Municipal Planning Grants (MPGs) will be available once again this year with applications due on November 30, 2010. MPG funds provide assistance for town planning and implementation. Information about the program is available online at: http://www.dhca.state.vt.us/Planning/GMS/OnlineApplication2011.htm
MPG funding for fiscal year 2011 (FY11) was allocated approximately at the same $400,000 level as in FY10, which is about half of the annual allocation received earlier in the past decade. Because of the reduced funding, the Community Planning and Revitalization Division conducted user surveys, meetings and interviews to determine how best to support the planning needs of Vermont municipalities at this time.
Based on responses to this outreach, two notable changes have been made in the program for FY11:
1. The emphasis of the statewide priorities is now more focused on implementation of the municipal plan.
2. A cash match will be required for grant requests between $8,000 - $15,000. Matching funds will not be required for grant requests of $8,000 or less.
Please review the online Program Description for details.
Online applications will be required. We encourage you to begin working on your application well before the online application website becomes available later this fall. You can start now by meeting with appropriate boards and consultants and developing your work plan and budget using the Sample Application as a reference. See instructions for getting started on the FY11 MPG Webpage.
Application dates:
End of September/early October, 2010 – Opening of online application website will be announced
November 30 – Application due date
December 31 – Grant decisions announced
For any questions about the MPG program please email Wendy.Tudor@state.vt.us or call: 802-828-5249 (direct line) or (800)622-4553 (toll free).
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Wrightsville Beach Facility 25 Years Old!
Wrightsville Beach Turns 25
For the last 25 years Wrightsville Beach has been providing a low cost, high quality and now diverse recreational experience for residents of its member communities (Montpelier, East Montpelier, Middlesex, and Worcester) and the Central Vermont Region. The beach facilities are widely used and appreciated by families, community groups, and visitors.
The 2010 season witnessed record attendance and revenues for the Beach thanks to great weather, improved grounds and facilities, and more recreational options. The Wrightsville Beach Recreation District, which operates the beach facility with assistance from Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, continues its popular canoe and kayak rentals, improved and expanded hiking trails, 13 holes of disk golf, and attends to its ambitious maintenance program. During the 2010 season, the District hosted the first ever Wrightsville Beach Disk Golf Tournament, the 2nd annual Green Mountain Water Skiers Tournament, and the 6th annual “Beach Party for Charity.”
As Wrightsville Beach celebrates its 25th anniversary, one wonders what the future may hold for the Beach and the surrounding Wrightsville reservoir. Check our web site at www.wrightsvillebeachvt.com for more information, and thanks for another great season.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Barre City Main St Reconstruction
A major three year reconstruction of Main St in Barre City, VT has started. The first year consists of the installation of new traffic signals and the reconfiguration of intersections and lane configuration along the detour route (Maple Ave, Summer St, Elm St and Washington, St). The actual reconstruction of Main St is not scheduled to start till 2011, but Barre is already gearing up for the work to come. The Barre Partnership is working toward keeping everyone informed with weekly or even daily (if needed) traffic updates through a new web page www.wedigbarre.com . Visit the web page for the latest traffic delay, construction information, and construction mile stones as they happen.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Environmental Conference October 2010
Recognizing that we ALL are educating about and for the environment, the conference theme, Designing Our Shared Future, says it well. The conference organizers welcome all those who have a role in designing our shared future from health workers to planners, loggers to farmers, energy innovators to green business people and conservation folks to teachers, including those who may not see themselves as educating for the environment.
Join Vermont’s State-Wide Environmental Education Programs alliance (SWEEP) as it hosts the 44th annual New England Environmental Education Alliance (NEEEA) conference. This year’s conference takes place October 21-23 at the beautiful Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT and promises to be engaging, fun and informative.
Conference partners include Vermont SWEEP, NEEEA and Promise of Place (POP), along with generous support from the Center for Whole Communities. To learn more about the details of the conference or to register to attend, please visit the conference website at http://www.neeea.org/conference or the conference blog at http://2010designourfuture.blogspot.com/.
