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Planning Commission Commission Members Royal DeLegge (Chair, 2029) Lucas Herring (Vice-Chair, 2030) Elroy Hill (2029) Brian Massey, Jr. (2028) Doug Shiok (2027) The Planning Commission is responsible for developing and drafti ng the Town Plan and Zoning Bylaws. The Planning Commission meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room located in the Brown Public Library (93 South Main Street). To contact the Planning Commission members, please email them at npc@northfield.vt.us or telephone Zoning Administrator Mitch Osiecki at 485-9824. Planning Commission Agendas & Minutes Town Plan Zoning Documents Related Information Planning Commission Agendas & Minutes Upcoming meetings Planning Documents Zoning Documents

The Town of Northfield is still accepting applications for several recreation positions for the 2026 summer season. Positions available: Head Lifeguard, Lifeguard, and Water Safety Instructor. All applicants must hold current certification. Application forms can be picked up at the Northfield Municipal Building (address below) or call 802-485-9823 to have one sent. Please mail or deliver your application to: Town Manager, c/o Municipal Building, 51 South Main Street, Northfield, Vermont 05663 EOE Northfield, Vermont Summer Recreation Vacancies The Town of Northfield is still accepting applications for several recreation positions for the 2026 summer season. Positions available: Head Lifeguard, Lifeguard, and Water Safety Instructor. All applicants must hold current certification. Application forms can be picked up at the Northfield Municipal Building (address below) or call 802-485-9823 to have one sent. Please mail or deliver your application to: Town Manager, c/o Municipal Building, 51 South Main Street, Northfield, Vermont 05663 EOE

