
For purposes of evaluating the viability of LCC for Algiers Village, a planning boundary was chosen to better fit within
the criteria of the LCC imperatives and the existing site analysis. The boundary of the Algiers Village LCC Vision Plan
incorporates the critical properties of the four participating nonprofit groups. The current proposed LCC planning
Boundary is shown on the plan opposite this page.
This LCC Vision Plan Boundary has not been formalized and could be increased or decreased based on the partners
and community desire in the future. The Boundary would be finalized as part of LCC Registration, if the partners were to
decide to pursue that route (see page 58). Therefore, this Vision Plan allows for flexibility in the LCC Boundary over this
initial planning phase.
Additionally, there are no regulatory or development requirements for property-owners that are included within this
LCC Boundary. A select few private parcels are included in this Boundary because it may make geographic sense to include
them in planning. However, it is important to note that their participation is completely voluntary, and this Boundary does
not commit any entity to action.

Algiers Village,
Guilford, Vermont
Living Communities Challenge
Vision Plan Boundary
Route 5: North to
Brattleboro, I-91 Exit 1.
Proposed Living Communities
Challenge planning Boundary
Guilford Preservation Inc. property
Guilford Community Church
property
Friends of Algiers Village property
Property owned by Guilford Community
Church.
Guilford Country Store, started by Friends
of Algiers Village.
Currently, Community Collaborative for
Guilford’s office space is in the second
floor of this building (the Broad Brook
House).
Guilford Community Church.
Two buildings are Windham & Windsor
housing units. One building is the Tontine
Building, a registered historic place.
The Guilford Volunteer Fire Department.
Guilford Center Rd
to Guilford Center.
Route 5: South to
Massachusetts.
The “Bee Barn,”
apartment housing.
Christ Church, one
of the three registered
historic buildings in Algiers
Village.

Community Meetings & Public Participation
To ensure community engagement in this project, a complete public participation process was emphasized from the beginning
of this Vision Plan project. One inherent strength of this project from its inception was the participation and input
from four community-based nonprofit organizations in Algiers Village, which have already proved to be productive organizations
that prioritize the needs of the community. With the FOAVI, CC4G, GCC, and GPI being the face of this community
development and planning work, the LCC Vision Planning process effectively engaged with the public.
On August 16, 2017, the four nonprofits hosted a community
charrette (images to the left), with the support from the
Windham Regional Commission and BuildingGreen, at the
Guilford Community Church. Attending community members
were encouraged to share their knowledge of Algiers Village,
and help us identify landscape or infrastructure elements
that would have value in the community. The intent of this
meeting was to introduce the LCC Vision Plan project, glean
on-the-ground knowledge of the current conditions of the
village, and then gather the community’s ideas of what they
would like to see as solutions.
Through a brief presentation and two sets of group mapping
exercises, over 30 participants first identified areas that they
“loved,” or “hated” about Algiers Village. They then were
encouraged to draw out or identify on the map solutions that
they would like to see on the ground.
Common responses included increased pedestrian safety
measures, improved public spaces, slower traffic, more
businesses that fit within the character of Algiers, and a
statement that “these things would be nice but not if it
means development (in terms of buildings or roads).”
This community input and feedback is important to the
Vision Plan process, and is included in this LCC Vision Plan
for Algiers Village (the collection of maps and data from that
meeting are exemplified below).
A secondary follow-up meeting is planned for spring/summer
of 2018 (following the creation of this document), where the
nonprofits may present some of the findings and solutions of
this Vision Plan, and solicit community feedback.

VISION PLAN PROCESS
Vision Plan Goals
As mentioned before, the four participating nonprofit organizations leading this LCC Vision Plan project are united in their
overlapping goals for community development in both Algiers Village and the Town of Guilford, Vermont. Because these
goals were so clearly articulated and defined, the Vision Plan consulting team quickly adopted them as the guidelines for
the Vision Plan design process.
The following diagram shows the four participating nonprofits, and the four goals that comprise the aspirational
framework of the LCC Vision Plan. A discussion of each of these goals is below.
VISION PLAN GOALS:
Friends
of Algiers
Village, Inc.
Goals of
the LCC
Vision Plan
Community
Collaborative
for Guilford
1. Controlled and desirable
development
2. Community well-being and
vitality
3. Social and economic equity
4. Environmental stewardship
Guilford
Community
Church
Controlled and Desirable Development
Guilford
Preservation,
Inc.
“
The overarching aspiration of the LCC
Vision Plan project is to
empower the local community to
steward desirable development
in such a way that is non-regulatory and in
compliance with the Guilford Town Plan.
”
The Town of Guilford does not have any zoning regulations and bylaws; a long-standing strategic planning intent of
the residents of the Town. While this means that businesses and residents in Guilford are allowed discretion in their
development, and are free from regulations (with the notable exception of state-wide Act 250 development review and
permitting), this also means that Guilford may be vulnerable to undesirable development patterns.
In response to this reality, many residents and community groups (including the four nonprofits involved in this project)
have taken a proactive approach to guiding development in their community. Guilford Preservation, Inc. is an obvious
example of how a group of citizens banded together to purchase a key 22-acre agricultural property along Route 5 and at
the entrance of Algiers Village. The acquisition and eventual conservation easement placed on this parcel has ensured
that this “gateway” into Algiers Village retains its rural character in perpetuity. This is especially relevant since just less
than 2 miles north on Route 5 is the commercial center of the “Exit 1” area in Brattleboro, off Interstate 91. Areas in such

close proximity may be vulnerable to sprawling development, but non-regulatory protections from community groups like
Guilford Preservation, Inc. have instead promoted a more desirable development pattern.
As the Vision Plan process continues, the four nonprofits will maintain this ethos in their work. The overarching aspiration
of the LCC Vision Plan project is to empower the local community to steward desirable development in such a way that is
non-regulatory and in compliance with the Guilford Town Plan policies (see page 7).
Community Well-being and Vitality
The four nonprofits are also eager to promote a healthy
and sustainable community center in Algiers Village. A
historic and State-designated Village Center, Algiers is the
current economic center in the Town of Guilford. As a
group, the nonprofits have already accomplished a great
deal in promoting village economic vitality in Algiers, and
the Friends of Algiers Village, Inc. has certainly taken a
lead.
As discussed in previous sections of this Vision Plan
report, this group has raised funds, acquired, and
renovated several properties in Algiers Village, establishing
a foundation for additional beneficial economic
development. Staying true to the character of Vermont’s
small and historic Villages, the Guilford Country Store was
established in the historic Broad Brook House, turning
a liability and eye-sore into a community asset that is
popular with residents and tourists. This celebrated
success gives good momentum to continued economic
development work embodied in this Vision Plan and
informed by the community.
Social and Economic Equity
Conversations around community and economic
development are a large part of this Vision Plan, but they
are also placed within the realities of potential economic
inequality in our state. It is an important goal of the four
nonprofits to provide services to under-served families in
the Town of Guilford. Community Collaborative for Guilford
has been a leader in this work, as they strive to provide
accessible child care and advocate for the Guilford Food
Pantry.
This group had been started by the Guilford Community
Church, which emphasizes providing youth and community
services to all. With the undercurrent of community
service and social equity embedded within these two
organizations, the LCC Vision Plan will move forward by
providing spaces that are accessible, both physically and
economically, to all community members, and will actively
work to provide resources to the under-served.

Environmental Stewardship
Finally, all of this community development and Vision Plan work is
dedicated to supporting the natural environment, and protecting the
natural resources that exist in and around Algiers Village. The Village
itself has an abundant wetland system, is adjacent to habitat and
forest blocks, and is bisected by the Broad Brook, a regional tributary
to the Connecticut River.
In response to these important ecological features, the leading
nonprofits seek not only to preserve and protect these resources, but
actively promote community engagement with them so as to develop
a shared ownership of these areas. If the community is encouraged
to experience and enjoy these places that contribute to the scenic
and healthy quality of our landscape, then more people will become
allies in their protection and advocacy. The LCC Vision Plan could be
a powerful way to encourage appropriate development in impacted
areas, while preserving and highlighting the healthy ecosystem
functioning of the undeveloped spaces.
“
If the community is encouraged
to experience and enjoy these
places that contribute to the scenic
and healthy quality of our landscape,
then more people will
become allies in their
protection and advocacy.
”
Clockwise from top left: Community member Kali Quinn’s notes and impressions from the Augst 16, 2018 community meeting; the new
Route 5 bridge over the Broad Brook in May; Algiers Village stakeholders discussing wetlands; and a walking trail from GCC.

Algiers Analysis- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
In the spring/summer of 2017, members of the four nonprofits gathered to begin to identify both physical and cultural
features of Algiers Village that would affect the Vision Plan. The goal of this discussion was to identify the community
assets that should be leveraged, the hopes and wishes of the community, any potential opportunities that may exist,
and problems that should be addressed. To facilitate this conversation, the team used a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats) analysis to organize the internal and external factors that impact the Village. The chart on this
page is a summary of that discussion.
Once all of these features were identified and articulated, the next step was to develop a set of strategies that could be
included in the Vision Plan that roots the design concepts into the realities of both the landscape and the community
needs. These strategies (see opposite page) are developed by simply seeing how the four different SWOT categories listed
below can interact with each other.
STRENGTHS
• Community “hub” – crossroads with a variety of
services
• Strong community engagement & social capital
• Proximity to Brattleboro
• Water/Sewer lines
• Fire Dept & First Responders
• Community ownership of properties
• State visibility/respect/recognition
• Public/affordable housing
• Community store/gathering place
• Many social services & emergency shelter
WEAKNESSES
• No zoning
• Unclear village boundaries
• Traffic speed, pedestrian safety concerns
• No fast internet
• Limited of parking
• Wetlands – (Limits development ability)
• Not many parcels available for purchase
• Elderly population, demographic imbalance
• Limited opportunities
• Lack of money (municipal and private)
• Lack of diverse tax base
• Proximity to Brattleboro
OPPORTUNITIES
• Trail/path connections (wetlands)
• Access to local farms and farmers
• Village hot spot (Internet)
• Co-working space
• Expand public transit
• State/regional community development role
model
• Grant funding in state (housing, ecological, etc)
• Desire to age in place, and appeal of multiple
generations
• Providing services to families working in local
industry
• Collaborative partnerships for strengthening
families
THREATS
• Wetland and floodplain regulations
• People leaving
• Limited property turn over (harder to diversify)
• No regulations to protect land uses
• National political climate
• Limited funds/competing for funding
• Limited cell service
• Low density population and limited connectivity
• Climate change/climate chaos

The matrix below shows the different strategies for informed community development and planning in Algiers Village.
These strategies are embodied in the proposed Vision Plan and were used to begin the process of envisioning the
aspirational qualities of Algiers.
1. STRENGTH - OPPORTUNITY STRATEGIES
Which of the Village’s strengths can be used to maximize
and leverage the opportunities you identified?
• Maintain community crossroads with expanded trail
and path connections between services.
• Exercise social capital to advance community develop
and become a regional model for sustainability.
• Use proximity to Brattleboro to provide and expand
more public transit opportunities.
• Use the community-owned properties to provide for
age-in-place and social services.
• Use social capital and local skill-sets to leverage grant
opportunities.
• Take advantage of water & sewer lines to develop
social services and housing opportunities.
2. WEAKNESS - OPPORTUNITY STRATEGIES
How can you minimize the weaknesses by taking
advantage of opportunities?
• Leverage collaborative partnerships to minimize the
impacts of a lack of money.
• Use potential co-working spaces and business
incubators to provide more opportunities in the
Village.
• Provide fast-speed internet to provide more
opportunities and keep more people working in the
Village.
• Expand public transit to serve the elderly population.
• Attract families into Village by becoming a regional
role model to diversify the tax base.
• Use trail connections and new pathways to improve
pedestrian safety.
3. STRENGTH - THREAT STRATEGIES 4. WEAKNESS - THREAT STRATEGIES
How can the strengths minimize the threats?
• Maintain social and commercial services to buffer
against people leaving.
• Exercise social capital to encourage other property
owners to buy into these community efforts (thereby
reducing impacts of low turnover rate).
• Become a stronger community “hub” to increase
connectivity within social groups.
• Use strong community engagement to become
resilient to adverse climate change impacts.
• Promote community ownership of property to
protect land uses.
• Leverage state visibility to increase population
density.
How can you minimize the weaknesses to avoid impacts
from potential threats?
• Provide more economic opportunities to prevent
people from leaving the Village.
• Pursue the acquisition of property and collaborate
with local landowners to have more local control over
development.
• Allow wetlands to thrive and operate with their full
ecosystem services to mitigate the impacts of climate
change locally.
• Provide high-speed internet to access a broader
range of economic opportunities.
• Diversify tax base and leverage funding opportunities
to lead towards a more independent community less
reliant on national politics and funding.
• Leverage state visibility to pursue grant funding.