Conference attendees can choose to attend any of the 40+ workshops and field trips that fall into three different strands – to create, to cultivate and to collaborate. This year’s conference also highlights three inspiring keynote speakers – Peter Forbes from the Center for Whole Communities, Bill McKibben from 350.org and Dana Hudson from the National Farm to School Network. Additionally, there will be a variety of entertainment including a screening of the film Mother Nature’s Child: Muddy Knees in the Age of Technology, an Open Mic Night, an evening of Contra Dancing with the Old Sam Peabody Contra Dance Band and a performance by the Yoh Theater Speakchorus.
This year’s NEEEA Conference is not to be missed. With a line up full of interactive workshops and field trips, dynamic keynote speakers and engaging entertainment, conference organizers are sure there is a place at the table for all community members of Vermont and beyond. Register now at http://www.neeea.org/conference.
For additional information, contact Nancy Nottermann, Co-Chair, NEEEA; nancyn@together.net
Join Vermont’s State-Wide Environmental Education Programs alliance (SWEEP) as it hosts the 44th annual New England Environmental Education Alliance (NEEEA) conference. This year’s conference takes place October 21-23 at the beautiful Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT and promises to be engaging, fun and informative.
Conference partners include Vermont SWEEP, NEEEA and Promise of Place (POP), along with generous support from the Center for Whole Communities. To learn more about the details of the conference or to register to attend, please visit the conference website at http://www.neeea.org/conference or the conference blog at http://2010designourfuture.blogspot.com/.
Conference attendees can choose to attend any of the 40+ workshops and field trips that fall into three different strands – to create, to cultivate and to collaborate. This year’s conference also highlights three inspiring keynote speakers – Peter Forbes from the Center for Whole Communities, Bill McKibben from 350.org and Dana Hudson from the National Farm to School Network. Additionally, there will be a variety of entertainment including a screening of the film Mother Nature’s Child: Muddy Knees in the Age of Technology, an Open Mic Night, an evening of Contra Dancing with the Old Sam Peabody Contra Dance Band and a performance by the Yoh Theater Speakchorus.
This year’s NEEEA Conference is not to be missed. With a line up full of interactive workshops and field trips, dynamic keynote speakers and engaging entertainment, conference organizers are sure there is a place at the table for all community members of Vermont and beyond. Register now at http://www.neeea.org/conference.
For additional information, contact Nancy Nottermann, Co-Chair, NEEEA; nancyn@together.net
Friday, July 16, 2010
$1.3 Million Granted to Vermont Schools for Safety Projects
The Vermont Agency of Transportation announced that 22 schools received a total of $1.3 Million in Infrastructure Awards through the Agency's Safe Routes to School Program. "Safe Routes to School is about kids walking and biking to school regularly, routinely, and safely," said VTrans Secretary David Dill. "The program is an opportunity to have schools and comminities work together to solve some of the pressing safety, environmental and health challenges."
Schools that receiving grants in the CVRPC area include:
Warren School for radar feedback signs and feasibility study.
Moretown Elementary School for installing radar signs, upgrading signage and crosswalk markings.
Waitsfield Elementary for upgrades to school signs, radar feedback signs, and intersection improvement near school.
For additional infromation about the selection of these projects or participation in the Safe Routes to School program, please contact Amie Pope at (802) 828-5799 or at aimee.pope@state.vt.us
Schools that receiving grants in the CVRPC area include:
Warren School for radar feedback signs and feasibility study.
Moretown Elementary School for installing radar signs, upgrading signage and crosswalk markings.
Waitsfield Elementary for upgrades to school signs, radar feedback signs, and intersection improvement near school.
For additional infromation about the selection of these projects or participation in the Safe Routes to School program, please contact Amie Pope at (802) 828-5799 or at aimee.pope@state.vt.us
Friday, July 2, 2010
River Corridor Management Program, Vermont
The following is a summary of the river corridor and riparian buffer-related changes in Vermont law (10 V.S.A. Chapter 49 and 24 V.S.A. Chapter 117) as a result of the passage of Act 110 in May of 2010. In several parts of this summary, entire lists and their introductory paragraphs from pre-existing State Statute are presented for the sake of context and clarity, using underlining to indicate the new language enacted as part of Act 110. Unless otherwise noted, the following Vermont law takes effect on July 1, 2010:
It is in the public interest to encourage and promote protected river corridors and buffers adjacent to rivers and streams of the state, where:
“River corridor” means the land area adjacent to a river that is required to accommodate the dimensions, slope, planform, and buffer of the naturally stable channel, and necessary to maintain or restore fluvial equilibrium conditions and minimize fluvial erosion hazards, as delineated by the agency of natural resources in accordance with river corridor protection procedures.