Ensuring Quality Growth in Northfield 12/13/2024 Re: Ensuring Quality Growth in Northfield From: Jeff Schulz, Northfield Town Manager As new growth in housing and economic development opportunities increase in the Town of Northfield, we are excited to announce a Northfield citizen visioning project, made possible through a grant that fully funds the initiative. The project will be a citizen-driven planning process, building on the Our Common Future sessions of last April and the follow-up citizen work. The project will produce a proposed Community Masterplan for the future growth and overall character—building form, function, land-use, and transportation - of Northfield’s two Village Centers and the Rte. 12 corridor in between them. To begin this project a citizen’s design workshop, known as a charrette, will be held beginning January 10th. We hope you will participate in 3 targeted sessions: 1. An introductory Kick-Off Meeting on Friday January 10th, 6:00 pm at the Northfield High School Auditorium. 2. A Hands-On citizen’s design workshop the following Saturday January 11th, 9:00 am at the Northfield High School Cafeteria; and 3. A Work-In-Progress presentation Thursday the 16th, 6:00 pm at the Northfield High School Auditorium. The charrette (which is a collaborative process of idea sharing) will be an intensive, six-day public planning process. The team will include designers, transportation planners, business owners, property owners, residents, town officials and staff, and YOU. The charrette process will produce a Community Vision Plan that clearly defines and maps the community desires for the future. That vision will provide suggestions for ensuring new development retains the quality standards of our community using a process known as Form-Based Code. What will people be doing? On Friday night people will learn the process ground rules and review the concepts for traditional communities (like Northfield), and the basics of Form-Based Codes. The following morning there will be a hands-on design exercise. Working in small groups, citizens will be asked to draw their specific vision for the future of Northfield onto an aerial photo, using pens, pencils and colored markers, guided by a facilitator from the design team. At the end of the day, each group will share their vision with the rest of the community. These visions will be knitted together by the design team to create the Community Vision Plan, as described above. Following the hands-on session, the design team will run an open design studio at the Northfield Library Community Room, inviting the community to drop in on the work in progress, especially for those who missed the Saturday session, and share ideas. At the end of the week, Thursday January 16th at 6:00 pm, the design team will give a Work-In-Progress presentation. This will include an early, in-progress, version of the Community Vision Plan, with: • An Illustrative Masterplan drawing – showing potential infill development according to the Community Vision Plan. • The core and foundation of a Form-Based Code, including an early version of a suggested regulating/character plan – and • Three-dimensional and digital images illustrating potential concepts for future Northfield. This is a planned opportunity for the community to let the design team know if they are on the right track. When will it be? • Friday, January 10th, 6:00 p.m. – Kickoff Event at the Northfield High School Auditorium. • *Saturday, January 11th, 9:00 am to Noon – Citizens Hands Design Exercise at the Northfield High School Cafeteria. • Open design studio at the Northfield Library Community Room, Sunday, January 12th through Thursday January 15th. The design studio will be open to the public Monday January 13th through Wednesday, January 15th 4 pm. • Thursday, January 16th, at 6:00 pm – Work-In-Progress Presentation at the Northfield High School Auditorium. For more information, please email Town Manager Jeff at jschulz@northfield.vt.us or call 802-485-9822. You will also be able to visit the project progress through our website, www. northfield-vt.gov. We hope you will join us and provide your valuable input! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: FAQs Q: Why are we doing this project? A: We are arranging a public visioning workshop process in order to develop a Community Vision Plan. This plan will provide the framework for the town to consider additional zoning modifications based on a process known as Form-Based development regulations. This process can take the Our Common Future vision and concepts one step further by placing them in a physical Masterplan that will provide the framework possible revisions to our zoning The goal is to ensure that future growth in our community will retain the town’s character and ensure that new development will be affordable to construct, but also provide a reasonable standard of quality. Q: What are the project boundaries? A: The ________. See the attached map for the specific locations. Q: Why don't we just use our current zoning? Although well intended, the current zoning is not a good/the best tool to give us the orderly/positive, sustainable development we need going forward, and the vision laid out in the Town Plan (compact, walkable). Implementing some additional zoning guides that rely on a Form-Based Code can make it easy to build what the community wants and difficult to build what the community doesn’t want. Our current level of zoning could result in the construction of buildings that are out of character with the neighborhood and the citizens expectations. Q: What is a form-based code? A. It is a way of regulating development that controls building form first and building use second. Its goal is to produce a particular type of “place” or built environment, based on a community-endorsed vision plan. A deeper explanation of form-based code can be found at https://formbasedcodes.org/definition/   Q: Do form-based codes regulate uses? A. It can help to regulate uses when appropriate. Land use is not ignored but is managed using broad parameters that allow response to market economics. It would be theoretically possible to control uses as strictly in a form-based code as in a conventional zoning system; however, in the best contemporary form-based codes, building form is the primary regulation (particularly for mixed-use/Downtown districts), with broad parameters for permitted uses (as well as specific prohibitions for undesirable or inappropriate uses for a given district.) Form-based codes tend to not be concerned with whether a storefront houses a bookstore, restaurant or coffee shop—in fact, there is an expectation that building uses will change over time and, except for health and safety issues, minimal review/regulations should be required when they do. Different use parameters may be established for different places if it is beneficial to the community. Q: Do form-based codes create more bureaucratic red tape? A: If implemented correctly, form-based code can streamline the development review process because it typically provides clear parameters and straightforward administration, when it is based on a Community Vision Plan. It should become easier to develop properties that follow the Vision Plan and meet the form-based code standards. Q: Where else have form-based codes been used? A. Historically in the United States, many towns regulated development through systems that were primarily form-based. (Two well-known examples are pre-WWII Chicago and Old Town Alexandria in Virginia.) More recently, they are increasingly popular in towns and cities, particularly those that are encouraging (traditional) walkable redevelopment and smart growth/sustainable development or are concerned about protecting/enhancing the existing form and character of the community (or a specific district.) Specific Vermont example include Winooski; Newport; and Williston (Taft Corners). Northfield, of course, is not the same type of community as the ones listed here, and the process will be more focused on how form-based code will be good for Northfield, and where it will ensure that the community is not transformed to replicate many of these examples. Some additional locations are: Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA; Denver, CO; Contra Costa County, CA; Iowa City, IA; Cedar Falls, IA; Cedar Rapids, IA; Fayetteville, AR; Columbia, MO; Peoria, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Overland Park, KS; Portsmouth, VA; East Lansing, MI; and Fremont, MI to name a few. In Vermont: Winooski, Williston, and Newport.   Q: Will adoption of a form-based code require changing our existing zoning? A: Form-Based Codes can be adopted under a variety of scenarios, including modifying the existing zoning, creating a special district, or an overlay district. Form-Based Codes are very different than Conventional zoning, so for simplicity and consistency, it could be advantageous to modify the existing zoning with a new streamlined Form-Based Code for the areas where most of the development is likely to take place. . Q: Will I have to change my building/business/house, etc.? A. No (!) Existing buildings and uses will be “grandfathered in” under any new form-based code. Any new regulations will only take effect if an individual owner chooses to redevelop or expand significantly. < Previous News Next News >

