Contribute - Vermont Zoning Atlas

How to Contribute

This is a community project open to collaboration. To maintain data integrity, contributors must follow the correct process. While we follow much of the methodology of the National Zoning Atlas, we deviate in various ways to best reflect Vermont zoning practices. Follow the information below to contribute, and reference the Data page for guidance on field values and practices.

Explore HOW TO MAKE A ZONING ATLAS, a guide with step-by-step instructions about how to list zoning districts, analyze zoning code texts, and collect and upload geospatial information.

License

This project is under the MIT license. We welcome contributions with the understanding you are submitting them under that license. You are welcome to use, fork and explore this data — that is the point of it!

Pull Requests

All changes should be submitted as a pull request in GitHub. Pull requests updating the data should include a description of what has changed and links to supporting documents. We recommend a limited number of changes at a time to make this a reasonable process for everyone.

Updating a Jurisdiction

Updating a jurisdiction's zoning data will require using ArcGIS Pro or another GIS software. This guide will show you how to use ArcGIS Pro for this process.

Step 1: Downloading the Data

The first step is to download the data from this repository. From the main Vermont Zoning Atlas page, open the "Data" folder and find the "RPC" folder. Download the regional file (.geojson) that contains your jurisdiction. If you're unsure which RPC your jurisdiction belongs to, you can check the RPC guide or search online.

Step 2: Opening the Data in ArcGIS Pro

After downloading the RPC .geojson file:

Open ArcGIS Pro and create a new project
Open the geoprocessing window
Search for "JSON to Features" tool
Use this tool to convert your downloaded .geojson file, naming the output feature class something like "VT_Zoning"

Note: The resulting feature class will be in the coordinate system "WGS 1984". If you plan to change geometries, you should project this to "NAD 1983 StatePlane Vermont FIPS 4400 (Meters)" using the "Project" tool. Search for coordinate system code "32145" for easy access. Skip this step if you're only modifying the attribute table.

Step 3: Exporting Your Jurisdiction

To isolate your jurisdiction for editing:

Use "Select by Attributes" to filter where Jurisdiction equals your target jurisdiction
Right-click the layer, hover "Data", and click "Export Features"
Name the output feature class after your jurisdiction
Verify your selection shows the correct number of districts at the bottom of the screen

Step 4: Editing Jurisdiction Data

Coordinate System: Set your map's coordinate system to "NAD 1983 StatePlane Vermont FIPS 4400 (Meters)" by right-clicking the map in the contents pane, selecting Properties, then Coordinate Systems. This prevents distorting Vermont's shape during editing.

Editing the Attribute Table: If you're only changing zoning values (not geometry), open the attribute table and double-click cells to modify values. Be sure to follow the data documentation for standardized values across the state.

Editing Geometries: When modifying district boundaries:

All jurisdictions must be bound to US CENSUS TIGER Boundaries - clip geometries to fit within TIGER boundaries
Avoid overlapping districts (except overlay districts), as overlaps make statistics inaccurate
Use topologies to prevent unintended overlaps

Updating from new GIS files:

If you have a new .shp file or GIS file: Ensure the new file shares a unique identifier field with your original feature class, then use the "Join Field" geoprocessing tool to merge attributes
If updating from a scanned map (.jpg/.png): Georeference the image in ArcGIS Pro. See the Maine Zoning Atlas georeferencing video starting at timestamp 35:30

Uploading Data Back to GitHub

Once your edits are complete:

Convert back to GeoJSON: Search "geojson" in geoprocessing and select "Features to JSON"
Check the following options in the tool menu:
- "Output to GeoJSON"
- "Project to WGS_1984"
- "Use field aliases"

Submitting Your Changes via GitHub

Create a fork: Go to the Vermont Zoning Atlas GitHub page and click "Fork" at the top
Upload your file: In your forked repository, open the Data folder, click "Add file" then "Upload files", and upload your updated .geojson file
Create a pull request: Go back to the original VERSO-UVM repository, click "Pull Requests" then "New pull request"
Compare across forks: Click "Compare across forks", ensure the left repo is "VERSO-UVM" and the right is your fork
Review changes: Verify you see additions (green) and minimal or no deletions (red), then click "Create pull request"

Once submitted, the repository maintainers will review your contribution and merge it if it meets the project standards. Thank you for helping improve the Vermont Zoning Atlas!

Jurisdiction Zoning Bylaw Links

Below is a comprehensive directory of links to zoning bylaws for all Vermont jurisdictions, organized by Regional Planning Commission (RPC). Use these links to access official zoning ordinances and regulations for your town or city.

RPC	Jurisdiction	Zoning Bylaw Link	Last Updated
ACRPC (Addison County Regional Planning Commission)
ACRPC	Whole RPC	Regional Planning Assistance	–
ACRPC	Addison	Zoning Information	2007
ACRPC	Bridport	Town Information	2006
ACRPC	Bristol	Documents & Forms	2017
ACRPC	Cornwall	Zoning Documents	2008
ACRPC	Ferrisburgh	Town Information	2021
ACRPC	Goshen	Zoning Administrator	2008
ACRPC	Leicester	Zoning Regulations	2017
ACRPC	Lincoln	Planning & Zoning	2023
ACRPC	Middlebury	Planning & Zoning	2022
ACRPC	Monkton	Town Plan & Zoning Bylaws	2023
ACRPC	New Haven	Planning & Zoning	2024
ACRPC	Orwell	Planning Commission & DRB	2019
ACRPC	Panton	Zoning Information	2017
ACRPC	Ripton	Zoning Administrator	2018
ACRPC	Salisbury	Town Documents	2015
ACRPC	Shoreham	Zoning	2024
ACRPC	Starksboro	Zoning	2020
ACRPC	Vergennes	Zoning & Planning	2022
ACRPC	Waltham	Planning & Zoning	2019
ACRPC	Weybridge	Documents	2017
ACRPC	Whiting	Zoning	2005

NOTE:Comprehensive bylaw links for all remaining RPCs (BCRC, CCRPC, CVRPC, LCPC, MARC, NVDA, NWRPC, RRPC, TRORC, WRC) are available in the original Bylaw Links file on GitHub. If you have updated links or notice broken links, please submit a pull request with corrections.