“Buffer” means an undisturbed area consisting of trees, shrubs, ground cover plants, duff layer, and generally uneven ground surface that extends a specified distance horizontally across the surface of the land from the mean water level of an adjacent lake or from the top of the bank of an adjacent river or stream, as determined by the secretary of natural resources.
It is in the public interest to establish policies, plans, and rules that encourage and promote protected river corridors and buffers for the following purposes:
further the maintenance of safe and healthful conditions;
prevent and control water pollution;
protect spawning grounds, fish, and aquatic life;
control building sites, placement of structures, and land uses;
reduce property loss and damage;
preserve shore cover, natural beauty, and natural stability; and
provide for multiple uses of the waters in a manner to provide for the best interests of the citizens of the state.
A River Corridor Management Program will be established by the ANR Secretary to aid and support the municipal adoption of river corridor and buffer bylaws.
No later than February 1, 2011, state financial incentives shall be offered to municipalities through existing grants and pass-through funding programs which encourage municipal adoption and implementation of zoning bylaws that protect river corridors and buffers. The Agency of Natural Resources will define the minimum standards for a municipality to be eligible for financial incentives.
Under the River Corridor Management Program, beginning February 1, 2011, the secretary shall:
(1) upon request, provide municipalities with maps of designated river corridors within the municipality. A river corridor map provided to a municipality shall delineate a recommended buffer that is based on site-specific conditions. The secretary shall provide maps under this subdivision based on a priority schedule established by the secretary in procedure; and
(2) develop recommended best management practices for the management of river corridors and buffers.
Municipal zoning bylaws may permit, prohibit, restrict, regulate, and determine land development, including the following:
(1) Specific uses of land and shoreland facilities;
(2) Dimensions, location, erection, construction, repair, maintenance, alteration, razing, removal, and use of structures;
(3) Areas and dimensions of land to be occupied by uses and structures, as well as areas, courts, yards, and other open spaces and distances to be left unoccupied by uses and structures;
(4) Timing or sequence of growth, density of population, and intensity of use;
(5) Uses within a river corridor and buffer, as those terms are (now) defined in 10 V.S.A. §§ 1422 and 1427.
Municipal Zoning
Provisions of zoning bylaws must be uniform for each class of use or structure within each zoning district, except that additional classifications may be made within any district to regulate, restrict, or prohibit uses or structures at or near any of the following:
(A) Major thoroughfares, their intersections and interchanges, and transportation arteries.
(B) Natural or artificial bodies of water.
(C) Places of relatively steep slope or grade.
(D) Public buildings and public grounds.
(E) Aircraft and helicopter facilities.
(F) Places having unique patriotic, ecological, historical, archaeological, or community interest or value, or located within scenic or design control districts.
(G) Flood, fluvial erosion, or other hazard areas and other places having a special character or use affecting or affected by their surroundings.
(H) River corridors and buffers, as those terms are defined in 10 V.S.A. §§ 1422 and 1427.
A municipality may define different and separate zoning districts, and identify within these districts which land uses are permitted as of right, and which are conditional uses requiring review and approval. The list of districts now includes:
River Corridors and Buffers A municipality may adopt bylaws to protect river corridors and buffers, as those terms are (now) defined in 10 V.S.A. §§ 1422 and 1427, in order to:
protect public safety; prevent and control water pollution;
prevent and control stormwater runoff;
preserve and protect wetlands and waterways;
maintain and protect natural channel, streambank, and floodplain stability;
minimize fluvial erosion and damage to property and transportation infrastructure;
preserve and protect the habitat of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife;
promote open space and aesthetics; and
achieve other municipal, regional, or state conservation and development objectives for river corridors and buffers.
