Vermont Housing Conservation Board 2005 - Vermont Housing and ...

2005 

Annual Report to the General Assembly 

& 

Vermont Housing 

Conservation Board

Vermont Housing & Conservation Board 

John T. Ewing, Chair, Burlington 

Sarah E. Carpenter, Executive Director, Vermont Housing Finance Agency 

Kevin Dorn, Secretary, Agency of Commerce and Community Development 

Roy Folsom, Crooked Brooks Farm, Cabot 

Christine Hart, Executive Director, Brattleboro Housing Authority, Brattleboro 

Steven Kerr, Secretary, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets 

G. Kenneth Perine, President, National Bank of Middlebury, Middlebury 

Thomas Weaver, Bartlett-Weaver Associates, Essex Junction 

Jonathan Wood, Commissioner, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation 

John D. E. Roberts, Vice-Chair, Cornwall farmer (retired 2005) 

Agricultural Advisory Committee 

Roger Allbee, USDA Farm Service Agency 

Cecile Branon, Fairfield Farmer 

Dave Hoyt, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service 

Glenn Rogers, UVM Extension Service 

Jon Satz, Brandon farmer 

Vermont Farm Viability Program Advisory Board 

Jo Bradley, Manager, Vermont Economic Development Authority 

Jane Clifford, Starksboro farmer 

David Lane, Deputy Secretary for Agricultural Development, 

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets 

Doug Lantagne, Interim Director, UVM Extension Service 

David Marchant, Fairfax farmer 

David Major, Westminster farmer 

Gary Braman, Loan Officer, USDA/FSA 

George Robson, Vermont Department of Economic Development 

Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board 

Ross Thurber, Brattleboro farmer 

VHCB Staff 

Executive Director: Gus Seelig 

Financial: Kathy Barrows, Kym Andrews, Cheryl Viens 

Administration: Larry Mires, Pam Boyd, Kathleen Dempsey, Laurie Graves, Ethan Guiles 

Conservation: Paul Hannan, Billy Coster, Nancy Everhart, Karen Freeman 

Housing: Polly Nichol, Rick DeAngelis, Nita Hanson, Patrick Shattuck, Willa Darley Chapin 

Lead Paint Hazard Reduction Program: Ron Rupp, Marty Bonneau, Diane Mackay, Bob Zatzke 

Vermont Community Stewardship Program: Joan Wells, Dean Blumberg 

Vermont Farm Viability Enhancement Program: Ethan Parke 

Legal: Jim Libby, Elizabeth Egan 

Front cover: Orndorff family, Burlington; Back cover: Yandow Family, St. Albans. (Bob Eddy photos.) 

Photography: Bob Eddy, staff, grantees, and as credited 

Writing: Doug Wilhelm | Design: Pam Boyd | Printing: Hull Printing, Barre 

This report is dedicated to Kathy O’Dell, mother, friend, 

community activist, founding president of Revitalizing Waterbury, 

and inspiration behind the Vermont Land Trust Land Stewards’ Fund, 

assisting young people to work the land through forestry or farming. 

Kathy O’Dell 

1947-2005

james h. douglas 

governor 

State of Vermont 

office of the governor 

Montpelier, Vermont 05609 

January 31, 2006 

Dear Vermonters, 

I am pleased to present the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board’s (VHCB) Annual Report to the 

General Assembly and to congratulate the Board on another terrific year of service to our communities. For 

more than a generation, Vermont’s land use policies have promoted compact village settlements surrounded by 

working landscape. The importance of these goals has never been more evident. Vermont’s economy depends 

upon expanding housing opportunities while maintaining a world-class environment. VHCB is an important 

tool to implement that vision. 

This year, I had the opportunity to visit with Vermonters at developments funded in part by VHCB in South 

Burlington, Middlebury, Rutland, Montpelier, Ferrisburgh and Williston. It is clear that investing housing 

resources at smart growth sites helps reduce pressure on our working landscape. Each of these endeavors has 

added value to our public investment. The revitalization of Tuttle Block in Rutland epitomizes a myriad of public 

policy goals that include housing, historic preservation, economic development and downtown revitalization. I 

enjoyed an Earth Day celebration at the Hill parcel in Williston, which provides outdoor recreation opportunities 

and reduces runoff of phosphorous into the Winooski River and Lake Champlain. 

The strong demand for and effective use of VHCB funds by communities across Vermont verifies the value 

of the state’s investment. This year, HUD recognized VHCB with the ‘Doorknocker’ award for the best rural 

housing program in the United States and the prestigious Ash Institute at Harvard University named VHCB 

a finalist for its Innovations in American Government Awards. These endorsements reflect the solid involvement 

of community leaders in developing projects and the benefits to multiple generations from our affordable 

housing policy. 

The Board’s investment in the working landscape has become a critical tool in our agricultural industry, 

spurring both farm reinvestment and intergenerational transfers of farms while drawing millions in federal 

matching funds. VHCB’s conservation mission also encompasses historic preservation. Peter Miller’s new book 

Vermont Gathering Places (sponsored by the Preservation Trust of Vermont) portrays the exciting work going on 

in communities to rebuild and revitalize historic assets such as the Ferrisburgh and Lamoille Grange Halls. 

The work of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and its community-based partners has enriched 

the lives of Vermonters and enhanced the quality of life in our communities. Over the next several years, my 

administration will work with VHCB and private and public sector partners to address our housing needs. We 

must build upon our solid foundation and ensure that every Vermonter has the ability to realize the American 

Dream. The passing of Art Gibb reminds us of how hard Vermonters have worked to protect our environment 

while promoting vibrant communities. I urge you to continue to support the Vermont Housing and Conservation 

Board, a very important resource for addressing our housing and conservation goals. 

Sincerely, 

James H. Douglas 

Governor

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR 

In FY 2005, VHCB 

2 

Dear Members of the General Assembly, 

On behalf of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and our very 

dedicated staff, we want to thank you for your continued support and investment 

in the Board’s programs. This has been a banner year for the Board, as external 

entities have recognized the excellent work that is being done by citizens 

and community organizations across the state, in partnership with the Board, to 

enhance the quality of life in our communities. 

In FY 2005, VHCB investments will result in 436 affordable homes, the conservation 

of 19 farms and 3,383 acres of agricultural land, the conservation of 15 

parcels and 847 acres for open space, recreation, wildlife habitat and the revitalization 

of seven historic buildings for community use. 

Today, as we write this report, work funded by VHCB is underway in downtown 

St. Albans, Winooski, Brattleboro and recently completed in Rutland. 

Many of our small rural communities, like Groton and Whitingham, are re-investing 

in their village centers, and growing communities, like South Burlington, 

Dorset and Middlebury, are welcoming new neighbors. 

The Board’s agricultural programs continue to attract and leverage federal 

dollars and private funding. Last year’s investment of 2.1 million was matched 

by 1.9 million in federal funds, while private foundations, particularly the 

Freeman Foundation, invested 2.5 million in our agricultural communities. 

The Board has also seen steady growth in our Farm Viability Program. Administration 

of that program will transition to the Agency of Agriculture next year. 

Through the help of Senator Leahy, matching federal earmarks have been appropriated. 

Private funding has been secured, and VHCB received a foundation 

grant for the Farm-to-School Initiative, spearheaded by Shelburne Farms, which 

is now active in 53 communities. 

While VHCB’s most visible roles are in housing and agriculture, our statutory 

mission also encompasses the protection of natural areas, recreation lands 

and historic sites. The impact from investments in these areas, though less 

apparent, is tremendously important to our quality of life. A diverse array of 

conservation projects is described in this report. The Nature Conservancy is 

acquiring land for addition to areas of biological richness targeted for protection 

in Bridport, North Pawlet and Fair Haven. Residents in Jericho and Underhill 

conserved Casey’s Hill—a treasured spot where families enjoy sledding in the 

winter and picnicking in the spring, summer and fall. Municipalities and community 

groups are revitalizing historic landmarks in Roxbury, Ferrisburgh, and 

Morrisville. 

We continue to see dual goal projects, such as the new Otter View Park in 

Middlebury that will create a new 17-acre town park with a boardwalk for birdwatching 

and three building sites including one affordable home to be built by 

Habitat for Humanity. 

A key part of the Board’s job is to assure the accountability of the VHCB 

for wise use of public funds. Each project is evaluated carefully by our staff and 

then reviewed by the Board to make sure we investing consistent with VHCB’s 

investments will result 

in 436 affordable 

homes, the conservation 

of 19 farms and 

3,383 acres of agricultural 

land, the conservation 

of 15 parcels 

and 847 acres for open 

space, recreation, wildlife 

habitat and the 

revitalization of seven 

historic buildings for 

community use. 

The American Precision Museum 

in Windsor: birthplace of modern 

manufacturing. Story on page 36. 

Bob Eddy

statutory mandates that require permanent 

affordability and permanent 

protection of land resources in order 

to provide benefit to multiple generations. 

The system has checks and measures 

for accountability, monitoring 

and stewardship to protect the state’s 

investment. 

A key reason we are successful is 

that projects are driven as much by a 

community’s vision of what is important 

to them as it is by statewide 

priorities. The Board is able to make 

funding decisions knowing there is a 

high degree of community support for 

these initiatives. 

We also appreciate the valuable 

feedback you, as legislators, give us. 

Two years ago, it was suggested that 

we focus on the need for transitional 

housing. Since that time, eight communities 

have successfully used a new 

VHCB fund creating 45 units of transitional 

housing with services. 

Governor Douglas has highlighted 

the need for affordable homes as 

a high priority issue for the state’s 

economy and for our hard working 

families. We will combine efforts with 

the Administration, creating new 

homes in response to the demand. 

The Board will continue to seek every 

opportunity to leverage the state’s 

investment of transfer tax revenue to 

maximize the return to Vermonters, 

today and in the future. Please contact 

our staff if we can be of assistance to 

you or your constituents. 

Sincerely, 

John T. Ewing 

VHCB Chair 

John Churchman/brickhousestudios.com 

In the shadow of Mount Mansfield, Casey's Hill is a popular winter sledding hill 

conserved for public recreational use by the Jericho Underhill Land Trust. 

2005 Awards and Recognition 

• VHCB was a finalist for an Innovations in American 

Government Award presented by the Ash Institute at the John F. 

Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. VHCB was one 

of three finalists for a Fannie Mae Foundation Innovation Award in 

Affordable Housing. 

• VHCB was presented with a national HOME Doorknocker 

Award from the Department of Housing and Urban Development 

for outstanding work in providing affordable housing to low-income and 

underserved people in a rural state. 

• Waterfront Housing in Burlington, 40 new apartments 

completed in 2005, won first prize in the rental category of The 

Home Depot Foundation’s Inaugural Awards of Excellence For 

Affordable Housing Built Responsibly. 

• Gus Seelig, VHCB Executive Director, won an honorable mention for 

the 2005 NeighborWorks ® America Government Service Award. 

• Stonebridge Inn in Poultney won a 2005 Preservation 

Award from the Preservation Trust of Vermont for preserving Vermont’s 

historic architecture. 

• Brenda Torpy, Burlington Community Land Trust Executive 

Director, was presented with a Pioneer in Excellence Award 

by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation in Monterey California for 

outstanding leadership in community development. 

3

VHCB HOUSING PROGRAMS 

During 2005 the Board continued to focus on increasing the supply of 

housing and supporting opportunities for homeownership. In addition, 

the Board funded several key downtown developments that renovated important 

buildings, created additional apartments, or rebuilt after major fires. The 

Board’s transitional housing fund provided capital grants to house people who 

need housing with supportive services before they can live independently. As in 

the past, the Board supported preservation of existing subsidized housing and 

the Vermont Center for Independent Living’s Home Access Program, which 

provides accessibility modifications to homes and apartments statewide. 

Increasing the Supply 

Sixty-nine percent of the developments funded by the Board will add new housing 

to the market. These developments will add 368 new apartments, condominiums 

and single family homes either through new construction or adaptive 

reuse of existing buildings. As in the past, many of the new units are in the 

northwestern part of the state where the housing market has been extremely 

tight in recent years. Virtually all the new housing is located in downtowns or 

neighborhoods and serves the dual purpose of providing affordable housing 

while strengthening and revitalizing neighborhoods. 

Increasing Homeownership Opportunities 

This year, the Board significantly increased the amount of money dedicated to 

homeownership and also raised the amount of subsidy available per home to 

help lower-income Vermonters break into a rapidly escalating housing market. 

Homeownership funds were provided to develop single family homes and condominiums, 

for the Homeland program in which buyers select homes available 

Fiscal Year 2005 

HOUSING 

State Funding Commitments 

$6, 293, 909 

436 units 

20 projects 

Homeownership 133 units 

Rental Housing 303 units 

Federal Funding Commitments 

HOME Program 

$4,450,694 

Lead-Based Paint 

Hazard Reduction Program 

$ 837,340 

4 

Groton Community Housing 

VHCB is contributing to extensive 

community development efforts in 

the village of Groton. Renovations 

are underway in 19 units of mixedincome 

rental housing developed 

by the Gilman Housing Trust in 

partnership with Housing Vermont. 

There will also be a new, expanded 

home for the Groton Free Public 

Library, a renovated general store, 

three business incubator spaces 

and streetscape improvements 

along Groton’s Main Street.

in the marketplace, and for homes 

built by Habitat for Humanity, high 

school vocational building trades programs, 

and incarcerated women. In 

addition to grants that provide equity 

and thereby lower the household’s 

mortgage amount, VHCB loans help 

pay for closing costs. 

Strategic Investments in Downtowns 

and Village Centers 

VHCB made awards that will help to 

rebuild after disastrous fires, bring new 

life to vacant buildings, and renovate 

dilapidated structures in key downtown 

or village center locations. In the 

wake of fires that struck downtown 

Enosburg and Brattleboro, VHCB 

committed funds to rebuild, combining 

first floor commercial with upstairs 

residential space designed in keeping 

with the historic character of those 

town centers. Vacant buildings in the 

heart of Richford and Whitingham 

will be brought back to life through 

the creation of new apartments while 

key buildings on South Main Street 

in Bradford will undergo thorough 

renovation. Senior apartments were 

funded in the village centers of Glover 

and Waitsfield, adding to the vitality 

of those communities and securing 

rental assistance for very low-income 

Vermont elders. 

VHCB Housing Programs 

Under the following programs, the Board funds the acquisition, 

rehabilitation and construction of affordable housing by nonprofit 

housing organizations. Private developers are eligible to apply for federal 

HOME funds to increase the affordability of rental housing. All housing 

funded must serve households earning less than 100% of median income as 

defined by HUD. The majority of the units funded by VHCB serve households 

with incomes between 30% and 80% of median income. Private landlords 

and homeowners can apply for Lead-Paint Hazard Abatement funds. 

Feasibility Funds Grants of up to $15,000 pay for predevelopment 

costs such as appraisals, engineering and environmental studies, energy audits, 

options, preliminary architectural and title work and marketing analysis. 

Multi-Family Rental Housing The Board funds acquisition and 

rehabilitation or new construction of rental housing and rental and ownership 

cooperatives in multi-unit buildings. 

Service-Supported Housing Housing development organizations 

work with social service agencies to provide housing with support services 

for residents. Projects address special needs such as housing for elders, for 

battered women, or for physically, developmentally, or mentally disabled 

persons. 

Homeownership Programs 

• Homeland Grant funds subsidize the cost of single family homes, 

duplexes and condominiums, increasing affordability and guaranteeing 

perpetual affordability upon resale. Appreciation is limited by an 

agreement between the nonprofit and the homeowner. In return, the 

purchase price of the home is reduced significantly. 

• Single Family Assistance Program Participating nonprofit 

housing organizations administer grants of up to $2000 to assist 

homebuyers with downpayment and closing costs. 

• Habitat for Humanity & Vocational Education Grants help 

pay for land or lower the costs of construction. The resulting savings are 

passed on to first-time home buyers. 

• Mobile Home Parks VHCB funds assist with the purchase and 

upgrading of mobile home parks by nonprofit housing organizations. 

• Purchase Subsidy Program VHCB funds assist low-income 

households to purchase mobile homes in nonprofit-owned mobile 

home parks. Funds are provided for down payment assistance, to 

prevent foreclosure, or to upgrade or replace deteriorated homes. 

Transitional Housing Fund assists organizations working to develop 

housing for Vermont's homeless and marginally housed population. 

Housing for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Federal funds from 

the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development subsidize housing 

and meals for persons living with these diseases. 

Lead Paint Hazard Abatement Funds provide homeowners, landlords 

and nonprofit organizations funds and services to reduce lead hazards. 

5

VHCB CONSERVATION PROGRAMS 

The Vermonters who come before our Board seeking funding for conservation 

projects share a common trait: foresight. The American Heritage Dictionary 

offers a definition of that trait: “concern or prudence with respect to the future.” 

When the American Farmland Trust polled our grantee farmers several years 

ago, it was the desire to see their land continue in agriculture for generations to 

come that topped the list of reasons for conserving their farmland. We know volunteers 

active in perpetuating hiking opportunities who are unable to hike because 

their knees have failed them. The elderly tend to be among the most enthusiastic 

supporters of local historic restoration projects, believing that our treasured historic 

buildings are one of the most important legacies we can leave our children. It’s 

foresight that binds these people in the common purpose of conserving the historic 

buildings, natural areas and open lands that comprise our communites. 

You’ll read about the Briggses, the Yandows and the O’Connells in this annual 

report—all are farmers with unique stories of how VHCB affected their ability to 

fulfill aspirations of farming on into the future. Each of these families has wrestled 

with the perpetual nature of conservation easements and concluded that the right 

to develop was an asset they would trade to better position themselves in farming’s 

mercurial future. 

Other farmers are availing themselves of the Farm Viability Program to augment 

their competitive edge in the challenging agricultural economy. Farmers are, by 

and large, some of the savviest business practitioners in Vermont. It’s that innate 

abundance of common sense and foresight that sends an increasing number of 

them to seek help in developing business plans to chart a road map for financial 

success. 

VHCB Board and staff continually ask the question “Is this a parcel best 

conserved or developed” We look to local expression of foresight to help arrive 

at the answer. Thus, considerable weight is given to town and regional planning 

Fiscal Year 2005 

CONSERVATION 

State Funding Commitments 

Agricultural Land: 

$2,145,605 

19 farms 

3,383 acres 

Natural Areas, Recreational 

Lands, Historic Properties: 

$1,684,179 

22 projects 

847 acres 

7 historic properties 

Federal Funding Programs 

Farm and Ranchland 

Protection Program: 

$1,921,000 

6 

VHCB provided funds to the City of 

Montpelier to create the new Mill 

Pond Park on the North Branch 

of the Winooski. Last summer 

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps 

members sponsored by the Agency 

of Transportation worked with the 

City Parks Department landscaping 

the park over a two-week period. 

In the future, the city hopes to link 

the park to the recreation fi elds, 

creating a connecting trail system 

via a foot bridge across the river.

documents. But an applicant’s enthusiasm 

and knowledge of the parcel often 

carry the day by virtue of their vision 

and passion. 

Where an entity of modest imagination 

might have seen 17 acres straddling 

the Middlebury-Weybridge town line as 

either house lots or conservation lands, 

the diminutive Middlebury Area Land 

Trust took on the enormous endeavor of 

serving both goals, and including an affordable 

housing component. The Cross 

Vermont Trail Association hopes to link 

a chain of parcels creating a path across 

Vermont from Lake Champlain to the 

Connecticut River. The Nature Conservancy 

has invested countless hours in 

defining their vision of conservation in 

Vermont’s most heavily endowed areas 

of biological richness. And, town after 

town is picking up the colossal challenge 

of restoring the architectural landmarks 

erected decades ago — thereby linking 

a vision of the past with a vision for the 

future. 

These, and more, are the stories of 

conservation in the pages that follow. 

They record our progress and inspire us 

to further action through imagination 

and foresight. Our children’s children 

cannot help but appreciate the gesture. 

Mallory Brook Land, East Montpelier. 

489 acres conserved by the Trust for 

Public Lands. 

Vermont Farmland Conservation Program 

Since 1987, VHCB’s Farmland Conservation Program — in partnership 

with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, 

and nonprofi t conservation organizations such as the Vermont 

Land Trust and the Upper Valley Land Trust — has conserved over 

113,000 acres on more than 390 farms. Private support from the 

Freeman Foundation and the Merck Fund have provided for the 

conservation of more than 140 additional farms. 

Through the purchase of permanent conservation easements, the 

Farmland Conservation Program protects working farmland with 

good agricultural soils in strong farming communities where agriculture 

is likely to remain viable. Farmers use proceeds from the sale 

of development rights to modernize facilities, fi nance new farm enterprises, 

buy additional farmland, or to transfer conserved farmland 

to the next generation of farmers at an affordable price. 

While dairy farming remains the backbone of Vermont’s agricultural 

industry, interest in diversifi cation, direct marketing, and 

transitioning to organic continues to intensify, with many farmers 

seeking assistance through the Farm Viability Enhancement Program 

described on page 26. 

The Farmland Conservation Program operates on a willing buyer/ 

willing seller basis, with appraisals determining the price that is paid 

for an agricultural conservation easement. In order to keep conserved 

farmland in the hands of working farmers, since 2003 VHCB 

has offered farmers the choice to sell an “Option to Purchase at 

Agricultural Value.” Farmers who decide to include the Affordability 

Option in the easement are compensated additionally if they agree 

to restrict the future sales price of the conserved land to its agricultural 

value. Among the 19 farms conserved this past fiscal year, 12 

farmers agreed to include the Option. 

In 2005 Vermont was awarded $3 million in federal funding 

through the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program administered 

by the Natural Resource Conservation Service. State funds committed 

by VHCB for the Farmland Conservation Program are matched 

by these federal funds which cover up to 50% of the easement cost 

on each farm project, leveraging the state’s investment to conserve 

Vermont’s most productive farmland. 

7

DOWNTOWN RENTAL HOUSING 

“God bless the person 

who designed this, because 

I love it. It’s so 

open, and so easy, and 

there’s a sense of security 

in this building. It’s just 

beautiful.” 