Existing Conditions Plans
The following plans show the existing conditions of Algiers Village, featuring the buildings, major landscape features and
properties owned or managed by the four participating nonprofit organizations.
Algiers Village
Algiers Village, Guilford, Vermont
ng Community Challenge
Village Visioning Existing Conditions:
NONPROFIT LOCATIONS &
FT Site
PROPERTY
Plans &
BOUNDARIES
Inventory:
ESS & CIRCULATION
State Highway
Class 3 Town Highway
Class 2 Town Highway
Private Drive
Pedestrian / Sidewalk (???)
Parcel Boundary
Algiers Village Boundary
Partners’ Project Locations
Property owned by Guilford
Preservation, OBSERVATIONS: Inc, and is
predominantly open field and
wetland. • The State Highway (Rt.5) is a do
feature and determines the ove
• The center of Algiers Village is a
Property of owned two locally-prominent by Guilford roads
OBSERVATIONS:
Community Center Church, Road). and is
also • mostly Other wetland. circulation There pathways are bran
• The State Highway (Rt.5) is a dominant currently circulation linear some pattern, trails that and connect are not conn
feature and determines the overall pattern. the adjacent parcels.
• Despite Algiers Village being rel
• The center of Algiers Village is at the intersection parcels aren’t formally inter-con
of two locally-prominent roads (Rt.5 and Guilford
access points.
Center Road).
• Pedestrian pathways are along r
• Other circulation pathways branch off Guilford of Rt.5 Country in a Store, started by
intersect Rt.5.
linear pattern, and are not connected Friends to each of other. Algiers Village.
• Despite Algiers Village being relatively compact,
• There aren’t any formal connec
parcels aren’t formally inter-connected by alternate to significant natural features.
access points.
• Pedestrian pathways are along roadways, Two buildings and are Windham
intersect Rt.5.
& Windsor housing units. One
• There aren’t any formal connections building or access is points the Tontine Building, a
to significant natural features. registered historic place.
Partridge Rd
Broad Brook Rd
Guilford Center Rd
Route 5

Algiers Village, Guilford, Vermont
Village Existing Conditions:
LCC BOUNDARY & VILLAGE
PLAN
Proposed Living Communities
Challenge planning boundary
Route 5
Property owned by
Guilford Preservation,
Inc, and is predominantly
open field and wetland.
Partridge Rd
Guilford Country Store,
started by Friends of
Algiers Village.
Guilford Community
Church.
Guilford Center Rd
Broad Brook Rd
Existing concrete pad
that is being held for
potential construction for
Community Collaborative
for Guilford (CC4G).
The “Bee Barn,” existing
housing and apartments.
The Guilford Volunteer
Fire Department.
Route 5
Christ Church, one of the
three registered historic
buildings in Algiers Village.

Algiers Village, Guilford, Vermont
Village Existing Conditions:
EXISTING SOILS & WETLANDS
Property owned by Guilford
Preservation, Inc, and is
predominantly open space
wetlands and hay field.
Existing agricultural use -
Grazing pasture
Statewide Prime agricultural
soil
Approx. wetlands
Property owned by Guilford
Community Church, and also
includes substantial wetland.
Guilford Country Store,
Friends of Algiers Village, Inc.
CC4G’s office space is in
second floor of this building.

Algiers Village, Guilford, Vermont
ROUTE 5: NORTH
TO BRATTLEBORO
Village Existing Conditions:
CIRCULATION, TRAFFIC, & BUILDING
USE
Problematic intersection / pedestrian
safety concern
Existing pedestrian walkway
Existing bus route
Public/Institutional Building
Commercial Building
Residential Building
Mixed Use Building

Functional “Bubble” Analysis
With these analyses and goals in mind, the next step was for the LCC Vision Plan design team, with the planning assistance
from the Windham Regional Commission and BuildingGreen, to develop quick sketches of how they may envision Algiers
Village.
The team worked on “bubble” diagrams, analyzing space functions and purposes independent of any spatial or landscape
constraints. This allowed the community groups to think more creatively about the intent of this project, and envision a
fresh take of this beloved village center.
LEasE/rEnt
to farMEr,
proDUCtivE
The team looked at three proposed bubble diagrams, each representing one of the projects goals (Economic Vitality,
agriCULtUraL
Community Service, and Ecological Health). While “desirable development” is also a project goal, it was understood that
WEtLanDs
this was a common theme throughout, and would be represented or embodied within the schematic alternatives.
Those three alternatives are shown in this spread, and led to important and productive discussions among the community
hoUsing
groups about their role in the Village, and the interaction between these mutually-beneficial functions.
Ultimately, the arrangement skiLL-sharE/ of these
sChooL
community functions resulted in the
Vision Concept Drawings (see pages
22-25) for Algiers Village.
farMErs
MarkEt
Once the conceptual ideas behind
WEtLanDs
community functioning in Algiers was
better understood, spatial constraints
and landscape realities were
incorporated to develop a more refined
CoUntry storE
With offiCE/
inCUBator spaCE
(but still very CoMM.
ChUrCh &
conceptual) design
garDEn
sErviCEs
drawing.
CC4g &
sErviCEs
Algiers Village
Living Community Challenge
Visioning
Conceptual Planning:
CONCEPT ALTERNATIVES
LEasE/rEnt
to farMEr,
proDUCtivE
agriCULtUraL
WEtLanDs
hoUsing
ing
hoUsing
hoUsing
CoMMUnity
spaCE/park
ExpanDED
BUsinEss
inCUBator
spaCE
rEsiDEntiaL
farMErs
MarkEt
skiLL-sharE/
sChooL
CoUntry storE
With offiCE/
inCUBator spaCE
WEtLanDs
ECONOMIC VITALITY
• Expanded economic opportunity for residents
• Centralized businesses
• Diversity of activities/opportunities is promoted
• ...
CoMM.
garDEn
ChUrCh &
sErviCEs
CC4g &
sErviCEs
• May be difficult to organize/recruit business owners to start these efforts
• Unknown viability of these programs
• Unknown support from community
• Buildings and parcels not owned by LCC partners
• Wetlands aren’t necessarily taken full advantage of
• Disconnect between the two areas
• ...
Co-Working
spaCE
hoUsing
hoUsing
CoMMUnity
spaCE/park
ExpanDED
BUsinEss
inCUBator
spaCE
rEsiDEntiaL
ECONOMIC VITALITY
• Expanded economic opportunity for residents
• Centralized businesses
• Diversity of activities/opportunities is promoted
• ...

Algiers Village
Living Community Challenge
Visioning
Conceptual Planning:
CONCEPT ALTERNATIVES
Living Community Challenge
Visioning
Conceptual Planning:
CONCEPT ALTERNATIVES
pv array
COMMUNITY SERVICES
MEaDoW
• Community rEstoration
services are decentralized away from the gCC/CC4g locations
• gathering spaces and other passive services can be throughout the design
• ...
MEaDoW
rEstoration
WEtLanDs
• Unknown need from community of the extra proposed spaces
•
•
Disconnect between the two areas
...
ConnECtED
WEtLanDs
systEM
MEaDoW
rEstoration
ELDErLy
hoUsing
MEaDoW
rEstoration
CoMMUnity
garDEn
farMErs
MarkEt
WEtLanDs
CoUntry
storE
CoUntry
storE
CoMM.
garDEn
ChUrCh &
sErviCEs
CoMMUnity
spaCE
hoUsing
hoUsing
rEsiDEntiaL
ChUrCh &
sErviCEs
CC4g &
sErviCEs
rEsiDEntiaL-
(fUtUrE ELDEr
hoUsing?)
hoUsing
hoUsing
CC4g &
sErviCEs
Algiers Village
Living Community Challenge
Visioning
Conceptual Planning:
CONCEPT ALTERNATIVES
CoMMUnity
spaCE/park
COMMUNITY SERVICES
• Community MEaDoW services are decentralized away from the gCC/CC4g locations
• gathering rEstoration
spaces and other passive services can be throughout the design
• ...
• Unknown need from community of the extra proposed spaces
• Disconnect between the two areas
• ...
ConnECtED
WEtLanDs
systEM
ECOLOGICAL HEALTH
• Expanded ecological connectivity within wetland systems
• overall provides the most habitat and beneficial ecosystem services
• Most flood hazard mitigation
• Wetlands provide a continguous thread between the spaces
• ...
• provides relatively few services for community
• provides relatively few economic opportunties
• ...
MEaDoW
rEstoration
MEaDoW
rEstoration
CoUntry
storE
CoMM.
garDEn
ChUrCh &
sErviCEs
hoUsing
hoUsing
CC4g &
sErviCEs

VISION CONCEPT DRAWINGS
The following spreads explain the features of this proposed LCC Vision Plan for Algiers Village. These concepts drawings
propose only one single aspirational vision for the four nonprofits, which unites their community development efforts
while protecting the area’s environmental resources.
In these Vision concept drawings, Algiers becomes a vibrant
community center where underutilized spaces currently
within Algiers Village are adapted to become beneficial
in-fill development, such as a small business incubator or
senior housing for Guilford residents. This way, Algiers Village
maintains a pattern of development that preserves its open
spaces and reduces low-density sprawl.
The Village now has adequate pedestrian safety measures,
such as added cross-walks, lengthened sidewalks, and a
pedestrian cut-through parklet.
The Village also gains community spaces: three added parks
(including a playground), a community pavilion, shared
walking trails, farmer’s market, community gardens, and a
new community center building. In sum, these provide for
more social equity and access to resources in the Village.
Walking paths through a forested wetland
and restored meadow provide recreational
opportunities to the public, and educational
resources to the nearby early education
center. All the while, this important habitat
is maintained for the local wildlife and plant
species.
Finally, the surrounding landscape is preserved,
celebrated, and made accessible so as to be
better enjoyed and protected by all. A wetland
boardwalk connects community spaces in the
Village, giving people an opportunity to walk
more easily and avoid dependence on cars.

