January 26, 2019 Auditor Meeting Warning
Concord & Burke, as a Consortium, Awarded $25,700 State Planning Grant
Click here to read more about this project.
The Concord planning efforts continue to progress to promote recreation tourism in the town. It is an honor to have the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) present a case study to the legislature in 2019 (below) describing Concord’s revitalization efforts:
Expanding Rural Opportunities
Outdoor recreation on trails, benefit residents and visitors alike, generating well over $30 million in economic growth in rural Vermont. With significant new attractions like the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail coming on-line, Vermont’s reputation as a destination for year-round trail activity will only grow. Municipal Planning Grants are helping rural towns harness these outdoor recreation opportunities and build healthier communities, economies, and people.
Concord is a small town of 1,200 residents in the Northeast Kingdom. It has an active planning commission, committed to improving economic prospects for the community. With help from Vermont’s Municipal Planning Grants (MPG) program, the community identified outdoor recreation as a key strategy to build long-term economic development and community identity. MPGs then helped the town identify key action steps to improve access to trials and recreation opportunities. Area towns are now focused on implementation, collaborating to market and expand trail access to the outdoors, attracting more visitors to town and boosting sales at local restaurants and stores.
The municipal planning grants have supported Concord’s revitalization efforts in so many ways — from updating the municipal plan, to identifying and designating the village center, to creating a strategic plan to promote recreation tourism. Each step built upon the other and gave us a solid foundation to improve the well-being of our residents and economy.
Cynthia Stuart, Chair, Concord Planning and Zoning Board
Action Steps
2015 Town Plan Update
- Received MPG grant to hire professional assistance from the regional planning commission
- Town plan identifies opportunities to increase trail access as a strategy to sustain and retain individuals, families and businesses
- Town plan recommends village center designation for Concord village to stimulate private investment in buildings and business
2016 Village Center Designation
- Obtained village center designation that brings tax credits to renovate historic buildings and gives the town priority consideration for state grant programs
2017 Strategic Plan for Recreational Tourism Development
- Received the second MPG to study and identify a strategy and key steps to improve access to outdoor recreation opportunities
2018 Long Trail Bike Network Project
- Received a $25,700 MPG grant to identify, map, and market an inter-town long trail biking route
- The project will provide the 10,000 annual users of Burke’s Kingdom Trails, easy access to villages and attractions in the four nearby towns
- Businesses begin to see an uptick in visitors and sales
2018 Tax Rates
Homestead: $2.2783
Non-Residential $2.2644
New Trash Bag Pricing Effective July 1, 2018
Click here for pricing
RESOURCES
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Health Officer – Kris Heath – 802-274-1436
Animal Control Officer
Concord School Home Page
Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
Vermont League of Cities and Towns Newsletters
Vermont Secretary of State’s Municipal Law Information
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