Northfield Select Board Issues Public Statement Regarding Police Chief 02/21/2023 STATEMENT BY THE NORTHFIELD SELECT BOARD “The Town of Northfield is committed to fostering a safe, welcoming, and inclusive community. We also believe that trust in the Town and its employees is of utmost importance. News stories from local media outlets this week have recounted that members of the Northfield community feel this trust has been diminished. These news stories have referenced the Northfield Police Chief’s public comments on school locker room policy and, from earlier last year, a school’s decision to fly a Black Lives Matter flag. The Town recognizes that absent other compelling circumstances, the First Amendment allows Town employees to speak as private citizens on matters of public concern. The Town respects its employees’ desire to stay informed on local, state, and national affairs. However, the views and opinions expressed by Town employees in this regard are their own and are not the views and opinions of the Town. We want to take this opportunity to reiterate our focus on and dedication to ensuring that all members of our community can live and thrive here, free from discrimination. We are committed to having an unbiased and discrimination-free municipal government. The Town has taken recent steps in furtherance of that commitment, including making our Declaration of Inclusion and preparing to institute Diversity, Equity & Inclusion training for all Town employees. We acknowledge that trust is earned, and we are committed to earning and keeping the trust of our entire community.” < Previous News Next News >

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UPDATE ON POWER OUTAGES IN NORTHFIELD 3/10/2024 There are still 105 Northfield Electric customers still without power due to eight outage events. Green Mountain Power crews are in Northfield working to restore power. We are hopeful that GMP can restore power to all customers this evening. However, due to the type of storm, some customers could be without power until tomorrow. This was a difficult storm due to the wet heavy snow, which requires the removal of wires from trees and, in some situations, difficult rewiring to the poles. We appreciate your patience - stay safe! < Previous News Next News >

ROUTE 12 NORTH CONSTRUCTION UPDATE 4/12/2024 Vermont Route 12: Beginning Monday, April 15th, there will be multiple single lane closures with alternating one way traffic. Milling will begin at the Northfield end of the project working north and motorcycles should use caution on roughened surfaces. Montpelier State Highway (Memorial Drive): Motorists should watch for crews accessing the shoulders along approach routes to the project for the installation of construction signs. No traffic impacts are planned. Montpelier Junction State Highway (Dog River Road): Motorists should watch for crews accessing the shoulders along the project for the installation of construction signs. No traffic impacts are planned. CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES: Vermont Route 12: The milling operation, in which the contractor grinds down the existing pavement to prepare the roadway for new pavement, will begin Monday at the Northfield end of the project and work north. Also on Monday, on the Berlin end of the project, a crew will be removing and resetting guardrail to allow for shoulder widening. By midweek, shoulder widening work will begin at the Northfield end of the project. Montpelier State Highway (Memorial Drive): Crews will continue to install construction approach signs along the shoulders. Montpelier Junction State Highway (Dog River Road): Crews will continue to install construction approach signs. LOCATION: The Northfield-Berlin STP PS24(1) resurfacing project begins just south of the Cumberland Farms gas station on N. Main Street in Northfield and extends northerly approximately 8 miles on VT Route 12 to the Berlin/Montpelier town line. A portion of this project is also located on Montpelier Junction State Highway (aka Dog River Road) and includes resurfacing the Montpelier park & ride at the Exit 8 interchange with I-89. The Montpelier NH PS24(12) resurfacing project begins under the Exit 8 overpass and extends along Montpelier State Highway (Memorial Drive) for 3/4 of a mile and ends at the Class I Town Highway limits with the City of Montpelier. Work includes milling and paving of a leveling and wearing course, pavement markings, signs, guardrail, drainage, and other highway improvements. PROJECTED COMPLETION: Fall 2024. < Previous News Next News >