VISION CONCEPT DRAWINGS
MEADOW & WETLAND
INTERPRETIVE TRAILS
These new trails systems
can link with the existing
snowmobile trails, and provide
a recreational and educational
opportunity for the community.
A new parking area off Route 5
provides easy access.
CHILD CARE CENTER / SCHOOL
(OR SENIOR HOUSING)
A child care center or earlyeducation
school is located in
this area off Partridge Rd, on
the developable portion of
GPI’s land. This way, children
have access to important and
abundant natural areas and
play spaces, while being in a
residential setting.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN-
FILL IN VILLAGE CENTER
These two identified buildings
(the “Tudor” building,
formerly “Doggy DayCare,”
and the second floor of the
Broad Brook House) are repurposed
to provide space for
economic development that is
appropriate to the Village (such
as co-working space, a small
business incubator, etc).
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT AT
BEE-BARN
This building (the Bee Barn)
is used in the long-term for
mixed use development, as
opportunities arise in the
Village or as part of this
community development. This
can be primarily residential
space, but with available office
space if needed.

FARMER’S MARKET & COMMUNITY PLOTS
These semi-permanent structures can last year-round, but be
occupied weekly throughout the growing season as Guilford’s
Farmer’s Market.
Small community garden growing plots can help attract people
to browse this area when the market is open.
PARKING LOTS SOLAR
INSTALLATION
Pole-mounted solar panels
can be installed in this southfacing
area of the Guilford
Community Church’s parking
lot, where cars may be able
to park underneath them, as
a car-port.
COMMUNITY PAVILION /
GATHERING SPACE
Located in the center of the
Village, an open-air pavilion
can be a gathering space
for individuals or for formal
community events (such
as performances, tours,
community clean-ups, etc).
An adjacent play ground
makes this an asset for the
nearby community services,
and helps families keep their
children engaged during
community events.
P
P
P
PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY &
POCKET PARK
One way to access these
community services is via
this proposed pedestrian
path and pocket park in the
Church’s existing right-of-way
that connects their parcel to
Route 5. This provides more
public space while improving
pedestrian safety.
P
BROAD BROOK PARK
A new pocket park is
created here that may
have a viewing platform
over Broad Brook.
SENIOR / COMMUNITY CENTER & FOOD SHELF
This concrete pad is used to house a community center
(especially for seniors) and the Guilford Food Pantry.
Small garden plots behind the modest building (limited
to the footprint of the existing concrete pad) can help
provide supplementary produce during the growing
season, as seniors or other community members can
contribute through this programming opportunity.
ELDER HOUSING IN-FILL
Here, this existing
residential property is
acquired in the long-term
to provide elder housing.
An addition is constructed
off the existing structure to
provide more units.

VISION CONCEPT DRAWINGS
The following spread explains how these concepts will impact the character of Algiers Village, and potentially address any
concerns about undue development being proposed. The Living Community Challenge prioritizes development in areas
that are already impacted, or that capitalizes on exiting building footprints. This way, natural areas are conserved,
along with their valuable ecosystem functions (such as providing wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, etc). Not only this, but
the rural character of Algiers is preserved.
Another consideration is the historic nature of Algiers Village as a population center in southern Vermont. While
the surrounding landscape of Algiers is generally rural, the Village itself is relatively dense in terms of the number of
residential, commercial, and civic buildings are present now and were in the past. One way to preserve open space in our
communities is to continue to promote development density where these footprints exist, as opposed to low-density
development in rural residential districts which lead to environmental impacts and ecological fragmentation.
The nonprofits in Algiers Village have embodied this planning principle, and have proposed new community spaces and
functions within existing buildings in the Village. This doesn’t necessarily mean that these properties will be taken or
acquired for community use, rather it demonstrates a theoretical commitment to sound and ecological development
patterns.
Algiers Village, Guilford, Vermont
Village Concept Drawing
DEVELOPMENT/PROPOSALS
WITHIN EXISTING BUILDING
FOOTPRINTS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN-
FILL IN VILLAGE CENTER
These two identified buildings
(the “Tudor” building,
formerly “Doggy DayCare,”
and the second floor of the
Broad Brook House) are repurposed
to provide space for
economic development that is
appropriate to the Village (such
as co-working space, a small
business incubator, etc).
ELDER HOUSING IN-FILL
Here, this existing residential
property is acquired in the longterm
to provide elder housing.
An addition is constructed off
the existing structure to provide
more units.
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT AT
BEE-BARN
This building (the Bee Barn)
is used in the long-term for
mixed use development, as
opportunities arise in the
Village or as part of this
community development. This
can be primarily residential
space, but with available office
space if needed.

Algiers Village, Guilford, Vermont
Village Concept Drawing
NEW CONSTRUCTION
OR DEVELOPMENT
MEADOW & WETLAND
INTERPRETIVE TRAILS
CHILD CARE CENTER / SCHOOL
(OR SENIOR HOUSING)
A child care center or earlyeducation
school is located in
this area off Partridge Rd, on
the developable portion of
GPI’s land. This way, children
have access to important and
abundant natural areas and
play spaces, while being in a
residential setting.
FARMER’S MARKET &
COMMUNITY PLOTS
PARKING LOTS SOLAR
INSTALLATION
Pole-mounted solar panels
can be installed in this southfacing
area of the Guilford
Community Church’s parking
lot, where cars may be able to
park underneath them, as a
car-port.
COMMUNITY PAVILION /
GATHERING SPACE
PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY &
POCKET PARK
BROAD BROOK PARK
A new pocket park is created
here that may have a viewing
platform over Broad Brook.

LCC PETALS / IMPERATIVES
The following sections are a review of how Algiers Village might meet each of the Living Community Challenge “ Petals”
and “Imperatives.”
This report does not contain the level of detail that might be expected from a Masterplan. Instead, this Vision Plan lays
out an aspirational goal of what Algiers Village could be if multiple entities work together to achieve a common goal.
Although there is much work needed to parse out individual responsibilities, the four nonprofits that initiated this project
have aligned around the common vision expressed herein.
Every project must define the community’s site boundary and select a category based on the density of the area. Algiers
Village falls into the LCC’s category of Village or Campus Zone. 1 The Living Community Challenge is organized into seven
performance areas (Petals). Each performance area has a number of more detailed requirements (Imperatives). Each
Imperative will be analyzed to see if Algiers Village can meet the Living Community Challenge requirements. The following
LCC Petal descriptions are from the International Living Future Institute’s website.
LIVING COMMUNITY CHALLENGE
PERFORMANCE AREAS & IMPERATIVES SUMMARY
Refer to the following pages for a full discussion of how the Algiers Village Vision Plan may address each of these
Performance Areas (or, LCC “Petals”) and Imperatives.
PLACE
Restoring a healthy interrelationship with nature.
The intent of the Place Petal is to clearly articulate in a Community where it is acceptable for people to build and how
to protect and restore a place once it has been developed, and to encourage the creation of Communities that are
once again based on the pedestrian rather than the automobile. In turn, these Communities should be supported by
local and regional agriculture, since no truly sustainable Community can rely on globally sourced food production.
WATER
Creating developments that operate within the water balance of a given place and climate.
The intent of the Water Petal is to realign how people use water and to redefine “waste” in the built environment,
so that water is respected as a precious resource. Scarcity of potable water is quickly becoming a serious issue as
many countries around the world face severe shortages and compromised water quality. Even regions that have
avoided the majority of these problems to date due to a historical presence of abundant fresh water are at risk: the
impacts of climate change, highly unsustainable water use patterns, and the continued draw-down of major aquifers
portend significant problems ahead. A water-independent community is a stronger, more resilient community, and the
Challenge calls for Communities that honor the realities of each project’s bioregion.
1 LCC refers to the category as a Living Transect, and bases this on the community’s current zoning and/or density. Algiers Village does not
have zoning, but based on the Floor Area Ratio of the existing density within the proposed boundary, the Village falls into LCC Transect L3: Village or
Campus Zone (FAR of 0.1 – 0.49). Floor area ratio (FAR) is the measurement of a building’s floor area in relation to the size of the lot/parcel that the
building is located on. Typically, FAR is calculated by dividing the gross floor area of a building(s) by the total buildable area of the piece of land upon
which it is built.

ENERGY
Relying only on current solar income.
The intent of the Energy Petal is to signal a new age of planning, wherein a proposed Community relies solely on
renewable forms of energy and operates year-round in a pollution-free manner. In addition, it aims to prioritize
reductions and optimization before technological solutions are applied to eliminate wasteful spending—of energy,
resources, and dollars. The majority of energy generated today is from highly unsustainable sources, including coal,
gas, oil and nuclear power. Large-scale hydro, while inherently cleaner, results in widespread damage to ecosystems.
Burning wood, trash or pellets releases particulates and carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere and often strains
local supplies of sustainably harvested biomass. The effects of these energy sources on regional and planetary health
are becoming increasingly evident through climate change, the most worrisome major global trend attributed to
human activity.
HEALTH & HAPPINESS
Creating environments that optimize physical and psychological health and wellbeing.
The intent of the Health and Happiness Petal is to focus on the major conditions that must be present to create
robust, healthy Communities filled with happy, productive people, rather than to address all of the potential ways
that our neighborhoods and cities can compromise the human experience. Most development that occurs overlooks
the requirements necessary to create a healthy and positive backdrop for our lives and instead focuses on parking
counts, vehicular traffic and maximum instant property value. This Petal provides the framework for positive planning
decisions at the street, block, district and community scales.
MATERIALS
Endorsing products that are safe for all species through time.
The intent of the Materials Petal is to create a successful materials economy that is nontoxic, transparent and socially
equitable. Throughout their life cycle, supplies and materials are responsible for many adverse environmental issues,
including illness, squandered embodied energy, pollution, and resource depletion. The Imperatives in this section
aim to remove the worst known offending materials and practices from Living Communities. When impacts can be
reduced but not eliminated, there is an obligation not only to offset the damaging consequences associated with the
construction process, but also to strive for corrections in the industry. At the present time it is impossible to gauge the
true environmental impact and toxicity of the built environment due to a lack of product-level information.
EQUITY
Supporting a just and equitable world.
The intent of the Equity Petal is to correlate the impacts of design and development to their ability to foster a true
sense of Community, whether that Community is composed of half a city block or an entire borough. A society that
embraces all sectors of humanity and allows the dignity of equal access is a civilization in the best position to make
decisions that protect and restore the natural environment. Until all Communities aspire to such greatness, our
societies will always be less than they can be.
BEAUTY
Celebrating plans that purpose transformative change.
The intent of the Beauty Petal is to recognize the need for beauty as a precursor to caring enough to preserve,
conserve and serve the greater good. As a society we are often surrounded by ugly and inhumane physical
environments. If we do not care for our homes, streets, offices and neighborhoods, then why should we extend care
outward to our farms, forests and fields? When we accept billboards, parking lots, freeways and strip malls as being
aesthetically acceptable, in the same breath we accept clear-cuts, factory farms and strip mines.

