Community development is a large field that covers economic development as well as those other man-made aspects of communities that need to be in place to have a healthy, functioning community. This usually includes community health, education, social services, cultural institutions, adequate sanitation, housing, and a good civic ethic that promotes growth, cooperation, and inclusion.

NRPC works in community development by helping towns to address these issue in their local plans, writing and administering grants to plan and implement projects and through partnerships with other organizations and agencies. NRPC works closely with our economic development partners — Franklin County Industrial Development CorporationLake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development and the Franklin County Regional Chamber of Commerce. NRPC is also a member of the Northern Vermont Economic Development District (NVEDD).

NRPC works with Vermont business owners, developers, lenders, and other professionals involved in “environmentally-challenged” real estate transactions, called Brownfields. We work to provide these professionals with the resources they need to successfully transact and redevelop Brownfields, with grant funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

NRPC assists member towns in applying to the Vermont Downtown Program for downtown or village designation, which provides technical assistance and training to communities for their downtown revitalization efforts.

Franklin County Countryside Photo

The main source of grants for communities in this area is the Vermont Community Development Program. Funds can be used to plan and implement projects that help people with low and moderate incomes, including housing, jobs, handicapped-accessibility, and community facilities.

Technical Assistance from NRPC

NRPC can help municipalities apply for Downtown or Village designation. Most of the municipalities in our region are of a size where Village Designation is most appropriate. NRPC can assist you with the entire process, including education about the program, application and mapping.

For more information on how NRPC can help, please contact Catherine Dimitruk by email or at (802) 524-5958.