Northfield Welcomes New Ice Cream Shop - The Common Cone JULY 17, 2023 There was nothing “soft” about the “soft opening” of the Common Cone on Saturday, June 15, the newest business to open downtown in the Mayo Block Building. Owner Morgan Davis said on social media: “Wow! Just wow! Yesterday was an incredible whirlwind of scoops, smiles, and overwhelming support!” A Line Out the Door, Heatwaves, and Resilience Davis told the public: “You showed up in droves, and we couldn't be happier! Despite the scorching heat (both inside and out) and a line that stretched out the door for most of the day, your patience and enthusiasm were truly remarkable. We apologize for any inconveniences caused by the unexpected demand and equipment snafus, but thanks to our incredible staff, we were able to overcome every challenge that came our way!” The reviews were equally as enthusiastic, with hundreds of “likes” and “loves” and one glowing comment after another raving about the ice cream flavors and the positive addition to the town’s common. I went yesterday. Very busy but no wait. This is so what we need in town. I will be back!” said one local resident. Reflecting on what the Common Cone hopes to mean to Northfield, Davis said, “We believe in building a warm and inviting community around our ice cream parlor, where friends and families can gather to create lasting memories.” < Previous News Next News >

Great Things Have Come Out of Northfield’s VOREC Recreation Grant 8/19/24 In 2023, through the work of Northfield’s Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative Grant (VOREC), the town was awarded a $122,965 grant from the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. The primary goal of this grant was the creation of a wayfinding plan, including a recreational map, street signs, trail signs, and kiosks that would help the community navigate to and within the town forest trail system and Norwich University’s Shaw Outdoor Center. Visitors to the town forest can check out gear at the Brown Public library. Recent additions to the stash of snowshoes & trekking poles are a child-carrier back pack, and kids adventure backpacks with the themes of wildlife, insects, and birds. The grant also supports programming for the community: • Story walks for children in a variety of natural settings Sponsored in conjunction with the Brown Public Library • Plein Air painting sessions with supplies provided: dates TBA • Yoga hikes in the town forest and Shaw Outdoor Center • Saturday, August 24th (Rain Date: Sunday, August 25th) o Theme: Welcome, Norwich Students and Faculty! o Meeting Location: Shaw Outdoor Center • Saturday, September 21st (Rain Date: Sunday, September 22nd) o Theme: Autumn Equinox o Meeting Location: Shaw Outdoor Center • Saturday, October 12th (Rain Date: Sunday, October 13th) o Theme: Fall Foliage and Indigenous Peoples Day o Meeting Location: TBD • Whoo Is It? Southern Vermont Natural History Museum Saturday, August 10th @ 11 am. • Beetle Identification Workshop with Julia Pupko August 3rd, 2-4 For information on any of the workshops or hikes, check the library website or the Northfield Town website. Maps of the town of Northfield and a recreation map for Northfield are the biggest highlights of our wayfinding plan. Print your copy from the town website or find a copy at the Brown Public Library. Wood and Wood Sign Systems from Waitsfield was selected to fabricate the kiosks and trail signs for the town forest/Shaw Outdoor Center trails. Our committee received $25,000 of ARPA funding to make these signs a reality. Deborah Zuaro Chair, Northfield VOREC Steering Committee < Previous News Next News >

Burn Permits are required in the Town of Northfield. Please contact Fire Warden Brian Elwell at 802-279-4023 or Assistant Fire Warden Titus Soble at 802-793-9030 before you burn. Northfield, Vermont Burn Permits Burn Permits are required in the Town of Northfield. Please contact Fire Warden Brian Elwell at 802-279-4023 or Assistant Fire Warden Titus Soble at 802-793-9030 before you burn.