— Martha Crilly 

Bob Eddy 

8 

Rutland’s Reclaimed Tuttle Building 

On Center Street in the heart of Rutland, it’s hard not to notice 

the renewed handsomeness of the old Tuttle Building. Reclaimed 

from near-ruin in recent months through an ambitious 

partnership project led by the Rutland County Community Land 

Trust (RCCLT), with funding provided by VHCB and other sources, 

Martha Crilly, who uses a wheelchair 

due to rheumatoid arthritis 

and fi bromyalgia, moved into a 

spacious, accessible apartment 

at the Tuttle Block in August. The 

historic building, originally home to 

The Tuttle Printing and Engraving 

Company, was rehabilitated to 

include 13 apartments with 

offi ces and two street-front 

commercial spaces.

the 1906-vintage edifice stands out today 

like a polished antique. Once home 

to the Tuttle Printing and Engraving 

Company, the building now houses 13 

affordable apartments, along with the 

offices of RCCLT. 

The most noticeable tenant, with its 

showroom at street level, is Center Street 

Artisans, a new business whose shareholders 

are craft artists. Big picture windows 

showcase elegantly handcrafted 

home furnishings, and passersby often 

pause to window-shop. 

Since the wraps came off the Tuttle 

Building’s renovation this fall, local 

responses have been very warm. 

“The building really has jumpstarted 

enthusiasm in the community,” 

says Elisabeth Kulas, RCCLT’s executive 

director. “I get comments all the time 

about how beautiful it looks.” 

Good looks, in this case, go deeper 

than the façade. Led by RCCLT in a limited 

partnership with Housing Vermont 

and Key Bank, the Tuttle Building’s 

renovation proved that a downtown 

restoration project with a return on investment 

that would be insufficient for 

a private developer can, with patience 

and determination, be accomplished as 

a private-public-nonprofit collaboration 

— and the community as a whole 

can benefit. 

The completed Tuttle building, supported 

by a VHCB grant along with 

federal HOME Program funds awarded 

through VHCB, affordable housing 

tax credits, and HUD special purpose 

funding — has provided downtown affordable 

housing in a city whose commercial 

center had almost none. 

Standing across from the earlierrestored 

Paramount Theater, the Tuttle 

Building and its artisans’ showroom 

has helped encourage local interest in 

the role of the arts and creativity in 

downtown revitalization. The Board of 

Aldermen has supported a broad-based 

local effort by community leaders, 

artists, business owners and cultural 

organizations to explore how a “creative 

economy” can continue sparking 

Rutland’s renewal, much as similar efforts 

have in Bellows Falls, Brattleboro, 

and Brandon. 

Then there are the city residents who 

have moved into the Tuttle apartments. 

They’re people like Mac Janney and 

Martha Crilly. 

Janney, who was born with a form 

of macular degeneration and is legally 

blind, coordinates development at Vermont 

Adaptive Ski and Sports, based at 

the nearby Pico resort. The nonprofit 

organization provides sports and recreation 

for people with disabilities. Janney 

was living in an apartment up a steep hill 

from the city center. When he toured the 

Tuttle Building last summer, he says, “I 

just fell in love with the place.” 

Living now in a first-floor apartment, 

Janney says, “I can walk anywhere I 

need to go. It’s easy for me to go grocery 

shopping. Just having all these neat little 

shops around is pretty cool.” 

Martha Crilly, who has been confined 

to a wheelchair by rheumatoid 

arthritis and fibromyalgia, was renting 

an apartment in a building that had been 

sold; she was close to homelessness, 

unable to find an accessible, affordable 

rental, when she learned of RCCLT and 

this building. She moved into a spacious, 

accessible apartment in August. 

“God bless the person who designed 

this, because I love it,” Crilly says. “It’s 

so open, and so easy, and there’s a sense 

of security in this building. It’s just 

beautiful.” 

9 

Governor Douglas joined Mrs. 

Tuttle, representatives of funding, 

community development agencies, 

congressional delegation and Rutland 

County Community Land Trust staff 

and board members at the ribbon 

cutting last summer.

HOMELESS SHELTERS & TRANSITIONAL HOUSING 

Assisting Vermont’s Most Vulnerable 

Citizens 

GROVE STREET TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, RUTLAND 

The four apartments at 82 Grove Street in Rutland provide far more than just 

a roof over the heads of the struggling families who live there. The housing 

program also offers training, support and community for the residents as they 

move from homeless shelters to homes. 

Three years in the making, the facility offers a variety of programs — from 

nutritional training to credit counseling — designed to make the time spent 

there a true transition, said Caprice Hover, executive director of the Rutland 

Housing Coalition. 

“Sometimes you just move folks from a shelter to housing, there’s no way to 

avoid it,” she said. “But without the support stuff, they don’t learn how to avoid 

the crises that can snowball.” 

Through monthly group sessions and individual meetings with the caseworkers, 

who will serve the residents, Hover said she hopes to give the program participants 

a path to break the cycle of homelessness, even to the point of helping them 

purchase a house of their own. 

“It may take a couple of years for them to work on their credit, but the (state 

Housing Authority) vouchers help them have that dream,” Hover said. “. . . That 

can be a huge benefit to them, especially large families. A three-bedroom apartment 

can cost 900 to 1,000 per month in rent. That’s a mortgage, more than a 

mortgage actually.” 

At a ceremonial opening of the facility, Richard Williams, executive director of 

the Vermont State Housing Authority said the Grove Street building was a small 

but promising start. 

“The average cost of 

a two-bedroom apartment 

in Vermont is 

$698. To afford this rent 

level requires an annual 

income of $27,924. 

Unfortunately, 60% of 

Vermont’s workforce is 

employed in jobs whose 

median wages fall well 

below that level. 

— Rita Markley, 

Executive Director of COTS 

(The Committee on 

Temporary Shelter) 

10 

At 82 Grove Street, the Rutland 

County Housing Coalition provides 

training, support and a sense of 

community to the residents in four 

transitional housing apartments. 

Residents can stay from 6-18 

months, or longer as necessary, while 

they stabilize fi nances, develop life 

skills and fi nd longer term housing.

Bob Eddy photos 

Laurie Webster, who was injured in a car accident, being checked by Carol Randall, a Rutland Area Visiting Nurse in her 

apartment at Grove Street. Laurie and Todd, daughter Jenny Lynn and son Todd Tyler, Jr. occupy the apartment. 

“Some people may say it’s only four 

units, but if you’re homeless in Rutland 

County it’s a valuable resource,” he 

said. 

Gov. James Douglas, who attended 

the ceremony, said he had high hopes 

for the program, which provides a service 

that may be in high demand this 

winter. 

“The homeless person of today is 

not the stereotypical homeless person of 

years past,” he said. “Working individuals 

and families just can’t make it.” 

One young couple in an apartment 

at the house is under age 18, and so 

could not sign a lease for a traditional 

apartment. 

“We’re getting a lot of referrals from 

schools,” Hover said. “They want to 

stay in school, but to do that they need 

a residence.” 

Hover said she expects the residents 

to stay at the transitional housing 

between six and 18 months, though 

residents are able to stay there as long 

as they need to find alternative housing 

arrangements. 

— Abridged from a story by 

Brendan McKenna for the 

Rutland Herald, October 4, 2005. 

11


NEW CONSTRUCTION OF RENTAL HOUSING 

THE POWER OF LOCAL VOICES ON LOCAL NEED: 

Shelburne Interfaith Group 

Champions Affordable Housing 

After the Lake Champlain Housing Development Corp. (LCHDC) and 

12 Housing Vermont worked with a local interfaith committee to bring an Stephanie Spaulding is a resident 

affordable-housing project to Shelburne, LCHDC executive director John Powell 

of a new 20-unit development in 

said one key element made the project succeed. 

“Active local support,” he said. “The interfaith group came out and really Shelburne. Two studio apartments 

championed the endeavor, all the way through the permitting process. That are located in a historic, renovated 

made a huge difference; they were very instrumental in getting the mood of this 

home in the village center. 

community to accept this affordable housing.” 

As a result, the Chittenden County community now has 20 new housing 

units, in two locations: 18 new one, two, and three-bedroom duplexes on on the Shelburne road, close to 

Eighteen duplexes are located 

Shelburne Road, close to the Shelburne Museum, and two studio apartments in Shelburne Museum. 

a historic, renovated home in the village center. In all, 18 of the units are affordable. 

The whole project began with the local Methodist church’s Mission Committee, 

said Rosalyn Graham, a part owner of the Shelburne News who serves on 

that committee.

“These are people 

who are very engaged 

in the town, but 

couldn’t afford to 

live here. That really 

started the idea that 

we needed to work 

together, and we 

needed to work with 

the other churches. 

We needed to make 

something happen.” 

— Rosalyn Graham 

Member, Methodist 

Church Mission 

Committee 

Graham said the director of the 

local food shelf “came to the Mission 

Committee and said, ‘You have no 

idea what life is like for some people 

in this town.’” 

Even though Shelburne is an affluent 

community, the food shelf director, 

Val Martel, had seen a different 

side. “She was able to make us aware 

of the fact that there are people who 

live in terrible housing conditions 

— living in apartments heated by 

keeping the oven on, and old, dilapidated 

houses,” Graham said. 

That led the committee to survey 

the town on its housing needs. The 

effort found two main areas of need: 

elders still living in deteriorated family 

homes, and people working in local 

jobs that pay modest salaries, such 

as the fire department, police, and 

schools. 

“These are people who are very engaged 

in the town, but couldn’t afford 

to live here,” Graham said. “That really 

started the idea that we needed to 

work together, and we needed to work 

with the other churches. We needed to 

make something happen.” 

They did just that. Members of 

three churches formed the Shelburne 

Interfaith Housing Committee, and 

spurred LCHDC to develop the plan 

for nine duplex structures on Shelburne 

Road. 

“It’s a totally new neighborhood 

— a circle, with the buildings around 

it and a green in the middle,” says 

resident Stephanie Spaulding, a former 

local innkeeper. 

As plans for that project took 

shape, townspeople asked that the 

Noonan House, a century-old home in 

the village center that was scheduled 

for demolition, be included. Today, 

along with two affordable apartments 

upstairs, the Noonan House has a new 

resale shop that benefits SCHIP, the 

Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg Interfaith 

Project, a non-profit effort by 10 

faith communities in the three towns. 

Several years ago, an affordablehousing 

proposal in town was stopped 

by local opposition. But this time, said 

Graham, “because the churches were 

involved, there was a much larger 

body of people saying, ‘Hey, I’m on 

this committee, and I think this is a 

great idea.” 

“It wasn’t just a tacit acceptance of 

us coming in,” said Powell of LCHDC. 

“It was actually asking us in, and coming 

to the meetings and being a vocal 

proponent of the project.” 

13 

“The interfaith group came out and really 

championed the endeavor, all the way through the 

permitting process. That made a huge difference; 

they were very instrumental in getting the mood of 

this community to accept this affordable housing.” 

—LCHDC Executive Director John Powell

HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 

Home Ownership Programs Busy in 2005 

The HOMELAND Program is a 

home purchase program funded by 

VHCB and offered by eight regional 

housing organizations working in 

coordination with a statewide system 

of NeighborWorks® Homeownership 

Centers located in St. Albans, 

Burlington, Barre, Lyndonville, West 

Rutland, Springfield, and Brattleboro. 

In 2005 and previous recent years, 

there has been a high level of 

demand from aspiring homeowner 

to participate in the program with 

one of the regional sponsors. VHCB 

committed 840,000 in 2005 to 

provide purchase grants to 32 

households seeking to buy a home. 

How it Works 

Credit-worthy buyers are eligible 

for purchase subsidy grants of up to 

40,000 towards the cost of a home 

on the private market. Buyers typically 

obtain mortgage loan financing, often 

from the Vermont Housing Finance 

Agency or USDA Rural Development, 

and are required to contribute at least 

1,500 cash toward the purchase. 

Additional loans of up to 2,000, 

repayable upon the sale of the home, 

are available as needed to assist with 

downpayment and closing costs. In 

exchange for the purchase subsidy 

grant, home buyers agree to share any 

appreciation in the value of the house 

with future buyers. When the home 

changes hands, the grant stays with the 

property and is recycled to the next 

buyer. Over the past 15 years, VHCB 

has awarded HOMELAND grants to 

help nearly 450 households become 

homeowners. 

Habitat for Humanity/ 

Vocational Building Fund 

In addition to the HOMELAND 

Program, VHCB awards grants for 

the construction of homes built by 

Habitat for Humanity chapters and 

vocational building programs. Since it 

was established in 1991, 57 homes have 

been built with this grant assistance. 

In 2005, 180,000 in grant funds was 

awarded for the construction of 8 new 

homes. 

14 

Before and after photographs 

show the improvements to Linda 

McGowan's home in Richmond, 

made possible with funds from the 

HOMELAND program and a loan 

from USDA Rural Development. 

The grant and loan assistance 

lower the mortgage payments for 

this homeowner.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY 

Hard-Earned Homes 

for Burlington’s New North End 

Dual Goals: 

Housing & 

Conservation 

Bob Eddy 

Sarah and Chris Orndorff have put 

in hundreds of hours of “sweat equity” 

on their new home. Shown here with their sons, 

Michael, William and Matthew, the Orndorffs 

moved into their home in December. 

Before they got in touch with Habitat for Humanity, Chris and Sarah Orndorff 

and their three boys were living in a cramped, two-bedroom rental apartment 

in Colchester. Stacey Lessor and her two daughters were in a Burlington mobile 

home. 

“I’ve lived in this mobile home for 15 years — and for a good share of them, 

I’ve tried to get out,” Lessor says. “As a single parent, I work three jobs; I’ve done 

my best to do right by my kids, and give them a good place to live. One day, I 

decided to call Habitat,” she says. “I said, ‘Look — I’m a great candidate for one of 

your homes.’” 

On a 13-acre site donated by 

the Burlington Housing Authority 

(BHA), eight single family homes 

will be developed and a 10-acre 

natural area will be conserved 

and managed by the City Parks 

Department, with trails for public 

use. VHCB awarded $177,000 to 

Habitat and BHA towards construction 

costs including $7,500 

to conserve the Mt. Cavalry Red 

Maple Swamp and create trails. 

Over several years of negotiations, 

the BHA and Habitat 

worked with the Burlington 

Conservation Board to reduce 

the density of the development, 

to forgo a proposed connecting 

street through the natural area, 

and to develop a conservation 

plan for the wetland. 

BHA was one of two housing 

authorities in the country 

designated to use a trial HUD 

Program under which the home 

purchasers are able to apply 

Section 8 subsidies to pay their 

mortgages. BHA constructed 

two duplexes on the site; Green 

Mountain Habitat for Humanity 

will construct four homes. 

15


Sarah and Chris Orndorff had done 

the same. They applied to Green Mountain 

Habitat for Humanity two summers 

ago, “just to see what would happen,” 

says Sarah, whose husband works for 

DR Power Equipment in Shelburne. 

Last spring, both families learned 

they had been approved for two new 

homes that Green Mountain Habitat 

would start building in the summer on 

Venus Avenue, a residential cul de sac in 

Burlington’s New North End. 

For the Habitat chapter, the start of 

that “build” was itself the fruition of a 

very long, very expensive campaign. 

“The project has actually been more 

than 12 years in the works. It’s been in 

permitting and appeal for that period 

of time,” says David Mullin, executive 

director of Green Mountain Habitat for 

Humanity. Habitat and the Burlington 

Housing Authority (BHA) invested a 

total of over 100,000 in reengineering 

and legal fees after now-former neighbors 

of the project objected. 

The BHA donated land for four 

single-family Habitat homes on Venus 

Avenue; Habitat plans to build the third 

and fourth in 2006. 

“Paul Dettman from the BHA really 

was the spearhead for this,” Mullin says. 

“Had it not been for him and his efforts, 

we would not have had this affordable 

housing where it is. 

“That’s what it takes today — that 

persistence,” he adds. “There are no 

more pretty little square lots sitting there 

waiting, at an affordable price. You have 

to get creative and be persistent, to make 

affordable housing happen.” 

Thanks to those efforts, Lessor and 

the Orndorffs joined dozens of Habitat 

volunteers this year in working on their 

homes. Both have put in hundreds of 

hours of sweat equity, many more than 

are required of the new homeowners by 

Habitat. Lessor, who runs a snack bar at 

the Leddy Park skating rink for the city, 

adds up 713 hours invested by herself, 

her family, friends, and coworkers. 

“I’ll tell you,” she says. “I’ve had tremendous 

support.” 

Says Sarah Orndorff, “We’ve shoveled 

rocks, pounded nails, raised walls, 

we put the roof on. The only thing we 

don’t do is the electrical or the plumbing.” 

Most impressive to the Orndorffs 

was the Habitat volunteers. “The first 

day we were there,” Sarah says, “it was 

95 degrees — and there were 10 people 

shoveling rocks.” 

Asked what this project means to 

her family, Sarah Orndorff struggles to 

contain her upwelling emotions. 

“It’s the chance to put down roots,” 

she finally says. “And knowing that we 

have a safe place for our family.” 

“That’s what it takes 

today — that persistence. 

There are no more 

pretty little square lots 

sitting there waiting, 

at an affordable price. 

You have to get creative 

and be persistent, to 

make affordable housing 

happen.” 

— David Mullin, 

Green Mountain 

Habitat for Humanity 

16 

On the Venus Avenue Habitat site 

in Burlington, Governor Douglas is 

joined by volunteers from Coldwell 

Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty, 

a sponsor of the house.

“Owning a home isn’t just luck...it is hard work!” 

TWIN PINES HOUSING TRUST HELPS 

COUPLE REALIZE THEIR DREAM 

Joan and Gabriel Ponzoni are an inspiration to their neighbors. After thirty-five 

years of marriage they still do everything together. That includes all the hard 

work this loving couple have painstakingly put into every inch of their house and 

yard. Flower, vegetable, and herb gardens abound. Joan proudly describes how her 

husband constructed a grape arbor for her, reminiscent of their time living in Italy. 

She showed me the remaining vines of the morning glories she had planted over her 

back fence, which grew on the other side, much to the delight of her neighbors. 

Inside the Ponzoni home, every wall is beautifully painted, stenciled, or decorated. 

Plants, wall hangings, and meticulously stitched needlework grace the home. 

The overall effect is a combination of Mediterranean, French, and American culture. 

As I was shown into room after room, the pride of accomplishment was evident 

in Joan’s voice as she described each hand-painted, handcrafted, or hand-made 

item. Then at the end of the tour we sat in the cozy kitchen, and Joan said to me, 

“Things weren’t always like this. At one point, before we had ever heard of Twin 

Pines, owning a home seemed like an impossible dream.” 

Joan is from Canada, and Gabriel is from Italy, where they lived for a while, 

and where their daughter Norma was born. After returning to the United States, 

they spent nine years living in a twenty-five foot travel trailer. The Ponzoni’s lived 

in a variety of states, before ending up in Vermont twenty years ago. They left the 

trailer to live in apartments, moving when rents were raised or properties were 

sold. They became tired of moving, and not having a home to call their own, so 

the search began to find a house. They searched for over a year and a half, but the 

prices were either too high, or the houses too run down. Joan remembers walking 

out of one house with tears streaming down her face. It felt so hopeless. Houses in 

their price range weren’t worth buying because they needed so much work. Then, 

Joan and Gabriel heard about Twin Pines Housing Trust and the initiative to build 

affordable single-family homes. They applied, qualified, and then waited for the 

house to be built. They will never forget the day the papers were signed and keys 

were handed over. “We were so happy!” Joan said. 

Joan and Gabriel Ponzoni have lived in their house for fourteen years. When 

asked how owning a home has changed their lives, they answer that it gave them 

the chance to put down roots, and to have not just a house but a home. Their 

advice for first time homebuyers is to keep trying, and when you get it you have 

to appreciate it. You have to work to make it better. 

“People say we’re lucky, but I say it isn’t just luck, it’s hard work. Sure, you have 

to get lucky to get something like a house, but then you have to work hard to keep 

it. You can’t just let it go.” 

The Ponzoni’s don’t intend to ever let their home go. They love to travel, but 

now they know they have a place to come home to that they can call their own. 

Reprinted from the Twin Pines Housing Trust newsletter. Abridged from an article by 

Shelley Geoghegan, Publicity and Resident Outreach Coordinator 

Joan and Gabriel Ponzoni, at 

home. The Ponzonis were able 

to purchase a home after 

many years of renting. 

The Ponzoni's home in White River 

Junction was built by Twin Pines 

Housing Trust using VHCB funds. 

17

Bob Eddy 


CITY’S EDGE, SOUTH BURLINGTON: 

“Putting a Dent in the Housing Crisis” 

hen City’s Edge Condominiums opened this year in South Burlington, just 

18 Woff I-189 and Shelburne Road, its 60 homes were offered for sale at prices 

that ranged from affordable to market rate — and a partnership of private, public, 

and nonprofit agencies celebrated the success. 

“City’s Edge is a great example of creating neighborhoods, not developing projects,” 

said State Senator Jim Condos, who chairs the South Burlington City Council. 

“This also represents another step forward for the City of South Burlington, by 

significantly increasing the supply of high-quality housing, to put a real dent in 

the regional housing crisis.” 

Working together with the Burlington Community Land Trust and private 

developers, the city played a leadership role in the 8.7 million project. VHCB 

funding combined with loans from the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, funds 

from the Vermont Community Development Program, and a contribution from 

the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. 

“These homes are located near the heart of a vibrant mixed-use commercial area, 

with excellent proximity to good schools, convenient shopping, and public trans- 

Walum Awotho and Lossi Budju with 

their children, Bob, Glory and Faith, 

are among 60 proud new homeowners 

at City’s Edge. Owners were able 

to use grants of $20-45,000 from 

the American Dream Downpayment 

Initiative to assist with downpayments 

and closing costs. Contractors Eric 

Farrel and Danny Morrisey contributed 

a $220,000 grant towards the 

building's brick façade. The homes 

sold for $115,500-$165,900.

portation,” said Brenda Torpy, director 

of Burlington Community Land Trust 

(BCLT). Purchase prices ranged from 

115,500 for a 670 square-foot home to 

165,900 for a 1,110 square-foot, marketrate 

home. 

For one family that became homeowners 

for the first time here, City’s Edge 

became the end point of an exceptionally 

long journey. Walum Awotho and 

Lossi Budju are natives of the Congo; 

they moved to Madagascar several years 

ago so that Walum could attend medical 

school. While he was studying, war 

erupted in the Congo, and the couple 

could not return home. 

