Residents of Vernon, Vermont, a village in the state’s southeast corner just across the border from both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, have come together to plan their new village center. With help from the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, the community secured a Village Center designation in 2017, and subsequently obtained a Municipal Planning Grant to help them determine their future.
Starting with stakeholder conversations, community forums, and an online survey of the broader community, the vision of the Vernon master plan is slowly taking shape. They are working from a blank canvas, as Vernon does not currently have an actual village center, and it’s the first Vermont town to create one from scratch. And they are coming together near the end of what’s been a painful period, culminating in the decommissioning of the only nuclear power plant in the state, located right in their town.
The possibilities for Vernon’s new village center are promising: recreation and mobility, agriculture, neighborhood, and a gathering space in the village center. Over the next several months residents will refine their vision, and move on to the work of making it reality.