River corridor and buffer bylaws may:
regulate the design and location of development;
control the location of buildings;
require the provision and maintenance or reestablishment of vegetation, including no net loss of vegetation;
require screening of development or use from waters; and
reserve existing public access to public waters.
It is in the public interest to encourage and promote protected river corridors and buffers adjacent to rivers and streams of the state, where:
“River corridor” means the land area adjacent to a river that is required to accommodate the dimensions, slope, planform, and buffer of the naturally stable channel, and necessary to maintain or restore fluvial equilibrium conditions and minimize fluvial erosion hazards, as delineated by the agency of natural resources in accordance with river corridor protection procedures.
“Buffer” means an undisturbed area consisting of trees, shrubs, ground cover plants, duff layer, and generally uneven ground surface that extends a specified distance horizontally across the surface of the land from the mean water level of an adjacent lake or from the top of the bank of an adjacent river or stream, as determined by the secretary of natural resources.
It is in the public interest to establish policies, plans, and rules that encourage and promote protected river corridors and buffers for the following purposes:
further the maintenance of safe and healthful conditions;
prevent and control water pollution;
protect spawning grounds, fish, and aquatic life;
control building sites, placement of structures, and land uses;
reduce property loss and damage;
preserve shore cover, natural beauty, and natural stability; and
provide for multiple uses of the waters in a manner to provide for the best interests of the citizens of the state.
A River Corridor Management Program will be established by the ANR Secretary to aid and support the municipal adoption of river corridor and buffer bylaws.
No later than February 1, 2011, state financial incentives shall be offered to municipalities through existing grants and pass-through funding programs which encourage municipal adoption and implementation of zoning bylaws that protect river corridors and buffers. The Agency of Natural Resources will define the minimum standards for a municipality to be eligible for financial incentives.
Under the River Corridor Management Program, beginning February 1, 2011, the secretary shall:
(1) upon request, provide municipalities with maps of designated river corridors within the municipality. A river corridor map provided to a municipality shall delineate a recommended buffer that is based on site-specific conditions. The secretary shall provide maps under this subdivision based on a priority schedule established by the secretary in procedure; and
(2) develop recommended best management practices for the management of river corridors and buffers.
Municipal zoning bylaws may permit, prohibit, restrict, regulate, and determine land development, including the following:
(1) Specific uses of land and shoreland facilities;
(2) Dimensions, location, erection, construction, repair, maintenance, alteration, razing, removal, and use of structures;
(3) Areas and dimensions of land to be occupied by uses and structures, as well as areas, courts, yards, and other open spaces and distances to be left unoccupied by uses and structures;
(4) Timing or sequence of growth, density of population, and intensity of use;
(5) Uses within a river corridor and buffer, as those terms are (now) defined in 10 V.S.A. §§ 1422 and 1427.
Municipal Zoning
Provisions of zoning bylaws must be uniform for each class of use or structure within each zoning district, except that additional classifications may be made within any district to regulate, restrict, or prohibit uses or structures at or near any of the following:
(A) Major thoroughfares, their intersections and interchanges, and transportation arteries.
(B) Natural or artificial bodies of water.
(C) Places of relatively steep slope or grade.
(D) Public buildings and public grounds.
(E) Aircraft and helicopter facilities.
(F) Places having unique patriotic, ecological, historical, archaeological, or community interest or value, or located within scenic or design control districts.
(G) Flood, fluvial erosion, or other hazard areas and other places having a special character or use affecting or affected by their surroundings.
(H) River corridors and buffers, as those terms are defined in 10 V.S.A. §§ 1422 and 1427.
A municipality may define different and separate zoning districts, and identify within these districts which land uses are permitted as of right, and which are conditional uses requiring review and approval. The list of districts now includes:
River Corridors and Buffers A municipality may adopt bylaws to protect river corridors and buffers, as those terms are (now) defined in 10 V.S.A. §§ 1422 and 1427, in order to:
protect public safety; prevent and control water pollution;
prevent and control stormwater runoff;
preserve and protect wetlands and waterways;
maintain and protect natural channel, streambank, and floodplain stability;
minimize fluvial erosion and damage to property and transportation infrastructure;
preserve and protect the habitat of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife;
promote open space and aesthetics; and
achieve other municipal, regional, or state conservation and development objectives for river corridors and buffers.