Applying for refugee status, the 

couple and their children were sent to 

the United States. In 2002 they moved 

to Barre, then relocated to Burlington as 

Walum searched for work, and found it. 

In a cramped Essex Junction apartment, 

the family saw much of their income 

going for rent. Searching for reliable 

information on buying a home, Walum 

discovered the BCLT NeighborWorks® 

HomeOwnership Center. 

“Walum and Lossi attended an orientation 

and a home buyer workshop, 

and studied the workbook provided 

by BCLT using both an English and a 

French dictionary,” says Karolyn Phillips, 

an AmeriCorps member who 

served as the HomeOwnership Center’s 

education and outreach coordinator. 

“They saved money and worked hard for 

two years, to rebuild their lives from the 

ground up . . . Now they are homeowners, 

and tell friends about BCLT.” 

“It is easy if you have good credit 

history, are honest, and pay bills,” says 

Walum. “BCLT is helpful — and a very, 

very good thing.” 

“Walum and Lossi 

attended an orientation 

and a home buyer 

workshop, and studied 

the workbook provided 

by BCLT. . . They saved 

money and worked 

hard for two years, to 

rebuild their lives from 

the ground up . . . Now 

they are homeowners, 

and tell friends about 

BCLT.” 

— Karolyn Phillips, 

AmeriCorps Member with the 

Burlington NeighborWorks ® 

HomeOwnership Center 

When the NeighborWorks ® 

Homeownership Center in Burlington 

marketed City's Edge last year, 31 

affordable condominiums in the 60- 

unit development sold within weeks 

of coming on the market. The fi rst 

resale showed that the homes had 

increased in value by more than 

$30,000 in less than 60 days. 

City's Edge is adjacent to O'Dell 

Apartments, a 160-unit development 

with 130 affordable homes off the 

Shelburne Road completed in 2003. 

19

YANDOW FARM, ST. ALBANS AND SWANTON 

In Franklin County, Farmland Conservation 

Comes in the Teeth of a Development Boom 

Bob Eddy 

20 

The sale of development rights this year on Jon and Lise Yandow’s dairy farm 

in St. Albans Town and Swanton added 441 acres — many of them with topquality 

soils — to a large block of conserved farmland in the two Franklin County 

towns. 

And that, believes dairy farmer Jack Brigham, who chairs the St. Albans Town 

Select Board, came not a moment too soon. 

“We’re in a really rapid-growth situation up here,” says Brigham, who also conserved 

his land this year. “We’ve got about 300 housing units permitted or ready 

to permit, we’ve got a Wal-Mart coming in — and it’s all happening on farmland. 

We’re getting hammered with development.” 

Jon Yandow says he “absolutely” had the opportunity to sell out for development. 

He and Lise were working farmland that they owned in company with a number 

of family members, through a partnership set up by Jon’s dad, Isador, who started 

the family farm in 1982. Family members were pressing Jon and Lise to buy the 

land outright or sell it — and they had to decide. 

They decided to stay on the land. VHCB funding made it possible for the Yandows 

to conserve three adjoining farm properties; that made the purchase of all 

three by Jon and Lise affordable. 

“If I had gone the development route, I would have had a lot more money — but 

I would not have had the land,” says Jon. “Farming is a whole different way of life. 

Real estate and farming are different worlds, you know” 

“If I had gone the 

development route, 

I would have had a 

lot more money — but 

I would not have had 

the land. Farming is 

a whole different way 

of life. Real estate and 

farming are different 

worlds, you know” 

— Jon Yandow

So Jon and Lise Yandow, whose seven 

children are between three and 22 years 

old, are staying. Jack Brigham, the Select 

Board chair and fellow farmer who also 

conserved this year, understands why 

they chose to conserve. 

“Those of us that stick it out, this is 

what’s got to happen,” he says. “I conserved 

my farm because it’s been in my 

family 200 years. I’ve got houses right 

to my border — and if my kids end up 

with the farm 20 years from now, the 

pressure’s going to be on them to sell it. 

I just want to keep it open. 

“From a government perspective, 

the expense on an acre of open land 

is minimal,” Brigham adds. “Whereas, 

with one house with two kids, you’ve 

got all these expenses. So the more open 

land you’ve got in the town, it’s actually 

easier on the tax base.” 

Swanton 

St. Albans 

Georgia 

Highgate 

Fairfax 

Franklin 

Sheldon 

Fairfi eld 

Fletcher 

map courtesy Jon Osborne, Vermont Land Trust 

CONSERVED FARMLAND IN FRANKLIN COUNTY 

Yandow Farm 

VHCB-funded conserved farmland 

other Vemont Land Trust-conserved farms 

state and federal lands 

21 

Since 1987, the Vermont Farmland Conservation Program has used 

state and federal funds to conserve working farmland with good 

agricultural soils in strong farming communities. The program has 

succeeded in conserving large blocks of Vermont's fi nest agricultural 

soils. Donations of conservation easements and privately conserved 

farms add to the tally.

BRIGGS FARM, ADDISON 

22 

JOINING A CONSERVED COMMUNITY 

In the Champlain Valley, Briggs Farm Is in Safe Company 

With more and more farmland protected in the Champlain Valley, this year’s 

transfer of development rights on Dale and Alma Briggs’s 485-acre place 

in Addison adds up to much more than a single conserved farm. 

The Briggs family farm, conserved with VHCB funding through the Vermont 

Land Trust, joins two protected farms on adjacent land. Overall, 5,431 acres of 

farmland have now been conserved in Addison town — that’s about 17 percent of 

the landscape, according to VLT. Almost 47,000 acres are conserved in Addison 

County—most of which is productive farmland. 

“There’s getting to be a pretty good-sized block that’s been protected here — and 

I think that’s the last hope for farms in Vermont,” says Dale Briggs. “It’s when the 

neighbors get close that problems begin to crop up. We’re not changing — cows 

still produce manure, they still eat food — but the neighborhoods around us are 

changing. If we can have some farms make a block, we can continue to farm without 

irritating too many people.” 

The Briggs are hoping to purchase some additional land from a neighboring 

conserved farm with the proceeds from their sale of development rights. “That 

will give us some room to add some grain crops, and also to have some more room 

for manure, to meet the new regulations that are coming up,” Briggs says. “Try to 

continue. To survive. 

“There isn’t enough money in the farming economy now,” he adds. “This is one 

way to do the things you need to do.” 

“There’s getting to be a 

pretty good-sized block 

that’s been protected 

here — and I think that’s 

the last hope for farms 

in Vermont. ...We’re not 

changing — cows still 

produce manure, they 

still eat food — but the 

neighborhoods around 

us are changing. If we 

can have some farms 

make a block, we can 

continue to farm without 

irritating too many 

people.” 

— Dale Briggs 

Freestall barn at the 485-acre Briggs 

Farm, one of the largest farms in 

Addison. The family milks about 170 

cows, with a total herd of over 350. 

The Briggs till 410 acres and rent 

an additional 200 acres of cropland.

Addison 

Vermont Land Trust photos ad map 

Bridport 

Shoreham 

Dale and Alma Briggs with daughter, Karen and son, Peter. The Briggs family has 

farmed this land since 1929. 

The Briggs family has surely shown 

its determination to keep on working 

this land. Dale’s grandfather bought the 

original farm in 1929, and his parents 

owned and ran it from the late 1940s 

until 1983, when Dale and Alma took 

over. Having grown from its original 340 

acres, the Briggs farm is now one of the 

largest in Addison. 

The family milks about 170 cows, 

with a total herd of over 350. With 410 

acres of tillage and 200 acres of rented 

land, all cultivated according to an 

NRCS crop-management plan, the farm 

employs four full-time and three parttime 

employees. 

“The 170-stall dairy barn and double-8 

milking parlor were way ahead 

of the times back in 1968,” notes Allen 

Karnatz, Champlain Valley co-director 

of Vermont Land Trust. “Thirty-five 

years later, the barn is still in excellent 

repair and very functional. They’ve also 

added a freestall heifer barn, and several 

sheds and bunker silos.” 

The conserved farm includes more 

than two miles of frontage along Otter 

Creek, and almost a mile of road frontage. 

A VAST snowmobile trail crosses 

the farm, where Dale and Alma have 

reserved two five-acre building sites for 

their children, daughter Karen, 19, and 

son Peter, 15. 

“Neither one of them wants to see 

the farm go,” Dale Briggs says. “They like 

farming, they grew up on the farm. My 

dad and mother still live on the south 

end of the farm. The kids can walk there. 

They want to see the farm stay here.” 

Orwell 

CONSERVED FARMLAND 

IN ADDISON COUNTY 

Briggs Farm 

VHCB-funded conserved farmland 

other Vemont Land Trust-conserved 

farms 

state and federal lands 

During the past two years, as real estate values have continued to escalate 

rapidly, the pressure to sell farmland for development has increased — as 

has the cost of purchasing development rights. Although over 150,000 

acres of Vermont’s farmland has been conserved, that represents only 

14% of Vermont’s 1.1 million acres of agricultural land. 

23

O’CONNELL FARM, CORINTH 

Chris Doyle/Upper Valley Land Trust 

24 

BRINGING A SMALL FARM BACK TO LIFE 

Conservation Helps a Family Make It Work 

Rich O’Connell was tired of life as a builder and residential developer in the 

booming suburbs of Boston. So one day, he says, “I just got into my van 

and I drove and I drove.” 

He came to a quiet crossroads in West Corinth. There was a “For Sale” sign 

out front of a small, aged farm. Its sagging red barn had been empty of cows for 

a decade or so. 

“I stopped and talked to the farmer, and within two hours I had bought it,” 

Rich says. “I went home and said to my wife, ‘Guess what’” 

So four years ago, Rich and Barbara O’Connell moved to Vermont with their 

children (they now have six). They were planning just to build a new home on 

the 50-acre farm. But Rich started wondering what it would take to start the old 

dairy again. Then he went ahead and did it. 

This year the O’Connells conserved their now-operating small dairy farm, 

with a VHCB grant through the Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT). With the 

proceeds from the sale of development rights, they built a new, freestall barn 

onto the back of the old barn, and added 27 cows to make a herd of almost 

50. With other funding, they also built a new, concrete manure containment, 

coupled with a new plan for nutrient management and stream protection. 

Rich and Barbara O'Connell reclaimed 

an old farm in Corinth. This year they 

conserved the farm, added 27 cows, 

and built a new freestall barn. 

“This is more a lifestyle 

choice, for us. 

Sometimes the 

paychecks aren’t big, 

sometimes they’re not 

enough — but I’m driven 

by determination.” 

— Rich O’Connell

“Watching the O’Connell family 

revitalize (their farm) . . . is encouraging 

to the many people in town 

who value our agricultural heritage,” 

said a letter written on behalf of the 

Corinth Select Board, supporting the 

farm’s conservation. The project was 

also supported by the Orange County 

Headwaters Project, an initiative in 

Corinth and Washington that has 

gathered momentum as well as quite a 

bit of local and regional funding support 

for their efforts. 

Rich has learned how to farm by 

asking questions, reading, and just 

doing it. “We work every inch of this 

property,” he says. “We’re no strangers 

to 18-hour days, if that’s what it takes. 

“We’re upgrading and getting more 

efficient. To make it small, you need to 

be more efficient.” 

The O’Connells started shipping 

milk when prices were at a 40-year 

low, but they have stuck it out. “This 

is more a lifestyle choice, for us,” Rich 

says. “Sometimes the paychecks aren’t 

big, sometimes they’re not enough 

— but I’m driven by determination.” 

The new barn was “100 percent 

made possible by the UVLT,” he says. 

The public funding was the first he had 

received for the farm, from any source. 

“Being a small farm, you aren’t the 

first choice for any financial institution 

handing out money,” he observes, 

drily. 

The O’Connells’ decision to conserve 

helped leverage similar choices 

by several adjoining landowners. Jack 

and Susi Learmouth, Glynn Pellagrino, 

and Anne Bergeron conserved a total 

of 129 acres, much of which had been 

part of the original farm now owned 

by the O’Connells. 

“These landowners were cheered 

as pioneers in a conservation initiative 

organized by Corinth and Washington 

residents,” the UVLT told its members 

in a September letter, “to conserve 

large blocks of working forest and 

farmland — an opportunity, say the 

project’s organizers, ‘to collectively 

affect the way our area will look, feel, 

and function far into the future.’” 

Rich O’Connell knows it’s up to 

him to make his farm work. “This 

is my place — and if I don’t do it, it 

doesn’t get done.” 

But now he also knows the land on 

which his business relies is secure. 

“The whole area around here 

will remain rural,” he says. “The leaf 

peepers are going to keep coming 

by. They’re going to want to come to 

places like this.” 

Local Conservation Program Helps Towns Realize Their Objectives 

VHCB’s Local Conservation Program provides funding for the acquisition of land or easements to 

provide public access to water, trails or greenways, to protect or expand town parks and town forests, 

and to conserve agricultural land and public historic properties. Local Conservation awards are limited 

to $150,000 and require a minimum one-third match of total project costs in the form of local fundraising, 

in-kind services, and/or donations of land and easements that further the conservation goals of 

the project. More than 60 towns have used the program to acquire or conserve land, creating ballfields, 

public parks and trails, and securing public access to swimming holes and historic buildings. 

Local Farmland Conservation 

Smaller farms like the O'Connell Farm that may be unable to compete for funding under VHCB’s statewide 

Farmland Conservation Program are eligible for grants under the Local Conservation Program. 

25

26 

Vermont's Farm Viability 

Program provides grants 

to farmers to assist with 

business planning and 

technical assistance. 

Implementation grants 

help farmers realize their 

business planning goals. 

For more information or 

to apply to the program, 

call 828-0795 or visit 

"Farm Viability Program" 

on the website: 

www.vhcb.org 

VERMONT FARM VIABILITY PROGRAM 

Program Assists Fifty Farms in Third Year of Operation 

The Vermont Farm Viability Enhancement Program assisted more than 50 

farmers in 2005. Over half the participants were dairy farms, ranging from 

large farm operations to very small dairies with on-farm cheese processing. 

Other enrollees included vegetable growers, beef and sheep farms, a large maple 

producer, a poultry farm, a vineyard, and an alpaca farm. 

The Viability Program provides each enrollee with a business planner whose 

job is to analyze the farm’s current financial status and to help make projections 

for the future. The Program also brings in specialists who zero in on specific 

strategies or management changes. The final product is a business plan that can 

be used as a road map to farm profits or as an accompaniment to a loan application. 

The fundamental premise of the Program is that sound financial analysis, 

critical thinking, and business-oriented decision-making can make a difference 

for farmers. The Viability approach is to listen, to let the farmers articulate their 

goals as well as problems, and then to bring in assistance that is tailored to particular 

needs. The farmer must commit time to the process and must be willing 

to share financial records. 

Grantees providing business planning and technical assistance services under 

the Program have included NOFA-Vermont, the Intervale Foundation, the 

Vermont Small Business Development Center, the University of Vermont Extension 

Service, and Working Landscapes, Inc. The Program has also contracted 

with individual consultants. 

It is expected that an additional 50 farms will receive Viability assistance in 

2006. At the same time, the Program will send advisers back to 2005 participants 

to gauge the farmers’ financial success since participating in the Program, 

and to offer technical assistance as farmers work to implement their business 

planning goals. 

In 2005 the Viability Program was primarily funded by VHCB and by a grant 

secured by Senator Leahy and awarded by NRCS. VHCB was grateful this past 

year also to receive a grant for the Viability Program from a private foundation. 

These grant funds were used for specific projects: to help seven farmers implement 

changes documented in their business plans; to conduct two studies on the 

marketing of innovative farm products; and to assist Shelburne Farms and other 

nonprofits with the ongoing Farm-to-School Program, under which local growers 

supply locally-grown, nutritious, and affordable foods to public school lunch 

programs. 

Bob Eddy 

Bill Suhr, Champlain Orchards

Bob Eddy 

“Farming is such 

a labor-intensive 

operation that there’s 

not always time to 

explore the skills 

you need to make 

improvements. 

“The thing I like 

about the Viability 

Program is that it’s 

one-on-one. You can 

formulate a plan that’s 

custom-tailored, so 

I think the money 

is more efficient in 

helping, and the longterm 

effect is better. 

— Christine Brown 

BROWN FARM, RANDOLPH CENTER 

27 

Viability Program Helps 

Farmers Develop & Implement Ideas 

Christine and Tony Brown knew they wanted to improve and add value to 

their small, high-quality farm in Randolph Center. They just weren’t sure 

how, as Christine puts it, “to get from point A to point B.” 

The expertise they needed came through the Intervale Foundation, partnering 

with NOFA-VT, with funding from the Farm Viability Program. Referred 

by a neighboring farmer, the Intervale contacted the Browns two years ago, and 

they began working together. 

With about 40 Jerseys and just 26 acres (they rent an additional 110 acres 

nearby), the Browns were in the midst of transitioning to (cont. on page 29)

VERMONT FARM VIABILITY PROGRAM 


28 

CHAMPLAIN ORCHARDS 

Helping an Apple Grower’s Ideas Bear Fruit 

Bill Suhr began taking a small salary this year. At Champlain Orchards in 

Shoreham, that’s news: After Suhr bought this landmark, 158-acre property 

by Lake Champlain at a conserved-farmland price in 1998, he went five years 

without drawing a salary, despite working nearly endless hours to build a growing 

new place in the struggling New England apple industry. 

Suhr’s business plan was developed in 2004 with assistance from VHCB’s 

Farm Viability Program. Using VHCB-funded consultants from the Intervale 

Foundation, he was able to fine tune his capital needs and make projections for 

various product lines. 

“We were well on our way to having good ideas,” he says, “and they helped us 

implement them.” 

“It’s so risky to grow fruit,” adds Suhr, who was just 25 when he bought this 

place from Wesley and Virginia Larrabee. “Who’s going to stick it out and keep 

trying” 

So far, Bill Suhr has. Champlain Orchards’ high-quality McIntosh, Empire, 

and Red Delicious apples, along with early and old-time varieties, have become 

popular fixtures at food coops and supermarkets from Brattleboro to St. Albans. 

The business now boasts “eight fairly full-time employees, of which I would be 

one,” Suhr quips — “and 16 employees during harvest. 

Suhr’s marketing ideas are making an impact. Having worked successfully to 

brand his fruit and deliver it directly to Vermont customers, he’s now investing 

in diversification, value-added processing, and creative packaging and delivery. 

Having completed his business plan, Suhr this year paired operating capital 

with a 6,000 implementation award from the Farm Viability Program to 

develop a “white room” for peeling apples — the first of its kind in Vermont. 

At Champlain Orchards, 

Bill Suhr's espaliered apple 

trees stretch towards Lake 

Champlain. Suhr purchased 

the orchard in 1998. The 

previous owners, Wesley 

and Viriginia Larrabee, had 

conserved the land, which 

reduced the purchase price to 

this young farmer.

This joins a mix of new and retrofitted 

buildings at the Champlain Orchards 

farmstead that now also house a cider 

mill, cold storage room, and packing 

facility. 

Until now, Vermont apples destined 

for peeling have been sent 

to New York state. As Champlain 

Orchards develops the capacity to 

store, peel, and process apples on the 

farm, Suhr is working with state government 

to promote fresh apple slices 

for distribution to Vermont schools. 

“Studies have shown that kids will 

eat 40 percent more fruit when they 

consume slices,” he reports. 

Champlain Orchards is also the 

sole supplier of peeled slices to the 

Vermont Mystic Pie Company, an 

emerging Stowe-based business that 

has begun to market its top-quality 

apple pies up and down the East 

Coast, with the aim of expanding 

nationally. Champlain Orchards’ sales 

to Mystic Pie made up just one percent 

of its business last year, says Suhr 

— but may account for ten percent of 

its business in 2006. 

“I would like to store a variety of 

fantastic New England apples that 

would entice people to shop locally 

year-round,” adds Suhr, who has 

begun to buy apples from four neighboring 

producers. “A Vermont grower 

does not have to sell his whole crop 

to a broker in New York if he knows 

that he will have a buyer locally yearround. 

“There is opportunity out there for 

all of us, young and old growers. We 

know how to grow fruit — and we are 

trying to take each step above that. 

It takes a lot of coordination, a lot of 

investment; but in the long haul, we 

are very self-sufficient.” 

BROWN FARM, RANDOLPH CENTER 

(continued from page 27) 

organic production. Christine was 

producing vegetables and ornamental 

plants in a modest-sized 

greenhouse on the farm. 

“Our main focus is to produce 

a quality produce in anything we 

do,” Christine says. “Our goal was 

to increase the value of our product, 

without enlarging our farm or our 

number of animals. In the first year 

with the Intervale process, one of 

our goals was to expand my markets 

in the greenhouse business. 

“I’d done that business for a 

couple of years, and I knew the piece 

I was missing was marketing,” she 

says. “Typically, that’s the skill farmers 

lack. We’ve been pretty good at 

tracking our financials, but there’s 

always room for improvement — and 

with the transitioning to organic, it’s 

a whole different ballgame.” 

Working with the Intervale and 

NOFA-VT, the Browns created a 

business plan and a marketing plan, 

coupled with production and financial 

analysis. The plans called for a 

second greenhouse, so that Christine 

could expand her ornamentals business 

and take advantage of a local 

demand for early-season vegetables. 

Cost overruns had kept the Browns 

from completing the full greenhouse 

that Christine needed for optimum 

produce quality. 

This year, the family was granted 

an Implementation Award, a new 

feature of the Farm Viability Program. 

“The grant helped us finish raised 

beds, to start the early vegetables 

this coming spring,” Christine says. 

“It also enabled us to put in insula- 

The Browns were named 2005 Farm 

Family of the Year by the Vermont Farm 

Bureau. 

tion, to reduce energy costs, and 

drip irrigation to reduce labor costs.” 

Her plants are now sold both 

on-farm and through the Hanover 

Food Co-op stores in Hanover and 

Lebanon, N.H. 

“Farming’s such a labor-intensive 

operation that there’s not always 

time to explore the skills you need 

to make improvements,” Christine 

reflects. “The thing I like about the 

Viability Program is that it’s oneon-one. 

You can formulate a plan 

that’s custom-tailored, so I think the 

money is more efficient in helping, 

and the long-term effect is better. 

“Now,” she adds, “I can concentrate 

on quality.” That focus has not 

gone unrecognized: In 2005, the 

Browns were named Farm Family 

of the Year by the Vermont Farm 

Bureau. 

