Warning of Public Hearing

The Hardwick Planning Commission hereby provides notice of a public hearing being held pursuant to 24 VSA §4444 (Public Hearing Notice) for the purpose of hearing public comments concerning proposed changes to the Hardwick Unified Development Bylaws.  The public hearing has been scheduled for December 9, 2025 (Tuesday) at 6:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Memorial Building and by Zoom.  To join the Zoom hearing, sign up for a free Zoom account anytime (zoom.us), then at 6:30 on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, go to Zoom and click on “join a meeting”.  The meeting number is 871 8541 0510.  The passcode is 439879. 

To join the Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87185410510?pwd=urQ12SZUJ1TcE56MU1PMTVorKOuoqX.1

Statement of Purpose:

The proposed changes to the Hardwick Unified Development Bylaws (known hereafter as “Bylaws”) will serve the following purposes:

1. Align with state statutory requirements regarding dwelling units, including provisions enabling the conversion of hotels and motels into permanently affordable housing.
2. Remove references to local Act 250 review in accordance with updated guidance under Act 181.
3. Establish and implement a River Corridor Overlay District to protect floodplains and flood erosion areas.
4. Create and integrate a new Village Center Zoning District for East Hardwick to support historic village character, housing opportunities, and pedestrian-oriented development.

Geographic Area Affected:

The Bylaw changes shall apply to all areas in the Town of Hardwick, Vermont.

Table of Contents:

Article 1: Authority and Purpose; Article 2: Zoning Districts; Article 3: General Regulations; Article 4: Specific Use Provisions; Article 5: Development Review;  Article 6: Subdivision Review;  Article 7: Administration and Enforcement;  Article 8: Definitions.

Location Where Full Text May Be Examined:

The full context of the proposed changes can be viewed at the Hardwick Town Offices or on the Town of Hardwick website – www.hardwickvt.gov.

The meeting is open to the public.  Interested people may attend the meeting in-person or on Zoom or send a letter or email to the Hardwick Planning Commission c/o the Zoning Administrator’s office to comment on the proposed update.  Emails can be forwarded to the zoning.administrator@hardwickvt.gov address.    

Zoning Bylaw Update – 2025 – December 9, 2025 Public Hearing at 6:30 pm on the 3rd floor of the Memorial Building.

2025 Updated Hardwick Unified Development Bylaws

Hardwick Planning Commission Report

December 9, 2025 Hearing Notice

Proposed Map for the new Village Center Zoning District

Proposed Table of Information for the new Village Center Zoning District

FAQs for the River Corridor Overlay

What is a River Corridor?

Seeing the Lamoille River and Cooper Brook Differently: a community presentation on Hardwick’s New River Flood Modeling Project

Exploring Flood Mitigation Alternatives

Wednesday, December 3 – Two Sessions
1:00–2:30 PM (In Person + Zoom)
5:00–6:30 PM (In Person, Recorded by HCTV)
Hardwick Memorial Building – 3rd Floor

Learn how new river models will help Hardwick plan smarter, safer, and stronger.

Project funded by the US Economic Development Administration through the Northern Vermont Economic Development District.

Hardwick Downtown Scoping Study – Public Presentation Summary🚗🚲👟

On November 5, 2025, the Town of Hardwick and consultants from VHB hosted a well-attended public presentation for the Mill Street and Main Street Scoping Study, with 29 participants joining in person and online.

The study focuses on improving traffic flow, pedestrian safety, and speed management in the downtown corridor, particularly at the Mill Street / Main Street and Glenside Avenue intersections.

VHB presented three conceptual alternatives—ranging from baseline to comprehensive improvement packages—each offering a “menu” of possible design elements such as sidewalk continuity and crosswalk enhancements, realignment of the Main Street intersection, traffic-calming measures including bump-outs and gateway treatments, and improved pedestrian and bicycle connections.

The presentation emphasized that the preferred design will be implemented through a phased approach, allowing the Town to pursue incremental construction as state transportation funding becomes available—an approach successfully used by other Vermont communities.

The presentation slides are available in the Planning section of the Town website, and the full meeting was filmed by HCTV and will be available for viewing soon.

Next steps: The project team will review feedback from the public presentation and identify a preferred alternative for refinement. That draft concept will be presented to the Select Board for review and approval in early 2026. A final Scoping Report is expected to be completed by February 2026. Public input remains welcome as the project moves toward design.

HCTV Recording link