2019 VPA Plan of the Year Award
The Vermont Planners Association is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2019 planning awards. For 27 years, these awards have recognized outstanding achievements in community planning in Vermont. Nominees come from all corners of Vermont and represent the best in local, regional, and state planning by citizen and professional planners over the last year. According to Mark Kane, President of the Vermont Planners Association, “The annual Planning Awards sponsored by the Vermont Planner’s Association (VPA) help cast a strong spotlight on the best in community plans and projects and recognize the important contributions from both citizen and professional planners. Through this program, VPA can acknowledge the challenging work and dedication that Vermont communities undertake to advance important local, regional and state planning policies and priorities. It is inspiring to see how much effort is put forward in the interests of making Vermont a better place to live”. The awards will be presented on April 11, 2018, at 4:00 p.m. in the Vermont Statehouse’s Cedar Creek Room.
The 2018 Berlin Town Plan is recognized as VPA’s Plan of the Year. It exemplifies what can be accomplished with a town plan by clearly and consistently expressing the community’s vision throughout each of the chapters. The plan is a streamlined and succinct policy document that provides a robust foundation for municipal decisions and actions. It focuses on the policies, programs and actions that a small-town government can reasonably pursue and avoids unnecessary content that does not contribute to the narrative driven by the vision statement.
Karla Nuissl, Town of Berlin Planning Commission Chair describes the plan as a very clear working document that is fresh and contemporary in appearance, saying “As such, it conveys with determination Berlin’s approach to land use and development in coming years while paying due respect to our rural heritage and resources.”
Brad Towne, Town of Berlin Selectboard Chair stated, “The plan is unlike any other we have had in Berlin and we think, unlike many town plans in Vermont, it provides community leaders with tangible policies and recommendations to guide our actions and decisions. Our vision for Berlin is evident – summarized on the cover and referred to consistently throughout the document so that anyone even glancing through the plan would understand what we want for the future of our community. The implementation program clearly communicates the town’s next steps for moving towards that vision to residents, property owners and businesses looking to invest in Berlin.”