29

30 

OTTER VIEW PARK, MIDDLEBURY 

At Otter View Park, the view across a meadow looking towards Weybridge 

takes in the steeple of a church in Middlebury. The Otter Creek runs below. 

LOCAL PARK PROJECT IS A “ WIN-WIN-WIN” 

With Habitat, Housing & Recreation 

short walk down from Middlebury College, or up from the town’s popular 

A business district, is an appealing little parcel of open land on a corner in a 

residential neighborhood. This 17-acre meadow slopes down to a wetland that is 

rich with bird life, and ends at a finger of solid ground along the Otter Creek. 

Several years ago, members of the Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT) 

decided that this property, which the college owned and had not developed, had 

the potential to become a public park and watershed protection demonstration 

site. Otter View Park was envisioned with its grassy land kept open and with 

wheelchair-accessible trails to a boardwalk installed across the marsh, out to a 

new viewing platform beside the river. A park like that, they foresaw, could be 

appreciated by neighbors, townspeople, college students, seniors, and young 

people from area schools who could come to learn. 

“The property offers such fabulous views, and habitat along the river, that we 

took the first step and went to Middlebury College,” recalls Bill Roper, a MALT 

member who chairs its Otter View project advisory committee. “We asked if 

they would be interested in selling it before it got development pressure.” 

The college agreed, stipulating that at least two residential lots would be 

created, and granted MALT a couple of years to raise the funds that the project 

would require — which turned out to be about 850,000 — and to get the 

approvals it would need. Those included five different subdivision permits (the 

parcel lies astride the Middlebury-Weybridge town line), all now in place. 

As MALT put its ideas before the 

public in several open forums, says 

Roper, more than one person pointed 

out “that this parcel is in some ways an 

infill property, and we shouldn’t lose 

the housing component,” says Roper. 

In response, MALT put three 

housing lots onto its plans for the 

property. Using VHCB funds, one 

lot will be developed by Habitat for 

Humanity, while the other two, tucked 

behind existing homes, have been 

sold at market rate to help pay for the 

project. 

“That’s been an important source 

of income for the project,” says Warren 

King, a former chair of the Otter Creek 

Audubon Society who has co-chaired 

this project’s fundraising committee. 

“This is a big project, financially, for 

MALT.” 

Trails along the property will be 

handicapped-accessible, meeting 

an identified need in the local 

recreation plan, notes MALT President 

Christopher Bray. And because the 

parcel drains a sizable spread of land 

above it, a planned detention pond, to 

be cleaned out periodically, will retain 

much of the silt that is now filling in 

the wetland below. 

All in all, the project is putting an 

array of desirable outcomes into one 

compact package. Its success should 

help to build area support for future 

conservation efforts, notes Gary Starr, 

a neighbor and well-known bird artist 

who co-chairs the fundraising effort 

with his wife, Kathy, and with Warren 

King. 

“It’s a great project — and we’ve 

gotten a good diversity of neighbors 

involved in it,” Starr says. 

“The project took some twists and 

turns,” adds Roper. “But we feel the 

outcome is a model that we can be 

proud of.”

CROSS VERMONT TRAIL 

A Trail to Connect Communities 

T 

he long-term vision of the Cross Vermont Trail Association is to create a 

multi-use recreation trail running east-west across the state. In the Central 

Vermont area, the goal is to conserve an off-road trail all the way from East 

Montpelier to Groton State Forest, along the 37-mile former track bed of the 

Montpelier-Wells River Railroad. But unlike nearly all other former railroad 

beds eyed as recreation trails around the nation, this one presents a unique challenge: 

the track bed’s final owner, the state of Vermont, conveyed it in parcels to 

all the abutting landowners, several decades ago. 

The complexity created by so many owners is one that Eric Scharnberg, 

executive director of the Trail Association, knows only too well. From East 

Montpelier to Plainfield, he says, “We’re working on a landowner-to-landowner 

basis, to try to get easements” that will secure public access to the trail. 

That cause got a boost this year when VHCB funding enabled the Association 

to acquire a small but key property in Plainfield, between Country Club 

and Recreation Field roads. “It’s a keystone piece in connectivity between the 

village of Plainfield and, ultimately, over toward Montpelier,” Scharnberg says of 

the six-acre property. 

The Cross-Vermont Trail will ultimately link to the Montpelier Recreation 

Path, connecting into the capital. To the west, most of the trackbed between the 

Marshfield edge of Groton State Forest, all the way to Wells River, has already 

been secured. 

In the now-targeted stretch between East Montpelier and Plainfield, says 

Scharnberg, “our goal is to target areas where the stretch between roads isn’t too 

far apart — and where we can see that within two or three years, we may be able 

to establish those stretches as trails. 

Many landowners have been supportive, and have offered to donate easements. 

Others prefer to subdivide and sell parcels. Bit by bit, the project is moving 

forward. “This is very much a grassroots trail,” Scharnberg says. “It’s part of a 

statewide effort to connect villages and communities.” 

The Cross Vermont Trail is a planned 

83-mile multi-use recreation trail 

and alternative transportation route 

stretching from Vermont’s western 

border on Lake Champlain to its 

eastern border in the Village of Wells 

River. As currently mapped, the trail 

alignment contains both on and offroad 

sections and connects 17 towns, 

10 village centers, 10 state parks and 

recreation areas and 10 schools. The 

trail also links two nationally known 

trails, the 300-mile Catamount Trail 

and the 270-mile Long Trail. Currently, 

45 miles of trail are secured either 

as public right-of-ways or due to their 

location within designated state and 

town-owned public parcels. 

31

SNAKE MOUNTAIN, ADDISON & BRIDPORT 

“When I first bought 

the property, I had 

it in mind that I 

could sell it to some 

kind of conservation 

group. It’s a 

very unique hunk of 

land.” 

—Gary Pittman, 

previous owner 

The Nature Conservancy 

The Pittmans sold 

152 acres at a bargain 

price to the Nature 

Conservancy. 

Preserving Nature & Memories 

on Snake Mountain 

ifting up suddenly from the broad and gentle downslope of the Addison 

LCounty farmland, Snake Mountain is an eye-catching landmark. It’s a steep, 

32 forested ridge that rises above Addison at its north end, then dips and rises 

again in Bridport on the south. 

To the north, hunters and hikers are familiar with the state-owned, 1,215-acre 

Snake Mountain Wildlife Management Area. But the smaller, southern portion 

of the mountain also makes a striking sight, with its steep cliffs visible from 

Route 22A. 

Since acquiring 152 acres of the southern mountain for a woodlot in 1988, 

landowners Gary and Donna Pittman had planned to safeguard their land for its 

natural values and public enjoyment. 

“When I first bought the property, I had it in mind that I could sell it to some 

kind of conservation group,” says Gary Pittman. “It’s a very unique hunk of 

land.” 

The Pittmans, who live in Charlotte, liked hiking up there, to enjoy the 

woods and the 60-mile views in both directions, toward the Green Mountains 

to the east and the Adirondacks on the west. When their young grandson, Kevin 

Joseph Pittman, came to visit from Washington state, he often came along. 

Liz Thompson/The Nature Conservancy

Liz Thompson/The Nature Conservancy 

The Nature Conservancy aquired land at the southern end of Snake Mountain in Bridport. At the northern end of this 

unusual geological formation is the Snake Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Addison, well known to hunters and hikers. 

“He loved this place,” Gary Pittman 

says. “We would go out walking here 

together, grandfather and grandson.” 

Then in 2003, Kevin Pittman was 

killed, at 18, in a car accident. In Kevin’s 

memory, his grandparents decided 

to offer their Snake Mountan property 

at a bargain price to The Nature 

Conservancy (TNC), whose Vermont 

chapter used its own and VHCB 

funding to complete the conservation 

purchase this year. 

“With its vistas, somebody with 

a great deal of money could build a 

house up on that ridge,” Gary Pitt- 

man observes. “That’s the last thing I 

wanted to happen.” 

The family’s discounted sale 

enabled TNC to protect the cliffs and 

talus slopes, expressions of the Champlain 

Thrust Fault that long ago lifted 

Snake Mountain up to 1,300 feet above 

sea level. 

According to The Nature Conservancy, 

the now-protected property 

contains “three high-quality natural 

communities, two vernal pools providing 

habitat for high populations of 

Jefferson’s, four-toed, and blue-spotted 

salamanders, and an impressive list of 

rare and uncommon plants, including 

the dwarf chinquapin oak, which is 

only known at one or two other locations 

statewide.” 

Gary and Donna Pittman have 

placed memorial plaques to Kevin 

at the property entrance, and at the 

overlook that they and their grandson 

most enjoyed. They hope more people, 

in the years to come, will enjoy the 

walks they shared. 

33

DUAL GOALS: RECREATION AND HOUSING IN JAY 

34 

Selectboard member Chris Young, Gilman Housing Trust director Ed Stretch and 

Town Clerk Emeline Harmon in front of one of six new homes being constructed 

in Jay by the Gilman Housing Trust on land donated by the Vermont Land Trust. 

Homes, Woodland and a Town Park, Too! 

In the northern ski resort town of Jay, Vermont, five miles from the Canadian 

border, a booming second home market is driving up the cost of land and housing. 

Thanks to the philanthropy of the Vermont Land Trust (VLT), this year the 

town was able to conserve 282 acres and the local nonprofit housing group will 

create four affordable single-family homes in a six-lot development. 

VLT donated a 20-acre parcel previously permitted for housing development 

to the Gilman Housing Trust and made a bargain sale of 282 acres to the town of 

Jay at 30 percent of market value. A VHCB grant helped the town of Jay with the 

acqusition costs of the land and provided Gilman Housing trust with 100,000 in 

purchase subsidies for the four affordable homes. 

Gilman is developing “Northern Green Homes,”—six cape-style starter homes 

built to high standards of energy efficiency. With additional assistance from the 

Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, the subsidized homes will sell to income-eligible 

families at below market levels of 115,000, with restrictions to keep 

the homes affordable to future buyers. 

The town’s immediate goal is to establish a trail system through the community 

using the two conservation parcels as anchors. Most of the land will be managed 

for forestry, wildlife and recreational use—hiking, skiing and a broad range of nonmotorized 

recreational uses. Limited trail access by snowmobiles may be permitted, 

subject to the management plan to be developed by the town. A 35-acre area 

close to the village center and Jay Elementary School has been reserved for more 

intensive recreational use, including eventual development of ball fields, parking, 

public gathering areas and possibly a skating rink. 

Craig Line photo 

“As a selectboard, we 

recognize the balance 

among the interests in 

our town, including 

those of the ski industry, 

agriculture, property 

owners, tourists and 

business owners. We believe 

by preserving these 

lands, we will be better 

able to strike a balance 

and continue our 

growth in a thoughtful, 

deliberate and progressive 

manner.” 

—Chris Young, 

Jay Selectboard 

“This is a remarkable 

opportunity to create 

affordable home ownership 

that promotes local 

jobs and fits into the Jay 

community. The homes 

will serve working families 

where household 

income is far outpaced 

by housing prices.” 

— Ed Stretch, 

Gilman Housing Trust

HISTORIC PRESERVATION 

A New Role 

for a Local Landmark 

RIVER ARTS, MORRISVILLE 

The pre-Civil War, Greek Revival structure that will soon become the first 

home of River Arts of Morrisville, Inc., has already played a starring role in 

community history. 

Standing in downtown Morrisville, the two-story building housed the first local 

high school, a private school that was called the Poor People’s Academy until 

it was transferred to public ownership in 1866 and became People’s Academy. Up 

top, the bell tower still houses the school’s original bell, even though the structure 

was moved to Pleasant Street in 1874 to make room for the current high school. 

The old academy became a store, then served from 1925 until just recently as the 

home of Lamoille Grange 233. But as the Grange’s local membership dwindled, 

a newer community nonprofit, River Arts, founded six years ago, was growing in 

size and yearning for a center of its own. 

“And this building really is a treasure. It’s totally open inside, with these lovely 

spaces,” says Joanne Harrison, board chair of River Arts. 

The organization provided over 5,400 Lamoille County residents last year with 

programming that includes visual arts, performing arts, youth and elder arts, and 

a wide range of community events — all without a permanent space for offices, 

performances, and programming. 

A VHCB grant enabled River Arts to purchase the Grange building at a negotiated 

low price. The Grange will continue to meet in the building without charge. 

River Arts’ fundraising campaign will allow the group to rehabilite the building, 

making code, access, and other improvements. River Arts aims to create an accessible 

upstairs concert and assembly space, and also to use the building for classes, 

offices, and much of its programming. “This building was a center for community 

life as a school, then as a Grange,” Harrison notes. “It’s sitting in an important part 

of downtown, in great disrepair. It’s going to be great to have it back again.” 

“As special as 

Vermont is, it is 

also fragile. Carefully 

done, we can 

have growth without 

spoiling our nest. 

We can make sure 

that consumers have 

what they need, 

and strengthen our 

downtowns and 

community centers. 

We can support our 

homegrown, locally 

owned businesses. 

It’s not easy work, 

but with some 

hard work and a 

collaborative spirit, 

I bet we can do it!” 

— Paul Bruhn, 

Executive Director, 

Preservation Trust of 

Vermont 

A Preservation Grant from the 

Freeman Foundation and the 

Preservation Trust of Vermont 

will be used to construct a new 

foundation, and assist with exterior 

woodwork repair, painting, and 

window conservation. VHCB funds 

helped to purchase and stabilize 

the building. 

35

36 

AMERICAN PRECISION MUSEUM, WINDSOR 

Birthplace of Modern Manufacturing is Reborn 

The American Precision Museum in Windsor is more than a treasure trove 

of manufacturing machinery. It was in this 1840s-vintage brick building 

that modern consumer society was born. 

Not enough Vermonters or others know the local landmark’s remarkable 

story. Now, thanks to the devotion of the nonprofit board of trustees that 

runs the Precision Museum, coupled with funding from VHCB, a federal Save 

America’s Treasures partnership, and other sources, the museum is being saved 

for new generations to explore. Last year, more than 5,000 people visited this 

new center for the collection, preservation and interpretation of the history of 

precision manufacturing. 

“I’ve always seen that building as a special place,” says Eric Gilbertson, the 

deputy state historic-preservation officer and a Precision Museum trustee. “It’s 

the most intact example of early to mid-19th century mill building in Vermont, 

particularly of that scale. And what went on inside the building is so important.” 

The tall brick structure sits at the southern end of Windsor’s downtown, 

slightly below modern road level, beside a tumbling-water stretch of the Mill 

Brook. It was here in the late 1840s, inside what was then called the Robbins & 

Lawrence Armory and Machine Shop, that skilled machinists and designers created 

a set of finely engineered machine tools to turn out military rifles made of 

interchangeable parts. That manufacturing advance was brand new to the world. 

Before the Robbins & Lawrence innovation, a gunsmith needed eight days to 

make one rifle, crafting each individual part in turn. This was the way all mechanical 

devices were made. Then, in 1851, the local gunmakers Robbins, Kendall 

and Lawrence brought a batch of new Windsor-built rifles to London’s Crystal 

Palace Exposition. They took the guns apart, mixed all the parts together on the 

exposition floor, then reassembled new guns. The British Army quickly ordered 

25,000 Enfield rifles and 138 gun-making machines — and thereby imported to 

“I’ve always seen 

that building as a 

special place. It’s the 

most intact example 

of early to mid- 

19th century mill 

building in Vermont, 

particularly of that 

scale. And what went 

on inside the building 

is so important.” 

—Eric Gilbertson, 

deputy state historic 

preservation officer & 

museum trustee


England what became known as the 

“American system” of precision manufacturing. 

The techniques and expertise 

developed at Robbins & Lawrence gave 

rise to the Industrial Revolution. From 

the first manufacture of guns, sewing 

machines, typewriters, and railroad 

cars until today, virtually all important 

consumer products have been manufactured 

of interchangeable parts. 

Windsor became the birthplace 

of America’s Precision Valley, from 

here through Springfield along the 

Connecticut River. Its machine-tool 

industry, so vital to the Allied success 

in World War II, is virtually gone 

today — but its importance lives on. 

“It’s interesting, geographically: At 

one end of Windsor there’s the Constitution 

House [cradle of the Vermont 

Constitution], and on the other end 

is the American Precision Museum,” 

reflects Bill Ballantyne, chair of the 

Windsor Downtown Board. “They 

represent the two major birthplace 

events that play a significant role in 

Windsor’s identity.” 

The Precision Museum houses an 

amazing collection of 19th century 

machine tools, set up for interactive 

display — but the building’s own 

deterioration threatened its survival. 

Having won a 200,000 Save America’s 

Treasures grant, provided through 

a partnership of federal agencies, 

the museum brought in funds from 

VHCB, the Preservation Trust of 

Vermont, several foundations, and 

individual donors to complete Phase I 

of a much-needed restoration project 

this year. 

Phase I installed a new slate roof 

that matched the deteriorated original, 

and renovated 70 of the 166 historic 

wood windows. Phase II targets the remaining 

windows, structural elements, 

and masonry restoration, along with 

probable safety improvements. 

“This year we’re going to be launching 

a new initiative,” says museum 

Director Ann Lawless, “to focus on 

developing a coherent education 

program that’s based on what teachers 

need from us, and that references the 

Vermont and New Hampshire educational 

standards.” 

“There are a lot of really good ideas 

out there,” adds Trustee Gilbertson. 

Other Historic 

Preservation Projects 

Jamaica Town Hall 

The Town Hall Restoration 

Committee is leveraging a VHCB 

grant with substantial locally raised 

funds to restore the 1851-vintage 

Town Hall, located on Route 30 

in the heart of the village and 

identifi ed in the town plan as 

Jamaica’s “cultural, civic, and 

religious center.” VHCB funding 

will enable the restoration of 

historic features, both external and 

structural. A historic preservation 

easement will be held by VHCB 

and the Preservation Trust of 

Vermont. 

Roxbury Depot 

In Roxbury, VHCB funding helped 

make possible the restoration 

and rehabilitation of the Roxbury 

Depot, a town-owned building on 

Route 12A that is the community’s 

only public meeting space for 

town-related business. The town 

moved the building — originally 

one of Vermont’s fi rst railroad 

stations — onto adjacent, townowned 

land, restored the depot 

inside and out, added a small, 

“historically sensitive” addition, 

and made the building wheelchairaccessible. 

37

FEDERAL FUNDS SUPPLEMENT VHCB AWARDS 

38 

conjunction with state funds, 

In VHCB administers federal 

funding for programs to develop 

housing, increase affordability, add 

support services, provide technical 

assistance, and leverage state and 

private dollars for land conservation 

in Vermont. 

Lead-Based Paint 

Hazard Re duc tion Pro gram 

With funding from the U.S. 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development, this program has been 

operating since 1994, administering 

13.5 million to reduce lead hazards in 

1,500 homes and apartments statewide. 

To read more about the program, see 

page 41. 

AmeriCorps Vermont 

Community Stewardship Program 

This program has operated for eight 

years, cosponsoring AmeriCorps 

members to serve with nonprofit 

housing and conservation en ti ties 

statewide. VHCB has administered 

1.6 million in funds for this program 

since 1996. In 2005 the program 

placed 30 AmeriCorps with housing 

and conservation nonprofits statewide. 

To read more about the program, see 

page 39. 

Agency of Transportation TEA-21 

VHCB has been awarded 1.8 million 

in tea-21 funds to conserve land 

in prox im i ty to state highways. The 

“transportation enhancement” funds 

le ver age state funds, providing another 

source of funds to conserve farmland 

and open land. 

HOME Program 

Federal HOME Program funds are 

aimed at serving low- and very low-income 

Vermonters in housing projects 

meeting the priorities of the State 

Con sol i dat ed Plan. These funds help 

to cov er project de vel op ment costs, to 

cre ate great er affordability in the projects, 

and to sup ple ment VHCB funds. 

The Board ad min is ters the program on 

be half of the Department of Hous ing 

and Com mu ni ty Affairs. VHCB has 

ad min is tered 41.4 mil lion in HOME 

funds since the be gin ning of the program 

in 1992. 

Farmland Protection Pro gram 

Through the USDA Natural Resources 

Con ser va tion Service, VHCB 

ad min is ters funds from this federal 

program to con serve farmland. These 

funds sup ple ment Ver mont’s state and 

pri vate efforts, in creas ing the amount 

of farm land con served. The Board has 

com mit ted 16.3 mil lion in Farm land 

Pro tec tion Pro gram funds. 

HUD Economic 

Development In cen tive 

Special Project Grants 

The Board administers these onetime 

federal grants to designated 

housing developments in the state to 

assist communities in meeting their 

housing needs. Last year, Special 

Project Grant funds were awarded to 

housing developments in Rutland and 

Burlington. Since 1987, the Board has 

administered nearly 13.4 million in 

Special Project Grants. 

Housing Opportunities 

for Per sons with AIDS 

HOPWA funds provide rental 

sub si dies, emergency assistance and 

sup port ive services to persons liv ing 

with HIV/AIDS. This program was 

developed in col lab o ra tion with the 

Vermont HIV/AIDS Care Consortium, 

the Department of Health, the Persons 

with AIDS Coalition, the Ver mont 

Center for Independent Liv ing, and 

the AIDS service organizations. VHCB 

has ad-ministered more than 2.9 

million in HOPWA funds. 

HUD Technical Assistance Funds 

VHCB’s Community Housing 

Development Or ga ni za tion Tech ni cal 

As sis tance Program has administered 

275,000 in various HUD funds to 

pro vide train ing, operating sup port 

and tech ni cal as sis tance to non profit 

de vel op ers of afford able hous ing. 

VHCB uses HUD technical assistance 

funds to develop and co-sponsor 

trainings. 

Farm Viability 

Enhancement Program 

VHCB funding for this new farm 

program is supplemented by federal 

funding administered by the USDA 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service. In 2005 VHCB received a 

commitment of 225,000 from NRCS 

for this program. To read more about 

the program, see page 26.

VERMONT COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM 

Recently released findings from 

‘A Longitudinal Study of Service 

in AmeriCorps’ revealed that Ameri- 

Corps alumni are: 

1) more connected to their communities; 

2) more knowledgeable about 

problems facing their communities; 

3) more likely to participate in 

community activities; and 

4) more likely to choose public 

service careers. 

