BILL AS INTRODUCED H.272
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H.272 1
Introduced by Representatives Burtt of Cabot, Bos-Lun of Westminster, 2
Dobrovich of Williamstown, Maguire of Rutland City, McFaun 3
of Barre Town, and Morgan, L. of Milton 4
Referred to Committee on 5
Date: 6
Subject: Conservation and development; land use; municipal zoning; 7
development; slopes 8
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to prohibit 9
municipalities from prohibiting development on slopes. 10
An act relating to development on slopes 11
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
Sec. 1. 24 V.S.A. § 4411 is amended to read: 13
§ 4411. ZONING BYLAWS 14
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(b) All zoning bylaws shall apply to all lands within the municipality other 16
than as specifically limited or exempted in accordance with specific standards 17
included within those bylaws and in accordance with the provisions of this 18
chapter. The provisions of those bylaws may be classified so that different 19
provisions may be applied to different classes of situations, uses, and structures 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.272
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and to different and separate districts of the municipality as may be described 1
by a zoning map made part of the bylaws. The land use map required pursuant 2
to subdivision 4382(a)(2) of this title of any municipality may be designated as 3
the zoning map except in cases in which districts are not deemed by the 4
planning commission to be described in sufficient accuracy or detail by the 5
municipal plan land use map. All provisions shall be uniform for each class of 6
use or structure within each district, except that additional classifications may 7
be made within any district for any or all of the following: 8
* * * 9
(3) To regulate, restrict, or prohibit uses or structures at or near any of 10
the following: 11
(A) Major thoroughfares, their intersections and interchanges, and 12
transportation arteries. 13
(B) Natural or artificial bodies of water. 14
(C) Places of relatively steep slope or grade. [Repealed.] 15
(D) Public buildings and public grounds. 16
(E) Aircraft and helicopter facilities. 17
(F) Places having unique patriotic, ecological, historical, 18
archaeological, or community interest or value, or located within scenic or 19
design control districts. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.272
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(G) Flood or other hazard areas and other places having a special 1
character or use affecting or affected by their surroundings. 2
(H) River corridors, river corridor protection areas, and buffers, as 3
the term “buffer” is defined in 10 V.S.A. § 1422. 4
(4) To regulate, restrict, or prohibit uses or structures in overlay 5
districts, as set forth in subdivision 4414(2) of this title. 6
(5) To regulate, but not prohibit, uses or structures at or near relatively 7
steep slopes or grades. 8
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 9
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 10