River corridor and buffer bylaws may:
regulate the design and location of development;
control the location of buildings;
require the provision and maintenance or reestablishment of vegetation, including no net loss of vegetation;
require screening of development or use from waters; and
reserve existing public access to public waters.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sustainable Communities Grants - HUD funding
During a keynote address to The Atlantic's inaugural Future of the City Forum in Washington, D.C., U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that HUD is launching a $100 million Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program, the first of its kind designed to create stronger, more sustainable communities by connecting housing to jobs, fostering local innovation and building a clean energy economy.
The Regional Planning grants will be awarded competitively to multi-jurisdictional and multi-sector partnerships as well as regional consortia consisting of state and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), educational institutions, non-profit organizations and philanthropic organizations. The funding was approved by Congress for the first time in HUD's 2010 budget, as part of a $200 million fund for the agency's new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities. To read the full text of HUD's funding announcement, visit HUD's Sustainability website.
"At HUD, and across the Administration, we believe that the "future of the city" is tied to the future of the region-the cities, suburbs and rural areas that surround them, and that America's ability to compete and create jobs in the 21st century depends on our metro regions," said Donovan. "That is why I am proud to say we are taking another big step forward in the Obama Administration's efforts to encourage more sustainable development as I announce $100 million for our new Sustainable Regional Planning Grant program for regions to integrate economic development, land use, and transportation investments."
"The Sustainable Communities Partnership is one part of President Obama's broader urban and metropolitan agenda, which aims to break down traditional silos and ensure that federal programs and policies across all agencies better respond to the unique needs of specific communities," said Melody Barnes, President Obama's Domestic Policy Adviser. "The Administration's efforts aim to develop urban and metropolitan areas that are economically competitive, environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive."
The funding being announced today will support regional planning efforts that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments in a manner that empowers jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges of economic competitiveness and revitalization; social equity, inclusion, and access to opportunity; energy use and climate change; as well as public health and environmental impacts. The program places a priority on partnerships, including nontraditional partnerships including arts and culture, philanthropy, and bringing new voices to the regional planning process.
The program will support a number of activities related to the development and implementation of integrated long-range regional plans including, but not limited to:
identifying affordable housing, transportation investment, water
infrastructure, economic development, land use planning,
environmental conservation, energy system, open space, and other
infrastructure priorities for the region;
establishing performance goals and measures;
providing detailed plans, policies, and implementation strategies
to be implemented by all participating jurisdictions over time to
meet planning goals;
engaging residents and stakeholders substantively and meaningfully
in the development of the shared vision and its implementation.
The program builds on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an innovative interagency collaboration, launched by President Obama in June 2009, between the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide more sustainable housing and transportation choices for families and lay the foundation for a 21st century economy. Guided by six Livability Principles, the Partnership is designed to remove the traditional silos that exist between federal departments and strategically target the agencies' transportation, land use, environmental, housing and community development resources to provide communities the resources they need to build more livable, sustainable communities.
Recognizing that areas are in different stages of achieving sustainability, HUD established two funding categories for the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program. Category 1 Funds can be used to support the preparation of Regional Plans for Sustainable Development. Category 2 Funds can be used to support efforts to fine-tune existing regional plans so that they address the Partnership's Livability Principles, to prepare more detailed execution plans for an adopted Regional Plan for Sustainable Development, and limited predevelopment planning activities for catalytic projects. Of the funds available, $2 million will be reserved for capacity support grants distributed separately, and not less than $25 million will be awarded to regions with populations of less than 500,000.
Ultimately, this regional planning initiative will provide a blueprint for public and private investment decisions that will support a more sustainable future for a region. The size of grants awarded will be determined by the size of the applicants geographic area, whether a large metropolitan region or a smaller rural community. Grant applications, which will be reviewed not only by HUD, but also by the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, are due August 23, 2010.
To demonstrate HUD's commitment to listening and learning, HUD issued an advance Notice of Funding Availability in February 2010, which was posted on the Federal Register for 21 days for public comment and feedback. Many of the comments received through that process where integrated into the final Notice.