The Vermont Community Stewardship 

Program (VCSP) helps individuals 

in Vermont to achieve just that while 

providing integral support to housing 

and conservation nonprofits around 

the state. 

VCSP is now in its eighth year as 

an AmeriCorps project of the Vermont 

Housing and Conservation Board. It 

is one of five AmeriCorps programs 

in Vermont that are partially funded 

by the Corporation for National and 

Community Service and the National 

Service Trust. 

While still actively recruiting for 

the current year, the VCSP roster 

includes 29 AmeriCorps members in 

the field statewide, getting things done 

with an emphasis on community support, 

leadership and civic engagement. 

The members serve with 25 housing 

and land conservation nonprofits 

across the state. 

This year’s members have brought 

a new dynamic to the program: with 

an average member age of 32.7 years, 

members are bringing more experience 

and diversity to their service than 

ever before. This reflects an emerging 

awareness that AmeriCorps is 

not just for recent college graduates, 

but for people of all ages who wish to 

serve their communities by joining the 

national volunteer movement close to 

home. 

VCSP has graduated 140 members 

who, in turn, have involved over 6,000 

community volunteers in grassroots 

efforts to improve the lives of thousands 

more Vermonters. These volunteers, 

who include youth, have served 

more than 42,000 hours, exponentially 

magnifying the positive impact that 

AmeriCorps members can have in 

their neighborhoods. Approximately 

20% of graduating VCSP members 

have been hired on by the nonprofits 

for which they served. Many others 

have accepted jobs with other nonprofits, 

returned to school or enrolled for 

another term of service with VCSP. 

AmeriCorps members celebrated at a closing ceremony in August at Silver Lake. 

Getting Things Done 

VCSP AmeriCorps members 

working with housing 

organizations: 

• act as role models to youth, 

help children with schoolwork 

and organize after-school 

activities 

• provide education for 

fi rst-time home owners at 

NeighborWorks® Home 

Ownership Centers 

• provide services to Vermont’s 

homeless and marginally housed 

population, help to identify 

permanent affordable housing, 

and facilitate workshops and 

classes on nutrition, budgeting, 

health, and resumé writing. 

• organize residents to 

create community gardens 

and newsletters and hold 

community dinners 

• educate residents about 

their rights and responsibilities 

and help connect residents 

with social services and 

educational opportunities. 

Members working with 

conservation organizations: 

• organize and lead 

environmental education and 

service opportunities for 

school-aged youth. 

• recruit volunteers. 

• serve as group leaders. 

• maintain trails and peform 

land stewardship 

responsbilities. 

39

40 

AMERICORPS MEMBER PROFILE 

AmeriCorps member Cheryl Santacaterina with youngsters in the community 

room at Moose River Apartments in St. Johnsbury. Cheryl provided before and 

after school activities and served many hours beyond the number required by her 

term of service. 

Helping to Build a Working Community 

Cheryl Santacaterina of East Haven, in the Northeast Kingdom, was studying 

human services at Springfield College when she got involved with 

Moose River Apartments and Gilman Housing Trust, the affordable complex’s 

developer, in St. Johnsbury three years ago. 

Cheryl volunteered for a year at Moose River, to fulfill her college’s requirement 

for a community project — then she accepted a position as an AmeriCorps 

resident organizer at Moose River and Mountain View, another Gilman property 

in St. J. For almost another two years she helped bring residents together, 

with each other and with Gilman, the property managers, and others, to solve 

problems. The aim, always, was to empower the residents to use their own 

voices and improve their own community. 

“My premise with the residents has been an inside-out process, versus 

someone coming in from outside to solve the problems,” Cheryl explains. “The 

solutions in the complex really need to come from them, because they’re the 

ones who live there. 

The residents needed to believe that they had the skills.” 

Although Cheryl’s term has ended, AmeriCorps continues to fund a resident 

organizer at the complexes. And although she sees that more work is needed to 

achieve truly self-sustaining results, Cheryl has seen impacts. Residents at both 

complexes, she observes, are “more involved in community events. 

“I’ve noticed that people talk with 

each other more. There’s more of a 

problem-solving attitude, more camaraderie. 

People have started watching 

each other’s children. We started using 

the community room — it had nothing 

in it, now there’s a blackboard, a TV, 

VCR, microwave, dishes. The community 

room is an actual community 

room now, that’s being used — in both 

complexes. The tenants took that on, 

and ran with it. 

“I got to be part of it,” says Cheryl. 

“It was definitely a team effort — it’s 

the community, Gilman, the on-site 

managers, the police, the fire companies, 

everybody in the community 

who participated and offered to help.” 

“A number of the residents residing 

in our small community are visible 

members of the larger community: 

firefighters, nurses, teachers, college 

students, disabled people, and Vermont 

Humanities Council members,” 

wrote Nina Ricci, a Moose River 

resident, to the Caledonian-Record 

last August. “Moose River is a melting 

pot. I’d like to see more communities 

like ours in the community that is our 

nation.” 

Today, Cheryl Santacaterina is a 

graduate student in the counseling 

program at Springfield. Reflecting 

on her experience with AmeriCorps, 

she says, “I learned so many different 

things. I think one of the biggest — it’s 

not a new lesson — is how important it 

is to have all the players at the table at 

the same time, for collaborative work. 

It’s just really important that communication 

happens with everybody right 

there.”

VERMONT LEAD-BASED PAINT HAZARD REDUCTION PROGRAM 

The Rockingham Area Community 

Land Trust used $45,000 in Lead 

Paint Hazard Abatement Funding 

renovating the historic 13-unit Wall 

Street Apartment building in Springfi 

eld. U.S.D.A. Rural Development 

provided both a low interest loan and 

rental assistance for all 13 units. The 

original woodwork, trim, hardwood 

fl oors and arched windows give the 

apartments character and appeal. 

Vermont Lead Paint 

Hazard Reduction 

Program 

For more information, contact 

us at 

1-800-290-0527 

or visit the web site: 

www.leadsafevermont.org 

All children should be screened 

for lead poisoning at ages one 

and two. To learn about 

free lead screening, 

contact the 

Department of Health 

at 1-800-439-8550. 

Lead poisoning is the number one environmental threat to the health of young 

children, causing behavioral, neurological and physical damage that cannot 

be undone. Prevention is the only way to eliminate this serious problem. 

Operating since 1994, VHCB’s very successful Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction 

Program provides technical and financial assistance to eliminate lead paint 

hazards in private, low-income housing and home-based day care centers. Home 

owners with young children and rental property owners receive comprehensive assistance 

in the form of lead paint testing, development of hazard control plans, construction 

oversight, and dust testing to ensure properties are safe to be reoccupied. 

A typical lead hazard reduction project includes window replacement, stabilization 

of painted surfaces, removal of lead paint from friction or impact surfaces 

(i.e. door jambs, floors), and specialized cleaning. 

Grants and zero percent interest deferred loans are provided to pay certified 

lead abatement contractors to complete the necessary work. The program also 

provides funding and expertise to VHCB’s non-profit partners to ensure lead 

safety and regulatory compliance in projects involving the rehabilitation of older 

housing units. 

The program was recently awarded another 3 million grant from the U.S. 

Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) to continue its important 

work. Since 1994, the program has helped to reduce lead paint hazards in over 

1,500 homes and apartments throughout the State. The newest award from HUD 

will allow the program to assist another 220 families. 

VHCB works closely with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program 

at the Vermont Department of Health to complete priority interventions in the 

homes of lead poisoned children and to raise public awareness about the dangers 

of lead. 

The program conducts a comprehensive lead awareness campaign that includes 

a web site (www.leadsafevermont.org) and the provision of free lead safety training 

classes. VHCB is currently the only source of this training whichh is required by 

Vermont law. Staff also provide advice and limited technical assistance to prevent 

Vermonters from creating lead hazards during home improvements and to keep 

their children safe by using proper cleaning techniques. 

In 2004-2005 the Lead Program participated in a study to conduct low-level 

interventions in the homes of asthmatic children to determine if asthmatic events 

could be reduced by identifying and mitigating certain environmental conditions 

in the home. This research project is being conducted in partnership with the City 

of Boston and the Asthma Regional Council of New England. Follow-up surveys 

of program participants indicate positive benefits for children with asthma such 

as fewer school days missed, fewer hospital visits, and less respiratory distress in 

the home. 

In the coming year, the program will be participating in efforts to improve compliance 

with Vermont’s lead paint law for rental housing and child care facilities. 

41

Housing Awards July 2004 –June 2005 

Organizational Development Grant. 23,000 

for organizational development costs. 12,500 

HOME Program award. Total organizational 

budget: 1,220,000. 

Addison County Parent Child Center 

18 Elm Street, Middlebury. 187,000 award 

for rehabilitation and related expenses 

of 9 transitional housing units and one 

rental unit for young parents and at-risk 

adolescents, as well as one staff apartment. 

220,000 HOME Program award. Total 

project cost: 877,000. 

Brattleboro Area Community Land Trust 

Brattleboro Transitional Housing, Brattleboro. 

375,000 award for acquisition and 

rehabilitation of 3 multi-family rental properties 

to provide permanent and transitional 

housing for 15 low- and moderate-income 

single and expectant mothers with supportive 

services. 383,360 HOME Program 

award. Total project cost: 2,502,160. 

42 

Senator Jeffords sprang into action to secure federal funds for the 

Wilder Block in Brattleboro, following a fire that devastated the upper 

floors. The Brattleboro Area Community Land Trust will rebuild this 

historic downtown block, developing affordable apartments, office and 

commercial space using VHCB, Vermont Community Development 

Program and federal funding. Senator Jeffords' long-standing commitment 

to housing issues resulted in a change to the federal regulations that has 

provided an additional $11 million of federal low income housing tax 

credit equity per year for Vermont over each of the last five years. 

Addison County Community 

Action Group 

Creek View Housing, Vergennes. 100,000 

Special Project Grant for rehabilitation and 

related expenses of 19 affordable units in a 

36-unit family rental development in five 

buildings near downtown Vergennes. Total 

project cost: 3,716,725. 

Smallest City Housing, Vergennes. 124,500 

additional Special Project Grant for rehabilitation 

of 19 apartments in 2 historic 

buildings on Main Street. Total project costs: 

3,370,427. 

Addison County Community Trust 

Stone Hill Apartments, Middlebury. 260,000 

award for acquisition, construction and 

related expenses of 22 affordable units in a 27- 

unit multi-family rental development close to 

downtown. 415,000 HOME Program award. 

Total project cost: 4,798,143. 

Lindale Mobile Home Park, Middlebury. 

340,000 award for acquisition and infrastructure 

rehabilitation of a 67-lot park within 

walking distance to downtown, schools and 

services. 50,000 HOME Program award. 

Total Project cost: 1,590,000. 

Butterfield Common, Dover. 45,000 additional 

award for construction and related 

expenses of 40-unit family and senior rental 

housing and homeownership development. 


Sadawga Springs Apartments, Whitingham. 

247,500 for acquisition, rehabilitation and 

related expenses for 9 affordable rental units 

in renovated historic hotel in town center. 



Wilder Block, Brattleboro. 200,000 award 

for rehabilitation and related expenses for 8 

affordable rental units, 2 commercial spaces 

and 5 offices in the historic Wilder Building 

on Main Street destroyed by a fire. 62,500 

HOME Program award. 384,000 HUD 

Special Project grant. Total project cost: 

2,760,145. 




budget: 835,493.


Burlington Community Land Trust 




budget: 1,913,104. 

Cathedral Square Corporation 

Farrell Street Senior Housing and Services, 

South Burlington. 450,000 award for 

construction and related expenses for 30 

affordable units in a 63 unit multi-family 

senior rental with supportive services and 

first-floor commercial space, Adult Day 

Center and Senior Service Center. 269,000 

HOME Program award Total project cost: 

9,004,900 housing portion. 


for organizational development costs. Total 

organizational budget: 928,790. 

Central Vermont Community Land Trust 

Evergreen Place, Waitsfield. 276,000 award 

for acquisition, construction and related 

expenses for the conversion from shared 

housing to 18 affordable independent rental 

apartments for the elderly. 263,000 HOME 

Program award. Total redevelopment cost: 

2,632,750. 

River Station Condominiums, Montpelier. 

150,000 for construction and related 

expenses to convert an old granite shed 

complex close to downtown Montpelier into 

8 affordable units and 12 market rate units. 





budget: 923,511. 

Gilman Housing Trust 

Elm Street Transitional Housing, St. Johnsbury. 

25,000 additional award for a sprinkler 

system for 5 transitional housing units 

for young women, as well as one resident 

manager’s apartment. Total project cost: 

180,000. 

Lyndon Barns and the Kulp House, Lyndon. 

75,000 additional award for rehabilitation 

and related expenses to create 3 additional 

rental units in two empty barns on Main 

Street. 126,218 HOME Program award.. 

Total project cost: 307,018 

Northern Green Homes, Jay. 100,000 award 

for the construction of 4 single family homes 

and related expenses on land donated by 

the Vermont Land Trust. Total project cost: 

567,000. 




budget: 1,900,452. 

HallKeen Real Estate Investment 

Winooski Falls Riverfront Downtown Project, 

Winooski. 1,500,000 HOME program 

award to be disbursed over a four-year 

period for the construction and related 

expenses of 118 affordable units in a 228- 

unit development in the Central Block of 

the downtown Winooski redevelopement 

project. Total project costs: 49,255,811. 

Housing Foundation, Inc. 

School Street Apartments, Plainfield. 

320,000 award for the redevelopment of 8 

senior and 5 family rental units in the village 

center. 190,000 HOME Program award. 


Laurendon Apartments, Greensboro. 

190,000 award for acquisition and rehabilitation 

of a 10-unit senior rental housing development 

near the village center. Walking 

distance to services and public access area 

for Caspian Lake. 120,000 HOME Program 

award. Total project cost: 934,000. 

Housing Vermont 

East Dorset Housing, Dorset. 300,000 

award for acquisition, construction and 

related expenses of 16 affordable units in a 20- 

unit multi-family rental development with 4 

homeownership units. 350,000 HOME Program 

award. Total project cost: 4,221,985. 

43 

In Montpelier the Central 

Vermont Community Land 

Trust is creating 29 affordable 

apartments in a 36-unit multifamily 

rental development, River 

Station Apartments. When the 

apartments are complete, CVCLT 

will commence construction 

of a 20-unit condominium 

development on an adjacent lot.


44 

Morningside House 

Morningside Emergency Shelter, Brattleboro. 

25,000 Transitional Housing award 

for renovations to add one furnished transitional 

unit, consolidate office space, and 

add a community room and a play room for 

children residing in the shelter. Total project 

cost: 115,125. 

Lake Champlain Housing 

Development Corporation 



organizational budget: 1,506,806. 

Lamoille Housing Partnership 




budget: 281,725. 

Regional Affordable Housing Corporation 




budget: 382,467. 

Rockingham Area Community Land Trust 

Gageville Affordable Housing, Gageville. 

Additional 75,000 HOME Program award 

for further rehabilitation of 4 rental units in 

former school building. 

Southview Housing, Springfield. 675,000 

award for rehabilitation and energy efficiency 

improvements for 69-unit family rental 

development consisting of 18 buildings on 

14 acres. Total project cost: 5,645,600. 

Windsor Housing, Windsor. 33,000 project 

related capacity award to determine the 

feasibility of a multi-goal downtown re-development 

project in the center of Windsor 

consisting of four parcels. Total project cost: 

73,000. 




budget: 640,581. 

Rutland County Community Land Trust 


for organizational development costs. 19,160. 


budget: 529,671. 

Twin Pines Housing Trust 




budget: 1,090,089. 

Valley Cares, Inc. 

West River Valley Elderly Housing, Townshend. 

510,000 award for acquisition, 

construction and related expenses for 34 

affordable units in a 52 unit development 

consisting of independent and assisted living 

apartments as well as an Adult Day Care 

Center. 315,000 HOME Program award. 

Total project cost: 8,337,752 including Adult 

Day Care Center. 

Heineberg Housing, Burlington. First 

funded by the Board in 1988, this 

year the property was purchased by 

Cathedral Square Corporation. 

STATEWIDE 

Vermont Center for Independent Living 

Home Access Program, Statewide. 400,000 

award for program providing accessibility 

modifications in homes and apartments 

statewide. 20,000 HOME Program award. 

Total project costs: 642,500. 

Vermont Community Loan Fund 



organizational budget: 2,396,020. 

Feasibility Fund Recapitalization 

250,000 recapitalization fund that supports 

feasibility analysis for individual projects. 

Awards are made for appraisals, engineering 

and environmental studies, options, 

preliminary architectural and title work and 

marketing analysis. 

Habitat for Humanity/Vocational Education 

Program 

180,000 recapitalization of fund for land 

acquisition and construction costs of 8 

homes to be built by Habitat for Humanity 

and Vocational Education Programs. 

HOMELAND Program 

875,000 recapitalization of program to 

provide purchase subsidies, downpayment 

and closing cost assistance and rehabilitation 

loans to 32 home buyers purchasing 

homes through community-based housing 

organizations. 59,072 in American Dream 

Downpayment Initiative HOME program 

funds. 

AMERICAN DREAM 

DOWNPAYMENT INITIATIVE 

124,000 award to 7 housing organizations 

in HOME program funds to assist incomeeligible 

first-time homebuyers with down 

payment and closing costs. 

Single Family Assistance Program 

25,000 recapitalization of loan fund available 

to purchasers of VHCB-restricted 

homes for closing costs that must be 

matched by the borrower’s own cash investment 

in the purchase.

Housing Awards July –December 2005 

Burlington Community Land Trust 

Callahan Old North End Housing, Burlington. 

450,000 award for acquisition, 

rehabilitation, and related expenses of 28 

affordable multi-family rental units in six 

buildings on North Street, Front Street and 

Intervale Avenue in Burlington. Total project 

cost: 4,416,761. 

Cathedral Square Corporation 

Farrell Street Senior Housing and Services, 

South Burlington. 90,500 additional award 

for construction and related expenses for 

30 affordable units in a 63-unit multi-family 

senior rental with supportive services 

and first-floor commercial space, Adult 

Day Center and Senior Service Center. 

90,500 additional HOME Program award. 

Total project cost: 9,004,900 (housing 

portion). 

Central Vermont Community Land Trust 

Bradford Scattered Sites, Bradford. 500,000 

award for acquisition, rehabilitation, and 

related expenses of seven buildings with 27 

affordable multi-family rental units and 6 

market rate units along South Main Street in 

the gateway to the village Historic District. 



Gilman Housing Trust 

Glover Senior Apartments, Glover. 300,000 

award for acquisition, construction and related 

expenses of 12 affordable rental units 

for seniors. Total project cost: 1,883,487. 

Housing Vermont 

Enosburg Falls Downtown Redevelopment, 

Enosburg. 480,000 award for acquisition, 

rehabilitation, and related expenses 

to develop 20 affordable and 8 market rate 

multi-family rental units in two buildings 

destroyed by a fire in the historic district 

and space donated by the Merchants 

Bank in their historic building. 425,000 

HOME Program award. Total project cost: 

8,107,006 (includes commercial space 

development). 

Housing Vermont and 

Lamoille Housing Partnership 

Hardwick Family Housing/Bemis Block, 

Hardwick. 400,000 award for acquisition, 

rehabilitation and related expenses 

of 13 affordable rental units for seniors and 

8 affordable family rental units. 297,000 

HOME Program award. Total project cost: 

2,298,251. 

Randolph Area Community 

Development Corporation 

Salisbury Square, Randolph. 45,800 project 

related capacity award to determine the 

feasibility of a development of affordable 

housing on a site off of Salisbury Street in 

the Village of Randolph. 

Richford Renaissance Corporation 

Richford Main Street Mill Redevelopment, 

Richford. 240,000 award for acquisition, 

rehabilitation, and related expenses of 12 

affordable rental units in the former Sweat- 

Comings furniture factory building on Main 

Street within walking distance of many 

services. HOME Program award: 180,000. 


Rockingham Area Community Land Trust 

Southview Housing, Springfield. 75,000 

additional award for rehabilitation and 

related expenses of 65 affordable units in a 

69-unit multi-family rental in 18 buildings. 


STATEWIDE 

Vermont Center for Independent Living 

Home Access Program. 400,000 award 

for approximately 50 access modification 

projects in individual homes. Total project 

cost: 650,000. 

Housing Organizational 

Development Grants 

499,000 in organizational development 

grants to 13 organizations. 184,940 in HUD 

funds for 10 CHDO organizational development 

grants. 

45 

Butterfield Commons 

in Dover, developed by the 

Brattleboro Area Community Land 

Trust, will provide 26 homes for 

seniors with project based rental 

assistance, seven family rentals and 

seven home ownership units.

Conservation Awards July 2004 –June 2005 

American Precision Museum 

Robbins & Lawrence Armory, Windsor. 

100,000 award for the restoration and rehabilitation 

of historic c. 1846 mill building 

to be developed as national center for the 

collection, preservation and interpretation 

of the history of precision manufacturing in 

Vermont. Total project cost: 732,440. 

46 

Bennington Project Independence 

Harwood Hill Barn Stabilization, Bennington. 

80,000 historic preservation award to 

stabilize a historic barn on 5 acres on Rt. 7A 

near downtown Bennington. Second phase 

will include rehabilition of barn as part of 

a larger adult day care and day health rehabilitation 

facility for senior citizens, as well 

as younger adults with disabilities or chronic 

illness, and their families. Total project cost: 

155,153 stabilization phase only. 

Brattleboro Area Community Land Trust 

Wilder Block Stabilization, Brattleboro. 

62,500 historic preservation award to 

assist with the stabilization of the upper 

stories of the historic Wilder Block on Main 

Street destroyed by fire. The block will be 

renovated as affordable rental units, office 

and commercial space. Total project cost: 

218,884 stabilization phase only. 

Catamount Trail Association 


grant for organizational development costs. 

Total organizational budget: 170,150. 

Climbing Resource 

Access Group of Vermont 

Bolton Quarry Acquisition, Bolton. 42,350 

award for the acquisition, associated costs 

and stewardship of 31-acre rock-climbing 

and winter ice-climbing destination 

in Northwestern Vermont, with old logging 

roads for hunting, walking, hiking, 

snowshoeing, cross country skiing. VAST 

trails and wildlife habitat Total project cost: 

64,650. 

Cross Vermont Trail Association 

Cross Vermont Trail-Pratt Parcel, Plainfield. 