PLACE PETAL
The intent of the Place Petal is to clearly articulate in a Community where it is acceptable for people to build and how
to protect and restore a place once it has been developed, and to encourage the creation of Communities that are
once again based on the pedestrian rather than the automobile. In turn, these Communities should be supported by
local and regional agriculture, since no truly sustainable Community can rely on globally sourced food production.
Imperatives
01. LIMITS TO GROWTH
02. URBAN AGRICULTURE 2
03. HABITAT EXCHANGE
04. HUMAN-POWERED LIVING
1. LIMITS TO GROWTH
LCC CRITERIA:
Projects in developed countries may only be built on greyfields or brownfields, previously
developed sites that are not classified as on or adjacent to any of the following sensitive ecological
habitats:
· WETLANDS: maintain at least 15 meters, and up to 70 meters of separation
· PRIMARY DUNES: maintain at least 40 meters of separation
· OLD-GROWTH FOREST: maintain at least 60 meters of separation
· VIRGIN PRAIRIE: maintain at least 30 meters of separation
· PRIME FARMLAND: within the 100-year flood plain
The Community must document site conditions prior to the start of work and identify the
project’s “reference habitat(s).” On-site landscape must be designed so that as it matures and
evolves it increasingly emulates the functionality of indigenous ecosystems with regard to density,
biodiversity, plant succession, water use, and nutrient needs. It shall also provide wildlife and
avian habitat appropriate to the Community’s transect through the use of native and naturalized
plants and topsoil. No petrochemical fertilizers or pesticides can be used for the operation and
maintenance of the on-site landscape.
ANALYSIS
The proposed new construction projects (as part of the Vision Plan Concepts, see page 27) are mostly within the historic
village center. The Village has no old-growth forest, however, it is adjacent to prime farmland. Those proposed projects
will either use an underutilized building or previously developed, cleared, or impacted sites.
To date, previous redevelopment in Algiers Village has had “brownfields” studies completed. Brownfields are land and
buildings whose expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Due to Algiers Village industrial past, Phase I and/or II Environmental
Site Assessments (ESAs) were completed on the following sites (see chart and Village plan below). Assessment of a
brownfield site is usually done in two phases. The Phase I Assessment examines the environmental conditions of a
property prior to its acquisition (“All Appropriate Inquiry”) by documenting areas of concern given historical uses of
the property, visual inspection, and documented evidence. If potential areas of contamination are identified, a Phase II
Assessment focusing on environmental testing will be conducted. This can include testing the property’s soil, water, and/
or air. Assessments are conducted by environmental professionals with oversight by the State of Vermont.
2 LCC refers to this imperative as “Urban Agriculture.” The nonprofit organizations preferred, since Algiers Village is within a rural landscape,
to use the term “Community Agriculture.”

soil
Approx. wetlands
Algiers Village Vision Plan
1. Limits to Growth
FEMA floodplain (1% annual
chance, without elevations)
B
Brownfields
Hazardous waste generator
Statewide Prime agricultural
soil
Approx. wetlands
FEMA floodplain (1% annual
chance, without elevations)
Richmond
Auto Repair
Guilford Country Store
(Broad Brook House):
• Phase I ESA complete
• No findings
Windham & Windsor Housing:
• Phase I Environmental
Site Assessment (ESA)
complete
B
B
B
Guilford Community Church
(old building foundation):
• Phase I ESA complete
• No findings
B
Windham & Windsor Housing:
• Phase I & II ESA complete
• Brownfield clean-up
completed
0 100 200 300 Feet
N
SITE
Tontine Building
(Windham & Windsor Housing Trust)
Broad Brook House
(Guilford Country Store)
Warehouse Building
(Windham & Windsor Housing Trust)
24 Church Drive
(Guilford Community Church)
B
B
ENVIRONMENTAL SITE
ASSESSMENT (ESAS)
Phase I -2007
B
Phase I -2009
Phase I -2007, 2012
Phase II – 2008
Clean up Planning- 2012
Phase I - 2017
B
FINDINGS
None
None
Previously: Two generations of
gasoline USTs (Underground Storage
Tanks) were removed; two gasoline
USTs (3,000 gallon and 2,000
gallon) were removed in 1992; and,
a 3,000-gallon gasoline UST was
removed in 2008. Contamination was
found during the UST removals.
0 100 200 300 Feet
N
PCB, Petroleum/Petroleum Products
and Arsenic in the soil. All cleaned up
in 2012 as part of redevelopment.
None

Other sites (non-Brownfields):
• Richmond Auto Repair
Is a conditionally exempt small quantity generator of hazardous waste. Waste types noted include ignitable waste,
benzene, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, and petroleum wastes. No enforcement actions or violations have
been found.
• The Guilford Sewer Line at Route 5 and Mill Road
Is an inactive (Sites Management Activity Complete—SMAC) hazardous site (DEC Site #2006-3505). Contamination
was found during sewer line work along Route 5 and Mill Road. Petroleum-contaminated soil was excavated,
stockpiled and treated prior to its disposal. Methyl t-butyl Ether (MtBE) was found in several water supplies in the
vicinity. No source of the contamination was identified.
In the proposed Vision Plan, the farmer’s market, solar panel installation and elder housing extension may technically be
greenfield development (as considered by LCC), but those projects are adjacent to sites developed before 2007, which
compose at least 75% of the project area. Vermont’s distinctive sense of place is tied to its primary land use planning
goal: to plan development so as to maintain the historic settlement pattern of compact village and urban centers
separated by rural countryside (24 V.S.A. § 4302). This goal is reflected in the Guilford Town Plan and Windham Regional
Commission Regional Plan. Redevelopment in the Village meets this goal and is good land use planning.
The new proposed Broad Brook Park, which includes a proposed viewing platform, does fall within the 100-year
floodplain, but this site is part of historic development that was built prior to 1945. The child care center is further
removed from the village center and located on prime farmland. This project has a purpose of interpreting the
surrounding natural environment for school children and the site’s ecological systems will not be disturbed. It would
need to maintain 15 meters of separation from the wetlands.
Site conditions will need to be documented prior to the start of implementing the master plan. “Reference habitats”
have been identified using the Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources’ natural communities or otherwise identified
habitat layers. The community will need to design on-site landscaping that emulates the functionality of indigenous
ecosystems. No petrochemical fertilizers or pesticides can be used for the operation and maintenance of these
landscape.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
Based on the analysis above the project can meet this imperative. There may need to be some discussion with the
ILFI regarding their definition of greenfields within the historic village center. Vermont Planning Goals supports and
encourages in-fill within village centers.
Village Concept Drawing
DEVELOPMENT/PROPOSALS
WITHIN EXISTING BUILDING
FOOTPRINTS
(shown previously on pg. 26)
Continued economic development
in-fill in the Broad Brook House and
the “Tudor Building.”
Elder housing units as in-fill.
Mixed use development at the Bee-
Barn building.

2. COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community must integrate opportunities for agriculture appropriate to the scale and density
of the Community using the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) as a basis for calculation. The urban agriculture
area can be aggregated in a central area or dispersed throughout the Community.
ANALYSIS
Based on the village density 3 30% of the village needs to be devoted to agriculture. While the scope of proposed buildout
is not yet determined, additional density would decrease the amount of area that would need to be dedicated to
agriculture.
Currently, the Friends of Algiers Village are considering planting fruit trees around the Guilford Country Store. A
significant part of GPI’s land is used as grazing pasture; its borders already contain apple trees and more fruit trees could
be planted. This constitutes approximately 25% of the community area (Algiers Village LCC Boundary). The remaining 5%
to 25% would need to be determined.
In the proposed concept plans
for Algiers, there are two areas
that will actively be used to grow
market food. These are in the
small open field north of the
Guilford Country Store, where a
farmer’s market can be hosted
alongside small community
growing plots or a community
orchard, and to the east of the
proposed community/senior
center, where small plots can be
tended by community members or
seniors as a kitchen garden.
Algiers Village Vision Plan
2. Urban Agriculture
Algiers Village Vision Plan
2. Urban Agriculture
Existing agricultural use -
Grazing pasture
Existing agricultural use -
Grazing pasture
Statewide Prime agricultural
soil
Statewide Prime agricultural
Approx. wetlands
soil
Approx. wetlands
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
Based on the analysis above the
project can meet this agriculture
imperative. Approximately 5% of
additional food production needs to
occur in Algiers Village. Proposed
are small community garden plots
near the general store and proposed
3 Without the GPI Property, Christ
Church, and 382 Calvin Coolidge, the FAR is
0.16, in which case 30% of the community
needs to be devoted to agriculture.
With the GPI property the floor area ratio
drops to 0.05, largely because the GPI and
Guilford Country Store land make up much of
the community’s undeveloped land. Including
GPI’s property in the project boundary as
proposed would mean that 50% of the
community’s area needs to be used for food
production.
0 100 200 300 Feet
N

In the small open field north of the Guilford Country
Store, where a farmer’s market can be hosted
alongside small community growing plots or a
community orchard.
To the east of the proposed community/senior center,
where small plots can be tended by community members
or seniors as a kitchen garden.
community center. ILFI will consider on a case-by-case basis for agriculture within 100 miles of the Community with
strong preference for Community Supported Agriculture and local areas adjacent to Community boundary. The
remaining 5% of needed agriculture could easily be met in Guilford outside of the Algiers Village LCC boundary.
3. HABITAT EXCHANGE
LCC CRITERIA:
For each hectare of development, an equal amount of land away from the Community must be set
aside in perpetuity through the Living Future Habitat Exchange Program or an approved Land Trust
organization.
ANALYSIS
It is anticipated that the proposed projects would result in at the most 5 acres (approximately 2 hectares) of
development. Vermont Land Trust and Vermont River Conservancy are both land trust organizations in the State that
Algiers Village may partner with to fulfill this requirement.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
It appears that the Community will be able to meet this imperative by partnering with a land trust organization is active
in the area.

4. HUMAN-POWERED LIVING
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community should contribute toward the creation of walkable, pedestrian-oriented communities
and provide public transit linkages to surrounding neighborhoods. It shall be predominantly designed
for humans and human-powered mobility, rather than for cars.
Public bike storage shall be conveniently distributed throughout the Community, enough for 15% of the
Community occupants.
A network of safe, secure, and pleasant walkways and bikeways, adequate to enable human-powered
transportation and mass transit as the primary means of mobility, shall be provided throughout the
Community. The Community must provide a mobility plan, which addresses and demonstrates at a
minimum the following:
• Public bike storage shall be conveniently distributed throughout the Community, enough for 15% of
the Community occupants
• A walkway network comprised of enhanced pedestrian routes
• At least one electric vehicle charging station
• A bicycle network that provides separation from vehicles
• Advocacy in the community to facilitate the uptake of human-powered transportation
• Enhanced pedestrian routes, including weather protection on street frontages
• At least one public transit route within the community
• Maximum percentage of any single occupancy type within catchment area is 70%
ANALYSIS
Algiers Village has a network of walking trails, a sidewalk in front of the affordable housing buildings and a public
transit route. The speed and amount of traffic through the Village has resulted in areas of the Village feeling unsafe for
pedestrians. To that end, additional pedestrian walkways, crosswalks and foot trails are proposed in the concept plans
(see below).
Cyclists currently travel along the road shoulders, and the Guilford Country Store in Algiers Village happens to be a
frequent stop for cyclists, since Route 5 is a popular and scenic cycling route. While it would be difficult to provide a
bicycle network that is separate from the vehicles given the current and historic width of the road right-of-way, there
may be opportunities to provide better share-the-road signage or narrow the travel lane to increase the width of the
shoulder, and to reduce the speed at which vehicles travel through the Village.
Algiers Village does not currently have bike storage or an electric vehicle charging station. This type of infrastructure
is being proposed at the Guilford Country Store, where it is most likely to be accessed by the majority of visitors to
Algiers Village. Human-powered living is a perceived challenge for rural areas with the current infrastructure, where
single-occupancy use has become the social norm. It may be difficult for the community to meet the maximum
percentage of any single occupancy type within catchment area, which is 70%.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
A mobility plan will need to be developed to address this imperative. A discussion with ILFI about the difficulty in
meeting some of the required items may be necessary for a rural village, which by default has longer transit routes
than in urban areas, and therefore lends itself to increased car use. For example, reduction of single occupancy
vehicles may need to be a stretch goal in the mobility plan.