Zoning Glossary

NOTE: All terms have definitions that vary slightly from town to town. This Glossary is just a very basic summary to get beginners oriented to zoning-speak. Be sure to check each jurisdiction's rules to know how they specifically define these terms!

Accessory dwelling unit (ADU): An ADU is like a smaller unit of "extra housing" you can build onto the lot that holds your primary housing. Think: a mother-in-law apartment or a detached garage that you repurpose as an efficiency. ADUs can be built onto an existing home, partitioned out within the existing home, or detached from the original home but on the same lot.

Affordable housing: This is housing that costs significantly less than market-rate housing. Sometimes, the landlord receives incentives to charge rent is just lower than average; other times, the tenant pays a portion of their income (like 30%), regardless of how little they make, and the rest of the rent is paid another way.

Allowed/conditional: This is a National Zoning Atlas designation that means a jurisdiction allows the development of some type of action without a public hearing. This could include an absolute allowance (no process required) or simple administrative requirements that are overseen without a public hearing (e.g., a permit issuance or a site plan review).

Conditional use review: This is a high level of review that requires more time and expense than just permitting or site plan review.

Density: This is the number of units per acre of housing that is permitted by zoning. High density means more people living in a smaller space; low density usually means big lots or fewer units allowed on a single acre.

District: These are the pieces that each town (or "jurisdiction") is carved into. A district will be characterized by its own set of rules for how many and what type of housing is allowed. Districts generally shouldn't overlap with the exception of overlay districts. A district doesn't have to allow any housing – it can be an area of land reserved for only commercial or land conservation uses, for example.

Elderly housing: This is housing that is reserved for people above a certain age threshold. No one can rent it who is younger than the required age at the time they apply. It is also known as age-restricted or senior housing.

Form-Based Code: Form-based code sets aesthetic building standards instead of regulating the way land is used. Conventional zoning focuses on things like density, setbacks, and parking requirements, while form-based code may regulate things like the mix of different street and building types or the number of floors in a building. FBC exists in Vermont but is not the most common form of zoning.

Frontage: This is a specification that limits what shape a lot can be. It says how many feet of the lot have to be street-side. A low frontage requirement would allow construction on long skinny lots that go way back away from the street; a high frontage requirement would not allow this kind of layout.

Gore: These are irregularly-shaped land areas that are unincorporated and therefore neither a town nor a city. Vermont has two: Buel and Avery.

Hearing: A hearing is a proceeding overseen by a Zoning Administrative Officer, a board of representatives, and/or members of the general public who consider whether or not to allow the request of a potential developer to build some kind of structure or use land in some way. The developer provides evidence and arguments and answers questions supporting the development. The adjudicator(s) then decide whether or not the development meets zoning and other standards and can block development if they decide against the developer.

Impervious surface: For our purposes, this is typically driveways, parking areas, and walkways. The percent of a lot that can be covered by construction can be measured either with or without including impervious surfaces.

Jurisdiction: This is a Vermont town, city, or gore. Each jurisdiction is cut up onto slices known as districts, and each district has its own set of rules about land use and property development.

Land use: Land use is the general term for how you might want to develop or use a plot or parcel of land. Some examples are: residential development (e.g. building a house), conservation, or commercial uses (e.g., building a shop or running a business).

Maximum/minimum lot size: This is the number of square feet of land a jurisdiction requires a developer to own in order to build a particular structure on it.

Municipality: This is a US census designation that indicates a Vermont jurisdiction is a city and not a town, village, or gore. Vermont has only 10 cities.

Overlay district: This is a special type of district that lays on top of another base district. The rules for the overlay district will pre-empt any rules that conflict in the base district.

Permitted: This typically means that a particular type of development or land use can be allowed with a permit. Permits may or may not require public review, depending on the jurisdiction.

Planned Residential Development: A developer proposes to build a Planned Residential Development (PRD) when she wants to build a structure or structures that will be used ONLY for residential purposes and it will require more than one parcel of land.

Planned Unit Development: A developer proposes to build a Planned Unit Development (PUD) when she wants to use more than one parcel of land for more than one purpose. That purpose may or may not include a residential use.

Regional Planning Commission: These entities coordinate planning activity across all the towns and cities of each of Vermont's 11 regions: Chittenden County, Addison County, Central Vermont, Northwest, Rutland, Bennington County, Lamoille County, Mt. Ascutney, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee, Northeastern, and Windham. They provide technical support, especially to towns that lack professional planning or GIS staff.

Setback (front, side, rear): This is how far back a structure must be built from the edges of the property on which is sits. A requirement for a back or front yard of specified dimensions is essentially also a setback requirement.

Site plan: A site plan is a detailed document that gives notice to a town or city of what use party is planning to use a piece of land for, particularly building specifications for any structures the party is seeking permission to build or renovate.

Town Planner: A town or city planner is someone who works with community stakeholders and private citizens to design and develop aspects of the town's environment, including transportation, land use, zoning, and other topics that will affect the character and layout of that town.

Township: This is a US Census designation that indicates a Vermont jurisdiction is not a city or gore. Most jurisdictions in Vermont are townships.

Zoning Administrator: This is the person in each town's government who works with the public to make sure that any construction follows zoning rules.

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