14,100 award for acquisition and associated 

costs of 6 acres and 315 feet of railbed to be 

In Bennington, a VHCB historic preservation award will allow for stabilization of 

Harwood Hill Barn. The barn will be rehabilitated as part of a larger adult day 

care and day health rehabilitation facility for senior citizens, younger adults with 

disabilities or chronic illness, and their families. 

used as part of a multi-use recreation trail 

intended to run from Vermont’s western 

border on Lake Champlain to its eastern 

border in the Village of Wells River. Total 





Essex Junction School District 

Park Street School Historic Rehabilitation, 

Essex Junction. 60,000 award for the restoration 

and rehabilitation of historic c. 1873 

brick school housing an alternative public 

high school for at-risk youth and public 

meeting/education space. Total project cost: 

800,000. 

Franklin Natural Resources 

Conservation District 

10,000 match award for district staff to 

provide technical assistance to farmers to 

complete resource inventories, assessments 

and progressive conservation plans and to 

prepare farmland conservation applications. 

Green Mountain Club 

Bissell Property and Trail, Johnson. 46,660 

award for acquisition and associated costs 

of 72 acres and a 1⁄4 mile trail easement 

for Long Trail relocation along Dry Ridge. 

Provides easy access to a portion of the Mt. 

Mansfield State forest. Total project cost: 

78,160. 



Total organizational budget: 1,453,564. 

Jericho Underhill Land Trust 

Casey’s Hill, Underhill. 100,000 local 

conservation award for the acquisition, 

stewardship and associated costs of a 9-acre 

winter sledding hill with views of Mount 

Mansfield. Year-round public recreational 

use; walking distance from school. Total 

project cost: 245,931.


Lake Champlain Land Trust 




Middlebury Area Land Trust 





Harwood Hill Barn, Bennington. 7,500 

award for documentation report and stewardship. 

Jamaica Town Hall, Jamaica. 7,500 award 

for documentation report and stewardship. 

Lamoille Grange, Morrisville. 7,500 award 

for documentation report and stewardship. 

Park Street School, Essex Junction. 7,500 

documentation and stewardship award. 

Robbins & Lawrence Armory, Windsor. 

7,500 documentation and stewardship 

award. 

Wilder Block, Brattleboro. 7,500 award for 

documentation report and stewardship. 

River Arts of Morrisville, Inc. 

Lamoille Grange Building, Morrisville. 

76,000 historic preservation award for the 

acquisition, renovation and rehabilitation 

of the historic Lamoille Grange building 

in downtown Morrisville for community 

use for arts education, assembly, and community 

meeting space. Total project cost: 

501,200. 


Windsor County Fen Watershed, Barnard. 

35,000 award for acquisition of conservation 

easements, associated costs and 

stewardship of 30 acres to protect a state-significant 

intermediate fen and its supporting 

watershed. Total project cost: 91,900. 

Reed Property at Old Marsh Pond, Fair 

Haven. 81,100 award for acquisition and 

associated costs of 14 acres of natural habitat 

with rare plants, important natural communities, 

rare and endangered animals. 1,000 

feet of frontage on Old Marsh Pond adjacent 

to WMA with public access. Total project 

cost: 121,205. 

Snake Mountain-Pittman Parcel, Bridport. 

197,600 award for acquisition and associated 

costs to conserve 152 acres of natural 

habitat with rare plants and animals, significant 

natural communities, dramatic 

cliffs and talus system offering views of the 

surrounding countryside. Public trail access. 

Total project cost: 265,490 




Town of Ferrisburgh 

Ferrisburgh Grange Hall, Ferrisburgh. 

60,000 additional local historic preservation 

award to rebuild a municipally owned 

historic Grange Hall destroyed by a fire for 

use as new town offices and a community 

center. Total project cost: 1,100,000. 

Town of Glover 

Glover Recreation Area, Glover. 25,000 

local conservation award for the acquisition 

of 6 acres for a town ballfield and recreation 

area. Total project cost: 53,500. 

Town of Jamaica 

Jamaica Town Hall, Jamaica. 35,300 historic 

preservation award for the rehabilitation of 

the historic town hall building in the village 

center to be used as community space for 

meetings, performances and public and private 

gatherings. Total project cost: 94,500 

for Phase I. 

Upper Valley Land Trust 

O’Connell Farm, Corinth. 42,000 local 

conservation award for acquisition of conservation 

easements and stewardship of 50- 

acre dairy with adjacent 126-acre easement 

donation allowing for pedestrian public 

access. 24,000 NRCS grant. Total project 

cost: 100,000. 

47 


grant for organizational development 

costs. 

Green Mountain Club staff and volunteers installing a bridge for the new “Short 

Trail” located at the GMC headquarters in Waterbury Center 

Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture, Food & Markets 

Bullis/Rainville Farm Add-on, North Hero. 


easements on 10 acres farmland for 

addition to previously conserved 334-acre 

home farm. Total project cost: 14,625.


Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture, Food & Markets 

Farmland Conservation Program. 40,000 

grant to support policy development, stewardship 

and project development for the 

Farmland Conservation Program. 

Vermont Agency of Natural Resources 

35,000 grant to assist in the development 

of long-range management plans for lands 

acquired by ANR with VHCB funds. 

48 

Vermont Department 

of Forests, Parks & Recreation 

Hatch Parcel, Westmore. 185,000 award 

for acquisition and associated costs of a 3- 

acre inholding in Willoughby State Forest 

providing public outdoor recreation opportunities 

and lake access with 800' shoreline. 

Total project cost: 185,000. 

Vermont Land Trust and Town of Jay 

Jay Recreation Lands, Jay. 119,575 local 

conservation award for fee acquisition of 

282 acres, conservation, stewardship and 

associated costs for municipal recreational 

land including ball fields and a town-wide 

trail network close to the village and school. 

Bargain sale by Vermont Land Trust plus 

donation of land for affordable housing. 


Vermont Land Trust 

Beattie Farm, Manchester. 53,000 local 

conservation award for acquisition of 

conservation easements, associated costs, 

and stewardship of 77 acres as addition to 

established horse farm with dispersed, nonmotorized 

public access. Includes an option 

to purchase at agricultural value. Easement 

donation valued at 1,094,000. 150,000 

NRCS grant. Total project cost: 1,754,500. 

Briggs Farm, Addison. 219,000 award for 

acquisition of conservation easements, associated 

costs, and stewardship of 492-acre 

dairy; includes unique clayplain forest and 

archeological sites with Otter Creek frontage 

and option to purchase at agricultural 

value. 198,000 NRCS grant. Total project 

cost: 418,100. 

Titus Farm in Charlotte, conserved by the Vermont Land Trust. 

Burton Farm, Benson. 137,500 award for 


costs, and stewardship of 301- acre 

commercial hay operation with 42 acres of 

rare clay plain forest and historic farmhouse. 

Includes an option to purchase at agricultural 

value. 117,000 NRCS grant. Total 


Collins Farm, Alburg. 108,000 award for 


costs, and stewardship of 217 acres 

of cropland for addition to neighboring 

dairy. 86,000 NRCS grant. Total project 

cost: 194,000. 

Hathaway Farm, Benson. 153,500 award 

for acquisition of conservation easements, 

associated costs, and stewardship of 361- 

acre dairy adding to a block of conserved 

farmland. Includes an option to purchase 

at agricultural value. The farm’s woodland 

includes two areas of rare clay plain forest. 

133,000 NRCS grant. Total project cost: 

285,500. 

Jackman Farm, Waltham. 149,500 award 


associated costs, and stewardship of 160-acre 


cost: 308,000. 

Jones II Farm, Hyde Park. 117,500 award 


associated costs and stewardship of 173 

acres of farmland for addition to previously 

conserved dairy. 99,000 NRCS grant. Total 


Judd Add-On, Troy. 16,450 award for acquisition 

of conservation easements, associated 

costs and stewardship of 33 acres bareland 

for addition to previously conserved 404- 

acre home dairy. 7,750 NRCS grant. Total 


Kellogg Farm, Bethel. 176,500 award for 


costs, and stewardship on 245 acres 

of farmland. Ecological protection zone with 

40 acres rare floodplain forest; White River 

frontage. Includes an option to purchase at 

agricultural value. 156,000 NRCS grant. 

Total project cost: 334,700.


Kingsley Farm, Pittsford. 108,500 award 


associated costs and stewardship of 143-acre 

dairy with public canoe and fishing access 

on the Otter Creek. Includes an option to 

purchase at agricultural value. 88,000 

NRCS grant. Total project cost: 196,500. 

Lake Paran Conservation Project, Shaftsbury. 

248,787 award for the conservation 

and public access easement on 56 acres with 

2,850 feet of Lake Paran shoreline. Total 


LeRiche Farmland, Morrisville. 48,250 

award for acquisition of conservation easements, 

associated costs and stewardship of 

66 acres of cropland. Parcel includes riparian 

forest protection and pedestrian public access 

along Lamoille River. Includes an option 

to purchase at agricultural value. 27,750 


Titus Farm, Charlotte. 63,000 local conservation 

award for acquisition of conservation 

easements, associated costs and stewardship 

of 62-acre dairy. Inter-generational transfer. 

Includes an option to purchase at agricultural 

value. Non-motorized public trail 

access along Guinea Road. 120,000 NRCS 

grant. Total project cost: 340,000. 

Troy River Parcels, Troy. 30,700 local 

conservation award for acquisition, stewardship 

and associated costs of 16 acres for 

community gardens, canoe and river access, 

camping, river buffer and continued use as 

farmland by local organic dairy. Total project 

cost: 173,770. 

Paquette Farm, Ferrisburgh. 115,200 award 



dairy farm. Includes an option to purchase 

at agricultural value. 97,000 NRCS grant. 


Paraskevopoulos Farmland, New Haven. 



stewardship of 146 bareland acres rented 

to neighboring dairy. Includes an option 



Roy Farm, New Haven. 67,000 award for 


costs and stewardship of 76-acre 


cost: 113,500. 

Yandow I, II, III, St. Albans/Swanton. 



stewardship of 441-acre dairy for addition 

to a large block of conserved farmland. Includes 

an option to purchase at agricultural 

value.244,000 NRCS grant. Total project 

cost: 544,300. 

A&E Underwood Farm, Swanton. 80,500 

award for acquisition of conservation easements, 

associated costs and stewardship of 

115 acres farmland; abuts 1,500-acre block 

of conserved farmland. Includes an option 






Vermont River Conservancy 


grant for organizational development 

costs. 

Village of Barton 

Barton Park, Barton. 47,000 award for the 

acquisition of a two acres for community 

park in the Village providing for public recreational 

use. ADA trails, access from Main 

Street to the Barton River, riparian protection. 


STATEWIDE 

Farm Viability Program 

Grant awards to five organizations to provide 

technical assistance and business planning 

for farmers. 377,866. 

Feasibility Program 

250,000 recapitalization of fund to support 

feasibility analysis for predevelopment costs 

including appraisals, options, and preliminary 

title work. 

“As a hiker, hunter, 

backwoods skier, and 

general user of the 

state’s outdoors, I support 

efforts to conserve 

land that furthers these 

uses. I believe the Vermont 

Housing and 

Conservation Board 

and the Green Mountain 

Club work towards 

conserving and protecting 

wild lands for future 

Vermonters.” 

— Smith “The Old 

Ridge Runner” Edwards 

Hikers on the Long Trail in Eden. 

49

Conservation Awards July –December 2005 

50 

Green Mountain Club 

Journey’s End, Jay. 134,900 award for acquisition, 

associated costs and stewardship 

of a 184-acre parcel that will provide public 

access and protect the final mile of the Long 

Trail to the Canadian border. The parcel 

includes the summit of Carleton Mountain 

and a VAST trail and will be added to the 

adjacent Jay State Forest. Total project cost: 

294,200. 

Jericho/Underhill Land Trust 

and Vermont Land Trust 

Casey’s Hill, Underhill. 25,000 additional 

local conservation award for acquisition of 

8.8-acre scenic sledding hill ensuring public 

access. Total project cost: 243,889. 


Pawlet Town Hall Restoration, Pawlet. 

7,500 award for documentation report and 

stewardship. 


Brown Property/North Pawlet Hills, North 

Pawlet. 335,900 award for acquisition and 

associated costs on 279 acres for natural area 

protection and public access for hunting, 

walking, hiking and cross country skiing. 

Parcel contains 14 rare and uncommon plant 

species and dry oak-hickory-hop hornbeam 

woodlands. Parcel for addition to the adjacent 

Nature Conservancy North Pawlet Hills 

Ecological Reserve to conserve a total of 747 

acres of the Northern Taconic range. Total 


Town of Pawlet 

Pawlet Town Hall Restoration, Pawlet. 

41,662 historic preservation award for the 

rehabilitation of the municipally owned 

circa 1881 historic town hall building that 

serves as the town offices and central meeting 

place for community activities. Total 

project cost: 233,690 Phases I & II. 

Upper Valley Land Trust 

Davis Forest; Wright’s Mountain Addition, 

Bradford. 203,000 award for acquisition 

of 165 acres and conservation easements on 

an adjoining 110 acres, associated costs and 

stewardship. Adjacent to the previously conserved 

Wright’s Mountain and Devil’s Den 

parcels. Donation of conservation eaesments 

with public access on an additional 180 acres 

abutting Wright’s Mountain. Total project 

cost: 448,680. 

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, 

Food and Markets 

Charron Farm, Berkshire. 144,000 award 


associated costs and stewardship of 199- 

acre bareland parcel rented to abutting 

farmer. Parcel is traversed by Missisquoi 

River. 129,000 NRCS grant. Total project 

cost: 273,000. 

Vermont Land Trust 

Charron Farm, New Haven. 130,500 award 



dairy farm with extensive Route 7 frontage 

and 360-degree views. 225,000 NRCS 


Couture Farm, Berkshire. 119,750 award 


associated costs and stewardship of 126 acres 

of cropland with Pike River frontage. Includes 

an option to purchase at agricultural 

value. 99,000 NRCS grant. Total project 

cost: 218,750. 

Huestis Farm, Bridport. 183,000 award 



dairy that includes a Special Treatment Area 

for rare clayplain forest. Includes an option 



Jackman Farm in Waltham, conserved by the Vermont Land Trust.

Conservation Awards July –December 2005 

Mahan Farm, New Haven and Waltham. 



stewardship of 185-acre dairy adjacent to 

other conserved farmland. Transfer to a 

farm buyer. Includes an option to purchase 

at agricultural value.275,000 NRCS grant. 


Masse Farm, Craftsbury. 47,500 award for 


costs and stewardship of 66-acre goat 

dairy farm and custom poultry processing 

operation. 27,000 NRCS grant. Total project 

cost: 74,500. 

D&C Montagne II Farm, St. Albans. 


easements, associated costs and stewardship 

of 275-acre home dairy farm. Adds 

to a block of conserved farmland. 311,000 


Mt. Anthony Preservation Society Trailhead, 

Bennington. 168,000 award for acquisition, 


parcel to provide public access to hundreds 

of acres of other conserved, forested recreation 

lands on Mt. Anthony. Total project 

cost: 282,570. 

Quesnel Farm, Salisbury. 291,000 award 


associated costs and stewardship of 590- acre 

dairy with Otter Creek frontage and archeological 

sites. Includes an option to purchase 

at agricultural value. 284,500 NRCS grant. 


Rowe Farm, Cornwall. 203,335 award for 


costs and stewardship of 153-acre beef 

and dairy heifer operation allowing for an 

intergenerational transfer. 183,000 NRCS 


Russell Family Trust Property, Hinesburg. 

144,364 local conservation award for acquisition 

of conservation easements, associated 

costs and stewardship of a 63-acre parcel. 

Sugaring operation and continued access to 

a network of existing trails near the village 

center. Total project cost: 225,864. 

Wood Notch Farmland (Jackson Orchards), 

Shoreham. 118,900 award for acquisition 

of conservation easements, associated costs 

and stewardship of 243 acres of cropland for 

nearby Wood Notch dairy. Includes public 

access trail easement on old railroad bed 

and special treatment area for rare clayplain 

forest. Includes an option to purchase at agricultural 

value. 98,000 NRCS grant. Total 


Woods Farm, Richford and Berkshire. 



stewardship of 244-acre dairy, with flower 

and vegetable operation and farmstand; extensive 

Missisquoi River frontage. Includes 

an option to purchase at agricultural value. 

161,500 NRCS grant. Total project cost: 

407,600. 

Vermont River Conservancy 

Terrill Gorge/Kenfield Brook, Morristown. 

132,000 award for acquisition of 10 acres 

and associated costs to provide public access 

to Kenfield Brook and the state significant 

Terrill Gorge swimming hole. Property 

transferred to Vermont Agency of Natural 

Resources Department of Fish and Wildlife. 


STATEWIDE 

Farm Viability Program 

374,000 in grants to five organizations to 

provide business planning and technical assistance 

to farmers; implementation grants 

to 7 farmers. 225,000 NRCS funds; 90,000 

Argossy Foundation funds. 

Conservation Organizational 

Development Grants 

281,000 in organizational development 

grants to 10 organizations. 

“Without VHCB 

funds, local communities 

would be hard 

pressed to ‘do the 

right thing’ because 

of the rise in property 

values.” 

—Nikki Darling, 

Bradford Conservation 

Commission 

51

Partners in Project Development January 2004 –December 2005 

52 

Funding Partners 

Bank North 

Charter One Bank 

Chittenden Bank 

Citizens Bank 

Citizens Housing and Planning Association, 

Boston, MA 

Community National Bank 

Vermont OEO Weatherization Programs 

Development Training Institute, Baltimore 

Efficiency Vermont, Burlington 

Enterprise Foundation, Columbia, MD 

Factory Point National Bank, Manchester 

Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston 

First Colbrook Bank, Colbrook, NH 

First Community Bank, Rutland 

Housing Assistance Council, Washington, DC 

Housing Vermont, Burlington 

Inst. for Community Economics, Springfield, MA 

Key Bank 

Mascoma Savings Bank 

Merchants Bank 

Morristown Revolving Loan Fund 

Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation 

Northfield Savings Bank 

Office of Economic Opportunity 

Passumpsic Savings Bank, St. Johnsbury 


USDA Rural Development 

U.S. Dept. Housing & Urban Development 

Vermont Community Development Program 

Vermont Community Loan Program Building 

Community Fund 

Vermont Department of Developmental and 

Mental Health Services 

Vermont Development Credit Union 

Vermont Housing Finance Agency 

Foundations 

Enterprise Foundation 

Freeman Foundation 

John Merck Fund 

Open Space Institute 

Still Point Fund, Stowe 

Tommy Thompson Trust 

Waterwheel Foundation 

Windham Foundation 

Thomas Armstrong, Holderness, N.H. 

Accountants 

Angela Norder, Morrisville 

G.W. Osterman & Co., Barre 

Gene A. Besaw & Associates, Newport 

Hickok & Boardman Financial Services, Burlington 

JMM & Associates, Burlington 

Nesseralla & Co., Concord, NH 

Otis, Atwell & Timberlake, Portland, ME 

Paul Birnholz, St. Albans 

Stevens, Wilcox, Baker, Potvin, Cassidy & 

Jakubowski, Rutland 

Sullivan & Powers, Montpelier 

Appraisers 

Abbot and Dart, Essex Junction 

Allen & Cable, Inc., South Burlington 

Central Vermont Appraisers, Inc., Rutland 

Dibernardo Associates, Bellows Falls 

Eric Benson, Court St. Montpelier 

Everett Real Estate, Brattleboro 

Green Mountain Appraisals, Manchester 

James Thetford, Montpelier 

Keller, Navin, O’Brien & Kaffenberger, Burlington 

Kurt Kaffenberger, Burlington 

Lareau Appraisal Service, St. Albans 

Martin Appraisal Services, Waterbury 

Luce Hill Appraisal Associates, Stowe 

Martin Appraisals, Montpelier 

Russell Rice, Brattleboro 

Sal DeMaio Real Estate Appraisals, St. Johnsbury 

Sandi Murphy Appraisal, Enosburg 

Sargeant Appraisal Service, Rutland 

Scott Marsh Appraisals, Derby 

White Birch Appraisals, Claremont, N.H. 

Architects 

Arnold & Scangas Architects, Colchester 

Bannister & Greenberg, Putney 

Black River Design, Montpelier 

Bruno Associates, Inc. 

Centerline Architects, Bennington 

Duncan Wisniewski Architecture, Burlington 

Gossens Bachman Architects, Montpelier 

Gregory Rabideau Architects, Burlington 

Jeremy Coleman, Brattleboro 

John Q. Doane, Essex Junction 

NBF Architects, Rutland 

Rabideau Architects, Inc., Burlington 

Scott + Partners, Essex Junction 

Terra Firma, Burlington 

Vermont Arcitects Collaborative, Montpelier 

William Maclay Architects, Waitsfield 

Williams & Frehsee, Brattleboro 

Ylian Alfaro Snyder & Associates, Montpelier 

Attorneys 

Anderson & Eaton, P.C., Rutland 

Bauer, Anderson & Gravel, Burlington 

Bertolini and Hurt, Lyndonville 

Brady and Callahan, P.C., Springfield 

Stan Brinkman, Woodsville, NH 

Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, Burlington 

Dot Helling, Montpelier 

Fred V. Peet, South Burlington 

Gensburg Atwell & Broderick, St. Johnsbury 

Geoffrey M. Fitzgerald, Montpelier 

Gravel and Shea, Burlington 

Jay C. Abramson, St. Johnsbury 

John P. Monette, Derby 

Kolvoord Overton & Wilson, Essex Junction 

May & Davies, Barton 

Michael Hertz, Brattleboro 

Mickenberg, Dunn, Kochman, Lachs & Smith, 

Burlington 

Molde Black & Govoni, Johnson 

Paul Frank & Collins, Burlington 

Robert Chimileski, Newport 

Roesler Whittlesey Meekins & Amidon, 

Burlington 

Ryan, Smith & Carbine, Rutland 

Salmon & Nostrand, Bellows Falls 

Unsworth Powell Barra Orr & Bredice, 

Essex Junction 

Vermont Attorneys Title Corporation, Burlington 

Webber, Chapman & Kupferer, Rutland 

Zuccaro, Willis & Bent, St. Johnsbury 

Consultants 

Abide, Inc., East Longmeadow, MA 

Adult Services – NCCC, Newport 

Alliance Property Management, Jericho Center 

Amy Wright, Richmond 

Associates in Future Planning, Williston 

ATC Associates, Richmond 

Barden Inspection & Consulting Services, 

Hinesburg 

Bellows Falls Downtown Development, 

Bellows Falls 

Bill Desautels, Burlington 

Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA 

Burlington Community Land Trust, Burlington 

Capital Ideas, Inc., Hinesburg 

Catamount Environmental, Wilmington 

Cathedral Square, Burlington 

Clay Point Associates, Inc., Williston 

CPG Enterprises, Inc., Shaftsbury 

Crothers Environmental Group, Montpelier 

Curt Albee, South Strafford 

Earth Systems Consulting, Colchester 

Efficiency Vermont, Burlington 

Environmental Compliance Services, Inc., 

Brattleboro 

F & M Development Co., Burlington 

Future Planning Associates, Inc., Williston 

GEM Environmental, North Adams, MA 

Gent Communications Consulting, Richmond 

Goldfield Construction Management, Burlington 

Gotham City Graphics, Burlington 

Green Mountain Environmental, Plainfield 

Griffin International, Williston 

HomeCheck, Williston 

Housing Vermont, Burlington 

J. D. Kantor, Inc., Montpelier 

JFP Consulting Services, Chester 

Jensen & Associates, Peacham 

Joan Peters, Guilford 

Johnson Company, Montpelier 

Kathy Beyer, Hinesburg 

K-D Associated, Inc., South Burlington 

Keller O’Brien & Kaffenberger, Burlington 

Kent Haskell, Groton 

Landvest, Woodstock 

Liz Pritchett Associates, Montpelier 

Lyssa Papazian, Putney 

Mad River Research, Waitsfield 

Mansfield Ventures, Ltd., Stowe 

Marquise and Morano, LLC, Bellows Falls 

Mary Jo Llewellyn, Montpelier 

Partial list as provided by grant recipients.