Algiers Village Vision Plan
Algiers Village Vision Plan
4. Human-Powered Living
4. Human-Powered Living
ROUTE 5: NORTH
ROUTE
TO
5:
BRATTLEBORO
NORTH
TO BRATTLEBORO
Potential bike storage
Potential bike storage
EV EVPotential Potential
EV charging
EV charging
station
station
Problematic Problematic intersection intersection / /
pedestrian pedestrian safety safety concern concern
Existing Existing pedestrian pedestrian walkway walkway
Existing Existing bus bus transit transit route route
Public/Institutional Building Building
Commercial Building Building
Residential Residential Building Building
Mixed
Mixed
Use
Use
Building
Building
EV
EV
Guilford Center Rd
Route 5
0 100 200 300 Feet
N
0 100 200 300 Feet
N

In the proposed concept plans for Algiers, an EV
charging station would be best placed in the parking
area of the Guilford Country Store, if it were to be
placed within Algiers Village.
However, it is important to note that there is a Tesla
charging station less than 2 miles north of Algiers in
the Exit 1 commercial center (see page 55).
Pedestrian safety is emphasized with a new traffic
pattern and new Village infrastructure, such as:
• new cross walks and sidewalks
• a pedestrian park in the existing
Guilford Community Church right-ofway,
• walking paths that are not along the
road right-of-way.
Bike racks would be
available at highly
used community
areas, such as the
Guilford Country
Store, the proposed
community center,
and the community
pavilion and play
ground.
Route 5
EV
Guilford Center Rd

WATER
The intent of the Water Petal is to realign how people use water and to redefine “waste” in the built environment,
so that water is respected as a precious resource. Scarcity of potable water is quickly becoming a serious issue as
many countries around the world face severe shortages and compromised water quality. Even regions that have
avoided the majority of these problems to date due to a historical presence of abundant fresh water are at risk: the
impacts of climate change, highly unsustainable water use patterns, and the continued draw-down of major aquifers
portend significant problems ahead. A water-independent community is a stronger, more resilient community, and the
Challenge calls for Communities that honor the realities of each project’s bioregion.
Imperatives
05. NET POSITIVE WATER
5. NET POSITIVE WATER
LCC CRITERIA:
Community water use and release must work in harmony with the natural water flows of the
Algiers Village Vision Plan
Community and its surroundings. 100% of the Community’s water needs must be supplied by captured
5. Net-Positive Water
precipitation or other natural closed loop water systems, and/or by recycling used Community water,
and must be purified as needed without the use of chemicals.
Existing sewer line
All stormwater and water discharge, including grey and black water, must be treated and managed at
Rooftop rain catchment
the Community scale either through reuse, potentiala closed loop system, or infiltration.
ANALYSIS
Vermont is a water-rich state and
Algiers Village is likewise imbued with
water resources. Windham County
experiences an annual average of
40.33 inches of precipitation a year,
according to the NOAA National
Climatic Data Center. However,
there are times of scarcity. The National
Weather Service reported that 2016
was the ninth driest year on record in
Vermont, and the worst since 2001.
Furthermore, Vermont struggles with
water quality, and protecting streams
rivers and lakes is a high priority.
Algiers Village Vision Plan
5. Net-Positive Water
Existing sewer line
Rooftop rain catchment
potential
On the flip side of scarcity is flooding.
Spring-time flooding commonly occurs as
the result of snow-melt and concurrent
moderate rainfall, generally from mid-
March through mid-May. Large weather
events occur as well. During Tropical
Storm Irene in 2011, the Windham
Region saw 113 major town bridges and
culverts damaged, over 40 major stream
0 100 200 300 Feet
N

crossings closed on town roads, and roughly one hundred miles of town roads damaged .
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
In order to both preserve this precious resource and mitigate increased instances of flooding, a neighborhood-based
water management plan will need to be developed. In this strategy, a neighborhood-scaled treatment system could be
paired with rainwater collection and stormwater run-off systems.
To gauge whether such a closed loop system could meet the consumption needs of the existing community, the
following feasibility analysis was conducted. This analysis found that Algiers Village could become a net-positive
community using only rooftop rainwater collection if extensive water consumption retrofits were implemented.
NET POSITIVE WATER FEASIBILITY STUDY
3,000,000
Gallons of water
2,250,000
1,500,000
750,000
Baseline Water
Consumption
Optimized
Water Use
(70% efficiency
gain)
Rooftop
Rainwater
Collection
Potential
Baseline Water Consumption: Estimated water consumption calculated using average water consumption for single
family homes and average consumption per square foot by building type for commercial uses .
Optimized Water Use: Reduced consumption representing a 70% gain in water efficiency. Such levels could be achieved
by limiting potable water usage to potable applications, tightening building codes for new construction, and upgrading
equipment on existing buildings.
Rooftop Rainwater Collection Potential: The volume of water that is harvestable on an average year from existing
rooftops in the community .
Analysis: Net-positive water utilizing only rooftop rainwater harvest systems is feasible with extensive water retrofits.

ENERGY
The intent of the Energy Petal is to signal a new age of planning, wherein a proposed Community relies solely on
renewable forms of energy and operates year-round in a pollution-free manner. In addition, it aims to prioritize
reductions and optimization before technological solutions are applied to eliminate wasteful spending—of energy,
resources, and dollars. The majority of energy generated today is from highly unsustainable sources, including coal,
gas, oil and nuclear power. Large-scale hydro, while inherently cleaner, results in widespread damage to ecosystems.
Burning wood, trash or pellets releases particulates and carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere and often strains
local supplies of sustainably harvested biomass. The effects of these energy sources on regional and planetary health
are becoming increasingly evident through climate change, the most worrisome major global trend attributed to
human activity.
Imperatives
06. NET POSITIVE ENERGY
5. NET POSITIVE ENERGY
LCC CRITERIA:
105% of the Community’s energy needs must be supplied by Community-generated renewable
energy on a net annual basis, including all energy for water and waste conveyance. Use of
combustion-based energy supply is not allowed. A Community must provide local energy storage for
resiliency.
Algiers Village Vision Plan
6. Energy
Algiers Village PV Existing Vision photo-voltaic Plan systems
6. Energy
Existing 3-phase transmission
lines
VT Act 174 Modeled Solar Resource:
PV Existing photo-voltaic systems
Optimal modeled solar
radiation
Existing 3-phase transmission
Medium modeled solar
linesradiation
Moderate modeled solar
VT Act 174 Modeled radiation Solar Resource:
Optimal modeled solar
radiation
Medium modeled solar
radiation
Moderate modeled solar
radiation
Windham & Windsor Housing:
• 9.8 kW PV array
Guilford Fire Department:
• 10kW PV array
PV
PV
0 100 200 300 Feet
N

ANALYSIS
Currently, over 75% of energy consumed in VT is from fossil fuels, used primarily for heating and transportation.
Because none of these fuels are sourced within the state, the money spent on these fuels contributes little to the
local economy.
Vermont as a state has expressed the goal of meeting 90% of its energy needs with renewable sources of energy by
2050. Algiers Village could serve as a shining example of how a whole community can achieve that goal and more, by
becoming a net-positive energy community. Certainly part of this future will be a more distributed grid powered by
renewable energy sources.
The following feasibility analysis assesses the potential for Algiers to be completely powered by solar photovoltaics
(and with the necessary energy efficiency measures).
NET POSITIVE ENERGY FEASIBILITY STUDY
2,000
MWh of solar energy
1,500
1,000
500
Baseline
Energy Use
Optimized
Energy
Use (75%
efficiency
gain)
Solar
Rooftop
Harvest
Potential
Existing
Array
Potential
Baseline Energy Use: Estimated electrical and thermal energy consumption for Algiers (18 buildings closest to
town center) based on averages by building type. The data was calculated using town-specific energy data that the
Windham Regional Commission compiled for Guilford as a part of Act 174 Planning .
Optimized Energy Use: Reduced consumption representing a 75% reduction in energy use, which is a level commonly
seen on Living Building Challenge Buildings. This level of efficiency could be gained by requiring new construction to
meet strict EUI standards and performing deep energy retrofits on the existing building stock.
Solar Rooftop Harvest Potential: The amount of energy that can be harvested by installing current PV technology on
all available roof area with appropriate orientation as identified using NREL’s PV Watt Calculator.
Existing Array Potential: The assumed production potential of existing PV arrays in Algiers as identified by the
Renewable Energy Atlas of Vermont.
Analysis: This analysis shows that net-positive energy utilizing only rooftop solar installations is feasible with extensive
deep energy retrofits.
POTENTIAL FOR MODERN WOOD HEAT
The Algiers Village team recognizes that the Living Community Challenge does not currently allow for combustionbased
energy supplies. However, Algiers would like to work with the International Living Future Institute to explore

whether an exception might be made for modern wood heat, sourced specifically from the Northeast.
An independent, third-party study was recently commissioned by the Northern Forest Center to study the greenhouse
gas impacts of buildings heated with modern wood pellet stoves. The researchers took into account the forest make-up
of the Northeast and the pellet manufacturing and sourcing practices of its pellet mills. The study found that switching
from heating with natural gas or oil to wood pellets reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50% on day one.
After 50 years, greenhouse gas emissions from pellets drop to 62% less than oil, 67% less than natural gas, and 56%
less than propane. Though not asserted by the authors, compared to the embodied energy used to make solar panels,
modern wood heat may even have a more favorable life cycle carbon impact.
Vermont has found that modern wood heat is particularly well suited to this region’s context and needs. Wood
pellet boilers work well in retrofits, and most of Vermont is struggling with how to upgrade its existing building stock.
Vermont has an overabundance of low grade wood supply that is currently going to waste and preventing the healthy
management of our forests. And finally, like much of the Northeast, Vermont is searching for new markets to support
a struggling wood products industry. Algiers would be able to achieve net positive energy much more quickly by
combining modern wood heat with solar than attempting to use solar alone and would have more grant money at its
disposal.
We believe that combined, these factors make modern wood heat a very sustainable option that achieves the intent
behind the Energy Petal. While we will not attempt to make the full argument here, Algiers hopes an exception might be
made for modern wood heat to be utilized in this project.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
This analysis shows that net-positive energy utilizing only rooftop solar installations is feasible with extensive deep
energy retrofits. Opportunity to use modern wood heat would assist the community in meeting this imperative, but
more discussion needs to be have with ILFI on this issue.
In the proposed concept plans for Algiers, a
solar photovoltaic system is installed in the
northern border of the Guilford Community
Church, in the form of elevated panels that
also double as covered carports (these can
also be used as EV charging stations.
Additionally, any new buildings with enough
structural integrity and good solar aspect
would host photovoltaic panels that would
feed into the grid.
This includes the new Senior/Community
Center, and the building that is used for
elder housing development.