In addition, Secretary Donovan and HUD are committed to providing the highest level of transparency possible as the Office of Sustainable Communities works to streamline federal investments. HUD's new sustainability website will allow tax payers to see where funds are being spent and hold federal leaders accountable, and for local partners to access valuable information and resources.
###
HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov
The Regional Planning grants will be awarded competitively to multi-jurisdictional and multi-sector partnerships as well as regional consortia consisting of state and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), educational institutions, non-profit organizations and philanthropic organizations. The funding was approved by Congress for the first time in HUD's 2010 budget, as part of a $200 million fund for the agency's new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities. To read the full text of HUD's funding announcement, visit HUD's Sustainability website.
"At HUD, and across the Administration, we believe that the "future of the city" is tied to the future of the region-the cities, suburbs and rural areas that surround them, and that America's ability to compete and create jobs in the 21st century depends on our metro regions," said Donovan. "That is why I am proud to say we are taking another big step forward in the Obama Administration's efforts to encourage more sustainable development as I announce $100 million for our new Sustainable Regional Planning Grant program for regions to integrate economic development, land use, and transportation investments."
"The Sustainable Communities Partnership is one part of President Obama's broader urban and metropolitan agenda, which aims to break down traditional silos and ensure that federal programs and policies across all agencies better respond to the unique needs of specific communities," said Melody Barnes, President Obama's Domestic Policy Adviser. "The Administration's efforts aim to develop urban and metropolitan areas that are economically competitive, environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive."
The funding being announced today will support regional planning efforts that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments in a manner that empowers jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges of economic competitiveness and revitalization; social equity, inclusion, and access to opportunity; energy use and climate change; as well as public health and environmental impacts. The program places a priority on partnerships, including nontraditional partnerships including arts and culture, philanthropy, and bringing new voices to the regional planning process.
The program will support a number of activities related to the development and implementation of integrated long-range regional plans including, but not limited to:
identifying affordable housing, transportation investment, water
infrastructure, economic development, land use planning,
environmental conservation, energy system, open space, and other
infrastructure priorities for the region;
establishing performance goals and measures;
providing detailed plans, policies, and implementation strategies
to be implemented by all participating jurisdictions over time to
meet planning goals;
engaging residents and stakeholders substantively and meaningfully
in the development of the shared vision and its implementation.
The program builds on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an innovative interagency collaboration, launched by President Obama in June 2009, between the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide more sustainable housing and transportation choices for families and lay the foundation for a 21st century economy. Guided by six Livability Principles, the Partnership is designed to remove the traditional silos that exist between federal departments and strategically target the agencies' transportation, land use, environmental, housing and community development resources to provide communities the resources they need to build more livable, sustainable communities.
Recognizing that areas are in different stages of achieving sustainability, HUD established two funding categories for the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program. Category 1 Funds can be used to support the preparation of Regional Plans for Sustainable Development. Category 2 Funds can be used to support efforts to fine-tune existing regional plans so that they address the Partnership's Livability Principles, to prepare more detailed execution plans for an adopted Regional Plan for Sustainable Development, and limited predevelopment planning activities for catalytic projects. Of the funds available, $2 million will be reserved for capacity support grants distributed separately, and not less than $25 million will be awarded to regions with populations of less than 500,000.
Ultimately, this regional planning initiative will provide a blueprint for public and private investment decisions that will support a more sustainable future for a region. The size of grants awarded will be determined by the size of the applicants geographic area, whether a large metropolitan region or a smaller rural community. Grant applications, which will be reviewed not only by HUD, but also by the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, are due August 23, 2010.
To demonstrate HUD's commitment to listening and learning, HUD issued an advance Notice of Funding Availability in February 2010, which was posted on the Federal Register for 21 days for public comment and feedback. Many of the comments received through that process where integrated into the final Notice.
In addition, Secretary Donovan and HUD are committed to providing the highest level of transparency possible as the Office of Sustainable Communities works to streamline federal investments. HUD's new sustainability website will allow tax payers to see where funds are being spent and hold federal leaders accountable, and for local partners to access valuable information and resources.
###
HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov
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