REQUEST FOR BIDS - Northfield Municipal Pool Painting and Structural Repairs 01/26/24 Project Title: Municipal Pool Painting and Structural Repairs Project Schedule: January 22, 2024 Request for Bids Released February 23, 2024 @ 4:00 pm Deadline for Submission of Bid April 25, 2024 Project Start Date June 1, 2024, Project Completion Date Project Title: Municipal Pool Painting and Structural Repairs Project Summary: The Town of Northfield is accepting bids from qualified contractors to paint and make structural repairs to the Northfield municipal pool located at the end of King Street (Memorial Park), in Northfield, VT. The Northfield pool was constructed in 1991 and is a 600,000-gallon pool with approximately 15,000 square feet of surface area for painting. The repairs and painting must be made and dried by June 1 to provide for adequate time for pool reopening for the summer season. The contractor shall complete the following project elements. 1. Power wash and clean the pool using an approved chemical wash. 2. Replace 15 to 20 damaged pool skimmers and associated piping. 3. Repair pool deck around replaced skimmers. 4. Repaint the pool with one coat of primer and two coats of epoxy paint depending on the manufacturer’s specifications. 5. Repaint all lane lines and other pool markings. 6. Install anti-skid substances on stairs and entry areas. The contractor shall guarantee all work for one year after substantial completion. Submission Requirements All responses to the request for bids shall include the following: 1. Cover Letter - A cover letter and general description of proposal. 2. Scope of Work – Provide a scope of work. 3. Proposed Schedule – Provide a schedule of project start and end date. 4. Experience – List of similar projects 5. Project Budget – Provide a budget, including estimated project hours and materials. 6. References - A minimum of three (3) references for whom a similar project has been completed within the last three (3) years. Questions regarding the request, please contact Town Manager, Jeff Schulz at jschulz@northfield.vt.us or 802-485-9822. One (1) electronic Adobe (PDF) file shall be received on/before 4:00 pm on February 23, 2024, by email to jschulz@northfield.vt.us . Alternatively, two hard copy proposals shall be received by the Town by 4:00 PM on February 23, 2024, attention Jeff Schulz, Town Manager 51 South Main Street Northfield, VT 05663. The Town of Northfield reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received as part of this solicitation, to negotiate with any qualified source, to waive any formality and any technicalities or to cancel the request for bids in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of the Town of Northfield. This solicitation of proposals in no way obligates the Town of Northfield to award a contract. The Town of Northfield will negotiate contract terms upon selection. The contractor shall not start the project until the successful applicant enters a written contract with the municipality. The Town of Northfield is not liable for any cost incurred by consultant prior to issuance of a contract. The contractor shall provide proof of Insurance Coverage such that All contractors, and any sub-contractors must carry adequate insurance coverage (not less than $1,000,000-per occurrence). $1,000,000 - General Aggregate Applying, in total, $1,000,000 - Products/Completed Operations Aggregate, $50,000 – Fire/Legal/Liability, and $1,000,000 – Automotive Liability), and must affirm being an equal opportunity employer. < Previous News Next News >

NORTHFIELD PEDESTRIAN PATH SCOPING STUDY PRESENTATION NORTHFIELD PEDESTRIAN PATH SCOPING STUDY PRESENTATION The Town of Northfield is exploring options to create a continuous sidewalk or pedestrian path primarily along Wall Street, connecting Depot Square to Dog River Park, crossing Dog River and the railroad tracks. After robust community discussion and site reviews, the project team is presenting alternative design solutions. At this Alternatives Presentation the project team will show different potential designs for a pedestrian path in this area. If you’d like an opportunity to discuss this project, ask questions about the design alternatives, or voice concerns, please join us in person at the Select Board Regular Meeting on March 26, 2024 (6 pm -11 pm) in the Community Room in the Brown Library - 93 S Main St, Northfield, VTor online at GoTo: https://meet.goto.com/205955837 < Previous News Next News >