BROAD BROOK HOUSE: A Case Study
The previously referenced feasibility analysis was aggregated across the entire community.
Zooming in to a case-study version of this analysis on the Broad Brook House demonstrates how these same
metrics look on a building scale.
Actual consumption and utility data
provided by Gary Swindler of FOAVI.
Note that this dataset from the 2016
calendar year includes a tenant switchout
during which time there was a drop
off in electricity usage.
ANALYSIS
Net-positive energy would require the
store to reduce energy use by more
than 75%, which is likely not feasible for
a food producer.
160,000
120,000
80,000
40,000
BROAD BROOK HOUSE:
Actual Consumption vs. Renewable Potential
However, the store does have a large
roof area which could collect more
rainwater than the store would use
after potential efficiency upgrades (such
as low-flow toilets).
Additionally, this building-scale
case study provides a useful way to
demonstrate the inherent benefit to
the community-scale nature of the Living
ENERGY (kWh)
Actual
Current
Use
Renewable
PV
Generation
Potential
WATER (gallons)
Actual
Current
Use
Renewable
Rain
Collection
Potential
Communities Challenge. The Broad Brook House cannot create enough of its own renewable energy to meet
the Net Positive Energy Imperative, due to the business activities and production that demand that much
energy. However, those resources can potentially be accessed from elsewhere in Algiers Village.
It would be (in some cases) prohibitively challenging for one building to be both net positive energy and water,
but with the combined and shared resources from a neighborhood, buildings can “trade” their resources
so that the entire community can benefit from mutual systems. As proposed in the Vision Plan, PV arrays
that shade the parking area on the Guilford Community Church’s property would likely be enough energy
generation that would offset the energy use of the Broad Brook House, therefore neutralizing their high
demand and making the imperative possible.

HEALTH & HAPPINESS
The intent of the Health and Happiness Petal is to focus on the major conditions that must be present to create
robust, healthy Communities filled with happy, productive people, rather than to address all of the potential ways
that our neighborhoods and cities can compromise the human experience. Most development that occurs overlooks
the requirements necessary to create a healthy and positive backdrop for our lives and instead focuses on parking
counts, vehicular traffic and maximum instant property value. This Petal provides the framework for positive planning
decisions at the street, block, district and community scales.
Imperatives
07. CIVILIZED ENVIRONMENT
08. HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN
09. BIOPHILIC ENVIRONMENT
10. RESILIENT COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
7. CIVILIZED ENVIRONMENT
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community must promote frequent social connections between people and plan for the ongoing
connectivity that creates a Civilized Environment for all by having adequate staff positions (either
volunteer or paid) to oversee the ongoing inclusion of the following Community initiatives:
• Local food program
• Car and bike sharing program
• Transit information center
• Community tool sharing
• Community book library
• Children, teen, adult and senior art and recreation programs
• Community “Hub” for information sharing and community meetings
The Community must honor its heritage through actively protecting buildings considered to have
historical significance by the local or regional historic preservation society. The Community must
inventory local heritage sites or facilities and maintain a current preservation plan.
ANALYSIS
Algiers Village already hosts a number of community services and connections, including a food shelf, a bus stop, art and
recreation programs, and a community “hub” at the Guilford Country Store. These services will be enhanced with the
proposed community pavilion/gathering space and the community center and food shelf. The non-profit organizations
are interested in exploring establishing community tool sharing and book library. A car and bike sharing program may be
difficult to establish in a rural community, but there may be other ways to meet the intent of this imperative.
The Tontine building, Broad Brook House, and Christ Church are on the National Register of Historic Places. Other
buildings in the community may be eligible for state or national register nomination. A preservation plan will need to be
developed.
Vermont as a state has expressed the goal of meeting 90% of its energy needs with renewable sources of energy by
2050. Algiers Village could serve as a shining example of how a whole community can achieve that goal and more, by
becoming a net-positive energy community. Certainly part of this future will be a more distributed grid powered by
renewable energy sources. The following feasibility analysis assesses the potential for Algiers to be completely powered
by solar photovoltaics (and with the necessary energy efficiency measures).

MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
The analysis shows that this imperative can be mostly met via existing and proposed services. The following items will
need additional work to meet this imperative:
• exploring establishing community tool sharing and book library,
• car and bike sharing program or alternative program, and
• a preservation plan.
In the proposed concept plans for
Algiers, there is a strong emphasis on
providing community services that
are relevant to the residents of not
only Algiers Village but of the Town of
Guilford and neighboring Brattleboro
to the north.
Below are the suite of new proposed
buildings and/or public spaces that
contribute to a healthy and happy
public space.
Adjacent to the wetland and forest
system off Partridge Road on the
GPI property is a proposed early
education school and/or child day care
center. This new building fits within the
acceptable footprint of the delineated
wetlands, and accesses nearby trails.
(There has also been some discussion
of the original intent of this propoerty
for much-needed senior housing in
the Village. This should still remain an
option for development, if not enough
units are found within the Village
center.)
Community pavilion, which can be
accessed by any of the nearby
services via a short footpath or on
the sidewalk.
Community / Senior center,
supported by CC4G. This would
host community events and provide
resources to the community.
New park, as a pedestrian cutthrough
to the community services
from Route 5, and overall pleasant
public space.

Algiers Village Vision Plan
7. Algiers Civilized Village Environment
Vision Plan
7. Civilized Environment
National Register of Historic
Places National Register of Historic
Places
Algiers Village Center (State
designated) Algiers Village Center (State
designated)
Tontine Building (currently Windham &
Windsor Housing).
Broad Brook House (currently Guilford
Country Store).
Christ Church. Photo: www.vtliving.com
0 100 200 300 Feet
N
0 100 200 300 Feet
N

8. HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community must incorporate design features and strategies to promote and optimize the health
and well-being of its residents. The Community must provide:
• Access for residents and occupants to either dedicated walking trails, sidewalks or pedestrian
paths directly accessible from every building.
• Passive recreation in the form of parks, plazas, squares and bike trails no further than ½ mile
from any point in the Community.
• Active recreation such as pools, tennis or ball courts, fitness centers, soccer/football/rugby fields
or skateboard parks within ½ mile from any point in the Community, scaled appropriately to the
density and population of the development.
• A health and wellness education plan applicable to every resident that is kept current on a
Community website.
ANALYSIS
Algiers Village currently has a pedestrian walkway that loops
from the Route 5 intersection, down Guilford Center Road,
left onto Grist Mill Road, back to Route 5. There is also a
mowed path from Guilford Country Store around to Guilford
Community Church. Algiers Village intends to use these walking
paths as the backbone of an expanded network of pathways in
the proposed Vision Plan. Ultimately, there will be a dedicated
walking trail or sidewalk directly accessible from every building
in Algiers Village.
Recreational activities will also be accessible. Proposed
development includes a bioswell park by Broad Brook,
a pedestrian walkway and pocket park on the Guilford
Community Church right-of-way, and a wetland interpretive
trails in the Northern fields to the east of Route 5 (accessed by
a new parking turn-out off of Route 5). These will ensure that
there are passive recreation opportunities no further than ½
mile from any point in the community.
Active recreation opportunities will be served by the walking
paths, community garden plots by the Guilford Farmers
Market, and a playground beside the community pavilion.
These will can also be accessed within 1⁄2 mile from any point
in the Community.
There is interest within the nonprofits in development of a
community health and wellness education plan effort. One of
the nonprofits would need to spearhead this plan, which could
be an online tool for Town of Guilford.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
The analysis shows that this imperative can be mostly met
via existing and proposed services. A community health and
wellness education plan will need to be developed.

9. BIOPHILIC ENVIRONMENT
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community must be designed to include elements that nurture the innate human/nature
connection. The Community must engage in a minimum of one all-day exploration of the Biophilic
design potential for the project. The exploration must result in a Biophilic framework and plan for the
Community that outlines the following:
• How the Community will be transformed by deliberately incorporating nature through
Environmental Features, Light and Space, and Natural Shapes and Forms.
• How the Community will be transformed by deliberately incorporating nature’s patterns through
Natural Patterns and Processes and Evolved Human-Nature Relationships.
• How the Community will be uniquely connected to the place, climate and culture through Place-
Based Relationships.
• The provision of sufficient and frequent human-nature interactions, throughout the Community
to connect the majority of occupants with nature directly.
The Biophilic plan must contain methods for tracking Biophilia at each phase. The plan should include
historical, cultural, ecological, and climatic studies that thoroughly examine the site and context for
the Community.
ANALYSIS
Algiers is rich in natural beauty and access to nature. In fact, preserving the beauty of the village makes new
development of any kind controversial, and the community is sensitive to these concerns.
The community looks forward to exploring how Algiers can better nurture the human bond with nature through
biophilic design. In particular, the local wetlands, existing walking trails, and the Broad Brook offer many opportunities to
better connect residents with natural systems.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
The Community will need to hold at a minimum a one all-day exploration on Biophilic design potential for the project.
10. RESILIENCE AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community must incorporate design features, strategies and community-based programs to
ensure resilience through infrastructure, community resources and social interactions in order to
weather disruptions or disasters of any type. The Community must:
• Create, actively maintain on a yearly basis, and disseminate to all residents and tenants a disaster
response plan that identifies emergency contacts and shelter locations and provides specific
guidance for various types of disruption.
• Assign, train and keep current two “block captains” or building captains for every 500 residents.
Captains should be highly versed in disaster response, first aid and general safety procedures.
The positions may be voluntary.
• Maintain an emergency contact program tailored to the Community’s scale, such as a roster for
all residents in both hard-copy and electronic forms for smaller communities.
• Have an active neighborhood watch and community program that has a mandate to look out for
resident well-being and safety.
• Ensure that all sensitive infrastructures, such as lift stations, sub-stations, sewage treatment,
community centers, schools and the like, are out of the flood plain.