McCain Consulting, Waterbury 

MidState Asbestos, Inc., Roxbury 

Mirror Consulting, Woodbury 

Nathan Kastelein, Newport Center 

Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., Boston, MA 

and Washington, DC 

Peterson Consulting, Burlington 

R.W. Steen Associates, St. Johnsbury 

Right-Trak Design, Inc, Weare, NH 

RN Culver Consulting, Essex Junction 

Robin Snyder, Huntington 

Scott and Partners, Essex Junction 

Sleeping Lion Associates, Inc., Montpelier 

Solbakken Technology Partners, St. Johnsbury 

Star Construction, Castleton 

Steve Pitkin, Albany 

South Mountain Surveying 

SVE Associates, Keene, NH 

T.J. Boyle & Associates, Burlington 

Technology Solutions, Fort Worth, TX 

The Johnson Company, Montpelier 

The Verterre Group, Inc., Colchester 

Tom Barden, Burlington 

Tom Dillon Consulting, Burlington 

Twin State Environmental, Colchester 

University of Vermont, Burlington 

UVM Consulting Archeology Program, Burlington 

VOTEC, Tom Rooney, Newport 

Ward’s Systems, Morrisville 

Wheeler Environmental Services, Barre 

William D. DeBonville, Barton 

Woodbury Organization, Woodbury 

Contractors 

AG Frame & Finish, Dublin, NH 

Allen Lumber, Barre 

Alpha Electric, South Burlington 

Amer Electric, Keene, NH 

American Construction, Swanzey, NH 

American Electrical, Bethel 

Ames Electric Service, Inc., Newport 

Anthony Hartwell, Jr., Clarkesville 

Aurora Electrical, Leunenberg 

B&H Electric, Morrisville 

Barker Steel Company, Canaan, NH 

Bazin Brothers, Westminster 

Benoure Plumbing, South Burlington 

Bernie LaRock & Son, Guilford 

Bienvenue & Ackel, Addison 

Bill Coutts Construction, Marlborough, NH 

Blais Surveying Company, Newport 

Blue Ridge Construction, East Montpelier 

Boudreau Electric, St. Albans 

Brattleboro Roofing, Brattleboro 

Build Tech, Springfield 

Bullet Builders, Hinesburg 

Burlington Commercial Interiors, Isle La Motte 

C & L Plumbing & Heating, S. Burlington 

C&M Contracting Corporation, Barre 

Caron Trucking & Backhoe, Colebrook, NH 

Carpet Connection, St. Johnsbury 

Carroll Concrete, Newport; West Lebanon, NH 

Central Vermont Drywall, Waterbury 

Champ Mechanical, Williston 

Champlain Well Drilling, Barre 

Cheshire Fire Protection, Troy, NH 

Cheshire Glass, Keene, NH 

Christopher J. Pratt, Westminster 

Ciampi Construction, Montpelier 

Clemons Construction, Middlesex 

Closet Concepts, West Lebanon, NH 

CMA Carpentry, Ellsworth, ME 

CMA Construction, West Chesterfield, NH 

Colchester Contracting Services, Colchester 

Cole’s Flooring, West Lebanon, NH 

Connor Contracting, St. Albans 

D.G. Morin, Richmond 

David Manning Inc., Brattleboro 

David White, Barton 

Delibac Construction, Colchester 

DEW Construction Corp., Williston 

DiBernardo Electric, Bellows Falls 

DMS Machining and Fabrication, Barre 

Dompiere Electric, Brattleboro 

Donald Mercier Excavating, Greensboro 

Donna & Ike Danforth, Groton 

Dubois Construction, Middlesex 

Ducharme Excavating, Derby Line 

Dupont Logging Inc., North Stratford, NH 

EC Floor Sanding, Keene and Swanzey, NH 

Evans Cabinet Company, Dublin, GA 

F. W. Cowan & Sons, Inc., Canaan 

Fieldhouse LLC, Shelburne 

Fineline Drywall, Keene, NH 

Firefly Building Company, Richmond 

Firetech Sprinklers, Colchester 

Flooring Concepts, Marlborough, NH 

Fred’s Plumbing & Heating, Inc., Derby 

Gagnon Contracting, Burlington 

Gallery of Cabinets, East Montpelier 

Gate’s Electric Inc., Newport 

Genes Electric, Inc., Newport Center 

Giancola Construction Corporation, Rutland 

Green Mountain Insulation, Williston 

Gregory Building Supply, Burlington 

Gurney Brothers Construction, North Springfield 

Guyette Roofing, Peterborough & Jaffrey, NH 

Harris Heating & Plumbing Inc., Lyndonville 

Harvey Industries, White River Junction 

Hegeman Electric, Essex Junction 

Hennessey Electric, Bellows Falls 

Henry Rathburn, Jr., Derby Line 

Home Energy Assistance Technology, Newport 

Home Partners, Hartford 

Home Partners, West Lebanon, NH 

Huestis Plumbing, Brattleboro 

J.A. Morrisey, Burlington 

J. P. Beote, Inc., Gray, ME 

James Plumbing, Bellows Falls 

John D. Morrie Construction, St. Albans 

John Hammer Plumbing & Heating, Cabot 

Jonathan H. MacFarlane, Newport 

Judd Plumbing & Heating, West Charleston 

Keddy Electric, Ltd., Colebrook, NH 

Ketch Green, Chesterfield, NH 

Kingsbury Construction Co Inc., Waitsfield 

Kreative Window Treatments, Holbrook, MA 

Laferrier Construction, Inc., West Danville 

Lakewind Construction, Burlington 

Lamoille Construction, Inc., Morrisville 

Latham Homes, Inc., Waterbury 

Leonard Burroughs, Groton 

Lincoln Applied Geology, Lincoln 

Lisa Durocher, Derby Line 

Luke’s Electric, Inc., Newport 

M & M Carpet Service, Barre 

Marc Rancourt, West Stewartstown, NH 

Mario R. Paul Excavating, Inc., Derby 

Mark Fixter, St. Johnsbury 

Mark Mudgett & Sons, Glover 

Mary Currier, Danville 

McLean Electric, Northfield 

Mike Cheney Construction, Newport Center 

Millbrook Building & Remodeling, Inc., 


Mora Masonry, Winooski 

Moulton Construction, West Lebanon, NH 

Naylor & Breen Builders, Brandon 

Neagley & Chase, South Burlington 

Nelson’s Welding, Alstead, NH 

New England Foam & Coating Inc., St. Johnsbury 

New England Water Systems, Inc. 

Nicom Coatings, Barre 

North Country Career Center, Newport 

North Country Welding, W. Chesterfield, NH 

Northeast Propane Service, St. Johnsbury 

Northwoods Excavating, Inc., Thetford Center 

Nudd Electric, East Hardwick 

Ouellette Plumbing, Williston 

Paul Morse Logging, Newport Center 

Paula M. Judd, Derby 

Pearson G. Carr, Canaan 

Patriot Insulation, Coventry 

Peck Electric, South Burlington 

Perkins Lumber, West Chesterfield, NH 

Phoenix Roofing, Townshend 

Pinette Mechanical, Cabot 

PJD, Stoddard, NH 

Powers Plumbing & Heating, Groton 

Pride Builders, Canaan 

Puffer Excavating, Groton 

Randall Contracting, Barre 

Reliance Steel, Colchester 

Rich Beam, Stoddard, NH 

Richard Bergeron, Keene, NH 

Richard E. LaClair Sr., Barton 

RMI Mechanical Insulators, Winooski 

Robert Langlands, North Troy 

Ron Chase & Sons Plumbing & Heating, Concord 

Round Hill Fence, Irasburg 

Ruggco Inc., Barnet 

Rumery Land Surveys, Newport 

Russell Construction Services, Rutland 

Ryan Brothers Electric, Burlington 

S & J Electric, Williston 

S & R Electric, Milton 

S & S Painting, West Swanzey, NH 

53 



54 

Contractors 

Sanders Drywall & Painting, Jay 

Sanville Building Construction, Morgan 

Scherer’s Plumbing & Heating, Derby 

SEVCA/Best Energy, Westminister 

Sherwin Williams, Keene, NH 

Simon Operating Services, Inc., Waterbury 

SoHo Investments, Jericho 

Southern Vermont Sprinkler, Brattleboro 

Stephan F. Eckel, Brownington 

Steve’s Septic, Vernon 

Stewart Construction, Essex Junction 

STS Construction, East Hardwick 

Sunapee Flooring, Newport, NH 

Sweeney & Belisle, Jeffersonville 

T. David Rawson, West Danville 

T. J. Water Works, Derby 

Technol, Newport 

Terry Dana, Groton 

The Home Decorating Store, W. Lebanon, NH 

Thomas Mechanical, South Burlington 

Top Notch Roofing, Essex 

Tracy Degre Concrete, Newport 

Tri State Sprinkler 

Trombly Electric, Washington 

Trombly Plumbing & Heating, Inc., St. Johnsbury 

True Builders, Westford 

Truline Land Surveyors, St. Johnsbury 

TSJ Foundations, Brattleboro 

Twin State Roofing, South Royalton 

Twin State Sitework, St. Johnsbury 

Verdon Seamless Gutters, Newport Center 

Vermont Concrete Cutting, Barre 

Vermont Correctional Industries, Windsor 

Vermont Offender Work Programs, Waterbury 

Vern Crawford, Canaan 

Verterre Group, Colchester 

Volk Electric, Hardwick 

Wamsley Painting, Barre 

Wayne LaFont Carpentry, Barton 

Wesfield Construction, W. Chesterfield, NH 

Westaff, Burlintgon 

Wilbur Electric, Pittsford 

Willey’s Seamless Gutters, Newport Center 

William B. Curtis, Newport 

WR Painting, Ashuelot, NH 

Wright & Morissey, South Burlington 

Yankee Electric, Winooski 

Engineers 

Bannon Engineering, Warren 

Bill Bissell, Jericho 

Black River Mechanical, Ludlow 

Bruno and Associates, Woodstock 

Catamount Environmental, Wilmington 

Champ Mechanical, Williston 

Champlain Consulting Engineers, Colchester 

Chenette Associates, Barre 

Civil Engineering Associates, Inc., Shelburne 

Construction Materials Testing, Whitefield, NH 

Criterium-Lalancetter Engineers, Rutland 

Cross Consulting Engineers, St. Albans 

David A. Lawes Engineering, Inc., Barton 

DeWolfe Engineering Associates, Montpelier 

Dick Culver, Essex Junction 

Downing Engineering, Harrisville, NH 

Dubois & King, Randolph 

Dufrense & Associates, Windsor 

Dufrense-Henry, Springfield 

Engineering Ventures, Inc., Burlington 

Eric Morse, Guilford 

Greg Dubois, L.S., Berlin 

GWR Engineering, Shelburne 

Hallam Associates, Burlington 

Hardy Structural Engineering, LLC, Enosburg Falls 

I.C.E., East Montpelier 

Ina Hladky, Essex Junction 

Innovative Consulting Engineers, N. Montpelier 

John F. Penney Consulting Services, Chester 

Kirick Engineering Associates, Colchester 

Knight Consulting Engineers, Williston 

Krebs & Lansing, Colchester 

L.N. Consulting, Burlington 

Lawes Engineering, Barton 

Lawes Engineering, Williston 

Leach Engineering Consultants, St. Johnsbury 

Little River Survey Co., Stowe 


Northern Environmental Services, Piermont, NH 

Otter Creek Engineering, East Middlebury 

Peter Stevenson, Middletown Springs 

Provan & Lorber, Montpelier 

Richard Drew, Lyme, NH 

Roberts and Franzoni, Rutland 

Ruggles Engineering, St. Johnsbury 

Short Surveying, Inc., Middlebury 

South Mountain Surveying, Bristol 

Southern Vermont Engineering, Brattleboro 

Speath Engineering, Manchester 

Stephen Booth, Shelburne 

Stevens & Associates, Brattleboro 

Stewart Structural Engineering, Barnet 

Summit Engineering, South Burlington 

SVE Associates, Brattleboro 

Thomas Mechanical, South Burlington 

Tighe and Bond, Bellows Falls 

Trudell Engineering, Williston 

Wolbach Engineering, South Burlington 

Wright Engineering, Ltd., Rutland 

WV Engineering Associates, Keene, NH 

Landscapers 

Broadleaf Landscape Architecture, Waitsfield 

Distinctive Landscaping, Charlotte 

Earthworks, Waitsfield 

Ed Hough’s Snowplowing & Excavation, Rutland 

Ellis Merchant, Barton 

Felicia Piette, Jay 

Goldleaf Enterprises, Burlington & Swanton 

Grime Nursery and Landscaping, Waterford 

Heartwood Landscape Design & Maintenance, 


Jean E. Vissering Landscape, Montpelier 

KRG Land & Tree Services, Woodbury 

Maple Hill Landscaping 

North Country Landscaping, Williston 

Smitty’s Landscaping, Morgan 

Vermont Offenders Work Program 

Wagner McCain, Burlington 

Lead Paint Contractors 

CPG Home Safe Paint & Construction LLC, 

Winooski 

Environmental Hazards Management, Inc., 

Williston 

Heritage Environmental Projects, Inc., Burlington 

Lighthouse Environmental & Construction LLC, 

E. Middlebury 

Services 

A-1 Sewer & Drain Services, Inc., W. Rutland 

Acadia Insurance, South Burlington 

A-Cross America Moving & Storage, Keene & 

Chesterfield, NH 

Advance Sprinkler, Essex Junction 

Advance Technology Answering Service, Rutland 

Advanced System Resources, Rutland 

AFI, Jericho 

Agway Energy Products, South Burlington 

Alderson, Inc., Burlington 

All Around Rental, St. Johnsbury 

All Aspects Demolition, Burlington 

All Lines Communications Ltd., South Burlington 

All Paint & Stain, Inc., Montpelier 

Allen Lumber, Barre 

Arnold’s Automotive, St. Johnsbury 

Alpine Building Restoration, South Burlington 

Alpine Sprinkler, South Burlington 

American Health Value, Boise, ID 

Aspen Publishers, Inc., Frederick, MD 

Associated Insurance Agencies, Newport 

Aquacheck, Perkinsville 

Austins Rubbish & Roll Off Services, 

W. Charleston 

Avery’s Cafe, Lyndonville 

B&B Septic, Danville 

B & B Rubbish Removal, Rutland 

Bard Flooring, Burlington 

Barden Inspection & Consulting Services, 

Hinesburg 

Bay Sate Elevator, Essex Junction 

Bazin Brothers Trucking, Westminster 

Bean’s Mobile Homes, Lyndonville 

Beldon Company, Inc., Rutland 

Bendig, Rutland 

Best Energy Saving Technologies, Bellows Falls 

Bishop Enterprises, North Springfield 

Bienvenue & Ackel, Addison 

Blake Jenkins Painting, St. Johnsbury 

Blanchard Door & Hardware, Burlington 

Blanchard Drywall, Mt. Holly 

Blue Mountain Trucking, Groton 

BlueCross/Blue Shield of Vermont, Montpelier 

Blueprints Etc., Inc., South Burlington 

Bohn & Associates, Hartford 

Boise Cascade, Pittsburgh, PA 



Bourne’s, Inc., Morrisville 

Brattleboro Reformer, Brattleboro 

Brattleboro Self Storage, Brattleboro 

Breann Electric, Groton 

Brown’s Welding, Bristol 

Bugbee Insulation, Jericho 

Burlington Electric Department, Burlington 

Burlington Public Works, Burlington 

Burrell Roofing, Williamstown 

C & C Painting, Shelburne 

Cacicio’s Heating, Inc., Barre 

Caledonian-Record Publishing, St. Johnsbury 

Carlene Paquette, Dummerston 

Carpet Barn, Newport 

Carpet Warehouse, Inc., Rutland 

Carter Fire Protection, South Barre 

Casella Waste Management, Montpelier 

Cellular One, Colchester 

Central Vermont Public Service Corp., Rutland 

Central Vermont Communications, Rutland 

Champlain Sprinkler, Inc., St. Albans 

Champlain Valley Weatherization, Burlington 

Charlestown Cornerstone, Charlestown, NH 

Charter Communications, Danville 

Chase Electric, Williamstown 

Cheshire Fire Protection Services, Troy, NH 

Chris Lyon, Plainfield 

Chuck’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Colchester 

Citizens Energy Services, Newport 

Citizens Utilities, Newport 

Clark Construction, Fair Haven 

Clark’s Moving Service, Barre 

Claude Desautels, Richford 

Cocoplum Appliance, Brattleboro 

Concord Heritage Life Insurance, Concord, NH 

Construction Materials Testing, Inc., Gilman 

Cooper Fence Company, Rutland 

Co-Operative Insurance Company, Middlebury 

Countertop & Tub Re-Nu, Inc., Rutland 

Country Barrel Marketplace, St. Johnsbury 

Country Home Center, Morrisville 

Cowan Surveying, Vergennes 

Credit Bureau Service of Vermont, S. Burlington 

Credit Bureau Services of Vermont, Carnegie, PA 

CSE, Inc., Williston 

CT Group, Utica, NY 

Cummings & Son, Brandon 

Curt Albee, So. Strafford 

Custodial, William J. Allen, Newport 

CVC Paging Services, Rutland 

D.G. Roofing, St. Johnsbury 

David B. Dwyer, Jr, Newport 

David Vadnais, Fair Haven 

Denis, Ricker & Brown, Montpelier 

Dennis Williams, St. Albans 

DeSign Graphics, Rutland 

Development Cycles, Amherst, MA 

Dibernardi Assoc., Bellows Falls 

Dick’s Lock Repair, Brattleboro 

Donna and Ike Danforth, Groton 

Earth Waste Systems, Rutland 

East Coast Carpet, Perkinsville 

Eastern Pipe Service, Merrimack, NH 

Partial list as provided by grant recipients. 

Eastman’s, Rutland 

Edson Painting, South Barre 

Elevator Sales & Service, Inc., Dalton, MA 

Energy Federation, Montpelier 

Eric Morse, Guilford 

ESP Security Systems, St. Johnsbury 

Evergreen Roofing, Burlington 

F & M Development, Burlington 

F.W. Webb Company, Williston 

Farr’s Tree Service, Waterbury 

Federal Kemper Life Assurance, Chicago, IL 

Flanders Telephone Service, St. Johnsbury Center 

Flek, Inc., St. Johnsbury 

Foster M. Whipple, Newport 

Fred Blakely Plumbing, Adamant 

Fyles Bros., Inc., Orwell 

Gallipo Logo Imprints, Rutland 

Garwal Lawn Services, Inc., Swanzey, NH 

Gary Hall Photography, South Burlington 

Gent Communication, Richmond 

Giancola Construction Corp., Rutland 

Giroux Sign Smith, Burlington 

Gordon’s Window Décor, Essex Junction 

Gordon’s Custom Stonework, Chester 

Gosselin Inc, Derby 

Gould Well Drilling, Lyndonville 

Gray’s Paving and Sealing, Newport 

Green Mountain Carpet Cleaning, Lyndonville 

Green Mountain Drywall, Wallingford 

Green Mountain Electric Supply, Newport 

Green Mountain Insulation, White River Junction, 

Williston 

Green Mountain Messenger, Waterbury 

Green Mountain Power Corp., Colchester 

Green Mountain Systems & Service, Essex Jct. 

Green Mountain Trading Post, St. Johnsbury 

GreenScreen, Rutland 

Gregory Supply, Burlington 

Gretchen Fadden, Sheffield 

Grime Nursery & Landscaping, Waterford 

Guyette Roofing & Remodeling, Peterborough, NH 

H.A. Manosh, Corp., Morrisville 

Ha Maintenance, Brattleboro 

Hank Gadouas Concrete, St. Albans 

Harold Wilkins, Lyndonville 

Harold’s Concrete Construction, Concord 

Harrison Concrete, Georgia & St. Albans 

Hartigan Co., Stowe 

Harvies Windows, Williston 

Hathorn’s Surveys, Wilder 

Havreluk Construction, East Fairfield 

Hawley’s Florist, Rutland 

HCI Craftsmen, Winooski 

Helie’s Carpet, Claremont, N.H. 

