WELCOME TO THE TOWN PLAN UPDATE PAGE!
This page is a one stop shop for residents and community stakeholders for accessing information, materials from meetings, updates, and other resources related to the planning process. Thank you for taking the time to stay updated with what is happening in the community!
The Municipal Plan – What is it?
A municipal plan is a visionary document that encompasses many factors of a community, (i.e. housing, local businesses and economic development, public services and well-being, and more).
Town Plan’s serve as the playbook for guiding future development and decision making through setting actions and policies. Municipal Plans enable towns to adopt and amend zoning and subdivision regulations, ensuring that growth is in alignment with the long-term vision.
The contents of a Plan influence State permitting processes like Act 250 and Certificates of Public Good. Having a municipal plan opens up more opportunities to access funding sources such as grants and for State programs. For example, the Community Investment Designation program.
Municipal planning has existed in Bristol since the roughly the1970’s, with the current Town Plan being adopted in 2020.
Bristol Town Plan Update – Why now? Who’s involved?
In Vermont, municipal plans are valid and effective for 8-year cycles. Bristol’s current plan is reaching the end of that cycle. The Planning Commission and Town staff have begun the process of updating the plan. The goal is to have a draft plan ready for voters come March 2028 in order to maintain a valid plan.
Per State law, Planning Commissions are responsible for preparing municipal plans, bylaws, amendments (24 V.S.A. § 4325). Planning Commissions report to the legislative body (Bristol’s Selectboard). Once the Planning Commission has final draft plan, it is submitted to the Selectboard for adoption. In Bristol municipal plans are adopted by the voters themselves.
Town staff assist the Planning Commission, providing administrative support through the process. Bristol applied for and received funding from the Municipal Planning Grant (MPG) program, which is administered by Department of Housing and Community Development. With this funding Bristol has hired Dubois & King to further assist in this comprehensive project.
The Planning Commission is required by State statute to seek feedback and input from local citizens and organizations. Community involvement is more than a requirement. It is the opportunity to create a collective path forward. So who or what is considered the community? Community can be simply all Bristol residents. Community can also be all those who live, work, shop, learn, and play in Bristol. Community can also include the many different non-profits, organizations, social groups, regional and state agencies that operate within Bristol.
MPG Kick Off – The Planning Commission and D&K will be kicking off this project on June 16th during the regular Planning Commission meeting. (June 16th Draft Meeting Minutes)
Meeting Summaries:
PC members 1st in depth discussion and review of the Vision Statement. Two members submitted revised versions. Summary of discussion summarized below for further drafting.
Planning Commission Minutes & Videos:
Documents:
Resources & Materials:
- General Planning & Development Survey: This survey ran from March to April. A total of 40 responses were received. The survey asked two questions: What matters most to you about Bristol’s future? AND Are you planning a future in Bristol, if yes what does it look like? The responses are available at the following links:
- May 9th Community Dinner: First community engagement event which included group discussions centered around community connectedness. Below are scans of the discussion sheets from this event.
Upcoming Community Events!
Interested in staying in the loop? Scan the QR code to the left or click the button below to sign up for the Town Plan newsletter.
Town Planning Tabling Activities
This activity asks participants to write their thoughts about what parts of Bristol should be CONSERVED (kept the same/protected); REVISED (altered slightly); TRANSFORMED (changed completely). Below are the responses from folks at various tabling events.
Want to provide your thoughts? Stop by the Planning Tent at the Bristol’s Farmers Market or send your thoughts to zoning@bristolvt.org with “TOWN PLAN ACTIVITY – CRT” as the subject line.
| Conserve | Revise | Transform |
| The small community feel. The downtown park/green space | Raised sidewalks on downtown main street | ADA accessibility all downtown stores + restaurants + park |
| The town green | connected trail system | ADA accessibility |
| Great Place! Wonderful park/green playground. Good restaurants. | Make Bathroom facility in park permanent | Expand Downtown Bike Paths More 3rd Spaces |
| Thriving downtown, women owned businesses | More childcare, pre-school options child activities | Splash Pad |
| Bristol Falls | don’t spend $ fixing the top of the fountain BUT we love the fountain. we <3 it! | Bike Lane(s) |
| Monkey bars & Skatepark | add water fountain to the park | Mixed Use trail alongside 116 |
| the small community feel. The downtown park/greenspace | I would like if Simon Says got more room | pool water slide and water park |
| regular, reliable, joyful community building events | More childcare options. More activities geared toward younger children/families | housing at all levels of affordability |
| public building access – library, town hall | More Sidewalk | maker space |
| gazebo | Movie in the park | expand tri-valley transit to include weekends |
| no data centers. no ICE | Rec fields for youth sports need update | Utilize the H.S. (and pool) more often (like everyday!) for regular community offerings (classes, rec dept) |
| Local source of clean water owned locally. not dependent on electronic management that can be hacked | add water fountain to park | community kitchen (for social events/business) ex. CLiCK Willimantic |
| no corporations. love small town businesses | another grocery store – small IGA (independent grocers association) | outdoor pool! |
| library + playground + town green + elementary school + HUB + skate park + pump track Bristol Ledge Trail + BTN | perhaps more community spirit/community education activities at the HUB | internship + job support – help people living in Bristol find/create jobs (in person + virtual) |
| more water fountains in the parks Bathrooms, too! | cross-class opportunities to connect | |
| we need a bagel and donut place! | ||
| More sidewalks | disc golf |