ANALYSIS
Simply by the nature of where Algiers Village is located, it is vulnerable to certain disasters. For example, Broad Brook
sometimes experiences flooding Algiers events. Village Vision Vermont’s Plan cold climate is susceptible to large snow and ice storms that can
cause power outages. And finally, 10. Resilient Vermont Community Yankee, a retired Connections nuclear power plant that is currently in the process of
being decommissioned, is five miles from the Village center.
Fortunately, Southern Vermont EM Community emergency
already has very robust emergency planning resources. Guilford maintains an
resource
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that co-locates with the Guilford Volunteer Fire Department at 108 Guilford
Center Road (see plan below). The EOC maintains an Emergency Operations Plan that dictates actions to be taken
in an emergency. This fulfills the Living Community Challenge requirement that there be a disaster response plan,
updated yearly, and disseminated to all residents and tenants.
Furthermore, Guilford Community Church serves as a Red Cross Shelter in times of emergencies. The designated Red
Cross leaders can act a “block captains” for the purposes of the Living Community Challenge. These people are highly
versed in disaster response, first aid, and general safety procedures.
There is no sensitive infrastructure currently in the floodplain, nor is any proposed to be developed. The Town of
Guilford has an elected Floodplain Administrator, and an active Flood Hazard Review Board.
Additionally, in addition to an ever-vigilant road crew, Guilford also has an updated emergency volunteer roster, a
state-approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) and a Local Emergency Operation Plan (LEOP).
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
This Imperative can easily be met by the aforementioned existing programs, and possibly by developing a
neighborhood watch program and emergency roster (if needed, in the event that the existing programs do not
suffice).
Algiers Village Vision Plan
10. Resilient Community Connections
EM
Community emergency
resource
EM
Guilford Volunteer Fire Department:
Town-designated Emergency Operations
Center. Photo: http://www.gvfd90.org
EM
Guilford Community Church: Certified Red
Cross Shelter.
0 100

MATERIALS
The intent of the Materials Petal is to create a successful materials economy that is nontoxic, transparent and socially
equitable. Throughout their life cycle, supplies and materials are responsible for many adverse environmental issues,
including illness, squandered embodied energy, pollution, and resource depletion. The Imperatives in this section
aim to remove the worst known offending materials and practices from Living Communities. When impacts can be
reduced but not eliminated, there is an obligation not only to offset the damaging consequences associated with the
construction process, but also to strive for corrections in the industry. At the present time it is impossible to gauge the
true environmental impact and toxicity of the built environment due to a lack of product-level information.
Imperatives
11. LIVING MATERIALS PLAN
12. EMBODIED CARBON SUPPORT
13. NET POSITIVE WASTE
11. LIVING MATERIALS PLAN
LCC CRITERIA:
Community facilities, common infrastructure, and landscapes that the community controls must
meet Red List compliance, Responsible Industry (Forest Stewardship Council certification for wood
products), and Living Community Sourcing (sourcing of products and materials from within certain
mileage radii).
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
Further exploration of this imperative will occur as the proposed projects are finalized. A plan to meet this imperative
will need to be created as part of the LCC master planning effort.
12. EMBODIED CARBON SUPPORT
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community must account for the total embodied carbon (tCO 2e) impact from the construction
of all Community infrastructure (built or projected) and Community-owned facilities (built or
projected) through a one-time carbon offset within the project boundary.
ANALYSIS
This LCC imperative requires that a community purchase carbon offsets to account for the carbon impact of all new
community infrastructure and community-owned facilities. No carbon offset is required for the reuse of existing
buildings, and offsets are reduced by 50% if an existing building is renovated.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
Further exploration of this imperative will occur as the proposed projects are realized.

13. NET POSITIVE WASTE
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community must strive to reduce or eliminate the production of waste during design,
construction, operation, and end of life in order to conserve natural resources and to find ways to
integrate waste back into either an industrial loop or natural nutrient loop. The Community must
create a Material Conservation Management Plan that sets the guidelines for all buildings, landscape,
and infrastructure to minimize waste in design, construction, operation and end of life phases. During
construction, the community must divert wasted material at certain levels.
There must be dedicated infrastructure for the collection of recyclables and compostable food scraps
throughout the Community. Food composting must be compulsory in the Community, and compost
must be reused within the Community as a nutrient source. The Community must feature at least ten
salvaged materials or reuse at least one existing structure.
ANALYSIS
As shown in the concept plans, Algiers Village intends to use many of its existing structures. For new construction
and infrastructure the design and construction team will need to assist the community in developing a Material
Conservation Management Plan. During construction, the project will be required to divert waste material as required
by LCC.
In terms of commercial and household waste diversion, there is already infrastructure for collecting recyclables and
organic compost. Guilford residents either pay a trash hauling service to bring their recycling and compost to the
Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD) Facility in Brattleboro, or they bring it themselves. The State of
Vermont is making composting food compulsory for residents by 2020, and trash haulers must begin accepting organic
waste by July 2018. The WSWMD currently sells compost back and the community could purchase compost from the
District to use in their own landscaping and community gardens.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
A Material Conservation Management Plan will be developed as the proposed projects are finalized. The community
has infrastructure in place for the collection or recyclables and compostable food scraps through the WSWMD and can
purchase compost from the District to use in their own landscaping and community gardens.

EQUITY
The intent of the Equity Petal is to correlate the impacts of design and development to their ability to foster a true
sense of Community, whether that Community is composed of half a city block or an entire borough. A society that
embraces all sectors of humanity and allows the dignity of equal access is a civilization in the best position to make
decisions that protect and restore the natural environment. Until all Communities aspire to such greatness, our
societies will always be less than they can be.
Imperatives
14. HUMAN SCALE AND HUMANE PLACES
15. UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO NATURE AND SPACE
16. UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO COMMUNITY SERVICES
17. EQUITABLE INVESTMENT
18. JUST ORGANIZATIONS
14. HUMAN SCALE AND HUMANE PLACES
LCC CRITERIA:
The project must be designed to create human-scaled rather than automobile-scaled places,
so that the experience brings out the best in humanity and promotes culture and interaction.
In context of the character of each Transect, there are specific maximum (and sometimes
minimum) requirements that contribute to livable places
ANALYSIS
The LCC has a variety of requirements designed to ensure that vehicle infrastructure does not dominate the landscape.
• Maximum dimensions for surface parking lots is 20 m x 30 m before separation is required on all sides. There are
currently no parking lots in Algiers approaching this scale, and none are planned or anticipated.
• Surface parking can constitute a maximum of 20% of the project area. This does not appear to be an issue with the
existing and proposed projects.
• LCC prohibits billboards and limits “large signs” greater than four square meters to one for the entire project.
Billboards are prohibited in the community already. Billboards were banned by the State of Vermont in the 1960s
and signs of this scale are illegal.
• The standard places limits on building sizes—a maximum of 425 m 2 for single-family homes and a maximum of
3,750 m2 for other structures with a single use, tenant, or owner. It is not anticipated that there will be any issues
with meeting this requirement.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
This imperative can be met as part of the master planning process.
15. UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO NATURE AND SPACE
LCC CRITERIA:
All primary transportation, roads and non-building infrastructure must be equally accessible to
all members of the public, regardless of background, age and socioeconomic class—including
the homeless—with reasonable steps taken to ensure that all people can benefit from the
Community. The public realm must be provided for and enhanced through design measures
and features such as street furniture, public art, gardens and benches that are accessible to all

members of society.
Access for those with physical disabilities must be safeguarded through designs meeting the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Guidelines.
The Community shall provide access to, and will not diminish the quality of, fresh air, sunlight and
natural waterways for any member of society. The Community must also appropriately address any
noise audible to the public.
Algiers Algiers Village Village Vision Vision Plan Plan
15. 15. Universal Access to to Nature & Place & Place
Approx. wetlands
Access Access point point to to trail/water
Existing foot foot trail trail (and (and
snowmobile trail) trail)
ANALYSIS
The four nonprofit partners are working to
make infrastructure equally accessible to
all members of the public. Given that the
project includes both child care and elder
care projects, accessibility for different
populations is a high priority.
Designs will be both ADA and ABA
compliant. Air quality, sunlight, and access
to natural waterways will be preserved.
In fact, the Brood Brook Park will restore
public access to Broad Brook, encouraging
Algiers residents to come into contact with
and value this natural resource that has
long been hidden from view. Access to
sunlight should not be a problem because
infrastructure in the village center does not
exceed three stories.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
This imperative can be met as part of the
master planning process.
O
O
K
K
B
B
R
O O
R
A
A
D D
O
R B
R B
O
0 0 100 100 200 200 300 300 Feet Feet
N N

16. UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO COMMUNITY SERVICES
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community must incorporate access to basic community services and amenities that
support the health, dignity, and rights of all people. All residents must have access to the
following within ½ mile directly or ¼ mile to a public transportation line that provides direct
(without transferring) access within 2 miles.
• PLACES TO SHOP a grocery store or farmers market that has fresh produce and meat, a
mixed-use commercial zone
• PLACES TO CONGREGATE a community center or youth center/senior center
• PLACES TO WORK an office building, light industrial or hospital/clinic
• PLACES TO LEARN a daycare, school or higher education institution.
The Community must have a one public transportation line that runs between 7am and 7pm
(at a minimum).
ANALYSIS
Algiers Village, despite its small size, is rich in community services and has access via public transit to a larger
commercial zone in Brattleboro (see plan on opposite page). The Guilford Store serves the community as a place to
shop. A Price Chopper supermarket is less than two miles away via public transit with no transfers required.
The Guilford Community Church offers gathering space for religious and other assemblies. Proposed are community
pavilion/gathering space and the community center and food shelf which will offer additional places for the community
to utilize.
There are relatively few places to work in the Village, but residents have access to many workplaces in nearby
Brattleboro via public transportation. Additional employment opportunities may become available in the Village when
the proposed business in-fill properties are developed.
Brattleboro Union High School and Middle School are less than two miles away via public transit and school bus. A
day care center is proposed to be built in the Village. The Brattleboro Blue Line, operated by Connecticut River Transit,
serves the Village at a bus stop at the Guilford Store.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
This imperative has been met with existing community services to the north of Algiers. It will be further enhanced when
the proposed facilities are developed.
17. EQUITABLE INVESTMENT
LCC CRITERIA:
This LCC imperative requires that for every dollar of project cost, the lead organization must set
aside and donate half a cent to a charity.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
The lead entity will be a nonprofit and Algiers Village will be exempt from this requirement.
18. JUST ORGANIZATIONS
LCC CRITERIA:
For all construction projects undertaken by the community, at least two major stakeholders on
the project team must have a JUST transparency label. The community will advocate for JUST
labels as required for all prospective employers in the village.

MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
The community will need to commit to meeting this requirement.
Algiers Village Vision Plan
16. Universal Access to Community
Services
2-mile radius fr o m Algiers Village
Shopping plaza &
center:
Grocery, pharmacies,
restaurants, services
Downtown
Brattleboro
Brattleboro
Memorial
Hospital, medical
services
Elder Housing
CT River Transit,
Brattleboro Blue
Line
Commonwealth
Dairy, Delta
Campus
Algiers
Village
Route 5
t e
I n
r s t a t e 9 1
Brattleboro
High School
Exit 1 Industrial
Park
0100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000 1,100 1,200 1,300 1,400 1,500 1,600 1,700 1,800 1,900 2,000 2,100 2,200 2,300 2,400 2,500 2,600 2,700 2,800 2,900 3,000 3,100 3,200 Feet
map by Windham Regional Commission, Brattleboro, VT

BEAUTY
The intent of the Beauty Petal is to recognize the need for beauty as a precursor to caring enough to preserve, conserve
and serve the greater good. As a society we are often surrounded by ugly and inhumane physical environments.
If we do not care for our homes, streets, offices and neighborhoods, then why should we extend care outward to our
farms, forests and fields? When we accept billboards, parking lots, freeways and strip malls as being aesthetically
acceptable, in the same breath we accept clear-cuts, factory farms and strip mines.
Imperatives
19. BEAUTY AND SPIRIT
20. INSPIRATION AND EDUCATION
19. BEAUTY AND SPIRIT
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community must contain a meaningful integration of public art and design features on every
block, street, and plaza, intended solely for human delight and the celebration of culture, spirit, and
place appropriate to its function.
Public art must be located with a frequency and scale to have impact in the Community. At a
minimum, public art must meet the following guidelines:
• A major installation for every 500 residents
• A minor installation for every 100 residents
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
This imperative will result in one major and two minor art installations. The community will need to incorporate this
imperative when developing the master plan.
20. INSPIRATION AND EDUCATION
LCC CRITERIA:
Educational materials about the design and operation of the Community must be provided to share
the intent of and motivate others within the Community to make change. Projects must provide:
• An annual open day for the public will be a great way for the community to share and celebrate
its accomplishments.
• An educational website will be created by community stakeholders.
• A simple brochure describing the design and environmental features of the Community, as well
as ways for occupants to optimize project function, will be created by community stakeholders.
• Operations and maintenance manuals for all Community infrastructure will be developed when
these features are developed.
• Interpretive signage that teaches visitors and occupants about the Community and its
environmental goals and features will be part of the infrastructure planning.
• A Living Community Case Study will be provided for posting on the Institute website.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
This imperative can be met as part of implementing the master plan for Algiers Village Living Community Challenge.