HOK Masonry, Johnson 

Homans Associates, LLC, Williston 

Home Partners, Lebanon, NH 

Howard Irish Drywall, Cambridge 

Howard’s Fire Control, Inc., Rutland 

Hubbard Brothers, Inc., Rutland 

Hurd’s Upholstering, Springfield 

IKON Financial Services, Macon, GA 

J K Lynch Disposal, Inc, Colebrook, NH 

J.B. Masonry, Jericho 

J&B Glass, Bellows Falls 

Jay Landscape & Tree Service, Newport Center 

Jeff Pitts, Rutland 

Jeffrey Lanoue, Orleans 

Jim Billado Roofing, Colchester 

John Douglas Welding, Cambridge 

John D. Kelley, Barton 

John Ryan, Amherst, MA 

John W. Wheeler, Jr., Newport 

Johnson Insurance, Montpelier 

Juddy’s Septic Tank Service, Morgan 

K-D Associates, South Burlington 

Kelly Services, Inc., Philadelphia, PA 

Kent Haskell, Groton 

Kingdom Iron Works, South Ryegate 

Kinney Pike Insurance, Rutland 

L. Brown & Sons Printing, Inc., Barre 

Laberge Building, Hinesburg 

Lacillade Lumber, Williamstown 

Lajeunesse Interiors, Barre 

Lamoille Lock & Key, Waterbury Center 

Latham Trailer Sales, Waterbury 

LaValley’s Building Supply, Rutland 

Lee Sturtevant Extinguisher Sales & Service, 

Morrisville 

Levaggi Environmental, Hyde Park 

Levesque Plumbing & Heating, Windsor 

Lewis Appliance Service and Repair, St. Johnsbury 

Life Safety Systems, Essex Junction 

Little River Survey Co., Stowe 

Loren Hogaboom Masonry, Georgia 

Lori’s Cleaning Service, Stowe 

Lorman Education Services, Eau Claire, WI 

Lyndon Waste Water Department, Lyndonville 

Lyndonville Electric Dept, Lyndonville 

Lyndonville Hardware, Lyndonville 

Lyndonville Water Dept., Lyndonville 


Mail Boxes Etc., Rutland & Montpelier 

Main Street Glass, North Springfield 

Mansfield Environmental Abatement Group, Essex Jct. 

Mark Valley, Repairs Plus, Sheffield 

Mark Woodward, Johnson 

Master Pluming, Cuttingsville 

Mathews Excavating, Waterford 

Mayo’s Carpet Cleaning, St. Johnsbury 

Mayotte Tree Service, Gilford 

McBee Systems, Inc., Athens, OH 

MCI, Louisville, KY 

McCullough Crushing, Inc., Middlesex 

McLean Electric, Barre 

Melanie Webb, Newport 

Memphramagog Press, Newport 

Micro Information Products, Inc., Austin, TX 

Mid State Appliances, North Clarendon 

MidState Asbestos, Roxbury 

Milton F. Lamberton, Groton 

Modern Floors, East Barre 

Modern Carpet and Upholtry, North Fayston 

Moe Dubois Excavating, Shelburne 

Mona Richardson, Putney 

Moretown Landfill, Moretown 

55


56 

Services 

Moriah Roofing Corp., Essex Junction 

Mount Vernon Lodge, Morrisville 

Mountain Glass & Lock, Rutland 

Mountain Ridge Plumbing and Heating, 

Brownington 

Mountain Valley Sprinkler System, Williston 

National Flood Services, Deerfield Beach, FL 

NCUHS-Culinary Arts Dept., Newport 

Northeast Kingdom Board of Realtors, 

Montpelier 

Nelson & Small, Inc., Portland, ME 

Nelson’s Welding, Alstead, NH 

New England Floor Covering, Burlington 

New England Foam & Coating, St. Johnsbury 

New England Guaranty, Montpelier 

New England Testing, Enfield, NH 

Newport Daily Express, Newport 

North Star Communications, Cumberland, ME 

Northeast Delta Dental, Manchester, NH 

Northeast Masonry, Penham, NH 

Northeast Paging, St. Johnsbury 

Northern Community Management Corp., 

St. Johnsbury 

Northern Environmental Service, Piermont, NH 

Northern Petroleum Co., St. Johnsbury 

Northern Security Insurance Co, Brattleboro 

Noyle W. Johnson Insurance Agency, Montpelier 

Oil Supply Corporation, Orleans 

O’Raine & Sun Co., Rutland 

One Beacon Insurance, Boston, MA 

One Beacon Insurance, S. Portland, ME 

One Star Long Distance, Inc, Evansville, IN 

Opulent Interiors, South Burlington 

Orleans County Board Realtors, Newport 

Orleans County Sheriff Dept, Newport 

Ormsby’s Computer Store, Barre 

Parker & Sterns, Inc., Johnson 

Patrick Lee, St. Johnsbury 

Patriot Insulation, Colchester 

Peerless Insurance Company, Keene, NH 

Pest Control Service Co., Rutland 

Peter Wrenn, Brattleboro 

Photo Pronto, Lyndonville 

Pinnacle Ventures, LLC, Enosburg Falls 

Pitney Bowes, Inc., Louisville, KY 

Planning Insights, Yarmouth, ME 

Plaza Appliance Center, Rutland Town 

Ploof Excavating, Salisbury 

Poulos Insurance, St. Johnsbury 

Power Shift Online, Stowe 

Prime Offset, Rutland 

Professional Touch Painting, Rutland 

Property Management & Maintenance of Rutland 

Pulglise Excavating, Underhill 

Putnam Investments, Providence, RI 

Quality Appliance, Newport 

Quick Response Sprinkler Systems, St. Albans 

R & M Maintenance, East Barre 

R&R Sprinkler, Swanton 

R.J. Weston, Essex Junction 

R.K. Masonry, Cambridge 

Reed Supply, St. Johnsbury 

Reliance Steel, Colchester 

Reprographics of New England, Rutland & 

Williston 

RGF Painting, Barre 

Richards Gates Hoffman & Clay Ins, Brattleboro 

Ricketts & Sons, Warren 

RK Masonry, Cambridge 

Robert N. Taplin, Inc., Derby 

Ron Chase and Sons Plumbing and Heating, 

Concord 

Ron’s Trucking & Rubbish Removal, St. Johnsbury 

Round Hill Fence, Irasburg 

Rumery Land Surveys, Newport 

Rural Community Transportation, St. Johnsbury 

Rusty’s Electric, Derby Line 

Rutland Chimney Service, Inc., Rutland 

Rutland Contract Cleaners, Inc., Rutland 

Rutland Printing Co. Inc., Rutland 

Rutland Roofing Co., Rutland 

S & M Drywall, Jericho 

S.D Ireland Brothers, South Burlington 

S.E. Benson, Rutland 

S.T. Griswold & Company, Williston 

S.T. Paving, Waterbury 

SAW Carpentry, South Rygate 

Schindler Elevator Corporation, Springfield, MA 

Sears, Chicago, IL 

Seeley Earthmoving, Middlebury 

ServiceMaster of Central Vermont, Rutland 

Seth Rowell, Island Pond 

Seven Days, Burlington 

Sharon Edson, Barre 

Sherwin Williams, Barre & Brattleboro 

Signs by Steck, Burlington 

Simon Operation Services, Waterbury 

Simpson’s Heating and Plumbing, Lyndon Center 

Slate Valley Electric, Inc., Fair Haven 

Smalley Contractors, Rutland 

Smith Electric, Windsor 

Smith Bell & Thompson, Burlington 

Sovernet, Bellows Falls 

St. Albans Glass, St. Albans 

St. Jay Hardware, St. Johnsbury 

Stabilized Structures, Taftsville 

Stairs Unlimited, Richford 

Staples, Des Moines, IA 

Steve Howard, Rutland 

Steve Pitkin, Albany 

Stone Envirnmental, Montpelier 

Sunapee Flooring & Bedding, Newport, NH 

Sundown Corp., Stowe 

SymQuest Group, Inc., South Burlington 

Taylor’s Color World, Morrisville 

Technical Planning & Management, Waitsfield 

The Chronicle, Inc., Barton 

The Converse Company, Orleans 

The Hardwick Gazette, Hardwick 

The Hartford, Philadelphia, PA 

The Rutland Herald, Rutland 

The Travelers, Chicago, IL 

The Vermont Labor Law Poster, Montpelier 

The Wall Doctor, South Burlington 

The Xpress, Stowe 

Tina’s Home Designs, Burlington 

Toby’s Sign Shop, Derby 

Tom Dillon, Burlington 

Toner’s Satellite, Milton 

Topnotch Property Maintenance, Orleans 

Total Home Center, St. Albans 

Travelers Insurance Co, Hartford, CT 

Triple T Trucking, Vernon 

Tri-State Drilling & Boring Inc, West Burke 

Tri-State Sprinkler, Inc., St. Albans 

Tri-State Water Systems, Dummerston 

Troll Press, Inc., St. Johnsbury 

Truline Land Surveyors, St. Johnsbury 

Tuck Press - Printers, Woodsville, NH 

U 1st Plumbing-Heating Co., North Clarendon 

U.S. Postal Service 

Unicel Long Distance, Des Moines, IA 

Union Mutual Fire Insurance Co., Montpelier 

VACE, Montpelier 

Variable Annuity Life Ins Co., Houston, TX 

VeriSign, Inc., Baltimore, MD 

Verizon Wireless, Tucson, AZ 

Verizon, Inglewood, CA 

Verizon, Worcester, MA 

Vermont Attorneys Title Corporation, Burlington 

Vermont Color Photo Lab, Bennington 

Vermont Electric Cooperative, Johnson 

Vermont Gas Systems, South Burlington 

Vermont Heritage Distributors, Newport 

Vermont Mapping Program, Waterbury 

Vemont Mechanical, Williston 

Vermont Mutual Insurance Co., Brattleboro & 

Montpelier 

Vermont Offenders Work Program, St. Johnsbury 

Vermont Shade & Blind, Brandon 

Vermont Specialty Products, Queensbury, NY 

Vermont State Employee Credit Union, 

Montpelier 

Vermont Tent, South Burlington 

Vermont Testing, Moretown 

Village of Derby Water & Sewer, Derby 

Village of Orleans Electric, Orleans 

Village Photography, Morrisville 

Vital Signs, Colchester 

VMBA, Essex 

Vortech Communications, Newport Center 

VOWP, Waterbury 

Vermont Center for Independent Living, 

Montpelier 

Vermont Retail Association Insurance, Essex Jct. 

Walter Noyes, Lyndonville 

Ward’s Home Repair & Remodeling, E. Arlington 

Ward’s Systems, Morrisville 

Wayne’s Remodeling, West Rutland 

Weber Accessibility Systems, Inc., Richmond 

Wehse & Kinney Insurance, Rutland 

Westbay Drywall, Manchester 

Westside Press, Inc., West Rutland 

WGMT Magic 97.7 FM Radio, Lyndonville 

White’s Heating, Northfield 



Wilk Paving, Inc., Center Rutland 

Wilk Sealing, Center Rutland 

William D. DeBonville, Barton 

William J. Allen, Newport 

William St. Cyr, Montpelier 

Windows & Doors by Brownell, Williston 

Wood Lake Title Co., Inc., Rutland 

Woody’s Sales & Service, Johnson 

Wright’s Plumbing and Heating, Newport 

WSI of Vermont, Inc., Waterbury 

Ziter Masonry, Washington 

Suppliers 

A.T.D. Signs, St. Johnsbury 

Adrien’s Irving, Newport 

Allen Lumber Co., St. Johnsbury 

Antenna, O’C Satellite Inc., St. Johnsbury 

ARM Trucking, Inc., West Stewartstown, NH 

Arnold’s Automotive, St. Johnsbury 

Aubuchon Hardware, Manchester, NH 

Best Software, Inc., Los Angeles, CA 

Boynton Engraving, Spruce Head, ME 

Brandon Lumber, Brandon 

Business Essentials, Newport 

Canaan Gulf Station, Canaan 

Car Laundry, Woodsville, NH 

CDW Computer Centers, Inc., Chicago, IL 

Cocoplum Appliance, Inc., Brattleboro 

Contour Software Inc., San Francisco, CA 

Couture Sand & Gravel, Newport Center 

Deacon’s Bench Furniture, Littleton, NH 

Dell Account, Des Moines, IA 

Densmore Electrical Supply, Inc., Rutland 

Derby Paint & Paper, Newport 

Don’s Carpet One, Newport 

Dorr Manufacturing, Groton 

DT Supply, Inc., Rutland 

E.M. Brown & Son, Inc., Barton 

Eagle fuel and Lube Company, Island Pond 

Easton Electronics, Canton, MA 

Fire ProTec, Colchester 

Flanders Signs, St. Johnsbury 

Fred’s Heating Oil & Propane, Derby 

Fred’s Propane & Heating Oil, Lyndonville 

F.W. Webb, Burlington, MA 

Gervais Hardware, Island Pond 

Gilmore Home Center, Bomoseen 

Graybar, Chicago, IL 

Green Mountain Electric Supply, Newport 

Harvey Industries, Inc., White River Junction 

Home Depot Supply, San Diego, CA 

Home Depot/GECF, Macon, GA 

Howard Printing, Inc., Brattleboro 

H.S. Supplies Concrete, Lyndonville 

Irving Heating Oil, Bangor, ME 

Irving Oil & Propane, Lyndonville 

Island Pond True Value, Island Pond 

J. B. Colton, Orleans 

LaPierre’s Decorating Center, Newport 

LaValleys Building Supply, Rutland 

Lender Support Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA 

Lewis Appliance Service & Repair, St. Johnsbury 

Lyndonville Hardware, Lyndonville 

Lyndonville Office Equipment, Lyndonville 

Mayo’s Glass Service Inc., St. Johnsbury 

Meadowbrook Lumber, Chelsea 

Micro Information Products, Inc., Austin, TX 

Morrisville Lumber, Morrisville 

National Foundation Credit Counsel, MD 

NEBS, Groton, MA 

Newport Rental Center, Inc., Newport 

Noble True Value Hardware, Rutland 

North Country Vac & Sew, St. Johnsbury 

Northeast Business Equipment, Island Pond 

Northeast Computer Systems, Inc., Lyndonville 

Northern Petroleum, St. Johnsbury 

Nugent Motor Company, Colebrook, NH 

Office Quarters, St. Albans 

Otter Creek Awnings, Williston 

P.A. Hicks & Sons, Inc., Colebrook, NH 

Peachtree Business Products, Atlanta, GA 

Peck Electric Co., So. Burlington 

Perras Ace, Inc., Lancaster, NH 

Perry’s Oil Service Inc., Bradford 

Persons Concrete LLC, Winnisquam, NH 

Pick & Shovel, Newport 

Poulin Lumber Inc., Derby 

Rapid Forms, Thorofare, NJ 

Reed Supply Company, Inc., St. Johnsbury 

Register.com, New York, NY 

RJ’S Friendly Market, Newport 

Rotella, Rutland 

Royal Glass & Security Co., Inc., Rutland 

Sanborn’s Paint Spot, Rutland 

Sears, St. Johnsbury 

Sherwin Williams Store 5260, St. Johnsbury 

South Main Body Shop, Inc., St. Johnsbury 

Spates the Florist, Newport 

St. Jay Hardware Inc., St. Johnsbury 

St. Johnsbury Paper Company, St. Johnsbury 

Surplus Property, Montpelier 

The Carpet Connection, Inc., Lyndonville 

The Converse Company, Inc., Orleans 

The Front Desk, Newport 

The May Store, Lyndonville 

The Sign Depot, St. Johnsbury 

The White Market, Lyndonville 

Toolcraft Rental & Sales Center, Rutland 

Viking Office Products, Los Angeles, CA 

Wal-Mart, Littleton, NH 

Walsh Electric Supply, Rutland 

Walter E. Jock Oil Co., Inc., Wells River 

Waynes Appliance, Inc., Lyndonville 

Wheeler Building Materials, Lyndonville 

Yankee Paint, Rutland 

57 

Stone Hill Apartments, under 

construction by the Addison County 

Community Trust in partnership with 

Housing Vermont, will provide 22 

affordable apartments in a 27-unit 

development with underground 

parking on Route 7 at the southern 

gateway to Middlebury’s downtown. 


Vermont Housing & 

Conservation Board 

Balance Sheet 

June 30, 2005 

General Funds 

Restricted Funds 

ASSETS 

Cash Accounts $ 10,756,767 $ 881,664 

Due from Other Funds 369,258 371,608 

Receivables 2,830 21,673 

Loans Receivable 56,937,683 23,584,544 

Administrative Reimbursements Receivable - 1,420,797 

Anticipated Grant Revenues 2,210,500 8,981,753 

TOTAL ASSETS $ 70,277,038 $ 35,262,039 

LIABILITIES and FUND EQUITY 

LIABILITIES 

Accounts Payable & Accruals $ 173,826 $ 22,965 

Due to Other Funds 371,609 369,257 

Due to the State of Vermont - 1,050,247 

Deferred Revenue – Loans 56,937,683 23,191,941 

Anticipated Grants Committed 2,210,500 8,981,753 

Long-term Debt - 418,413 

TOTAL LIABILITIES 59,693,618 34,034,576 

58 

FUND EQUITY 

Fund Balance – Committed to Projects 10,490,154 626,284 

Fund Balance – Unreserved 93,266 601,179 

TOTAL FUND EQUITY 10,583,420 1,227,463 

TOTAL LIABILITIES and FUND EQUITY $ 70,277,038 $ 35,262,039 

To receive a copy of the audited financial statement, please contact VHCB.

Revenues 

$22,486,033 

Interest 

Income 

1% 

Loan 

Repayments 

1% 

Other Income 

2% 

Federal Grant 

Revenue 

40% 

State Property 

Transfer Tax 

56% 

Expenditures 

$22,912,231 

Other Project 

Related Expense 

8% 

Administration 

9% 

59 

Grants and Loans 

83% 

To receive a copy of the audited financial statement, please contact VHCB.

Housing and Conservation Applications 

60 

VHCB makes grants and loans to 

nonprofit organizations, housing 

co-ops, municipalities, and qualifying 

state agencies. The Board is able to 

respond quickly to assist municipalities 

and nonprofits to cope with the 

adverse impact of development on 

Vermont’s affordable housing stock, 

its agricultural land, and its environmental 

quality. 

The bulk of the Board’s awards 

are made for projects associated with 

the protection of agricultural lands, 

natural areas, public recreational 

lands, and historic properties, and for 

the preservation, rehabilitation, and 

development of perpetually affordable 

housing. Special encouragement 

is given to projects that meet both the 

affordable housing and the conservation 

goals of the Fund. 

All applicants are required to 

show long-term benefit to Vermonters 

through deed restrictions or other 

mechanisms that ensure the funds 

provided will have a lasting effect. 

Housing projects must target Vermonters 

with incomes at or below 

median. Program beneficiaries range 

from tenants, potential home owners, 

and farmers, to all who enjoy 

Vermont’s natural, recreational, and 

historic properties. 

The Board meets and makes decisions 

on applications approximately 

eight times a year. Applications are 

usually reviewed and decisions made 

within five to ten weeks of submission. 

Applications are rated according to the 

Adopted Rule of the Board. Applicants 

are invited to attend the meeting at 

which the project is reviewed, and are 

informed of the Board’s decision that 

same day. 

Site visits by VHCB staff are 

required prior to submission of housing 

applications. 

Purchase of Conservation 

Easements on Farmland 

The Board evaluates farmland conservation 

applications in a two-step 

process. Pre-applications are reviewed 

by the Agricultural Advisory Committee. 

This group recommends projects 

to be considered by the full Board, 

and complete applications are developed 

for those projects. Evaluation is 

based upon soil quality, location, farm 

infrastructure, management, and other 

resources brought to the project. 

Federal HOME Funds and Lead-Based 

Paint Hazard Reduction Funds 

Applications for HOME Program 

funds are due on the same dates as 

VHCB housing project applications. 

Applications for Lead-Based Paint 

Hazard Reduction funds are reviewed 

as they are received. 

Farm Viability 

Enhancement Program 

The Vermont Farm Viability Enhancement 

Program provides funding to 

organizations working with farmers 

to provide technical assistance and 

business planning services. Farmers 

may apply to the program by filling 

out an application available from 

VHCB, NOFA-Vermont, the Intervale 

Foundation, the University of Vermont 

Extension Service, or Working Landscapes, 

Inc.. Applications are reviewed 

as they are received. 

Feasibility Funds 

The Board provides awards of up to 

10,000 to assist with feasibility analysis 

for individual projects and up to 

15,000 for housing projects involving 

more than one building. This program 

pays for appraisals, engineering and 

environmental studies, options, energy 

assessments, and marketing analysis. 

These awards are instrumental in 

helping grantees bring projects to the 

development stage. For a number of 

years, the Public Service Department 

has provided the Board with funds for 

energy efficiency analyses in proposed 

housing developments. 

Organizational Grants 

The Board provides grants to nonprofits 

for some of the costs associated 

with developing affordable housing 

and conservation projects. This crucial 

support ranges from up to 15,000 for 

new organizations to up to 40,000 

for regional groups actively engaged in 

developing VHCB projects. 

Application Procedures 

Application deadlines, Board meeting dates and VHCB policies are 

available from the VHCB office and are posted on the Board's web site 

(www.vhcb.org). Applications are available by request. Please call us 

for more information or with any questions: 

General Information: 828-3250 

Housing: 828-3526 

HOME Program: 828-5060 

Lead Paint Program: 828-5064 

Conservation: 828-5066 

Farm Viability: 828-0795 

AmeriCorps: 828-3253

PROJECT AWARDS BY COUNTY 

1987–2005 

GRAND ISLE 

16 units 

2,980 acres 

FRANKLIN 

247 units 

30,096 acres 

ORLEANS 

254 units 

19,101 acres 

ESSEX 

13 units 

179,432 

acres 

CHITTENDEN 

2,609 units 

11,557 acres 

LAMOILLE 

162 units 

14,612 acres 

WASHINGTON 

654 units 

9,197 acres 

CALEDONIA 

320 units 

5,168 acres 

ADDISON 

528 units 

39,150 acres 

ORANGE 

314 units 

9,477 acres 

RUTLAND 

276 units 

15,496 acres 

WINDSOR 

874 units 

10,323 acres 

BENNINGTON 

322 units 

4,282 acres 

WINDHAM 

531 units 

8,135 acres

CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, 

CONSERVING AGRICULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL LANDS, 

HISTORIC PROPERTIES, AND NATURAL AREAS. 

Vermont 

Housing & 

Conservation 

Board 

149 State Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05602 

telephone: 802 828 3250 | www.vhcb.org

Vermont Housing Conservation Board 2005 - Vermont Housing and ...

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