Planning Commission launches Land Use Regulations rewrite, eyes 2028 timeline and outside help

Secretary Joseph I. Andriano presented an initial framing for a comprehensive rewrite of Orwell’s Land Use Regulations, saying recent Vermont legislative changes have left parts of the current document out of alignment with State law and that the regulations are difficult to use. He described two parallel tracks: a compliance track to ensure state-law alignment and a usability track to simplify language and add graphics. Andriano said an in‑kind $10,000 offer from the Regional Planning Commission remains available and that VLCT legal review would be used for statutory compliance.

Commission members discussed timeline and resources, with the Chair noting any rewrite must go to the Selectboard for approval and then to voters, ideally at a March town meeting but more realistically toward 2028. The Commission assigned action items to contact the Regional Planning Commission about the in‑kind offer, prepare materials to guide rewrite subgroups, and reconvene after VLCT/Municipal Assistance Center input on the permit portal and records questions.