MOVING FORWARD
Collaborative Community Development
This Vision Plan is a collaborative planning initiative created for and by the four Guilford nonprofit organizations.
The Friends of Algiers Village, Inc. (FOAVI), Guilford Preservation, Inc. (GPI), Community Collaborative for Guilford (CC4G)
and Guilford Community Church (GCC) decided to explore future Living Communities Challenge certification because it
embodies shared principles around environmental health, social equity, and sound community planning. The Vision Plan
incorporates feedback from the summer 2017 community gathering.
This Vision Plan should be used as a remedy to the silos that commonly exist in community development projects
or efforts. It is the documented dialogue between different groups in Guilford, and memorializes the commitment
to continued collaboration in Algiers. Whether this Plan move towards implementation or not, the process has been
important to the four participating nonprofits in continuing the conversation about the needs and solutions for their
shared Village.
The four nonprofits may decide to pursue implementation of the LCC Vision Plan as it pertains to their organizations and
their assets or not. Either way, this Plan is offered as a framework for understanding the site realities and social needs
“
of Algiers Village, and how they may work collaboratively
to address them. Even if they are high-functioning
organizations, one group alone cannot do everything
and address all the needs of a community. Rather, one
organization would need to understand the role that their
team would play as part of a greater whole. If they establish
their offered skill-sets and continue to operate as a united
front, the four nonprofits have the potential to respond to
most, if not all, of the community development needs of the
Village.
Pathways Forward
This Vision Plan should be used as a
remedy to the silos that commonly exist
in community development projects or efforts.
It is the documented dialogue between different
groups, and
memorializes the commitment to
continued collaboration in Algiers.
Even if the four nonprofits do decide to pursue adoption or implementation of the Living Communities Challenge, these
ideas or concepts are only one pathway through which these goals could be realized or achieved. Below is a simple
flowchart demonstrating how the groups may decide to use this document.
Use as
Guidance /
Inspiration
”
LCC Vision
Plan Design
Concepts
Pursue
Adoption/
Implementation
LCC
Registration
LCC
Certification
Abandon
Project

To reiterate, there are three general directions that can be taken by the community leaders in this project. They may
choose to:
1. Abandon the collaborative work in Algiers altogether. Of course, the nonprofits would likely continue to operate
under the work programs of their respective organizations, but not within the LCC framework and not with the
specific collaborative intentions of this Vision Plan.
2. Pursue adoption of the proposed concepts while using this document as aspirational guidance. While the ideas
in this Vision Plan are appreciated, there is no strict adherence to the LCC Imperatives or to the Vision Plan
proposals. Community development is therefore allowed to be organic and responsive to the future conditions of
the Village, but inspired by LCC objectives.
3. Pursue adoption or implementation of the proposed concepts, but with the intention of near-term LCC
Registration and eventually working towards LCC Certification. This would require rigorous adherence to the
Imperatives and other LCC criteria, and would greatly increase the public awareness of this work. With this
increased public awareness may come increased external funding, and other activities which could result in an
improved economy and reduced taxes for residents.
Again, it is worth reiterating that there are no associated development commitments that come as a result of this Vision
Plan. This document serves as a launch-pad to explore new ideas and possibilities in Algiers, and to continue discussions
about what this beloved community center could be. On behalf of the larger community, the four nonprofits offer this
Vision Plan as a framework for understanding the existing realities within Algiers, the unique needs of the community, and
a set of potential solutions.
Much more work would be needed to begin any installation or construction of ideas proposed in this Plan. This
document is the very first step in a potentially long process of community visioning and planning, which may in time lead
to entirely different solutions than are outlined in this document.
Current Initiatives and Future Projects
The four nonprofits are already pursuing or actively managing their own projects that may meet the LCC Imperatives,
or other criteria that would move them towards LCC Certification. These mission-driven projects were adopted by the
organizations due to their commitment to their shared goals in the community (see page 11), rather than to any future
desire to pursue LCC Certification.
If the community partners were to pursue LCC Certification, these projects would provide a platform through which
the organizations would continue to adopt changes that would meet the LCC Imperatives. If they do not pursue LCC
Certification, then these projects would be an example of how the nonprofits can use this document and the LCC
Imperatives as guidance or inspiration as they move forward with unconstrained mission-driven work that is appropriate
for Algiers Village.
Friends of Algiers Village, Inc.:
FOAVI will focus next on ensuring that the public space outside the building is functional, safely accessible, and “green.”
Consideration is being given to the LCC Imperatives even in the preliminary design phase of this forthcoming project.
Having fully completed the interior renovations and fit out of the Broad Brook House, the Friends of Algiers is actively
pursuing the remediation and improvements to the Friends of Algiers Village property. FOAVI has contracted the services
of a landscape planner to develop a site plan that includes: renovations, paving and parking area demarcation for public
and business staff usage; regrading of existing surfaces to improve storm water runoff; redesign of property access from
Route 5 to include green buffer “islands”; designation of a bike lane along the entirety of the FOAVI /Route 5 boundary
which could also serve as a safe zone for pedestrians; pervious pavers; integration of the regrading and storm water
runoff to better protect and preserve existing wetlands; establishment of green spaces at the Store front (for customers
and tenants of the Broad Brook House) and dedicated trail access to the north field and other existing and planned trails

throughout the Village.
While there are several areas of the current plans that
intrinsically support many of the Petals of the LCC (namely:
Beauty, Universal Access to Nature and Space, Health &
Happiness, and Place), the most challenging LCC metric to meet
in this current effort is to meet the Materials Petal.
Many standard non-biologic landscaping products are comprised
of non-recyclable materials, some of which may involve great
amounts of embodied energy, petroleum by-products, and
have potentially negative impacts on the environment in both
their manufacture and installation. In this regard, during the
design and bidding stages of this master planning process,
FOAVI will be focusing on evaluating the availability and costs
of alternative paving strategies that could meet the Imperative
criteria of the Materials Petal. The group sees this as one of
the greater challenges in implementing a comprehensive site
redevelopment strategy that can fully comply with the LCC
Imperatives.
Finally, the FOAVI Board is considering the following goals for its
future work:
• Placement of a Little Free Library accessible to all 24/7,
• Pedestrian, bicycle accommodation and traffic safety,
• Energy self-sufficiency,
• Land conservation,
• Collaboration with other community and regional
agencies for affordable senior housing, and
• Creation of opportunities for residents to participate in
light industry and/or boutique retail.
Community Collaborative for Guilford:
CC4G is taking a strong lead on meeting the Health and
Happiness Petal (especially through the Civilized Environment
Imperative), and the Equity Petal through working towards
universal access to community services and resources.
As previously mentioned, one goal of CC4G that would meet these LCC Imperatives is to create an Early Learning and
Family Resource Center. This would provide high quality early care and education programs for children from birth to 8
years old, and a space for collaborators and social services support to connect folks in need to resources and community
volunteers. CC4G has been awarded $180,000 to date through a VCDP planning grant and the Promise Community
Initiative and is focusing on community collaboration, planning and implementation of agreed-upon strategies to
strengthen families and support young children, and to increase kindergarten readiness.
Their current programs include: Parent & Baby Groups (focusing on development and attachment); a Parent Support
Group; Open Gym program for infants through preschoolers at Guilford Center School (GCS) in collaboration with the
Recreation Commission; monthly parent/community workshops at GCS which include child care and a light dinner; home
visits and support to new parents; support of the new GCS Pre-K classroom via purchased outdoor playground equipment.
Looking forward, CC4G is in the process of completing a feasibility study for this project. CC4G was chosen to participate in
Cohort 2 of the Promise Community Initiative that focuses on community collaboration, planning and implementation of
agreed-upon strategies to strengthen families and support young children to increase kindergarten readiness.

At the time of this publication, CC4G has been utilizing office space in the second floor of the Broad Brook House as a
home for their operations. However, there have been discussions within the organization of finding more permanent space
within Algiers Village to support these community initiatives and services.
Guilford Preservation, Inc.:
By having the foresight 15 years ago to save the meadow at the entrance to Algiers village on Route 5, GPI has already
added immeasurably to the Beauty Petal by preserving open space, and the group will continue to do so. Deer and small
wild animals roam freely on the GPI acreage. Some perimeter land adjacent to the meadow will be developed as a ‘walkin’
community picnic area. Snowmobilers have for many years already enjoyed crossing the land and the bridge they built
across the stream. A wetland education trail is also possible as well as trails through the remaining woods and meadows
on the property. Given GPI’s recent experience in invasive plant control, we could hold workshops on some “do’s and
don’ts” in that area. For the Health and Happiness Petal, developing a ‘Fitness Course’ has also been considered.
GPI has have hosted small cattle herds in summer months on the land in the past, and intend to continue that in the
future. This could also give rise to animal husbandry education activities. GPI plans to develop a relationship with
Windham County Soil Conservation District and is interested in a demonstration project in stream bank restoration.
Contributing to the Place Petal, apple trees were once in abundance in certain areas of the land and some good producing
trees remain. An orchard project would be of great value and a variety of fruit and nut trees would do well on the land,
contributing to food production in Algiers Village and help address the community agriculture LCC Imperative, as part of
the Place Petal.
Guilford Community Church:
The Guilford Community Church has had a long tradition of
honoring its home as a place of peace and beauty in Guilford.
It made early contacts with Wangari Maathai of the Green
Belt Movement in Kenya, who visited the Church on several
occasions and planted a tree on the front lawn. In her memory
and to continue its dedication to revere the environment,
the Congregation has committed itself to decrease its carbon
footprint.
The Church has plans to eliminate the need for a dumpster and
currently recycles all of its segregated waste. With the purchase
of some additional land next door, it is planning on setting up
a playground and possibly providing small plots for community
gardening. The congregation has among its ranks a few master
gardeners who will add much to this project.
The Church also dedicates itself to providing a full range of
services to the community by offering meeting space for
Alcoholics Anonymous, several groups several times per week. It
provides space for elderly lunch programs, provides outlets for
youth to visit socially relevant places such as a Sioux reservation
in South Dakota, an orphanage/school in Kenya and to Black
Lives Matters and Women’s Marches in Washington, DC. The
Church has been designated by the Town as an emergency
shelter and has its own backup generator. The Church will
continue to provide a needed service to the community at times
of transition and offers care and support to grieving families who
have lost loved ones in the community.

This Vision Plan was created with technical support from the Windham Regional Commission and BuildingGreen, and
with the necessary the participation of: Friends of Algiers Village, Inc., Community Collaborative for Guilford, Guilford
Preservation, Inc., and the Guilford Community Church.
Based on their shared goals, this document explores the feasibility of pursuing Living Communities Challenge
Certification in Algiers Village, and offers a concept plan for the community that promotes inter-organizational
collaboration.
On behalf of the larger community, the four nonprofits offer this Vision Plan as a new framework for understanding the
existing realities within Algiers, the unique needs of the community, and a set of solutions that lead toward a vibrant
and healthy community.